Digital Commons Network^™

Factors Affecting The Internal Brain Drain Of Saudi Healthcare Professionals, Zuhair T. Bakhsh, Ameerah Y. Mansour, Edward K. Mensah, Kevin G. Croke, James L. Drummond, Anne Koerber

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVES: To investigate factors affecting the internal brain drain of healthcare professionals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an anonymous self-administered online questionnaire sent to all Saudi students enrolled in healthcare profession programs in North America. The data was collected between January and March 2008 at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America. Results were analyzed using logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: A total of 377 completed questionnaires were returned. Results revealed that 71% of respondents intended to return to work within the 2 major urban cities (Riyadh and …

Soft Tissue Genioplasty. New Modality Of Chin Surgery Utilizing Mentalis Muscle Only, Abdullah I. Alatel

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVES: To introduce a unique newly modified non-invasive surgical technique of genioplasty, where the mentalis muscle is advanced surgically for some selected indicated patients. METHODS: This technique was carried out at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. From January 2009 to December 2011, 20 medically fit patients with acceptable facial profile, and age range from 18-25 years were selected as candidates for chin advancement, approximately 3-5 mm based on their lateral cephalometric tracings followed by mentalis muscle tightening. RESULT: In all patients, soft tissue analysis of the lower lip …

Nutritional And Health Status Of Medical Students At A University In Northwestern Saudi Arabia, Abdulkader R. Allam, Inass M. Taha, Omar M. Al-Nozha, Intessar E. Sultan

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVES: To assess the nutrition and health status, nutrients intake, and physical activity among Saudi medical students. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey using a questionnaire, anthropometric measurements, and laboratory assessments was conducted from January to May 2011 on 194 randomly selected Saudi medical students at Taibah University, Madinah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The adequacy of nutrient intake was compared with the recommended daily intake (RDI) per the National Research Council. RESULTS: Caloric intake was derived from carbohydrates (72.1%), fats (19.4%) and proteins (8.4%). Proteins and fats were obtained from a greater number of animal sources than of plant sources (5.3% versus …

Small Group Teaching Improves Students’ Acquisition Of Knowledge And Skills, Salman Y. Guraya, Hamdi H. Almaramhy

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of small group teaching (SGT) in improving the undergraduate medical students’ knowledge and skills. METHODS: This study took place at the College of Medicine, Taibah University, Madina, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between September 2011 and September 2012. Small group teaching was applied by the surgery department. In this prospective study, fifth year students were divided into groups of 8 students, and teaching strategies of SGT were applied. The marks in the clinical examinations of long case and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) of the students with a traditional teaching cohort of 2010–2011 were compared to …

The Prevalence Of Barrett’S Esophagus Remains Low In Eastern China. Single-Center 7-Year Descriptive Study, Ming Zhang, Xiang-Shan Fan, Xiao-Ping Zou

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVES: To detect Barrett’s esophagus (BE) prevalence in patients undergoing gastroscopy in Eastern China. METHODS: This study was carried out in Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated Medical College of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China from January 2005 to January 2012. All BE patients were enrolled in the study. The prevalence of BE were calculated generally in different age grades, calendar year, and by gender. The relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms and BE were also studied. RESULTS: During the study period, 139,416 patients were studied and 234 patients (0.168%, 95% confidence interval, 0.146%-0.189%) were identified as BE. The mean age was …

Incidence And Spectrum Of Anorectal Malformations In Western Saudi Arabia, Hamdi H. Almaramhy

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVES: To present the incidence and spectrum of anorectal malformations (ARMs) and associated anomalies and to compare the findings with published literature. METHODS: This is a retrospective study conducted during the period January 2011 to December 2011. We reviewed the medical charts of all cases with ARMs admitted at Al-Madinah Maternity and Children Hospital, Madinah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during 1998-2010. The incidence and spectrum of ARMs, associated regional anomalies, and those with a positive family history of ARMs were identified. The 95% confidence interval and Chi square trend test were used to quantify the significance of variation in annual …

A Very Rare Type Of Primary Hyperparathyroidism With Severe Hypercalcemia In An Infant, Mohammad H. Al-Qahtani

Saudi Medical Journal

Severe neonatal primary hyperparathyroidism is a very rare type of primary hyperparathyroidism in pediatrics that might present during infancy with non-specific symptoms. We report an infant who presented with a very high level of calcium, yet responding to simple medications to draw the attention to pediatricians to this disease as early diagnosis and treatment will ameliorate its devastating outcome.

The Trend Of Hospital Accreditation In Saudi Arabia, Ahmad Z. Qureshi, Sami Ullah, Rubina Ullah

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Raman Micro Spectroscopy For The Characterisation Of Cervical Cancer., Nosheen Rashid

Doctoral

The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential of FTIR and Confocal Raman micro spectroscopy (CRM) in elucidating the biochemical changes occurring in different layers of the cervical epithelium including basal, superficial and the underlying connective tissue known as stroma during the progression of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN) to cancer. Initially the two techniques were compared and Raman was chosen based on its higher spatial and spectral resolution. The sample preparation and spectral measurement procedures were optimised and all samples were formalin fixed paraffin processed, dewaxed using xylene, and measured on calcium fluoride windows. Raman spectra were …

Accuracy Of Perceptual And Acoustic Methods For The Detection Of Inspiratory Loci In Spontaneous Speech, Yu-Tsai Wang, Ignatius S. B. Nip, Jordan R. Green, Ray D. Kent, Jane Finley Kent, Cara Ullman

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

The present study investigates the accuracy of perceptually and acoustically determined inspiratory loci in spontaneous speech for the purpose of identifying breath groups. Sixteen participants were asked to talk about simple topics in daily life at a comfortable speaking rate and loudness while connected to a pneumotach and audio microphone. The locations of inspiratory loci were determined on the basis of the aerodynamic signal, which served as a reference for loci identified perceptually and acoustically. Signal detection theory was used to evaluate the accuracy of the methods. The results showed that the greatest accuracy in pause detection was achieved (1) …

Spectrum Of Acute Clinical Characteristics Of Diagnosed Concussions In College Athletes Wearing Instrumented Helmets, Ann-Christine Duhaime,, Jonathan G. Beckwith, Arthur C. Maerlender, Thomas W. Mcallister, Joseph J. Crisco, Stefan M. Duma, P. Gunnar Brolinson, Steven Rowson, Laura A. Flashman, Jeffrey J. Chu, Richard M. Greenwald

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Object. Concussive head injuries have received much attention in the medical and public arenas, as concerns have been raised about the potential shortand long-term consequences of injuries sustained in sports and other activities. While many student athletes have required evaluation after concussion, the exact definition of concussion has varied among disciplines and over time. The authors used data gathered as part of a multiinstitutional longitudinal study of the biomechanics of head impacts in helmeted collegiate athletes to characterize what signs, symptoms, and clinical histories were used to designate players as having sustained concussions.

Methods. Players on 3 college …

Autumn Migration Of Mississippi Flyway Mallards As Determined By Satellite Telemetry, David George G. Krementz, Kwasi Asante, Luke W. Naylor

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

We used satellite telemetry to study autumn migration timing, routes, stopover duration, and final destinations of mallards Anas platyrhynchos captured the previous spring in Arkansas from 2004 to 2007. Of those mallards that still had functioning transmitters on September 15 (n = 55), the average date when autumn migration began was October 23 (SE = 2.62 d; range = September 17–December 7). For those mallards that stopped for .1 d during migration, the average stopover length was 15.4 d (SE = 1.47 d). Ten mallards migrated nonstop to wintering sites. The eastern Dakotas were a heavily utilized stopover area. The …

Rhythmic Proportions, Ashley Billings

Theses

Rhythmic Proportions is a story about shifting the balance between logical structures and artistic freedoms. Manifested through paintings and found objects from a piano, my thesis negotiates a series of missions through an evolution of creative methodology in the interest of discovering new potentials. Propelled by the ideas of Mark Rothko, Michel Foucault and Immanuel Kant, I connect cognitive philosophies with my most forceful visual influences: the ancient works of Islamic architecture and the contemporary works of video artist Hiraki Sawa, painter Gopal Chowdhury, and sculptor Diana Al-Hadid. As my methods evolve, a more organic style gains momentum, however a …

Identifying And Characterizing Non-Coding Rnas In The Dinoflagellate Karenia Brevis, Helen Namataka

Master's Theses

When algal cells proliferate and accumulate in marine and fresh water systems, they form algal blo'oms. The majority of these blooms are beneficial, but a significant number are detrimental and are known as harmful algal blooms (HABs). A number of negative effects, including closing of recreational beaches and economic loss, are observed during HABs. Predictably, the longer a bloom persists, the greater its effects on human, environmental and economic health. Karenia brevis, a mixotrophic dinoflagellate, forms HABs, and blooms caused by this organism have been known to remain several months after formation. For these reasons, research has been conducted to …

The Effects Of Dro And Dra For Increasing Academic Engagement And Decreasing Disruptive Behavior Of Elementary Students In General Education Classrooms, Jonna Lea Halphen

Master's Theses

The research literature suggests that functional assessment and differential reinforcement methods are effective for decreasing an array of problem behaviors. However, research is limited in the number of studies including children of typical development exhibiting common problem behaviors (e.g., inappropriate vocalization, off-task behavior) in a general education setting. In addition, previous studies have failed to report data regarding increases in appropriate replacement behaviors. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relative effectiveness of differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) and differential reinforcement on alternative behavior (DRA) for decreasing problem behavior and increasing academically engaged behavior with elementary-age …

Fungal Biofilm Colonization And Succession On Artificial Reefs In The North-Central Gulf Of Mexico, Amy Leigh Salamone

Master's Theses

This study represents the first characterization of natural mixed-species fungal biofilm communities on artificial reefs in the marine environment. Previous fungal biofilm studies have failed to observe the naturally-occurring biodiversity in coastal areas, which comprise the most utilized zone of the marine environment. Artificial reefs can increase fishing yields, amplify oyster habitats, contribute to shoreline stabilization, promote good water quality, and deter pollution. Proper management practices of artificial reefs require knowledge of the colonization of these new habitats by marine organisms and their subsequent succession. Fungi, along with bacteria, archaea, protists, algae, and diatoms, quickly form a complex biofilm on …

Profession Of Faith: Congressional Websites And Religious Expression In The 112th Congress, Molly Jaye Mcguffee

Master's Theses

The idea of culture wars in politics suggests that American voters have polarized according to their positions on moral issues, and a religious gap in the electorate also contends that voters are polarized on these issues according to their religious beliefs and practices. Research shows that members of Congress send cues about their faith to their constituents, who in turn use the information to assess their representatives and determine their members' position on these moral issues. To determine how these cues are delivered and who delivers the information, I combed 100 Senators' and 435 Representatives' from the 1121 h Congress …

Marginalization Of Mothers In The Market: A Comparative Study Of The Limits And Opportunities For Public Policy, Jennifer Mary Crosslin

Master's Theses

Despite significant gains of women living in advanced democracies over the last several decades, sex inequality in the market still exists. Women still earn less, work less, and are less likely to be found in top leadership positions in the market, especially mothers, but disparity between men and women in terms of these outcomes varies among many countries. This study explores the relationship between government policies and the market outcomes of women in the United States and other European nations to determine if the different policies explain the variances, and consequently the necessity of state intervention for achieving gender equality. …

A Place Like Home, Tabitha Denae Epperson

Master's Theses

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina changed many things. This storm destroyed buildings, businesses, places of worship, and homes. People lost their lives, possessions, way of life, and for those that survived, their lives now were measured in two eras - pre and post Katrina. Because this natural disaster turned their lives upside down, both in large and small ways, their lives would never be the same. This thesis . documents stories of those that for various reasons chose to stay on the Mississippi Gulf Coast after Katrina. Twenty-five interviews of residents of Pass Christian explore what exactly is a …

Agriculture, Influence, And Instability Under The Ancien Régime: 1708-1768, Adam J. Polk

Masters Theses

The French Revolution has been studied from myriad perspectives. The majority of scholarship focuses on the political and urban chaos of the times. Agricultural conditions and the influence of onerous taxation and stagnant agricultural options are given only a cursory examination in most research. This thesis aims to investigate the relationship between agronomic and environmental conditions and the eruption of violence in urban centers during the French Revolution and the years leading up to it (1708-1768). This period prior to the French Revolution serves as a template to investigate the nature of the rural-agricultural influences, with a particular focus paid …

Assessment Of The Discriminative Stimulus Effects And Time Courses Of Salvinorin A And Two Synthetic Salvinorin B Derivatives, Methoxylmethyl (Mom) And Ethoxymethyl (Eom), Ethers In Rats Trained To Discriminate U69,593, Lisa M. Bell

Masters Theses

Research regarding the psychopharmacology of salvinorin A, the main psychoactive ingredient in the hallucinogenic plant Salvia divinorum, has been motivated largely by a recent increase in its recreational use and widespread media attention focused on this plant and its extracts. In addition, there is considerable evidence that drugs acting on kappa opioid receptors (KOR) may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of some neuropsychiatric conditions, including drug dependence and mood disorders. Although the neuropharmacological actions of salvinorin A are well established, only a few studies have explored the behavioral effects of this substance in comparison to the KOR agonist, …

The Effects Of Replacing Dispersed Trash And Recycling Bins With Integrated Waste Receptacles On The Accuracy Of Waste Sorting In An Academic Building, Katherine J. Binder

Masters Theses

Numerous researchers and theorists have attempted to explain the existence of the gap between the possession of environmental knowledge and awareness and the display of pro-environmental behavior (Glasser, 2007; Kollmuss & Agyeman, 2002). Behavior analysis is uniquely aligned to contribute to this discussion through its emphasis on the role of controlling variables in behavior change. A growing number of behavioral research studies address the challenges of group-contingencies in an effort to solve real-world gaps (Lehman & Geller, 2004). This study was designed as a continuation of the line of behavioral research designed to increase recycling rates and also as an …

How Now Shall We Consume: Widening Conception Of Political Consumption And Analysis Of The American Buyer, John Patton Chew

Masters Theses

As consumption of goods has risen, it has increasingly become a space for political activists to brand products and for the everyday consumer to voice their opinion on how businesses should be run. Through the practices of buycotting and boycotting political consumers have increasingly been able to show their support for issues as diverse as gay rights, environmental issues, funding for disease cures, and American based products.

This study attempts to gain an understanding of how prevalent political consumption is and of who are political consumers. The findings show that a large percentage of the population is knowledgeable and active …

Equipment Qualification Of Ion Mobility Spectrometry And Method Development And Validation For Pharmaceutical Equipment Cleaning Validation, Amy Lee Heiser

Masters Theses

Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) instrumentation has been identified as a suitable technology for the detection and reporting of drug product and detergent residues from pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment. Ion mobility is not a new technology, but is entering the field of cleaning validation because of tightened requirements from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The purpose of this thesis is to outline a practical implementation of the analytical technique, Ion Mobility Spectrometry in a cleaning validation program. Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) is fast and specific for the analysis of small organic molecules and has been gaining popularity in the pharmaceutical …

How Facebook Friendship Transforms The Superior-Subordinate Relationship: A View From Relational Dialectics Theory, Raquel Hellenga

Masters Theses

This thesis project explores how Facebook friendship transforms the relationship between superior-subordinate dyads in the workplace through the lens of relational dialectics theory. A convenience sample of five superior-subordinate dyads (N=10) was used. Criteria for participation included: the superior must be full time and must be the subordinate's direct superior, the subordinate must work at least part time, both must have worked in the organization for at least three months, and the two must be friends on Facebook who communicate at least weekly through the site. This study utilizes qualitative, face-to-face, in-depth participant interviews. The interview questions are open-ended in …

The Effects Of Altering Response Effort During Data Collection On Observer Accuracy: Data Collection Procedures On Hand Hygeine Compliance, Krista Hinz

Masters Theses

When dealing with human observers and error, tight control in data collection and methodology is essential for accurate representation of compliance. Although observational studies are popular, little has been done to study the integrity of human observers and the data collection process. Incomplete analysis of data collection integrity threatens functional findings, leading to problematic interpretation and decreased replication. The purpose of the current study was to assess whether manipulating the response effort associated with data collection has an effect on the accuracy of data collection. Participants of the study were undergraduate psychology students at a Midwestern university who were enrolled …

Music Therapy In The Nicu: Interventions And Techniques In Current Practice And A Survey Of Experience And Designation Implications, Suzanna A. Peczeniuk-Hoffman

Masters Theses

While researchers have documented the clinical use of music in medical settings, little is known about music therapists working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The purpose of the study was to examine the demographics, educational training (NICU-MT designation), employment conditions, and music therapy interventions/techniques used by professional music therapists in the NICU. A 15- item survey was designed and electronically mailed to music therapists (N = 318) identified by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT), and Infant and Child Medical Music Therapy Institute at Florida State University as potentially working with …

The Rise And Fall Of Kin Structure In The Neotropical, Family-Living Buff-Breasted Wren (Cantorchilus Leucotis) In Gamboa, Panama, Sarah C. Alessi

Masters Theses

Family-living species provide an exciting model to examine how natal dispersal and kin structure influence genetic structuring within local populations. Juvenile buff-breasted wrens (Cantorchilus leucotis) of both sexes delay dispersal and exhibit short-distance natal dispersal, which should lead to kin-structured populations in which relatives of both sexes occupy neighboring territories. Blood samples collected from juvenile and adult wrens in Gamboa, Panama were analyzed using microsatellite markers to determine whether related individuals are spatially clustered on neighboring territories, spatial clusters of relatives change over time, and if kin structure is sex-specific. Global and local spatial autocorrelation analyses detected genetic …

High Capacity Lithium-Ion Battery Characterization For Vehicular Applications, Sazzad Hossain Ahmed

Masters Theses

A lithium-ion battery is one of the key research topics in energy storage technologies. Major characterization tests such as static capacity, open circuit voltage (OCV), hybrid pulse power characterization (HPPC) have been conducted on two different chemistries, LiMnNi and LiFePO₄, high capacity lithium-ion batteries over a wide range of temperatures from 50ºC to -30ºC. Detail analysis of temperature effects on battery capacity and simple models of direct current resistance (DCR) increment and power decrement over temperatures have been proposed using the test results. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests have been performed to find out the dominant internal resistances …

Direct Analysis Of Hops By Leaf Spray And Paper Spray Mass Spectrometry, Kari Blain

Masters Theses

The objective of this research is to develop a new and innovative method of hops analysis, which is much faster than standard testing methods, as well as reduce the amount of consumables and solvent used. A detailed discussion on the development of an ambient ionization mass spectrometry method called paper spray (PS-MS) and leaf spray (LS-MS) mass spectrometry will be presented. This research investigates the use of PS-MS and LS-MS techniques to determine the α- and β- acids present in hops. PS-MS and LS-MS provide a fast way to analyze hops samples by delivering data as rapidly as a UV-Vis …