Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Comparison Of Mandibular Alveolar Bone With Facial Type Using Cbct, Jason M. Loop

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between facial type and cortical bone thickness (mm), cortical bone density (rHU) and trabecular bone density (rHU) in the mandibular alveolar bone. Twenty-five consecutive dolichofacial, 25 consecutive mesiofacial, and 25 consecutive brachyfacial patients with T1 lateral cephalograms and CBCT scans were used in this study. A Ricketts analysis was used to compute the VERT index for each patient. All statistical analyses were performed at the significance level of α = 0.05. The one-way ANOVA and LSD post hoc tests indicated there was a statistically significant relationship between facial type and …

Buccal Bone Changes Following Rapid Maxillary Expansion (Rmf), Long-Term Results, Elena S. Iacob

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to use Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) images to quantitatively evaluate buccal bone changes of maxillary first premolar (P1), second premolar (P2) and first molar (M1) shortly after Rapid Maxillary Expansion (RME) and at the end of orthodontic treatment, as well as to evaluate the variables that may be associated with the short-term and long-term changes. Forty-seven consecutive patients (25 males and 22 females) with a mean age of 14.5years and who required RME as part of their orthodontic treatment and had pre-RME (T1) and post-RME (T2) CBCT images available were used for the …

Psychological Distress And Change In A Pediatric Obesity Population, Amy Rebecca Beck

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Pediatric overweight and obesity is a growing national epidemic with 15 percent of children ages 6-19 considered obese and at least 22 percent considered overweight. While there is considerable research pointing to contributing factors of obesity, there is a paucity of research which elucidates what contributes to successful intervention. Considering that by the year 2050, nearly 50 million Americans may be obese, understanding the factors delineating success of weight loss and prevention is a necessity. The purpose of this study was to utilize archival data from the LLU Growing Fit Program to evaluate the levels of psychological distress experienced by …

Knowledge Of Pain Management In Older Adults As A Content Area For Continuing Professional Education For Licensed Nurses, Wanda Cleveland Dubuisson

Dissertations

The research of the last 30 years has revealed the inadequacy of pain management in the older adult. Although evidenced-based clinical practice guidelines exist to direct the management of pain in the older adult, health care providers are either unaware or lack the proper understanding of the guidelines. This study investigated the differences in knowledge of pain management in older adults when examining licensed acute care nurses and extended care nurses. It sampled 118 acute care nurses working in two hospitals in Mississippi and 78 extended care nurses working in six extended care facilities (ECF) in Mississippi.

Based upon the …

Predictive Measures Of Cognitive Outcome In Adults Sustaining Brain Injury, Herminia De La Rosa-Trujillo

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

To date, there is no consistent and accurate outcome prediction method for patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Commonly used clinical measures such as the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and traditional radiological methods of x-rays and computed tomography (CT) scans do not always accurately predict patient functional outcome. These radiological methods are adequate in determining gross structural anatomical disturbances, however, they are unable to detect more diffuse cellular damage believed to be responsible for the functional impairments evidenced in patients sustaining TBI. Magnetic resonance imaging allows for various non-invasive sequencing techniques that have demonstrated to be a potentially valuable method …

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. …

Recognizing A Dysfunctional Swallowing Pattern Using Surface Electromyography (Semg), Michelle F. Couto

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if a surface electromyography (sEMG) assessment of swallowing is better at identifying Oral Muscular Dysfunction (OMD) than a clinical evaluation (observation & digital palpation) of swallowing. The assessment was conducted on children ages 9 to 17, who were patients at the Orthodontic Department at Loma Linda University, School of Dentistry. Additionally, the prevalence of a “perceived” swallowing dysfunction was assessed.

Methods: This study included 39 randomly selected subjects from the orthodontic patients at Loma Linda University. Each subject’s “dry” swallow was evaluated using two separate methods: (a) sEMG and (b) digital …

Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of Ppar-Gamma In Surgical Brain Injury (Sbi), Amy Hyong

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Introduction: Brain injury can be caused by neurosurgical procedures themselves, due to direct trauma, retractor stretch, intraoperative hemorrhage and electrocautery damage. As a result of this surgical brain injury (SBI) postoperative complications such as inflammation, brain edema, and cell death can occur in the susceptible brain areas. Cerebral inflammation is a known contributor to the pathophysiology of brain injury. Following brain injury, the release of inflammatory mediators facilitates the development of BBB breakdown, cerebral edema, oxidative stress and neuronal death, resulting in further tissue damage in the brain and poor neurological outcomes. This study evaluates whether the use of a …

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 …

Characterization Of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Orf11 As A Possible Dutpase, Christina N. Ramirez

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

A dUTPase is a crucial enzyme that hydrolyzes dUTP to dUMP. This reaction prevents the mutagenic or lethal misincorporation of uracil into DNA. For that reason, the enzyme is required for efficient DNA replication. Previous studies have shown that has ORFl l dUTPase-like motifs and thus may be a dUTPase. Generally, gammaherpesviruses contain six characteristic dUTPase motifs. In particular ORFl 1 and contains motifs 1, 2, 4, 6. While the characteristic motifs of gamroaberpesviruses include motifs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, the number of dUTPase-like motifs in ORFl 1 's protein sequence is substantial. Thus, ORFl 1 may …

Manipulations Of Macrophage Activation Through Targeted Delivery Of Interferon Regulatory Factor Genes Mediated By Recombinant Adenovirus-Conjugated Zymosan, Mengmeng Zhang

All Theses

According to the different phenotypes and distinct patterns of gene expression, macrophages can be subdivided into two types: M1 and M2. The M1 macrophages, which are activated through the classical pathway, have a proinflammatory characteristic, providing an in-front defense line against different kinds of pathogens as well as malignant cells. On the other hand, the M2 macrophages are immunosuppressive and instead can promote tumor growth and dissemination. The solid tumor tissues are often infiltrated with a large number of macrophages, the so-called tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). TAMs, which are polarized into M2 phenotype under the tumor microenvironment, promote tumor progression by …

Primary Health Care Providers’ Knowledge And Practices On Asthma Management Within Dar Es Salaam Region Health Facilities, John C. Rwegasha

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Asthma is a common chronic health problem worldwide with considerable variation in the way it is managed. In the sub- Saharan Africa there is substantial gaps in asthma care; countries like Tanzania with inadequate health care structure are lagging far behind in both correct diagnosis and management of asthma. The increasing prevalence of asthma within populations is attributed to a number of the following factors; Patient behavior, Health service structure and access, Environmental factors and Provider's knowledge and practices. There is lack of required standard asthma care under provider's factors, hindering effective control of the disease. This could be …

In Vivo Murine Melanoma Tumor Responses To Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field Treatment, Xinhua Chen

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

High intensity nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF) were applied to melanoma tumors to observe functional and structural biological changes and to investigate the possible molecular mechanisms responsible. An animal model was set up by injecting B16F10 mouse melanoma cells into SKH-1 mice. A treatment (Tx) of 100 pulses: 300 nanosecond duration; 40 kV/cm field strength; at 0.5 Hz rate were delivered to melanoma tumors in 120 mice. The nsPEF Txcaused tumor self-destruction with sharply decreased cell volumes and shrunken nuclei. The apoptotic biochemical tests confirmed nsPEF Tx induced apoptosis in a time-dependent manner. Examination of gross vessel and micro-vessel density …

Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields Induce A Mitochondria-Independent Apoptosis In B16f10 Melanoma Cells In Vitro, Wentia Elissa Ford

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs) are ultra-short pulses that induce direct electric field and biological effects that initiate apoptosis. Here the application of ten 300ns pulses ranging in electric fields from 12kV/cm-60kV/cm was administered to determine the effects on B16F10 melanoma cells evaluated by in vitro studies. Initial application of nsPEFs demonstrated apoptosis induction in an electric field- and pulse number-dependent manner measured by caspase activation that correlated with decrease in cell viability 24hr post pulse. In addition caspase activity was shown to be independent of calcium mobilization though ions may play a part in other aspects of apoptosis. The …

Hiv Risk Among Nursing Students In Rwanda : Self-Efficacy, Knowledge And Attitudes, Jacqueline Wosinski

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa. With a prevalence rate of 3.1% in 2006, Rwanda is one of the hardest hit countries. Nurses are often the leading health professionals in rural communities and at the forefront of the fight against the HIV pandemic. Little has been written on how nurses are prepared to intervene successfully along the continuum of HIV prevention and care. A mixed-methods sequential exploratory approach was used to explore this question.

In the first phase, cognitive, socio-psychological, and environmental factors of nursing education in Rwanda in regard to HIV …

Partner Communication And Factors Associated With The Decision To Obtain An Hiv Test Among Chinese/Chinese American Community College Students In Northern California, Sang Leng Trieu

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

HIV testing and counseling is considered the cornerstone of a comprehensive approach to HIV prevention and education. Little is known, however, about HIV prevention, including HIV testing rates for Asian Pacific Islander (API) women, because data for this ethnic group is aggregated, thus limiting specific data for Chinese/Chinese American population or other API subgroups. This dissertation research examined factors associated with the decision to obtain an HIV test among Chinese/Chinese American community college women and explored the association among relationship status, partnership communication, and discussions of HIV testing.

Using constructs of the health belief model, an online and paper-pencil, crosssectional …

Effectiveness Of Improving Performance With The Bigger Faster Stronger In-Season Training Program, Alicia D. Crelinsten

Masters Theses

This study investigated the effectiveness of improving performance of adolescents with the in-season Bigger Faster Stronger (BFS) program. Thirty seven high school athletes were divided into three groups; BFS (n=l4 ), traditional weight training (n= l0), and control (n= 13 ). Each participant went through a battery of seven performance pre-tests and post-tests ( estimated 1 ORM incline bench, broad jump, one minute sit-up test, t-test, line drill, 40 yard sprint, 1.5 mile run). Following the pre-testing, the control group continued to participate in their sport. The BFS group participated in the in-season BFS program (30 minute supervised session consisting …

A Randomised Comparative Clinical Trial Of Prokinetic Agents And Proton Pump Inhibitors In H. Pylori Negative Non-Ulcer Dyspepsia, Mzee Ngunga

Theses & Dissertations

Aim: To compare the efficacy of prokinetic agents and proton pump inhibitors in symptom relief of patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia.

Design: Comparative prospective single blind clinical trial.

Patients and setting: Fifty four cases of non-ulcer dyspepsia in whom H. pylori has been eradicated were seen in the specialist gastroenterology clinic of a tertiary care hospital.

Methodology: Patients with dyspepsia and negative endoscopy for peptic ulcer disease, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, hiatus hernia and upper gastrointestinal malignancy in whom H pylori has been eradicated but still had dyspepsia were assessed and scored using the modified Glasgow dyspepsia severity score (GDSS) at baseline. …

Immediate Provionalization Of Single Threaded Oxidized Implants On Maxillary Premolars Healed Sites: One-Year Study, Kiyotaka Umezu

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Osseointegrated endosseous implants have been widely used and become a predictable treatment option for completely and partially edentulous patients. The viability and predictability of this treatment modality have been supported with the high success rates in numerous studies. Clinical guideline requires a healing period of 3 to 6 months without functional loading to achieve osseointegration with machine surface implants. Therefore, numerous studies on immediately loaded implants have been conducted in an attempt to minimize or eliminate this healing period. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the success rate of the immediately provisionalized oxidized-surface implants in healed sites supporting …

Mechanisms Of T Helper Cell Modulation In A Simulated Space Radiation Environment, Asma Rizvi

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Exposure to solar particle events (SPEs) poses the most serious threat to astronaut health. Due to this radiation environment, exploration of the solar system beyond Earth’s orbit entails many risks for the crew on these deep space missions. Depression or dysfunction of the immune system is a major concern due to its high radio-sensitivity; potential consequences include overwhelming infection, development of cancer, fibrosis, and poor wound healing. Astronauts are also exposed to low dose/low dose rate (LDR) radiation. A three month stay at the international space station exposes them to ~ 0.05 Gy of radiation.

C57BL/6 mice received LDR gamma-radiation …

Neuronal Connections From The Cervix To The Spinal Cord Before Parturition, Mary Medina Groves

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

By the day before birth, the density of nerve fibers in the cervix has increased compared to earlier in pregnancy or in nonpregnant mice. Similar findings are reported in parturient women. To test the hypothesis that connections between the cervix and spinal cord are enhanced by term, the cervix of nonpregnant and time-dated pregnant mice (day 15 or 18 post-breeding) was injected with pseudorabies virus (PRV), a trans-synaptic retrograde neural tract tracer. Mice were euthanized and perfused 5 days later. The spinal cord and cervix were removed and postfixed overnight, immersed in sucrose, and cryostat sections through the thoracic to …

Response Of Endothelial Cells To Stressors: The Impact Of Aging And Diabetes, Katie Mclellan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Preliminary research indicates there is some impairment of the endothelial cells to respond to single stressors such as local heat, shear stress, and global heat in older people and people who have diabetes. The response of the skin blood flow to local heat is an indicator of the endothelial cells ability to cope with stress. In addition, factors such as thicker subcutaneous fat and skin moisture may impair the skin’s ability to dissipate heat. For older people and people with diabetes, this endothelial dysfunction may cause an even more diminished response to multiple stressors. However, no studies have examined the …

Factors That Affect Performance On Executive Functioning After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting, Sapna Mahesh Patel

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Research suggests that individuals who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) experience declines in neuropsychological functioning post-operatively. This decline has been observed in up to 80% of patients early after surgery, and in up to 30% of patients after six months. Many studies have examined the potential effects of CABG on neuropsychological functioning in general, and numerous studies have found that executive functions are impaired in particular. However, none have examined what factors contribute to observed executive dysfunction after CABG. This study investigated the role of memory functions on executive functions in a selected sample of patients undergoing CABG. This …

Predicting Long-Term Memory In Adult Brain Injury Patients Using Mr Spectroscopy, Herminia De La Rosa-Trujillo

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Accurate outcome prediction has proven to be somewhat elusive for patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The difficulty is due to the sometimes inaccurate methods of prediction currently available. Despite the advances seen in radiological technology, the traditional methods of x-rays, CT scans and MRIs are not always accurately able to predict patient functional outcome. These radiological methods are adequate in determining gross structural anatomical disturbances, however, they unable to detect more diffuse cellular damage believed to be responsible for the functional impairments evidenced in patients sustaining TBI. Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) is an imaging technique which measures brain metabolites …

The Impact Of Telemonitoring On Self-Efficacy, Emotional Well-Being, And Clinical Outcomes In Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Or Heart Failure, Jaclyn West-Frasier

Dissertations

Telemonitoring is the remote monitoring of patients' health status using telecommunications and information processing technologies. This pilot study analyzed data collected through a parent study that randomized 46 home health patients to either standard care (SC) or standard care with the addition of telemonitoring (TM). The telemonitoring device used in this study provided daily transmission of physiologic data and patients responses to questions about their disease and symptom management. Data analysis was completed to address the question whether telemonitoring, as part of standard home care for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and patients with heart failure (HF), has …

A Study To Determine Factors That Inhibit Compliance With Engaging In Recommended Papanicoaou Smear Screenings In African American Women, Valecia Gail Carter-Vaughn

Dissertations

Papanicolaou (Pap) smear screenings help to detect abnormal cervical cells in the cervix. African American women are usually diagnosed in the later stages of cervical cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine factors that inhibit compliance with Pap smear screening in African American women.

Ninety-three African American women ages 18 or older, attending an urban health clinic participated in this descriptive design study to answer three research questions: 1) What factors inhibit compliance with recommended Pap smear screening in African American women age 18 or older? 2) Is there a difference between participants who attended the mobile clinic …

The Effect Of Acute Resistance Training On Resting Metabolic Rate In Men, Steven William Ball

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different frequencies of resistance training on an individual's resting metabolic rate (RMR). Six healthy males between the ages of 18 and 35 participated in two separate trials. The first trial involved two full-body resistance training bouts, 48 hours apart with RMR measurements pre- and post-bout and a RMR measurement 24 hours following each. The second trial consisted of four split-body resistance training bouts on four consecutive mornings with RMR measurements pre- and post-bout each morning with a fifth morning for one final RMR measurement, 24 hours after the final …

Day Care Surgery At A New University Teaching Hospital: A Review Out Of The Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Edwin Mogere

Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Day Care Surgery (DCS) is the surgical care of patients on a planned non-residential basis. The objective of the study was to assess the performance of DCS in the context of a developing country within the private sector. Data from a new DCS unit was compared to internationally accepted indicators of the quality of care.

Methodology: A hospital based retrospective chart review of all patients operated on within 10 surgical subspecialties was performed. The review period was the June 2006 to July 2007(12 months).

Analysis (SPSS version 11.5): Outcome measures included in-patient to DCS ratio in the various specialties; …

The Application Of Innovative High-Throughput Techniques To Serum Biomarker Discovery, Izabela Debkiewicz Karbassi

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Time-of-flight mass spectrometry continues to evolve as a promising technique for serum protein expression profiling and biomarker discovery. As seen in our initial SELDI-TOF MS and MALDI-TOF MS profiling study of serum for the assessment of breast cancer risk, many profiling strategies typically employ single chemical affinity beads or surfaces to decrease sample complexity of dynamic fluids like serum. However, most proteins, captured on a particular surface or bead, are not resolved in the lower mass range where mass spectrometers are most effective. To this end we have designed an expression profiling workflow that utilizes immobilized trypsin paramagnetic beads in …