Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Low Frequency Electrical Stimulation On Muscular Strength And Endurance In Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis, Lisa L. Oglesby

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the results of a practical application of a low frequency electrical stimulation (LFES) program of 8 pps to individuals with multiple sclerosis. Previous research has shown that such a program induces a conversion of fast twitch muscle properties to those of slow twitch. Electrical stimulation was applied for 3 hours per day, 6 days a week, for 6 weeks, to the quadriceps femoris muscle of nine subjects with multiple sclerosis. Pre and post measurements of average peak torque, mean force, and fatigue slope were taken as indices of the muscle's strength and …

Microcirculation: Electrophysiological Basis For The Response Of Endothelial Cells To Inflammatory Mediators-Bradykinin, Kai Miao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using conventional microelectrodes, I studied the electrical basis for determining the resting V$\sb{\rm m}$ in intact EC's from hamsters. The resting V$\sb{\rm m}$ were found to be $-$40 mV for aortic EC's and $-$43 mV for vena caval EC's. The contributions of ions to the resting V$\sb{\rm m}$ of aortic EC's were compared in terms of the transference number (t$\sb{\rm ion}$). To develop a technique for in situ monitoring changes in V$\sb{\rm m}$ of postcapillary venular EC's in the hamster mesentery, a voltage-sensitive fluorescent probe, bisoxonol, was used to load the cells and the fluorescence signals were analyzed under an …

Nurse Practitioners In Rural Practice: Physicians' Perspective, James Stephen Boyte

MSN Research Projects

This study addressed the question: will primary care physicians from a rural Northern Louisiana area be accepting of the nurse practitioner role in a similar practice setting?

Nurse Practitioners In Rural Practice : Physicians' Perspective, James Stephen Boyte

MSN Research Projects

This study addressed the question: will primary care physicians from a rural Northern Louisiana area be accepting of the nurse practitioner role in a similar practice setting?

A Pilot Study Comparing The Forces Applied : Using A Chin Cup And Three Types Of Protraction Headgear, Daniel Miles Beisiegel

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A pilot study comparing force distributions of a chin cup, the Great Lakes reverse pull headgear (RPHG), Ormco's adjustable dynamic RPHG, and Grummons RPHG was done. A skull from a 69 year old female which demonstrated a Class III malocclusion was used to perform the tests of force. Forces applied to and generated on the skull were measured using a water-filled balloon system. This method was tested and found to be reliable and accurate.

Repeated measurements of force were recorded for each of the areas of stress (forehead, cheeks, chin, and condyles, as well as the posterior and superior portions …

Knowledge, Attitudes, Behavior, And Decision-Making Orientation Relating To Cardiovascular Health In High School Students, Patricia E. Bromfield

Masters Theses

Planning for cardiovascular health (CVH) education for adolescents

requires an awareness of students' cardiovascular knowledge and attitudes

toward "heart healthy" behavior, and an understanding of the dynamics

of health-related decision-making in this age group. This study attempted

to measure these parameters using an 81-item survey administered to 93

9th graders (45 females, 46 males, 2 undisclosed) and 107 12th graders (57

females, 47 males, 3 undisclosed). The survey was administered m a

suburban high school in southwest Michigan in the spring of 1994.

Results were evaluated descriptively for knowledge, attitudes, and

behavior, and for differences across grade and gender. ANOVA's …

"Well-Growness" Of The Newborn And Factors Contributing To Low Birth Weight, Diane Buck Kruse Dnsc

Dissertations

The problem of determining risk factors and antecedents of birth weight is multifactorial. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of pre-pregnancy health status, prenatal care, stress, negative life style practices, nutritional status during pregnancy, and placental perfusion on the well-growness of the newborn (birth weight) in five time orderings and to examine the interaction of these variables on each other. The theoretical framework was a physiologic one centering on the effects of the proposed variables on the well-growness outcome. This prospective study used a correlational design with path analytic techniques. A sample of 160 pregnant women …

Cytokines And Ovulation In The Mouse Ovary, Jong G. Kim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ovulation has been hypothesized as an inflammatory process. Interleukin(IL)-1$\alpha$, IL-1$\beta$ and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-$\alpha$ are potent cytokines produced from macrophages and various other cell types, and are pivotal components of inflammation. Although previous studies have investigated cytokine activities in the reproductive system, there is little information on their precise localization and activities during the periovulatory period. To investigate the role of cytokines in ovulation, experiments were designed to determine the immunohistochemical localization and time specific production of cytokines IL-1 and TNF-$\alpha$ using a mouse model at 36h, 12h, 6h, 2h before ovulation, and at 6h and 18h after ovulation in …

Development Of A Mammographic Image Processing Environment Using Matlab, John L. Kelley

Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is a disease that accounts for a disturbingly large number of deaths in females each year. Its prevalence is a topic of concern to all of us since it can affect our families, friends, and coworkers. Although mammographic screening is the most effective method currently available for the early detection of breast cancer, it is far from being an infallible procedure. Mammographic reading is error prone, partly because of the complexity of the task and partly because of the variability in human performance. Computers offer high reproducibility, and when used as an adjunct by the radiologist, may improve …

The Impact Of Social Support On Long Term Adult Psychological Functioning: Study Of The Role Of A Confidant In Adult Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Danny Ray Russell

Graduate Theses

This project examined the effects a confidant had on adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The subjects were volunteer adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse solicited from undergraduate and graduate psychology classes at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Volunteers completed a childhood sexual abuse questionnaire, a confidant questionnaire, the Jaloweic Coping Scale and the Brief Symptom Inventory in a structured interview. The Jaloweic Coping Scale determined the coping styles and the Brief Symptom Inventory determined the symptom level. Those subjects that had a confidant were expected to have more successful coping styles and fewer symptoms as adults. …

The Effect Of Color Overlays On Oral Reading Performance, Shirley Holmes Westall

Graduate Theses

A study was performed on adults taken from the Need to Read and General Education Degree programs administered by Midland College. This study utilized color overlays to ascertain the effect of the overlays on oral reading performance of subjects ascertained to have symptoms indicative of scotopic sensitivity syndrome, SSS. Adults were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups and pre-tested and post-tested with the Slosson Oral Reading Test. The experimental group received the treatment of color overlays in the post-test. Results of the study showed the null hypothesis was rejected and color overlays do affect oral reading performance of probable …

Women’S-Perceived Quality In Postpartum Care, Maryland A. Hunter

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Increased competition among healthcare organizations for the obstetric consumer market has led to increased interest in women’s perceptions of their obstetric experience. This study explored women’s perceptions of quality and women’s perceptions of benefits for women who received family-centered postpartum care (FCPPC) and women who received traditional postpartum care (TPPC). The study also assessed the relationship between women’s-perceived quality (WPQ) and women’s-perceived benefit (WPB) for those receiving FCPPC and those receiving TPPC. Quality and beneficence are the two concepts of Larrabee’s (1992) model of quality operationalized in this study. The sample consisted of 60 postpartum women, 30 receiving care on …

Transcriptional Regulation Of Insulin-Like Growth Factor : Binding Protein-4 By Protein Kinase A And Protein Kinase C Signal Transduction Pathways In Human Bone Cells, Kuk-Wha Lee

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF) system is an important local regulator of osteoblast proliferation, the primary determinant of bone formation. Six IGF Binding Proteins (IGFBPs) either inhibit or enhance IGF actions. Previous studies have shown that IGFBP-4 is an important negative regulator of osteoblast cell proliferation and that agents such as PTH which increase intracellular cAMP significantly increase expression of IGFBP-4 at the protein and mRNA levels. The underlying molecular mechanism which accounted for IGFBP-4 expression had not been determined and was the focus of my dissertation. Agents which increase intracellular cAMP rapidly increased IGFBP-4 mRNA levels. Nuclear run-off experiments …

The Pollution Effects Of Pleasure/Work Boat Sewage Discharges On Fecal Contamination Levels Of Waters In And Around Marinas And Other Places Where Boats Are Moored On The Eastern Shore Of Virginia, George H. Bangs

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

Contamination of seafood harvested from and recreational areas of the Chesapeake Bay, its tributaries and the Atlantic coast inshore waters may cause health problems for people consuming the seafood or coming in contact with the waters by swimming, water skiing, or other water sports. These health problems include, but not limited to, dysentery, typhoid and hepatitis (Natchez, 1990). This is a preliminary study into the level of fecal pollution generated by sewage discharges from boats in marinas and other places where boats are moored on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Sites selected for the study included; (I) marinas and other …

Investigation Of The Relationship Between Pelvic Tilt And Unilateral Sacroiliac Pain, Beth-Anne Moody Jones

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Low back pain is the nation's leading cause of disability. Differential diagnosis of a low back injwy can be complicated and uncommon disorders can be overlooked. Many of the signs and symptoms related to low back pain may in fact be caused by sacroiliac dysfunction. Reliability of the current clinical tests for detection of sacroiliac involvement has been of concern. Recently more focus has been given to the use of pelvic tilt measurement as a source of clinical information on the sacroiliac joint. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation of unilateral sacroiliac dysfunction with asymmetrical changes …

Psychosocial Determinants Of Age-Appropriate Immunizations Of Infants In Norfolk, Virginia, Hoda Youssef Atta

Health Services Research Dissertations

This study represents an investigation of psychosocial factors affecting age-appropriate immunizations of infants in Norfolk, Virginia. A household survey was conducted in Norfolk, Virginia, from 4/93-8/93, to assess immunization coverage of children 12-30 months of age. This survey included a total of 389 children in the target age range. A subset of 201 mothers were randomly selected and reinterviewed to assess their knowledge and attitudes and the relationships of these factors to age-appropriate immunizations at 12 months of age. Sixty-two percent of children were not age-appropriately immunized at 12 months of age. Almost all mothers (99%) considered vaccines to be …

A Comparative Pharmacokinetic Study Of The Role Of Gender And Developmental Differences In Occupational And Environmental Exposure To Benzene, Elizabeth A. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is two-fold. First, it shows that physiological differences between men and women result in gender-specific exposures with respect to benzene. Second, it assesses the potential for a lactating woman's occupational and personal benzene exposure to impact a nursing infant's exposure, highlighting the possibility of subjecting an infant to the effects of industrial chemicals via breast feeding. This study employs physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling to investigate the influence of physiological parameters and to evaluate the ability of inhaled benzene to transfer from mother to infant through breastmilk. The models are run through scenarios that simulate …

A Retrospective Quantitative Assessment Of Trichloroethylene Exposure Of Workers At Aircraft Maintenance Facilities At Hill Air Force Base Through The Use Of Modeling, Anthony O. Copeland

Theses and Dissertations

Monte Carlo simulation and source-receptor modeling are used to estimate the TCE exposures encountered by select workers at aircraft maintenance facilities at Hill Air Force Base between 1955 and 1979. An epidemiological study of this group, a retrospective cohort study of 14,457 workers who were employed at the base for a minimum of one year between 1952 and 1956, was headed by Dr. R. Spirtas of the National Cancer Institute to evaluate mortality associated with occupational exposure. One of the major conclusions of the study was that TCE 'probably does not pose a strong carcinogenic risk for man.' In the …

A Comparative Study Of Activities Of Daily Living Levels Of Catholic Nuns In A Motherhouse Nursing Home And Mainstream Women In A Community Nursing Home, Betty Ann Ray Duke

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Betty Ann Ray Duke on August 31, 1994

Perceptions Of Nurse Practitioners In Primary Care Toward Rationing Of Health Care, Donna Baucum

MSN Research Projects

The United States has the highest cost of health care in the world. In an effort to control this continually escalating expense, the concept of rationing of health care has been offered as a solution. Health care providers, such as nurse practitioners, will be confronted with making decisions related to the allocation of health care. Thus, the purpose of this descriptive study was to explore the perceptions that nurse practitioners have regarding rationing of health care. Henderson's Model of Nursing served as the theoretical framework. The research question that guided this study was what are the perceptions of nurse practitioners …

Effects Of Touch On Anxiety Levels In Elders Seeking Health Care, Simon Peter Redmon Ii

MSN Research Projects

Touch has been used for years by nurses and nurse practitioners in everyday practice both purposefully and incidentally. This touch has been in the form of therapeutic touch, massage, and coincidental. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to evaluate the impact of touch, in the form of massage, on the reduction of anxiety levels in elders seeking health care. Watson's (19 79) Theory of Human Caring was the theoretical guide. Using Spielberger's (1983) State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Questionnaire, data were collected from a control group of 6 subjects and an experimental group of 5 subjects. These subjects were recruited from …

The Effect Of Empowerment Interventions Of An Interdisciplinary Team On The Self-Esteem Of Homeless Adolescent Girls, Patricia Gootee

MSN Research Projects

Low self-esteem has often been a term synonymous with powerlessness, and powerlessness has been identified as a health risk. Many homeless girls have experienced a high incidence of physical and emotional health problems. This quasi-experimental study examined the interventions intended to improve self-esteem in homeless adolescent girls. The interventions were designed to improve knowledge, skills and self-awareness in order to better equip them for self-care. The nursing theory upon which these interventions were founded was Orem's Self-Care Deficit Theory. The interdisciplinary approach to the problem was determined by an assessment of self-care deficits. Interventions were categorized by Orem's (1991) "methods …

The Impact Of The Initial Health History Interview On Patient Satisfaction And Dissatisfaction With Health Care, Lenora Griffin

MSN Research Projects

Patient satisfaction or dissatisfaction was significantly impacted and tracked at the initial meeting or visit of the patient with the health care provider. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors in the initial health history interview that contributed to patient satisfaction or dissatisfaction. The Theory of Goal Attainment by Imogene King provided the framework for this study. The study sought to answer the research question: What are the factors in the initial health history interview that influence consumer satisfaction or dissatisfaction? A convenience sample of 81 health care consumers, ages 21 to 80 years, was obtained from …

A Comparison Of Prenatal Help-Seeking Behavior Between Rural Native Americans And Anglo Women, Lasteffia Jan Todd

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this descriptive study was to compare the prenatal help-seeking behaviors of two ethnic groups of rural women in a southeastern state. Three hypotheses guided the study: Ho^, There will be no relationship between selected demographic variables and help-seeking behaviors in Native Americans; HOg, There will be no relationship between selected demographic variables and help-seeking behaviors in Anglo women; and Ho^, There will be no difference in the factors predicting prenatal help- seeking behavior between Native Americans and Anglo women. This study replicated the work of Ide and Gill (1992). Leininger's Transcultural Nursing Theory was used as a …

Facilitators And Barriers To The Success Of Nursing Centers As Experienced By Nurse Executives, Amy Early

MSN Research Projects

Some nursing centers have been confronted with many problems that have hindered their success or even motivated them to close. Other nursing centers have attained with unsurpassed proficiency and, consequently, have emulated success. The purpose of this nonexperimental descriptive study was to explore the facilitators and barriers to the success of nursing centers as experienced by nurse executives. The conceptual framework used was the McGill Model of Nursing created by Dr. Moyra Allen (Gottlieb & Rowat, 1985). Research questions included these: What factors are identifiable by nurse executives as being facilitators to the success of nursing centers? What factors are …

Characteristics Of Nurse Entrepreneurs In Established Practice, Nancy M. Hurt

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to assess business knowledge/skills and characteristics of nurse entrepreneurs.

The Acceptance Of The Role Of The Nurse Practitioner By Primary Care Physicians, Micki S. Raber

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the acceptance of the role of the nurse practitioner by primary care physicians.

The Effects Of An Aids Educational Program On The Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behaviors Of Sixth-Grade Students, Jerrie L. Coleman-Sullivan

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to measure attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors of sixth-grade students before and after a teaching program.

The Nurse Practitioner's Perception Of The Meaning Of Professional Accountability : A Qualitative Study, Patricia Flannery Pearce

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the meaning of professional accountability from the perspective of the nurse practitioner.

The Effect Of Selected Cultural Factors On The Understanding And Use Of Advance Directives By Health-Care Recipients In The State Of Mississippi, Terri Massey-Hays

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of selected cultural factors on the understanding and use of advance directives by health-care recipients in the state of Mississippi.