Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Values, Ethnicity, And Ses : The Case Of Latino And Anglo American Women, Claudia Venessa Argueta

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Past research on values has typically employed a quantitative and top-down approach in determining the universality of values across gender, religion and nation categories (Schwartz & Huismans, 1995; Schwartz & Bardi, 2001). However, studies have often failed to identify specific values that are related to particular ethnic and socioeconomic communities within a culturally diverse society (Lee, Whitehead & Balchin, 2000; McCulloguh, Wilson, Teasdale, Kolpakch, & Skelly, 1993). The aim of this study was to use a bottom up, qualitative approach to identify core values among Latino and Anglo women in Southern California. The research was guided by a model for …

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 …

Experimental Investigation Of The Fluid Velocity Distribution In Stirred Tank Reactors Equipped With Retreat-Blade Impellers Using Laser Doppler Velocimetry, Deepak Rajesh Madhrani

Theses

Stirred tank reactors are commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry for synthesis of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API's) and their intermediates. Typically, these vessels are glass-lined and are provided with a single retreat-blade glass-lined impeller and a single baffle. Despite their ubiquitous utilization in the pharmaceutical industry for at least the past 40 years, the mixing characteristics of these systems have not been studied to any great extent, making it difficult to predict mixing performance in any given operation.

In this work, the velocity distribution inside the typical glass-lined vessel/impeller system was experimentally quantified using Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV), which is …

An Inquiry Into The Narrative Research Process: Supporting A Lao American Woman Tell Her Story, Kaija Freborg

Theses and Graduate Projects

Although many Lao refugees have adapted to the American lifestyle in the wake of the Vietnam War, others have had difficulty assimilating to mainstream society. Phayvanh, a Lao American woman, has struggled with living in both the traditional Lao world and the modem American world. I wanted to help Phayvanh share her life story but found that narrative research, a relatively new qualitative phenomenon within nursing, does not offer a concrete methodology. Therefore I decided to use a multifaceted approach, including ethnography, Newman's hermeneutic-dialectic methodology, and documentation of my process, while supporting Phayvanh in telling her personal narrative in order …

Evaluating Cultural Lmmersion Experiences To Teach Community Health Nursing, Martha Laskar-Alemán

Theses and Graduate Projects

Cultural immersion experiences can be a valuable way to teach the concepts of community health nursing in an introductory clinical course. By having an opportunity to experience a cultural context outside of their usual! area of practice and residence, students are able to expand their understanding of another world view while beginning to develop skills in population and community focused practice. The purpose of this project is to describe a method for evaluating cultural immersion experiences and to identify patterns of expanding professional and personal growth that are based on these experiences. Students who chose immersion experiences, were invited to …

Keeping The Moral Imperative To Care In The Nurse/Patient Relationship: A Survey Of Nurses Regarding Caring Practices, Attitudes And Interests, Cynthia M. Leas

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study examines the caring relationship between nurses and their patients. The purpose of the study is to enhance the development of a new nursing class about caring relationships. A survey was done to obtain feedback from nurses directly caring for patients. Practices, attitudes, and interests regarding nurse/patient relationships were evaluated.

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 …

A Proposed Teaching Module For Senior Undergraduate Nursing Students To Counteract Bullying Among Nurses, Sue M. Odegarden

Theses and Graduate Projects

Despite a plethora of literature on the potentially devastating effects of bullying, the behavior continues among professional nurses. Nurses who engage in the behavior jeopardize the nursing profession because of the negative impact bullying has on recruitment and retention. Bullying behavior is unprofessional, unethical and compromises patient safety. The purpose of this graduate field project was to design a learning module for senior undergraduate nursing students focused on bullying. New graduates are vulnerable to bullying behavior. The knowledge and skills acquired from the module enable undergraduate students to recognize and respond appropriately to bullying when it occurs and improves nurse …

Toward The Synthesis Of Nuclease Models., Enni Nina Fomumbod

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nucleases are enzymes that can specifically recognize nucleic acids and hydrolyze their phosphodiester bonds effectively. As is the case with many hydrolases, nucleases often carry one or more metal centers. Cooperation between such metal centers and other interactions involving general acid-base activities are believed to be essential in multifunctional catalyses. Combination of such interactions in model compounds often resulted in larger than additive effects.

This work is aimed at synthesizing nuclease models that combine the ability to recognize phosphate groups and/or nitrogen bases of DNA together with the ability to catalyze phosphodiester hydrolysis. These models were designed to achieve optimum …

Assessing The Reliability Of Scores Produced By The Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (Sassi)., Joshua A. Woodson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The fundamental principle that reliability is a property of scores and not of instruments provides the foundation of a meta-analytic technique called reliability generalization (RG). RG studies characterize the reliability of scores generated by a given instrument and identify methodological and sample characteristics that contribute to the variability in the reliability of those scores. The present study is an RG of the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI). Reliability estimates were obtained from 19.8% of studies using the SASSI. Bivariate correlations revealed strong, positive correlations between SASSI score reliability and score variability of the Subtle Attributes (r = .877, …

Promoting Speech And Vocabulary Development Through Specialized Storybooks In Children With And Without Cleft Palate., Joellyn Ruth Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated changes in vocabulary and speech production in response to storybooks embedded with specialized language prompts and speech recasts. Six children received intervention, 3 with cleft palate (CLP), displaying speech-language delays, and 3 with nonclefts, each 12-24 months of age. A multiple baseline design across behaviors was implemented by a clinician. Results indicated all children increased use of target vocabulary and production of stop consonants, while reducing compensatory articulation errors. Generalization of targets to a picture-naming task, a free-play task, and to the home was observed. Effect sizes were moderate-to-high. Children with CLP required more sessions to achieve …

Expression, Purification, And Characterization Of The Mast Cell Proteases Chymase And Cathepsin G., Brent E. Lockhart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human mast cells have been associated with wound healing, allergies, inflammation, and defense against pathogens and have been detected in tissues close to blood vessels especially in the areas between the inside of the body and the external environment, such as the skin, lungs, digestive tract, mouth, and nose. Previous studies have shown that mast cells contain large granules filled with histamine, heparin, cytokines, eicosanoids, and the serine proteases, tryptase, Chymase, and cathepsin G (CatG). These proteases are stored and released from mast-cell granules upon activation by antigen binding to IgE immunoglobulins on the cell surface or by direct injury. …

Feeling Overwhelmed: The Lived Experience Of Nurse Managers., Teresa Potter England

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Multiple studies have addressed registered nurse turnover in recent years. There is little research specifically addressing nurse manager turnover. The nurse manager is addressed in current research as being in a pivotal position to affect nurse retention. Research has focused on the skills necessary for nurse managers to affect turnover; however, there is little research addressing the pressure placed upon the nurse manager as he or she struggles to maintain the nursing workforce. This qualitative study explored the lived experience of feeling overwhelmed by 6 nurse managers currently working in an inpatient hospital environment. Interviews were analyzed using a modified …

Tuberculosis (Tb)Progress Toward Millennium Development Goals (Mdgs) And Dots In Who Eastern Mediterranean Region (Emr), Khoaja M. Khaled

Public Health Theses

Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne infection. Though effective anti-TB drugs have been available for more than 50 years, over one-third of the world’s population is exposed to TB bacterium; deaths due to TB infection occur at high frequency every day worldwide. Today, drug-resistant TB, TB/HIV co-morbidity and poor health infrastructure are major challenges worldwide, particularly in less developed countries. The primary objective of the study was to assess the progress of TB control programs in twenty-two Eastern Mediterranean Region countries toward Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) including implementation of the Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course (DOTS). Also, the study was designed to …

The N-Terminal Domain Of The Y-Box Binding Protein Yb-1 Plays A Major Role In Cell Proliferation And Apoptosis, Payal Khandelwal

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Y-box binding protein, YB-1, is a member of the cold shock domain superfamily of proteins. It is involved in a plethora of cellular functions, including cell proliferation. The molecular mechanisms governing the involvement of YB-1 in cell proliferation are still unclear. Earlier studies done in chicken pre-B lymphocyte DT-40 cells in our laboratory have shown that a targeted disruption in one allele of chicken YB-1

(Chk-Yb-1b) gene at its N-terminal domain resulted in multiple abnormalities in the heterozygous mutants, including slower growth rate, abnormal cell morphology, increased cell size, increased genomic DNA content and significant changes in levels of cell …

Influence Of Tooth Crown Size On Malocclusion, Michael Kelly Agenter

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Malocclusion is an increasingly common, multifactorial problem in industrialized countries. Although the causes of dental malocclusion are obscure in most instances, one contributing factor may be tooth size. While several researchers have studied whether tooth size contributes to malocclusion, there still is no consensus. Some have found that the mesiodistal widths of the mandibular incisor teeth are significantly larger in subjects with anterior crowding, while others have been unable to support this conclusion. Study designs often have been confounded by combining the sexes, which confuses sexual dimorphism with the supposed effect of tooth size on crowding. The present study tested …

The Unfolded Protein Response Increases Production Of Pro-Angiogenic Factors By Tumor Cell Lines, Nan Liao

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The rapid growth and proliferation of tumor cells will be limited at a stage when they encounter inadequate levels of oxygen and nutrient supply within the poorly vascularized tumor mass. These severe conditions negatively affect the proper folding of nascent proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and lead to accumulation of unfolded protein within ER which is referred to as ER stress. Consequently, it will trigger the unfolded protein response (UPR) signal pathway through ER membrane stress sensor proteins including activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), inositol-requiring 1 (IRE1) and PKR-like ER localized kinase (PERK). The UPR is largely a cytoprotective …

Acoustic Cue Weighting In Children Wearing Cochlear Implants, Junghwa Bahng

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how normal hearing adults (NHA), normal hearing children (NHC) and children wearing cochlear implants (CI) differ in the perceptual weight given cues for fricative consonant and voiceless stop consonant continua. Ten normal-hearing adults (NHA), eleven 5-8-year-old normalhearing children (NHC) and eight 5-8-year-old children wearing cochlear implants (CI) were participants. For fricative consonant perception, the /su/-/∫u/ continua were constructed by varying a fricative spectrum cue in three steps and by varying a F2 onset transition cue in three steps. For voiceless stop consonant perception, the /pu/- /tu/ continua were constructed by varying a …

The Identification And Description Of The Reasons Provided By Soldiers For Reenlisting In The U. S. Army Medical Department, Thomas Ray Coe

Doctoral Dissertations

The retention of healthcare personnel, especially in the profession of nursing, continues to remain a critical issue. The ability to adequately and safely staff healthcare facilities to provide inpatient and outpatient care and emergency services is dependent on maintaining a well trained and experienced professional and paraprofessional workforce. This issue is of particular importance to the enlisted members of United States Army Medical Department (AMEDD) and the United States Army Nurse Corps. This qualitative descriptive research study identified many topics influencing the retention of enlisted personnel in the AMEDD.

The work environment, economic factors, personal and professional issues were identified …

Induction And Regulation Of Herpetic Stromal Keratitis, Pranita Pragnyadipta Sarangi

Doctoral Dissertations

Herpetic stromal keratitis (HSK) is an immunopathological and tissue destructive corneal lesion caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection, which induces an intense inflammatory response and finally leads to blindness. Accumulating evidence using the murine model has shown that Th-1 phenotype CD4⁺ T cells orchestrating the inflammation mainly contribute to the immunopathological reaction in HSV-1 infected cornea. However, prior to CD4⁺ T cell infiltration into corneal lesions, various innate immune cells recruit and produce numerous inflammatory and angiogenic molecules into the corneal stroma those in turn drive the corneal immunopathology.

The first part (Part I) of this dissertation …

Recovery Of Midlife Women From Myocardial Infarction, Sherri Linn Stevens

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of midlife women who have experienced a myocardial infarction and returned home to recover. A phenomenological research method based on the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty was used for the study. The researcher interviewed 8 women ranging in age from 45 to 65. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the approach of Pollio and Thomas. Most of the transcribed interviews were read and discussed in the Phenomenology Research group. A thematic structure was identified from the shared themes of the women participants. For the women in this study the experience of …

A Comparison Of Big Five And Narrow Personality Traits In Relation To Academic Performance, Laura Lee Wright

Doctoral Dissertations

The present study investigated the relationship between the Big Five personality traits (Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, Extraversion, and Openness), as well as the relationship of more narrow personality traits, with academic performance. The issue of whether personality measures that have been contextualized to either school or work better predict academic performance than generalized measures is also addressed through the use of multiple personality instruments. Results from a correlation analysis indicated that Openness, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Emotional Stability were all significantly positively related to academic performance, in this case, college course grade, while Extraversion was significantly negatively related. The same correlation …

Public Health Nutrition: A Workforce In Transition, Alexa M. George

Doctoral Dissertations

Objective Because the public health nutrition workforce may be in a state of transition, this study had three purposes: 1) describe the US public health nutrition workforce; 2) examine a new position class, breastfeeding peer counselor; and 3) determine if retirement intention of public health nutrition personnel can be predicted based on personal and workplace factors.

Methods Secondary data analysis of the national research dataset of the 2006-07 Public Health Nutrition Workforce Survey was conducted (n=10,683, response rate 80.0% for overall survey; research dataset n=9,923). Subjects were personnel in nutrition professional/paraprofessional positions working in nutrition programs under the purview of …

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 …

Use Of Monoclonal ∆-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Antibodies Chemically Bound To A Polystyrene Surface Using Glutaraldehyde For The Purpose Of Extracting ∆-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol And ∆-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Carboxylic Acid From Postmortem Whole Blood Samples For Analysis By Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry, Thomas Sidney Pittman

Dissertations

Quantitations of drugs and their respective metabolites in postmortem blood samples using gas chromatographic instrumentation is a primary analytical practice used to determine if drugs played a role in or were the cause of a victim's death. Postmortem blood samples often prove difficult to work with due to interfering substances formed during the putrefaction process. Attempts to eliminate interfering substances with present day extraction methods can be time-consuming, costly and often ineffective when dealing with drugs that exhibit toxicity or impairment at very low concentrations. This study was conducted using monoclonal antibodies chemically bound to a polystyrene surface to extract …

Structural Basis Of Bilayer Deformation By Membrane-Associated Scaffolds, Adam Frost

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

The assembly of amphipathic lipids into fluid bilayers that are impermeable to macromolecules is fundamental to the existence of viruses, organelles, and cells. Conversely, membrane compartmentalization poses problems, since essential processes like cell division, cell migration, endo-, exo-, and transcytosis all require cells to remodel and even break their membranes without opening lethal leaks. Evolutionary forces have consequently generated proteins that can reversibly mold membranes into planes, spheres, cylinders, and saddle-shaped surfaces. Principally, the BAR (Bin, Amphiphysin, RVS) domain superfamily of proteins are recruited from the cytoplasm to induce or stabilize states of high membrane curvature, while the Dynamin superfamily …

Point Source Emissions Of Epa-Monitored Criteria Pollutants And The Rates Of Ed Visits And Hospitalizations For Asthma In Connecticut, 1996-2002, Tiffany S. North

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

No abstract provided.

A Wellness Guide For Recruiting Non-Participants Into A Worksite Health Promotion Program, Lorenzo Patrick Cassella Jr.

Student Dissertations & Theses

Rising costs of healthcare have motivated employers to offer comprehensive health promotion programs to their employees, to reduce health risk factors such as physical inactivity, poor nutrition, high stress, etc., thereby lowering both direct (i.e., medical) costs and indirect (i.e., absenteeism) costs. The majority of worksite health promotion (WHP) programs only show short-term (i.e., under 12 weeks) employee improvement in any one type of program for a few reasons; > Employers develop action-oriented tools. > Employers do not match current programs with the condition of their population. ^ Employers do not integrate the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) and the Processes of Change into …

An Analysis Of The Differences In Preemptive Kidney Transplantation Between Blacks And Whites, Kennard D. Brown

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Background. This cohort study investigates whether there are inequities in the allocation of cadaver kidneys for preemptive kidney transplants (PKT) between blacks and whites.

Methods. This analysis uses descriptive statistics and univariate and multivariate analyses to identify factors associated with the determination of whether a patient receives a PKT or a conventional, post dialysis kidney transplant. The sample includes patients identified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as having end stage renal disease (ESRD), >19 years of age, either black or white, and receiving either a PKT (0-<6 months dialysis) or conventional transplant between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2003 (n = 10,067) from any of the 11 organ procurement regions in the United States.

Results. Whites were more likely to receive a PKT …

A Mechanical And Histological Study Of Functionally Graded Hydroxyapatite Implant Coatings, Suzanne Kemp Coco

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Ever since Dr. Brånemark discovered that titanium was biocompatible with bone, extensive research has been done to improve the osseointegration of dental implants. As advances in medicine continue, the average life span of the population is ever increasing. Today, people of all ages are investing more money and time into dental treatment than ever before. Patients are becoming more educated on dental treatment options and expect the best treatment possible. As a result, the replacement of missing teeth with implants is becoming more and more commonplace in dental practices.

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate bone-implant interaction …