Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Postpartum Patients Reports Of Satisfaction With A Welcome Meal After A Vaginal Delivery, Jessica R. Pinilla

Master's Projects

Objective: The purpose of this research study was to assess patient perspectives regarding a special Welcome Meal. The focus was on patients' feeling welcomed and important because prior research has shown that when a patient's expectations are exceeded, patient satisfaction increases. This study suggests that receiving a Welcome Meal may improve their experience on a postpartum unit. Design: Prior to discharge, each patient on the maternity unit was served a special Welcome Meal. A questionnaire was given to patients that consisted of six questions. The six questions incorporated six themes found in research literature on improving patient satisfaction. These themes …

The Relationship Of Level Of Traumatic Exposure, Perceived Stress, And Resilience With Salivary Cortisol And Salivary Alpha-Amylase Diurnal Rhythm In Palestinian Children 10-12 Years Exposed To Chronic War Violence, Mohammad R. Asia Phd, Rn

Dissertations

Political violence, war, and genocide exist across the world and often the innocent children and civilians become victims. War and long-term violence have potentially harmful psychological and physiological effects on children. There are limited studies on the effect of prolonged armed conflict on the child's physiologic and psychologic stress responses. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between level of trauma, stress and resilience with salivary cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) diurnal patterns in Palestinian children, ages 10-12, living in a long standing war zone. Salivary cortisol, a surrogate marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) activity, and salivary …

Psychometric Testing Of The Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model Of Behavior Change Questionnaire In Mexican-Americans With Diabetes Type 2, Beverley Brownell Phd

Dissertations

Background: The most successful diabetes self-management (DSM) programs focus on changing previously established behavior patterns. To develop focused and culturally appropriate self-management programs, health care providers need valid and reliable assessment tools. Purpose: To test the reliability and content and construct validity of an instrument developed to assess diabetes knowledge, motivation, and adherence to medical regimes. The Information-Motivation-Behavioral (IMB) Skills Diabetes scale was tested with 83 Mexican-American adults with type 2 diabetes from a community in Orange County, CA. Methodology: A cross-sectional correlational study design was conducted with 64 female and 19 male Mexican-American adults diagnosed diabetes type 2 patients. …

Sport As A Vehicle For Socialization And Maintenance Of Cultural Identity: International Students Attending American Universities, James Taylor Allen

Dissertations

Sport can be utilized by immigrants as a vehicle for maintaining cultural identity. Conversely, sport participation provides immigrants with opportunities for adopting an entirely new culture. Previous research also suggests that sport provides individuals with opportunities for attaining social capital. While this can be a beneficial situation for some, sport is also promoting elitism and serving as a powerful mechanism for exclusion. Globalization has led large numbers of foreign nationals to seek educational opportunities in the United States. Due to the increase in the number of international students and the lack of empirical studies, the need to study their participation …

Analysis Of Factors Related To Drop-Off Detection With The Long Cane, Dae Shik Kim

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the three key factors related to drop-off detection with the long cane: (1) cane-technique-related factors, (2) user characteristics, and (3) ergonomic factors. A mixed-measures design with block randomization was used for the study, in which 32 visually impaired adults with no other disabilities attempted to detect the drop-offs using either the two-point touch technique or the constant contact technique.

Participants detected drop-offs at a significantly higher percentage when they used the constant contact technique (78.3%) than when they used the two-point touch technique (62.1%), p < .001. The 50% absolute drop-off detection threshold of the constant contact technique (1.65") was also significantly smaller than that of the two-point touch technique (2.91"), p < .001. Constant contact technique's advantage in overall drop-off detection rate over the two-point touch technique was significantly larger for the less experienced cane users (difference of 26.2%) than for more experienced cane users (difference of 12.9%), p = .001. Constant contact technique's …

Effect Of California Mission Fig Consumption On Levels Of C-Reactive Protein And Antioxidant Levels, Rasha Abdrabou

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Polyphenols exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. We investigated the effect of consumption of polyphenol-rich figs on high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) and antioxidant levels in hyperlipidemic subjects. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of fig consumption on C-reactive protein and antioxidant levels. Analyses were carried out on collected data from September to December of 2008. Using a crossover design, one hundred and two participants were recruited and randomized into an intervention phase (eating figs) and a control phase (not eating figs) for 5 weeks. Blood samples were drawn from each group at the 4th and 5th …

The Effects Of Physical Activity And Nutrient Intake On The Risk Of Hip Fracture : Results From The Adventist Health Study-2, Wen-Ling Liao

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This is a two year of follow up study of Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2). We assessed the association between physical activity, nutrient intake and risk of hip fracture among peri- and post menopausal Caucasian women using unconditional logistic regression models. All subjects completed a lifestyle questionnaire which including information of physical activity and frequency and portion size of food intake at enrollment into the study (2002-2007). The “Bi-Annual Hospitalization History” questionnaire which included a question about hip fractures due to minor trauma/falls was sent to subjects approximately two years after enrollment, with a response rat of 82.84%. In this cohort, …

The Relationship Of Psychology And Social Interest To Disciplinary Infractions Committed By Women Prison Inmates, Katie Lynn Rye Olbinski

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is a direct extension ofNoble's (2006) research that showed that psychopathy and social interest are related to disciplinary infractions committed by male inmates. While Noble's (2006) population used male inmates, this study examined the relationship of these constructs to female inmates' disciplinary infractions. Psychopathy is defined by a lack of empathy, egocentricity, and superficial charm (Cleckley, 1964). Social interest, on the other hand, is characterized by a willingness to cooperate with others and an ability to accept responsibility (Kaplan, 1991 ). Participants in this investigation were 114 female inmates from a prison facility within the Indiana Department of …

Physiological Changes And Participation To Exercise In Older Adults Living In Age Restricted Communities, Mary F. Shaughnessy

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is known that the aging population is more susceptible to musculoskeletal and metabolic disease and would benefit from a regular exercise program. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate whether older adults (55 years of age and older) participation in a more regular exercise program would increase if there was supervision from a health professional. The second objective was to evaluate whether supervision in a regular exercise program would show physiological benefits. Subjects were recruited from three age-restricted communities; however one community was disregarded due to lack of subjects. A physical activity plan based on the American …

Cloning And Expression Of A Putative Exported Protein Coding Gene Sas1089 From An Invasive Community Associated Staphylococcus Aureus Strain Mssa476, Nailah Alzaki

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Originally, methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) occurred primarily in the hospital setting and was designated hospital- associated MRSA (HA-MRSA). In recent years, isolates of Staphylococcus aureus from the community (CA-MRSA), found to be methicillin resistant, are not as resistant tooth~ antibiotics as HA-MRSA. However, community strains are noted for their invasiveness causing soft tissue infections with propensity for invasion to deeper sites.

Adult Student Satisfaction In An Accelerated Lpn-Rn Nursing Program, Kathy French Batton

Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the importance and degree of satisfaction placed by adult, nontraditional, accelerated LPN-RN students on student service item scales as measured by the results of the Noel-Levitz® Adult Student Priorities Survey™. In addition, the study examined the correlation between satisfaction with each of the scales and student success as measured by current nursing course grade point average (GPA). The student service scales of importance were: academic advising effectiveness, academic services, admissions and financial aid effectiveness, campus climate, instructional effectiveness, registration effectiveness, safety and security, and service excellence. The conceptual framework for the study was derived …

Posttraumatic Spiritual Growth: A Phenomenological Study Of Cancer Survivors, Ryan Myles Denney

Dissertations

A small but growing body of research has sought to investigate the specific role of religion and spirituality in posttraumatic growth. Recently investigations have begun to focus on spiritual growth following trauma, specifically that of cancer patients and survivors. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how having cancer effects the spiritual growth of cancer survivors across a multidimensional conceptualization of spirituality (Hill 2005; Tsang & McCullough, 2003). The researcher investigated the lived experience of thirteen cancer survivors with posttraumatic spiritual growth using a phenomenological method of data analysis. Participants reported experiencing spiritual growth across the following domains …

Integration Of The Bscs 5e Instructional Method And Technology In An Anatomy And Physiology Lab, Tamilselvi Gopal

Dissertations

This research provides an understanding of how the 5E instructional method combined with educational technology tools can be used in teaching undergraduate college level anatomy and physiology laboratory classes. The 5E instructional model is the exemplary instructional model in teaching biology for high school students. The phases in the 5E learning cycle are Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. In every step of the learning cycle, the researcher used appropriate technology tools to enhance the teaching and learning processes. The researcher used the Dynamic Instructional Design model to identify the appropriate technology tools for instruction. The topics selected for modification …

Nursing Faculty Experiences And Perceptions Of The Implementation Process To A Learner-Centered Teaching Philosophy: A Case Study, Sharon L. Colley

Dissertations

This study explores nursing faculty's experiences with and perceptions of, their school of nursing's change to a learner-centered teaching philosophy. The primary research goals are to determine faculty perceptions of what learner-centered approaches they are utilizing in their classes, what change conditions they perceive as significant to the implementation process, and how they perceive the overall faculty progress and unity toward the goal of adopting a learner-centered teaching philosophy. Using the theoretical frameworks of Carl Rogers and Donald Ely, a case study approach is used to examine the faculties' use of five key concepts associated with the learner-centered philosophy, as …

Didox Modulates Reactive Oxygen Species Production And Inflammatory Events Induced By Lipopolysaccharide (Lps) And Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (Ahr) Ligands In Raw 264.7 Murine Macrophages., Thabe Matsebatlela

All Dissertations

Aberrant activation of macrophages during inflammation results in oxidative burst release of reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) which are widely accepted to participate in pathogenesis of cancer, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, hypertension, ischemia/reperfusion injury, diabetes mellitus, neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease), rheumatoid arthritis, and ageing. It is demonstrated here that Didox (3,4-Dihydroxybenzohydroxamic acid) possesses antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties that can protect against inflammation and oxidative stress induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) ligands (PCB126, E804, and IO) in Raw 264.7 murine macrophages. In brief, it is demonstrated here that Didox inhibits LPS-induced oxidative stress, …

Effects Of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids On Multidrug Resistance And Dna Methylation In Human Cancer Cell Lines, Cheng-Yi Kuan

All Dissertations

Accumulating evidences indicate that dietary intake of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) can affect various cellular processes and improve response of cancer cells to chemotherapy. The mechanisms by which PUFAs affect this response are not well understood. P-glycoprotein (P-gp), encoded by the multidrug resistance gene MDR1, is a drug efflux transporter that plays an important role in the bioavailability of anti-cancer drugs. Effects of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids on MDR1 gene expression and functional activity in the human colon cancer cell line Caco-2 were studied in this research. Caco-2 cells were treated with different concentrations of three PUFAs: eicosapentaenoic acid …

Stigma Cities: Dystopian Urban Identities In The United States West And South In The Twentieth Century, Jonathan Lavon Foster

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation examines how historical events and representation of those events relative to the wider historical context have allowed the media, opinion setters, and the ordinary public to use the names of San Francisco, California, Birmingham, Alabama and Las Vegas, Nevada as denigrating adjectives and the effect of this usage on those cities. Exploration of Birmingham’s image as a racist city, San Francisco’s as a gay Mecca, and Las Vegas, Nevada’s as an adult playground or sinful city serves this purpose. These case studies support a central argument that the nature of place-based stigmatization’s influence depends upon ever-shifting cultural values …

Trunk Rotation Movement In Tennis Backhand, Hsin-Chen Fanchiang

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed the effects of gender, strike technique, power level, and trial factors on tennis athletes performing backhand strokes with the incoming ball launched by a serving-stand. Five male and five female college tennis athletes volunteered as subjects. Each subject had 25 data points including joint centers of right and left sides for the 5th metatarsal, lateral malleolus, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, wrists and MP joints, chin, forehead, seven points on the racket (handle, head, neck, upper right and left rims, and lower right and left rims), and the ball were recorded by two video cameras (60Hz). Each of …

Age-Related Differences In In-Vitro Sensitivity To Inhibition Of Human Red Blood Cell Acetylcholinesterase And Plasma Butyrylcholinesterase By The Cholinesterase Inhibitors Physostigmine (Phys), Pyridostigmine (Pyr), Donepezil (Don) And Galantamine (Gal), David Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterized clinically by a progressive loss of memory, cognitive function, ability to care for oneself and psychiatric symptoms. First-line agents for the treatment of AD are ChE inhibitors (DON, GAL), whose modest clinical efficacy and the high incidence of dose-limiting toxicities limit their clinical utility. In addition to AD, ChE inhibitors (PYR) are used for other medical conditions, such as myasthenia gravis (MG). Furthermore, ChE inhibitors (PYR) are used by military personnel prophylactically if impending exposure to chemical warfare agents, e.g., soman, is suspected. The purpose of this research project was …

Outcome Of Chronic Anal Fissures Treated With Glyceryl Trinitrate At Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi, Ilkul H. Johnbosco

Master of Medicine in General Surgery

Background: The medical treatment for chronic anal fissure is modeled to eliminate sphincter spasm and hypertonia so that blood flow to the anal sphincter improves and the fissure heals. Efficacious pharmacological therapy avoids complications related to surgical treatment including incontinence and the risks of surgery and anesthesia. Conservative treatment of chronic anal fissure has been reported with wide variation in the healing rates. However there are few reports of conservatively treated chronic anal fissures fromAfrica, with only one paper identified in this study. Furthermore, the influence of clinical characteristics of fissures on the healing rates and recurrences have not been …

To Evaluate The Level Of Agreement Between Two Self-Reported Medication Adherence Scales And Prescription Refill Records In Older Adults, Priyanka Kakad

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To evaluate the level of agreement between two self-reported medication adherence scales and prescription refill records in older adults. Design: Cross-sectional study Setting: Imperial Plaza; a retirement community located in Richmond, Virginia. Participants: 32 independent-living older adults, taking anti-hypertensive medications and filling their prescriptions at on-site Plaza Professional Pharmacy were recruited in the study. Methods: Participants’ 6 months refill records were obtained and Medication Possession Ration (MPR) was calculated. Participants were interviewed using Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS) & Brief Medication Questionnaire (BMQ). Kappa statistics was used to evaluate the level of agreement. Results: Poor level of agreement was …

Chaperone Expression And Effects Of Its Inhibition On Breast Cancer Sensitization, Malissa Diehl

Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent and deadly forms of cancer in women and is not restricted by race or ethnicity. Although a wealth of knowledge has been amassed on the biology of breast cancer, including its risk factors, diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, and treatment, it remains a serious health concern and active area of research. Initial response to standard chemotherapeutic and radiotherapeutic regimens is generally strong for many patients, yet breast tumors often recur, leading to more aggressive and resistant tumors. Because recurrence is such a clinical issue, more effective therapeutic approaches are needed to eliminate partial clinical …

The Potential Role For Capb In Pathogenesis Of Francisella Tularensis, Eric Fleming

Theses and Dissertations

Francisella tularensis was a facultative intracellular pathogen and a gram-negative coccobacillus which has been categorized by the CDC as a potential class A select agent due to its highly infectious properties and high mortality rates. Francisella tularensis was also responsible for the zoonotic disease tularemia, which was usually transmitted by arthropod vectors or via contact with infected animals. Francisella tularensis subspecies novicida has been used by many researchers in genetic pathogenesis experiments to try to elucidate genes responsible for virulence factors. One of these virulence factors was a capsular material which has been thought to be involved in either increasing …

The Influence Of Antiretroviral Therapy On Qtc Interval Amongst Hiv Patients At Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Jay Shavadia

Master of Medicine in Clinical Pathology

Aim: To determine the influence of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy on the QTC interval amongst HIV-infected patients. Design: Prospective Comparative survey of two population samples Patients and Setting: One hundred and thirty ARV naïve and one hundred and thirty treated HIV-positive patients selected from in and out patient departments of Aga Khan University Hospital underwent clinical evaluation and 12 lead resting ECG between August 2008 and March 2009. Methodology: Eligible HIV-positive patients were conveniently sampled and had a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) performed to determine the QTinterval, corrected for the heart rate by the Bazzet formula. Analysis was then performed to determine …

Specific Levels Of Therapeutic Ultrasound Stimulate The Release Of Inflammatory And Angiogenic Mediators From Macrophages In Culture, Thomas Turner

Theses and Dissertations

Therapeutic ultrasound (TUS) is a treatment modality that is used to accelerate tissue healing. TUS is thought to affect cellular processes of tissue healing, especially those that occur in the inflammatory and early proliferative phases. TUS can be applied using various parameter selections including intensity, wavelength, duty cycle and treatment duration and no clear consensus exists on optimal parameters for healing enhancement. Macrophages are important mediators of inflammation and their actions are critical to normal progression into the proliferative phase of healing. They complete many functions during these periods of tissue healing, among those being release of cytokines and growth …

Workload And Performance Factors Associated With Multimedia Job Aids For Community Health Workers, Jose F. Florez-Arango

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

This dissertation focuses on factors of multimedia job aids that modify workload, protocol adherence and clinical errors in community health workers. Literature shows that community health workers performance is not acceptable even with support of paper job aids. There are cognitive theories that try to explain reasons why the performance of community health workers is poor regardless of the access to paper based-job aid. Based on cognitive science and multimedia design theories an intervention was designed to compare alternative representations for the information contained on paper job aids and the capability of this new designed job aids to enhance community …

Novel Allosteric Inhibitors Of Thrombin, Bijoy Desai

Theses and Dissertations

Thrombin is a critical enzyme involved in blood coagulation and haemostasis. For this reason the study of its interactions with substrates, inhibitors and modulator is essential. It is also a unique enzyme in the serine protease family because unlike enzymes like trypsin and chymotrypsin its activity is modulated by various endogenous and exogenous ligands. This is due to the presence of “exosites” on the thrombin surface. Exosite II, unlike exosite-I, has not been characterized for its allosteric effect. In order to understand the structural basis of interaction and inhibition of inhibitor 4AS, which possibly interacts with exosite-II, native bovine thrombin …

Effect Of Posture On Acromiohumeral Distance With Arm Elevation In Subjects With And Without Rotator Cuff Disease Using Ultrasonography, Nitin Kalra

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: To examine the effects of posture on subacromial (SA) space with arm elevation in patients with rotator cuff disease (RCD) and healthy subjects. Background: Poor posture has been linked to altered scapular mechanics, theorized to lead to excessive SA space narrowing. However, no study has examined the direct effects of posture on SA space using ultrasonography. We hypothesize that when compared to a neutral posture, upright posture will increase SA space and slouched posture will decrease SA space. Methods: Subjects with painful RCD (n=31) and healthy (n=29) shoulders participated. SA space was measured on ultrasound generated images using the …

Chaperone Association With Telomere Binding Proteins, Amy Depcrynski

Theses and Dissertations

The Hsp90 chaperone complex associates with the telomerase enzyme, facilitating the assembly of the ribonucleoprotein complex. While previous data from our laboratory indicate that Hsp90 and p23 remain stably associated with (functionally active) telomerase, more recent experiments suggest that these chaperones associate with telomeres independent of telomerase, presumably through a specific interaction with telomere binding proteins. The current study examines the novel interactions between TRF2, TRF1, TIN2 and TPP1 and molecular chaperones (Hsp90, Hsp70, p23). In vitro and in cell experiments have shown an interaction between TRF1 and TRF2 and the molecular chaperones Hsp90 and Hsp70. Inhibition of Hsp90 using …

Behavioral And Molecular Analysis Of Individual Variation In Ethanol Drinking, Jennifer Wolstenholme

Theses and Dissertations

A majority of Americans regularly consume alcohol, but the risk factors leading to excessive drinking and alcohol abuse are unevenly distributed throughout the population. Genetic differences can account for only 40-60% of this variability. While variations in ethanol preference drinking in rodent models have been reported, the neurobiological factors underlying these behaviors are still not completely understood. Thus, these studies were designed to determine behavioral and molecular factors associated with the initiation of ethanol drinking preference in an inbred mouse model. We harnessed the power of inter-individual variation of ethanol drinking within an inbred mouse strain to essentially eliminate genetic …