Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Sex Differentiation And Sexually Dimorphic Disease, Emily A. Jefferson

Theses : Honours

Sexual dimorphism of the central nervous system is a still widely debated and an area of much research. Conclusive evidence that anatomical and physiological differences in the CNS exist has been reported by post-mortem studies and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This present study seeks to contribute to the understanding of the differences in the brain between genders and to ascertain reasons as to why the literature is so varied. A number of structures such as the cerebral cortex, hypothalamic nuclei and the amygdala have proven to be significantly larger within males as opposed to females. The nuclei of the hypothalamus …

Interhemispheric Modulation Of Corticomotor Excitability Following I-Wave Periodicity Transcranial Magnetic Brain Stimulation (Itms), Lucy Catherine Millar

Theses : Honours

AIMS: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) has been recently demonstrated to have potential therapeutic benefits by promoting cortical plasticity through modulation of corticospinal excitability. We have previously shown in healthy adult subjects that paired-pulse TMS (1.5ms ISI) applied over Ml at 0.2Hz for 15min (known as iTMS), can raise corticospinal excitability for a period (~10min) that outlasts the intervention. Since interhemispheric changes in corticomotor excitability are considered to have fundamental importance in the control of voluntary movement, and recovery of motor function following unilateral damage, importance is placed on understanding the mechanisms involved. The aims of the current study were therefore …

Neck Loading In High Performance Combat Pilots During Aerial Combat Manoeuvres And Specific Neck Strengthening Exercises, Kevin J. Netto

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Background: Neck pain and injury is a common occurrence in high performance combat pilots (HPCP) around the world. The cause of this has been attributed to exposure to the unavoidable high mechanical loading related to the neck being positioned in non-neutral head postures whilst being exposed to moderate to high +Gz levels. Specific neck conditioning exercises have been proposed as being a possible method to decrease the incidence of neck pain and injury in this population. However, there has been sparsely published research examining the suitability of selected exercises for HPCP who participate in regular aerial combat manoeuvres (ACM).

An Investigation Of The Effect Of Exercised Arm, Training Status, And Racial Background On Changes In Markers Of Muscle Damage Following Maximal Eccentric Exercise Of The Elbow Flexors, Michael J. Newton

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Despite the substantial body of research accumulated on exercise-induced muscle damage, there remain several areas that warrant further investigation. Study groups comprised of individuals from differing racial background and /or training status have the potential to influence the intra-group variability in damage markers following eccentric exercise. In addition, if a contralateral arm model is employed, intra- and inter-group variation could be influenced by the formation of groups based on limb dominance and /or the order in which the arms are exercised. Currently there is a dearth of research addressing these factors, however, these types of studies are important as they …

Controlling And Constraining The Participation Of The Hepatitis C-Affected Community In Australia: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of The First National Hepatitis C Strategy And Selected News Media Texts, Judith D. Pugh

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The construction of texts that place hepatitis C-positive persons at social risk (Candlin, 1989, p. ix), informs this study of the ways in which public health policy makers and journalists in Australia communicate about hepatitis C. The institutions of public health and the news media form part of the cultural context within which persons construct their illness narratives. The privileged perspectives and framing of public health policy and news media discourses; the discursive practices associated with the institutions of public health and the media around hepatitis C and hepatitis C-positive persons, the “objects” of knowledge (Foucault, 1969/2002, p. 81); and …

Process Evaluation Of A School- And Home-Based Sun Safety Education Intervention, Robyn S. Johnston

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Effective interventions that reduce children's sun exposure are likely to reduce melanoma incidence in the longer term. However, for such interventions to have an impact they must be adequately implemented. School-based sun protection programs have been evaluated to determine their effectiveness in changing behaviours, however, few studies have assessed the implementation of such programs, or the effect of their implementation on outcomes. Kidskin was a five-year intervention trial designed to assess the effectiveness of a multicomponent intervention in reducing sun exposure in children in Perth, Western Australia. This thesis describes the process evaluation of the school- and home-based educational components …

Networks And Narratives: An Exploration Of Their Relationship And Potential For Understanding The Actual Experiences Of Women With Hiv/Aids, Purity N. Irungu

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study set out to examine literature relating to social network theory and narrative theory in order to explore how their potential connection could be used in future to understand and improve the actual life-experiences of women infected by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The thesis was done entirely by library research using secondary sources but is original in its intent. It includes a critical examination of some of the work of earlier researchers, including Lockhart's (2000) anthropological study of the social construction of `risk' of AIDS in urban Tanzania. Much previous research studied …

Controlling Involvement To Promote Confidence In Palliative Care Decisions - A Grounded Theory From The Patient's Perspective, Susan F. Lee

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Decision making in the context of palliative care is particularly complex given the unpredictable illness trajectories experienced by patients and the number of individuals who may be part of the decision making process. This grounded theory study explored and described from the perspective of patients with advanced illness, their experiences of making care decisions. A review of literature at the commencement of the study indicated that there was a lack of evidence to support the best way of ascertaining patient's preferences for involvement in decisions in a palliative care context and almost no research to guide clinicians about the involvement …

Confined Space Fatalities, Ciaran Maccarron

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The extent of work related fatal accidents has been analysed statistically by agencies throughout the world. As a result of this analysis there is a wealth of information available categorised by industry types, sub-industry, occupation, sex, age, nature of occurrence, bodily location, agency of occurrence and mechanism of injury. It is however extremely difficult to identify information pertaining to confined space fatalities such as contributory factors, mechanisms of injury and other data of an epidemiological nature.

Exploring Young People's Concepts Of Smoking Addiction: Perceived Opportunities To Try Smoking Without Becoming Addicted, Calvin Wang

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study explores how young people conceptualise addiction to smoking and, also the relationship between young people's addiction beliefs and intentions to smoke cigarettes. Addiction to smoking is a major health problem, not just for adults, but also for young smokers, up to 60% of whom are dependent on nicotine. However, anti-smoking prevention efforts targeted at young people generally emphasise ill-health effects and little attention is paid to addiction education which is generally considered relevant only to adult smoking and cessation efforts. Perhaps as a consequence, young people appear to have many misconceptions and unrealistic ideas about addiction, and these …

The Contribution Of Socio-Economic Status And Maturity On Injury Risk In Youth Soccer, Kristin Noel Stoneberg

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Soccer is considered the universal sport as it is played by youth in nearly every nation around the world. With such a large number of children involved in soccer, injury is inevitable. Many possible risk factors have been identified, but very little current data address other risk factors such as maturity and socio-economic status (SES). The purpose of this study was to determine injury rates and the association between injury, maturity, socio-economic status, and other risk factors in youth soccer players. There were 440 youth soccer players ages 6-18 years involved in the cohort sample and a sub-sample of 102 …

The Politics And Economics Of Health: A Cross-National Comparison Of Civic Engagement And Health Status, Suzanne J. Wood

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

Over the past two decades, various structural modifications associated with the provision of national health and its systems have been undertaken. The preponderance of liberalization experiences have occurred in the absence of epidemiological, political, or social considerations associated with adoption and implementation. Often, financial and political manipulation by international organizations and powerful foreign governments has served as the impetus for fundamental shifts leading to an asymmetrical distribution of resources by population density, geography, and along various socio-cultural boundaries. Consequently, structural adjustments have resulted in unpredictable and divergent outcomes with regard to health status. The question of whether or not health …

The Use Of The Tripartite Model Of Attitudes To Explain Ems Providers' Attitudes About The Ems Agenda For The Future, Carolyn Angela Rinaca

Health Services Research Dissertations

A dynamic and revolutionary health care system compels the Nation to develop a more cohesive, unified healthcare workforce. The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) profession has contributed to this development with the publication of the EMS Agenda for the Future. The EMS Agenda for the Future describes the future direction for emergency medical services agencies and organizations within the nation. It is a vision that integrates EMS systems with other health care professions. The EMS Agenda for the Future is designed to assist EMS professionals in realizing their full potential for proficiency and contributes to the development of the EMS profession. …

The Use Of Proteomic Technologies To Identify Serum Glycoproteins For The Early Detection Of Liver And Prostate Cancers, Elizabeth Ellen Schwegler

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

The application of proteomic technologies to identify serum glycoproteins is an emerging technique to identify new biomarkers indicative of disease severity. Many of these newly evolving protein-profiling methodologies have evolved from previous global protein expression profiling studies such as those involving SELDI-TOF-MS technologies. Though the SELDI approach could distinguish disease from normal by utilizing protein patterns as shown herein with the HCC study of chapter II, it was unable to offer sequence information on the selected peaks, and did not have the ability to analyze the entire dynamic range of the serum/plasma proteome. To address these deficiencies, new strategies that …

Understanding The Nature Of Surgical Excellence Using A Competency Modeling Approach, Hope S. Hanner-Bailey

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Currently, a thorough description of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other personal characteristics (KSAOs) that distinguish an exceptional surgeon does not exist. This knowledge is pertinent to the development of selection, training, and performance assessment methods that can be used to develop high performing surgeons. Expert surgeons from around the country were recruited to participate in an interview to discuss the KSAOs (i.e., the competencies) needed to be exceptional in the field. A smaller number of novice surgeons were also interviewed. The expert interview data were distilled into a competency model that consists of ten competencies and patterns within the …

Primary Care Nurse Attitudes, Beliefs And Confidence Levels Regarding Alcohol Abuse And Its Treatment: Impact Of Educational Intervention., Raja Sekhar Vadlamudi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol abuse has been a major burden on the society. In the fight against it a key issue the education of the primary care nurses has been ignored. This study evaluates the effect of education program on the attitudes, beliefs, and confidence levels of primary care nurses regarding alcohol abuse and its treatment. Data from the Project Mainstream educational intervention were used with permission from the investigators. Two hundred one students and faculty of nursing at Vanderbilt University participated in the intervention, which was designed to train primary care providers in the Brief Negotiated Intervention technique for early detection and …

Effects Of Strength Training On The Quadriceps To Hamstring Ratio In A Female Recreational Athlete, Heather Kennedy

Graduate Theses

Kennedy, H. P. EFFECTS OFSTRENGTH TRAINING ON THE QUADRICEPS TO HAMSTRING RATIO IN A FEMALE RECREATIONAL ATHLETE, 2005. Three recreational female athletes were tested on the effects a strength training program would have on their quadriceps to hamstring ratio. The subjects ranged in age from 24-33 years old. The program was an 8 week strength training program. One subject was unable to complete the program due to pregnancy and one was injured in a car wreck midway through the program. The subject who completed the 8 week training program showed overall improvement in lower extremity strength but did not show …

The Perceptions Of Roles And Practices Of Preceptors And Their Expectations For Students In The Coordinated Program In Dietetics At Indiana State University, Carin R. Aloisio

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dietetics education requires a minimum of a baccalaureate degree and 900 hours of supervised practice for eligibility of candidates to sit for the Registration Exam. The primary goals of this study are to determine perceptions of preceptors of supervised practice about their roles and practices and their expectations for students, and to compare and/or contrast these between the three main areas of dietetics: clinical, community and food service management.

Spatial Autocorrelation Of Deer-Vehicle Accidents In Vigo County, J. Scott Horn

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Deer-vehicle accidents (DV As) are a problem in many areas. They cause millions of dollars in property damage, personal injury, and loss of life each year. This thesis examines whether DVAs in Vigo County, Indiana during the year 2000 were spatially autocorrelated; and whether DV As selected by deer habitat were spatially autocorrelated. Specifically using Moran's I to test for spatial autocorrelation this study determined if and to what degree spatial autocorrelation existed among these DVAs. A Moran's I value of .0023 shows that the accidents occurred randomly. These DV A data were then used to plot a map which …

The Stress Management Self-Efficacy Inventory (Smsei): Development And Initial Psychometrics, Kristin Higgins

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of the current study was to develop, pilot, and establish the initial psychometrics of the Stress Management Self-Efficacy Inventory (SMSEI). Once developed and positive psychometrics established, middle school counselors and other mental health professionals can use the SMSEI to identify children who lack self-efficacy in the area of stress management. Once adolescents are identified as having low stress management self-efficacy, this measure can also aid professionals in creating programs and interventions. The SMSEI measures how well adolescents believe they can manage their stress as well as measures specific areas or management techniques that a child believes they …

Green Engineering And Gate-To Gate Life Cycle Assessments For Pharmaceutical Products, Daniel Fichana

Theses and Dissertations

The research of this thesis focused on the environmental and processing metrics during the development of two different drugs. Previous research in life cycle assessments and green engineering have focused on other products and processes, but only a limited amount of studies have been conducted for pharmaceutical applications. This analysis concerned a gate-to-gate analysis of two distinct pharmaceutical products along with the development of a solvent selection table. The goal of this research was to determine how various processing and environmental metrics were affected by process improvements.

The first drug was the pravastatin, which was made via a fermentation route. …

Autism And Parental Marital Satisfaction: The Role Of Adequacy Of Resources, Geneeta Kaliah Chambers

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The goal of the present study was to expand on the existing literature exploring families with children who have developmental disabilities, particularly autism. Previous studies have been constrained by univariate approaches that have failed to adequately capture the nuances of family functioning. Using an ecological/context approach, stemming from an ongoing research program conducted within a university-based treatment center, the present study attempted to improve on the conceptualization of interrelationships among family members and the role that contextual factors play within that dynamic. Specifically, the present study explored the influence of children’s level of autism on parents’ reports of their marital …

Eating Behavior And Obesity Risk Of Youth Living In The City Of San Bernardino, California, Carolyn A. Corder

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Adolescents living in the City of San Bernardino, California, are susceptible to health risks due to high rates of violence, suicide, teen pregnancy, and poverty, which place them among the most vulnerable in the Nation to disability, early death, unhealthy offspring, illiteracy, economic disadvantage, and chronic disease. This study analyzed data from the Youth Risk Behavior (YRBS) and local surveys conducted in the City’s Unified School District from 1999 through 2001. The investigators focused on the relationship, if any, of dietary and anthropometric factors to the priority adolescent behaviors targeted for intervention by the Healthy People 2010 objectives: accidental injuries …

Factors Related To Delayed Time For Hiv Care Among Youth Living With Hiv: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Social Support Networks And Access To Care, Patricia L. Jones

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Purpose: This research explored the pattern of influence social support networks had on delayed time between diagnosis and first doctor’s visit after diagnosis of HIV in youth. Results showed that factors related to receiving a referral were prosocial peer behaviors and excessive fibbing in the past 6 months. The study identified sources of social support and described the relationship between the source of support and time of first doctor’s visit after HIV diagnosis. Both descriptive and multivariate analyses were performed on all youth (N=347) and specifically on those seeking care. Methodology: Historical data were extracted from the baseline dataset of …

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Correlates Of Outcome In Nonaccidental Trauma, Janice Lyanne Enriquez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Nonaccidental head trauma (NAHT) in infants and children involves intentional injury that is often associated with severe neurological and neuropsychological sequelae. Injuries due to NAHT result in immediate changes in neural function, as evidenced by abnormal biochemical metabolite levels and clinical variables, which are predictive of long-term outcome. Identification of the association between biochemical metabolite levels and clinical variables with long-term outcome of NAHT would permit for an understanding of the types of services that could potentially facilitate recovery or reduce the severity of impairment. Infants and children who sustain such injuries are often excluded from the abuse as well …

Dynamic Determinants Of Incisal Display, Shawn Paul Pesh

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The principal objective of this study was to use computer aided design (CAD) to better illustrate and quantify the relationship of mandibular arch depth, mandibular arch width, overbite, and overjet in the presence of mandibular dental crowding. To date, there has been no research examining how changes in the mandibular arch limit the orthodontist's ability to control overbite and overjet. Understanding how to effectively manage overbite and overjet are crucial to the clinician's ability to manipulate incisal display. Polyvinyl siloxane impressions of both maxillary and mandibular arches of a Caucasian patient were taken and used to pour dental stone models. …

Vital Pulp Therapy With Mineral Trioxide Aggregate: An Outcomes Study, Heather H. Lauer

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) is used in a variety of endodontic procedures. MTA is proven to provide good marginal adaption to dentin, to be biocompatible, and to stimulate dentin bridge formation through animal studies. These properties make MTA a potentially useful material to be used in vital pulp therapy. Clinical data on the use of MTA as a vital pulp medicament is sparse. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcome of vital pulp therapy using MTA as the pulp medicament. Inclusion criteria for patient selection for recall was based on pulp treatment necessary from carious pulp …

Mechanisms Of Hbo-Induced Neuroprotection In A Neonatal Hypoxia-Ischemia Model, John Winter Calvert

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

With an incidence approaching 1/4000 live births and as high as 60% in low birth weight infants, cerebral hypoxia-ischemia during the perinatal period is the single most important cause of acute mortality and chronic disability in newborns. Herein, we tested the hypothesis that following a hypoxic-ischemic insult hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment can restore high energy metabolite levels in the affected regions of the brain and through this increase in energy levels ameliorate the spread of cell death following the insult. We also investigated if an additional mechanism by which HBO affords its neuroprotection is by altering the expression of the …

Accuracy Of The Newtom 3g™ In Measuring The Angle Of The Articular Eminence, Rehana Khan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of the Newtom 3G™ in determining the angulation of the articular eminence. The benefits of conducting this study were to provide additional uses for the standard records that are taken for the purposes of orthodontic treatment, as well as evaluate the Newtom 3G™ for accuracy in measuring the anatomy of the glenoid fossa. This study required 20 participants that volunteered to allow their records to be used. Records evaluated were the Newtom 3G™, impressions, and wax check bite registrations. The wax record was taken using the 'forced bite' technique to …

Ricketts And Steiner Analysis Using Newtom 3g™ Scout Images, James I. Gibson Iii

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

NewTom 3G™ scout images have the general appearance of traditional lateral cephalometric radiographs. The purpose of this research was to determine if Ricketts and Steiner analyses could be accomplished on NewTom 3G™ scout images.

This was a retrospective study comparing the use of NewTom 3G™ scans in DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) format to scout images from 25 consecutive patients of the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry Department of Orthodontics, three of these patients did not meet the inclusion criteria. The DICOM images were used to create controls. The controls and scout images were digitized using QuickCeph™. …