Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Self -Esteem And Sense Of Entitlement In Violent And Nonviolent Criminal Behavior, Susan Frank

Doctoral Dissertations

There are two conflicting theories concerning self-esteem in violent and nonviolent criminal behavior. One theory proposes that low self-esteem is more influential than high self-esteem in an individual's decision to participate in criminal behavior, whereas the other theory proposes the opposite. Limited research is available concerning the role that sense of entitlement has in criminal behavior, beyond its previously explored role in rape. The first purpose of this study was to clarify the role of self-esteem in criminal behavior by having individuals currently incarcerated for both violent and nonviolent crimes complete the Self-Esteem Rating Scale. Using the scores obtained on …

Stuck On The Tip Of My Thumb: Stuttering In American Sign Language, Geoffrey Whitebread

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

This thesis aims to stimulate research on articulation disorders in American Sign Language. It discusses the controversy surrounding a clinical definition of stuttering, reviews the symptoms of stuttering in spoken languages, and examines theories of the etiology of stuttering. Ten well-connected individuals in the Deaf community were interviewed and presented a list of possible symptoms of stuttering in American Sign Language (ASL). (As a preliminary investigation, this study did not attempt to directly observe any stuttering in ASL.) Participants responded with how they thought symptoms might look in ASL and whether they had seen examples in real life. A refined …

Postpartum Fatigue In The Active Duty Military Woman, Jacqueline D. Rychnovsky Phd

Dissertations

Up to 16,000 military women annually experience the birth of a child. Barring complications, regulations require a return to work 42 days postpartum, making them susceptible to the effects of postpartum fatigue. The purpose of this descriptive, longitudinal study of 109 military women was to describe fatigue levels across the first 6–8 weeks postpartum; to describe the relationship among selected psychological, physiological, and situational variables of fatigue; and to examine the relationship between predictor variables, fatigue levels, and performance after childbirth. The majority of the sample were married or partnered enlisted women in the U.S. Navy with a mean age …

Dialect Density And Discourse Maturity Of African American Elementary Students, Brandi Lynette Newkirk

Masters Theses

This was a report of an investigation of the effects of dialectal features in African American students' narratives on discourse ratings by trained judges. The question addressed in this research was whether dialectal features influence judges who are evaluating discourse. Graduate students in speech-language pathology (n = 18) learning to analyze discourse samples served as the judges. Two versions of narratives (n = 27) written by third- and fourth-grade African American students (the original version and the edited version) were used to determine if narratives that contain dialectal features would be rated lower. The judges were trained in narrative discourse …

The Effect Of A Nurse Practitioner Intervention On Women Referred For Screening Mammography, Susan Renee Carlson Phd

Dissertations

The use of mammography for the early identification of breast cancer when tumors are small and potentially curable has been well documented. Unfortunately, the rates at which women comply with their health care providers' recommendation for screening mammography remain low. Many reasons have been identified for the failure to adhere with this recommendation; pain with procedure, cost, lack of physician recommendation, perceived radiation exposure, and fear of results have been cited. The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of a specific intervention by a nurse practitioner on adherence with screening mammography in a healthy population of women …

The Effects Of Ankle Taping And Spatting On The Reaction Times Of The Supporting Musculature Of The Ankle Before And After Exercise In Healthy And Functionally Unstable Ankles, Jennifer I. Mckenzie

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Ankle taping is a common practice in the athletic training room, but there is minimal evidence to support its effectiveness in enhancing muscle activation. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of ankle taping on muscle activation following sudden inversion in functionally unstable and healthy ankles before and after exercise. Fourteen recreational athletes with a unilateral functionally unstable ankle volunteered to participate. Surface EMG electrodes were placed on the peroneals and anterior tibialis muscles of both extremities. Each subject received four treatment conditions; ankle taping, ankle taping with spatting, spatting, and no tape in a randomly assigned, …

An Assessment Of High School Coaches Knowledge Of Exercise-Induced Asthma, Shannon L. Wilson

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Exercise-induced asthma (EIA) is a common disorder that occurs in individuals who compete in recreational activities. The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge of EIA for high school athletic coaches. A 22 question demographic instrument was used for background information, and an 18 question multiple-choice assessment was used to assess knowledge of prevention, recognition and management of EIA. A panel of experts reviewed and modified the survey instruments, which were piloted at a local private high school prior to distribution. The survey was distributed to 250 high school coaches in the Hampton Roads area during a fall …

Effect Of Cycling Cadence On Economy At High Power, Carol Beatriz Ennser

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

This study was designed to determine the most economical cadence for cyclists at high power outputs (> 300 W). Six cyclists and two triathletes (age 31.5 ± 8.8 yr, mass 76.9 ± 8.6 kg, VO₂max 4.84 ± 0.36 Lmin^·1, weekly training 318 ± 118 km) who were capable of riding a bicycle at a speed of 40 kph for 10 min (solo) participated in five tests on a bicycle ergometer. The preliminary test measured subjects' VO₂max. After that, subjects completed four trials, each at a predetermined cadence as follows: 60, 80, 100 and 120 …

The Effects Of Universal And Rotating Ultrasonic Inserts On Wrist Movement, Scaling Time Efficiency, And Cumulative Trauma Risk In Dental Hygienists, Christine Colavita Hawn

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if differences existed in range of wrist movements and scaling time efficiency in dental hygienists that use a rotating ultrasonic insert as compared to those who use a standard universal insert. A convenience sample of 30 consenting experienced dental hygienists from the Norfolk area who met inclusion criteria was invited to be subjects. Using a crossover research design, each experimental subject used the rotating ultrasonic scaling insert to remove 2 cc artificial calculus from a typodont in a controlled, simulated clinical situation for up to 15 minutes. While scaling, each subject wore …

Correlation Between Nutritional Knowledge And Food Choices In Seventh Grade Students, Jennifer Rysavy

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background Diets of adolescents in the United States are not meeting the Food Pyramid guidelines, especially for fruits, vegetables, and dairy, yet they are far exceeding the recommended daily allowance for fat and added sugars. Even though adolescents possess nutritional knowledge, they are often choosing foods based on their taste, rather than their nutritional value. This study aimed to explore the relationship between nutritional knowledge and food choices in seventh grade students. It also evaluated the relationship gender had on nutrition knowledge and food choices. Method Nutritional knowledge and food choices were studied in two seventh grade health classes at …

Determinants Of Safety Device Use In Adults Age 18-22 Years., Amanda J. Rajala

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: The determinants of safety device use and non-use, in 18-22 year olds, are not clear and were targeted in this research. The literature revealed that safety devices are used due to personal safety, habit and legal reasons. Safety devices are not used due to physical discomfort, only drive/ride short distances and forgetfulness. Methods: This study is a multivariable, quantitative-non-experimental study, conducted on the campus of Augsburg College during an orientation event in June 2003. A multiple choice written questionnaire was distributed to participants of the orientation event. The identification of trends and patterns were determined to establish the determinants …

Physical Activity Levels And Social Influences In Rural Minnesotan Hmong Children And Adolescents, Kimberly Smith

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background Research has shown that physical activity levels are declining in children and adolescents of racial and ethnic minority groups. It has been suggested that social influences may play an important role in these trends. A large and growing Hmong population exists in Minnesota and there is no data regarding physical or sedentary activity trends or possible underlying social influences within this group. This study examined the physical activity levels, sedentary leisure habits, and social influences in a group of Hmong children and adolescents Methods. Following a descriptive, qualitative design, a sample of 45 Hmong children and adolescents in a …

The Female Athlete Triad: Role Of The Coach In Prevention And Intervention, Michelle Turner Breiland

Theses and Graduate Projects

Introduction The Female Athlete Triad consists of disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis. Eating disorders affect between 1-10% of adolescent and college age women (Haller, 1992),particularly in women's' sports in which leanness is considered important for performance such as cross-country running. Methods A three page 17 item questionnaire was sent out to 45 coaches of women's Division III cross-country teams in the Midwest region of the US. Descriptive statistics were run on the data. Results Results showed that 8% of coaches have coached an athlete with a diagnosed eating disorder. Of the top three topics for team discussions, 9% of coaches …

Hospice Care: Physician Assistants' Ratings Of Their Knowledge And Attitudes, Karen Farrington

Theses and Graduate Projects

To date there is little, if any, published data regarding hospice patients and physician assistants; there is a substantial amount of data available regarding physicians and hospice care. The purpose of this study was to determine if physician assistant attitudes and knowledge regarding hospice influenced their referral practices and compared those findings to physicians. Physician assistants who were current members of the Minnesota Academy of Physician Assistants were surveyed regarding knowledge and attitude towards hospice services. A total of 55 subjects (response rate of 55%) responded to the mailed survey, 60% of which were female. Respondents ages 40 years or …

The Amount Of Prenatal Care In Women Thirty-Five Years And Older And It's Effects On Birth Weight, Gestational Age And Apgar Scores, Amy Moe

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background Prenatal care is essential to the health of mothers and their babies. It is unclear what aspects of prenatal care influence maternal and infant health the most. The purpose of this study was to determine if the amount of prenatal care visits a woman thirty-five years or older receives impacts the newborn's health, Methods The medical records of all women thirty-five years of age and older who gave birth at Cambridge Allina Medical Center in a one-year period were reviewed. The number of prenatal care visits for each subject was correlated with the birth weight, gestational age and Apgar …

Patients' Perceptions Of Herbal Medicines And Natural Supplements, Penny L. Vinnedge

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background Herbal medicine and natural supplement use is becoming more popular among the general population. They are being used as adjuncts to conventional medicine, in place of conventional medicine, or as a last resort after failure of conventional medicine. There are benefits and downfalls to these alternative therapies. The problem is determining what beliefs patients have about herbs/supplements and how they form these beliefs. Methods A written survey was distributed to patients visiting a family practice clinic over a single week. Descriptive statistics were obtained to determine frequencies and totals of data and two types of inferential statistics were performed …

Attitudes Of Expectant Fathers Regarding Breastfeeding And The Effect Of The Expectant Father On The Expectant Mother's Intention To Breastfeed, Danielle M. Semling

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: previous studies regarding breastfeeding have demonstrated the importance of the father in the infant feeding decision and shown that mothers were more likely to breastfeed if the father had a positive opinion of breastfeeding. Methods: This study intended to determine what attitudes fathers had regarding breastfeeding and if a positive view of breastfeeding by a father correlated to the intention of his partner to breastfeed. The subjects for the study were couples participating together in one of two birth and parenting classes- The mothers were questioned about their intended breastfeeding decision, their perceived support from their male partner and …

Influences On The Mother's Decision To Breastfeed Her Infant, Melissa Rae Kennedy

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background Nutrition is essential to the health and development of infants and children' The American Academy of pediatrics, [the American Academy of Family Physicians] and the world Health organization recommend breast milk as the best form of nutrition for at least the first year of an infant's life due to the health benefits it provides children and mothers (American Academy of Family physicians, 2000, Pletta, Eglash, & Choby, 2000). Increasing the rates of both initiation of breastfeeding and duration of breastfeeding are national health objectives. Methods The research design is a prospective descriptive study. The study included 43 pregnant women …

Rural Physician Assistant Job Satisfaction And Factors That Lead To Satisfaction, Jody Ann Giza

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background. PAs play a critical role in serving under-served rural communities. It will be of benefit to the rural communities in Minnesota to idenitfy what practice and community factors work to recruit and retain a high percentage of PAs to rural practice in Minnesota' Methods A written questionnaire was mailed to PAs working in rural Minnesota who are members of MAPA, The survey explored community and practice aspects that contribute to job satisfaction. Results Ninety-two percent of respondents stated they were satisfied to very satisfied with their overall practice. Overall practice satisfaction was most strongly positively correlated with acknowledgment from …

Education About Chronic Mental Illness And Coping In These Families, Judith Marie Watiti

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Coping styles of family members and familial relationships of patients with Schizophrenia/Schizoaffective, Dissociative, and/or Bipolar Disorder maybe influenced by psychoeducation interventions. Specifically, Psychoeducation (i.e. comprehensive & standardized protocol) can lower family member/primary caregiver expressed emotions (i.e. criticism, emotional over-involvement, avoidance & detachment) that will strengthen their coping styles as caregivers. A control and treatment group were comprised of a total of 32 randomly assigned family members. During the first week. The Coping Styles Questionnaire and The Family Questionnaire were administered to both groups as pretests. In addition, a registration form was completed containing information such as name, address, telephone number, …

Detection Of Bacteria To Dental Tissue By Low-Light Imaging, G-Hong Robert Hsu

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Bacteria have been shown to play an important role in the development of pulp and periradicular disease. The source of the infective bacteria is most often the oral cavity. Previous studies have detected bacteria in teeth that are structurally intact that seemingly have no communication intraorally. Anachoresis has been proposed as a mechanism for localizing circulating bacteria to such teeth. In several previous bacteriologic anachoresis studies, bacteria have been found to localize in inflamed dental tissues. The criticism most commonly associated with these investigations has been the potential contribution of contaminant bacteria resulting in false positive findings.

Low-light image analysis …

Patient Handling Ergonomics, Paul Reichert

Theses

The incidence of musculoskeletal injuries among healthcare workers has been well documented in the medical and ergonomic literature. The epidemiological evidence demonstrates high injury rate among nurses, nurse's aides, therapists and other medical workers who frequently handle patients. The biomechanical research has shown large compressive forces developed in the lumbar spine performing various patient handling transfers that exceed the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health's recommended guideline. One of the most strenuous patient handling tasks is transferring the patient from bed to the chair and vice versa.

One of the objectives of this thesis is to design and conduct …

Cancer Pain: An Allopathic Or Alternative Approach?, Amanda Keating Walker

Honors Theses

The American Cancer Society estimates that 1,334,100 new cancer cases will be diagnosed in 2003 and that 17 million new cancer cases have been diagnosed since 1990. They have also determined that in the U.S., men have a slightly less than 1 in 2 lifetime risk of developing cancer and women have a 1 in 3 chance of being diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. These statistics show that cancer will touch the life of at least one person you know; unfortunately that person may be someone very close to you. It's extremely difficult to watch someone you love endure …

Antimicrobial And Spermicidal Activity Of Hydrogen Peroxide And Nonoxynol-9 Based Gel Preparations, Paul E. Grimmett

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Eighty gel formulations were prepared using five buffer systems (0.01M citrate, 0.02M citrate, 0.01M tartrate, 0.02M tartrate, and 0.01M citrate/0.01M tartrate), four hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentrations (0%, 0.3%, 0.9%, and 1.2%), and four nonoxynol-9 (N-9) concentrations (0%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2%). The eighty gel formulations were then tested for physio-chemical properties (viscosity and pH), antimicrobial effectiveness (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration Assay) against Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus agalactiae, and finally, spermicidal effectiveness (Sander Cramer Assay). The gel formulation that contained the best combination of physio-chemical, antimicrobial, and spermicidal properties was a 0.01M citrate buffered hydrogel, which contained 0.9% H2O2 and …

Factors That Most Influence Job Satisfaction Among Cardiac Nurses In An Acute Care Setting, Lashonda Leigh Bare

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to determine cardiac nurses’ level of job satisfaction through an examination of the relationship between Herzberg’s motivation and hygiene factors and job satisfaction. The study used a non-experimental, quantitative design with a theoretical framework based on Herzberg’s Motivation Versus Hygiene theory. The independent variables were motivation and hygiene factors and the dependent variable was nurse job satisfaction. The Work Quality Index and a demographic survey were given to approximately 32 registered nurses at a medical center in southwestern, West Virginia. The data was collected over three weeks and was analyzed using descriptive and correlational …

Hk-2 Cells As A Human Model Of Glucuronide Transport, Eliza E. Robertson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Glucuronidation is primarily a pathway of detoxification in most species, but many glucuronide conjugates are associated with toxicity. Numerous drugs are excreted in the urine as glucuronide conjugates. Being organic anions, it is likely that glucuronides are secreted into the urine by organic anion transporters found in renal proximal tubule cells (PTCs). Some drugs that are metabolized by glucuronidation have been shown to cause renal toxicity, yet little is known about the renal handling of glucuronide conjugates. It is hypothesized that glucuronides are transported into renal PTCs by an organic anion transporter (OAT) on the basolateral membrane of the cell. …

The Genetic And Molecular Characterization Of The Polycystic Kidney Disease-Causing Mouse Gene Bicc1, Sarah J. Price

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is one of the most common hereditary diseases and is characterized by progressive cyst formation, substantial renal enlargement, and frequently, progression to end-stage renal disease. One way to learn more about the etiology of this disease is to study mouse models that imitate the human situation. The juvenile congenital polycystic kidney disease (jcpk) gene on mouse Chromosome 10 has been found to cause a severe, early onset form of PKD when inherited in an autosomal recessive manner (Flaherty et al., 1995). Previous genetic studies mapped the jcpk locus to a 1 cM region on mouse Chromosome …

The Use Of Ergogenic Aids Among High School Athletes In Eastern Kentucky, John Robert Brandenburg

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A fifteen-question survey was developed to study the use of over-the counter nutrition supplements by high school athletes in eastern Kentucky. Athletic trainers from four local high schools were given one hundred permission forms and surveys. After two weeks only a small number (n=25) completed the requirements to participate in the study. The twenty-five participants consisted of male (n=15) and female (n=10). The athletes with the highest frequency of supplement use were football players (67.7%). The supplements with the highest use were protein powders (n=13) and creatine monohydrate (n=9).

Smoking Cessation Education Needs As Reported By Current Smokers, Former Smokers, And Nurses, Ana Grynwald

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference in the importance of selected smoking cessation information to current smokers, former smokers, and nurses in the Appalachian population. There were no instruments found in the literature to assess the perceptions of educational content for smoking cessation, therefore, a Smoking Cessation Education (SCE) survey was developed to measure the perceptions. The conceptual framework for this study was based on the Health Belief Model developed by psychologists Drs. Godfrey M. Hochbaum, S. Stephen Kegeles, Howard Leventhal, and Irwin M. Rosenstock..

Design: The SCE is a ten question …

Roles Of Pkc Isozymes In Retinoic Acid-Induced B16 Mouse Melanoma Cell Growth Inhibition And Differentiation, Jianming Han

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Protein Kinase C (PKC) has been implicated in many cellular responses. Of the 11 isotypes in this family, seven are expressed in B16 mouse melanoma cells − PKCα, PKCδ, PKCε, PKCθ, PKCλ, PKCζ, and PKCµ.

Treatment of B16 cells with retinoic acid (RA) results in growth inhibition and differentiation. Simultaneously, RA induces a 6-8 fold increase of PKC α protein level, but only about 2-fold increase of PKC enzyme activity. The over- expression of wild type PKCα in B16 cells mimicked the action of RA. The over- expression of enzymatically inactive PKCα, either open or closed conformation, also inhibited B16 …