Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Examination Of Therapeutic Alliance And Dependent-Care Agency In The Context Of Complementary And Alternative Therapy Utilization By Mothers For Their Children With Asthma, Mary C. Vanderwal

Masters Theses

Complementary and alternative therapies (CAT) are being used by increasing numbers of individuals as both self-care and dependent-care strategies. Nursing leadership is needed to provide guidance and support to individuals using CAT Nurse-client relationships that center on therapeutic alliance may be a vehicle for supporting appropriate use of CAT as self-care and dependent care modalities. Eighty-seven mothers whose asthmatic children were involved in a 6-month glyconutritional supplementation trial were surveyed to evaluate their perceptions of therapeutic alliance using the Kim Alliance Scale (KAS). Greater that 90% of the sample perceived therapeutic alliance most of the time in relationship with the …

The Effect Of Supportive Education, As A Tertiary Nursing Intervention, On The Quality Of Life Of Patients With Heart Failure, Julie A. Switek

Masters Theses

Quality of life in patients with heart failure is poor. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a supportive educational nursing intervention on quality of life. The quality of life of two groups of patients with heart failure were compared, the control group that received placebo interventions and the experimental group that received a supportive educational intervention. The instrument utilized in this study was the Ferrans and Powers Quality of Life Index; Cardiac Version III. Betty Neuman’s systems model was the theoretical framework that guided this research. Independent and paired T-tests were utilized to analyze the …

Comparison Of Maternal Perception Of Birth: Labor Induced By Misoprostol Vs Spontaneous Labor, Kristine E. Barber

Masters Theses

This study was a comparison of the maternal perception of birth with spontaneous labor vs. labor induced by misoprostol. Perception of control, a primary factor linked with satisfaction in childbirth, was also evaluated.

Levine’s Conservation Principles guided this study. Many studies have evaluated misoprostol’s effectiveness and safety, but none have evaluated patients’ perception of their birth experience when receiving the drug. An awareness of this aspect is essential to evaluate the drug’s effect on the integrity of the whole individual.

A convenience sample of women who delivered at one regional hospital were given two questionnaires to complete before discharge. There …

The Relationship Between Exercise Knowledge And Exercise Self-Efficacy For The Prevention Of Osteoporosis, Suzanne M. Leclaire

Masters Theses

The conceptual framework for this study was Self-efficacy (Bandura, 1977), based on Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986). The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between exercise knowledge and exercise self-efficacy for the prevention of osteoporosis in young adults. Population selection was based on clinical research findings that bone health is affected by habits early in life, such as calcium intake and establishing regular exercise, which affect bone health in later years. The study was a secondary data analysis of 353 females and males 18 to 35 years of age, primarily Caucasian (92.9%). Results from …

Primaquine-Induced Hemolytic Anemia: Formation And Mechanism Of Action Of The Hemotoxic Metabolite 6-Methoxy-8-Hudroxylamoniquinoline (Maq-Noh), Laura Jane Campbell-Bolchoz

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Primaquine is an important antimalarial drug that is often dose-limited in therapy by the onset of hemolytic anemia. It is well accepted that this toxicity is due to the action of its metabolites and not the parent compound. However, the toxic species have not been identified and little is known about the mechanism underlying primaquine-induced red cell injury. Previous studies to identify the hemotoxic metabolites have focused on the redox active phenolic derivatives of primaquine and have shown that a number of these compounds are capable of decreasing red cell GSH levels and oxidizing oxyhemoglobin to methemoglobin. However, these derivatives …

Efficacy Of A Pneumatic Oxygen Conserving Device In The Oxygenation Of Copd Patients During Sleep, Ronda Z. Bradley

Theses

For the greater than one million Americans who rely on supplemental oxygen for survival, the vast majority of them struggle with ambulatory oxygen sources which restrict their ability to move freely about within and out of their homes. Liquid oxygen sources can provide the smallest and longest lasting ambulatory oxygen supply. However, the cost of the provision on liquid oxygen has historically been cost prohibitive under our current Medicare reimbursement schedule. The HELiOS™ Oxygen System by Puritan-Bennett a division of Mallinckrodt. has developed an oxygen system, which allows for the smallest, lightest weight and longest lasting oxygen system ever developed. …

Oxidized Ldl Density Lipoprotein Antibodies And Oxidized Low Density Lipoprotein-Containing Immune Complexes: Characteristics And Pathogenic Significance In Diabetes, Daniel H. Atchley

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Mounting evidence suggests that two major vascular complications of diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis and nephropathy, are pathogenically analogous processes, with atherosclerosis occurring primarily in the microvasculature and nephropathy involving the microvasculature. Additionally, several lines of evidence point to oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) as a major participant in both processes. OxLDL is found deposited in both types of vascular lesions, and appears to influence several events. It causes influx of macrophages, which ingest the oxLDL and are transformed into foam cells - a key component of atherosclerosis and glomerulosclerosis. OxLDL also appears to promote the proliferation of smooth muscle cells in atherosclerosis …

Essence Of Cultural Competence: Listening To The Voices Of Occupational Therapy Students, Roxie M. Black

Educational Studies Dissertations

This study examines the perceptions and meaning of cultural competence and culturally competent care as described by occupational therapy students in their final year of occupational therapy education. The purpose is to determine whether students who have received education that included diversity and multicultural content see themselves as developing cultural competence.

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Lung Function And Aerobic Capacity In People With Asthma., Pat Flanagan

Theses

The prevalence of asthma is rapidly increasing throughout the world. Many developed countries have reported a greater incidence and severity of asthma in both adults and children (Woolcock and Peat, 1997). Up to 90% of those diagnosed with asthma will experience some asthma symptoms during or after exercise. This condition is known as Exercise-Induced Asthma (EIA). The severity of the bout of EIA depends mainly on the type, intensity and duration of the exercise session. Environmental conditions, medication and possibly the level of fitness of the individual may also influence EIA (Storms and Joyner, 1999; Guill, 1996; Weiler, 1996).

The …

Approaches To Measuring The Frequency Of Achondroplasia And Hypochondroplasia Causing Fgfr-3 Mutations In Human Sperm, Andrew Timothy Daters

LSU Master's Theses

Achondroplasia and hypochondroplasia are two forms of skeletal dysplasias caused predominantly by single base mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 gene (FGFR-3). The mutation for achondroplasia is a G1138A/C substitution and the mutation for hypochondroplasia (occurring about 50% of the time) is a C1620A/G substitution. Recent genetic studies have shown that spontaneous mutations for achondroplasia and hypochondroplasia occur exclusively on the paternally derived chromosome, suggesting that these mutations occur preferentially during spermatogenesis. For unknown reasons, the mutation rates at these FGFR-3 nucleotides appear to occur at a much higher frequency than nucleotide specific mutation rates observed in other …

Cancer Dose-Response Modeling Of Low Dose Radiation Exposure, Gizelle Susette Baker

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Many late effects from exposure to ionizing radiation, including cancers, have been described in the literature. The identification and quantification of radiation-induced health effects is an important and complex issue. Recommendations for radiation safety and protection from the International Commission on Radiological Protection are made using a linear no threshold risk model on epidemiological data. A major obstacle in this process is the limited availability of data to directly measure the health effects of radiation on human populations. One way to circumvent this problem IS to use experimental data from laboratory animals and extrapolate across species to man. The cancer …

Misconceptions Surrounding The Safety Of Home Birth And Hospital Birth, Misty D. Richard

LSU Master's Theses

Much debate surrounds the topic of women choosing to deliver their infants at home with the services of a midwife. The outcomes of women beginning labor at home, ultimately delivering at home, and the infants born at home were studied in order to determine the safety of home birth among expectant women choosing to be attended by a midwife licensed to practice by the state of Louisiana. Trends associated with those choosing home birth and the frequency of home birth were also analyzed. The study was conducted using retrospective records of clients accepted during the study years 1986-2000. During the …

A Descriptive Study Of At Risk Mothers' Interactions With Their Children, Vicky Lynn Poston

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to describe the home environment and nature of mother-child interactions of low-income African-American mothers. The subjects included eight mother-child dyads. All of the mothers were single, African-American and working toward a G.E.D. Their age ranged from 17-30 years of age. Their children ranged in age from 24-67 months. A home visit and a mother-child play session that was collected at the children’s child care center were utilized to collect the data. The findings from the current study were consistent with the literature reviewed in that most of the mothers produced a decreased speech rate, …

A Culturally Appropriate Breast Health Educational Intervention Program For African American Women., Mary Ann Kelley

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Experimental Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus On The Adenosine Triphosphate Content And Cellular Permeability Of The Canine Gastric And Jejunal Mucosa, Laura Elizabeth Peycke

LSU Master's Theses

This study was designed to characterize changes in the content of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and cellular permeability of gastric and jejunal mucosa during gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV). Our hypothesis stated that experimental GDV would result in a decrease in ATP content and cellular integrity of the gastric and intestinal mucosa that may improve after decompression and derotation of the stomach. Fifteen medium-to-large mixed-breed male dogs were randomly divided into three groups: GDV dogs, Ischemia dogs and Control dogs. All dogs were maintained on gas anesthesia for 210 minutes. The GDV dogs had a GDV for 120 minutes with a 90-minute period …

Comparative Study Of Analog And Digital Hearing Aids, Adam Benjamin Lopez

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of the present study was to determine if objective and/or subjective differences between analog and digital hearing aids exist when blinding is utilized in the protocol and circuitry is controlled. Ten normal hearing and seven hearing impaired subjects were monaurally fitted with analog and digital hearing aids. Probe microphone measures were obtained at the plane of the tympanic membrane at two output levels (40 dB SPL and 70 dB SPL). Listener performance in quiet was evaluated via word recognition testing, listener performance in noise was evaluated via the Hearing in Noise Test, and listener preference was evaluated via …

Placement Of Mineral Trioxide Aggregate Using Two Different Techniques, Anita Aminoshariae

Theses and Dissertations

AbstractTHE PLACEMENT OF MINERAL TRIOXIDE AGGREGATE USING TWO DIFFERENT TECHNIQUESBy Anita Aminoshariae, D.D.S.A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVirginia Commonwealth University, 2003Major Director: Gary R. Hartwell, D.D.S., M.S.Chairman and Professor, Department of EndodonticsThe purpose of this study was to determine if the adaptation of Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA) to the walls of the samples would differ when placed into simulated root canals of varying length using two different placement and condensation methods. Hand condensation was compared to ultrasonic condensation. Eighty polyethylene tubes were divided into four groups …

Factors Influencing The Efficacy Of Delayed Auditory Feedback In Treating Dysarthria Associated With Parkinson's Disease, Paul Gerard Blanchet

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Parkinson's disease patients exhibit a high prevalence of speech deficits including excessive speech rate, reduced intelligibility, and disfluencies. The present study examined the effects of delayed auditory feedback (DAF) as a rate control intervention for dysarthric speakers with Parkinson's disease. Adverse reactions to relatively long delay intervals are commonly observed during clinical use of DAF, and seem to result from improper "matching" of the delayed signal. To facilitate optimal use of DAF, therefore, clinicians must provide instruction, modeling, and feedback. Clinician instruction is frequently used in speech-language therapy, but has not been evaluated during use of DAF-based interventions. Therefore, the …

Health And Development: Infectious Intestinal Diseases In A Transborder Region (United States-Mexico), Flavia Bianchi

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Intestinal infectious diseases are considered the northern Mexican border’s most obvious challenge facing children. The Mexico-US Border region is a 200-kilometer border zone that extends 100 kilometers on either side of an imaginary borderline and stretches 3,141 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. In 2000, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Health Organization’s representative for the Americas, published a study of the top causes of mortality between 1995 and 1997 to estimate the absolute burden of mortality in the primary Mexican and American border community, collectively known as the Sister Cities. Using the PAHO …

Plasmid-Mediated Expression Of Foreign Genes In Ehrlichia Canis, Langston Dolphus Hull

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Ehrlichia canis is the etiologic agent of “tropical canine pancytopenia”, or canine ehrlichiosis. The impetus for this research was to overcome the lack of any reliable means of elucidating the genetic profiles of these illusive and historically difficult to manipulate organisms. The use of a broad-host range plasmid greatly facilitated the determination of an electro-transformation protocol. The transforming plasmid possesses a chloramphenicol antibiotic resistance gene marker (chloramphenicol acetyltransferase [CAT] gene), and a visual reporter gene marker, the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) gene. With primer sets designed to specifically amplify these two plasmid encoded gene markers, thus verifying the presence of …

Evaluation Of Feeding Chlamydospores Of Duddingtonia Flagrans To Ewe/Lamb Pairs And Weaned Lambs To Biologically Control Levels Of Haemonchus On Pasture, Natalee Peart

LSU Master's Theses

Gastroenteritis caused by the nematode parasite Haemonchus contortus is a serious concern for small ruminants in the tropics and subtropics. Control is traditionally by anthelmintics and pasture management, however this specific nematode parasite has become resistant to many anthelmintics and research is now focused on novel control methods including biological control using the nematode-trapping fungus, Duddingtonia flagrans. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of feeding chlamydospores of the fungus at a dosage of 5 x 105 spores/kg of BW to ewe/lamb pairs (Trial 1) and weaned lambs (Trial 2) for a total of 17 and 8 …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Parent Training Program On Adolescent Mothers And Their Communicative Interactions With Their Children, Sonja Lee Pruitt

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the “Tips About Talk” parent-training classes for increasing adolescent mothers’ knowledge about their children’s speech and language development and the quality of mothers’ interactions with their children. Seven mother-child dyads served as participants. All of the participating mothers were single, African American, and enrolled in a GED program. The mean age of the mothers was 20.57 years, and their mean educational level was 9.29 years. Their children were between the ages of 24 and 67 months. The experimental treatment involved four “Tips About Talk” parent-training workshops. The control …

Antipredator Conditioning In Mississippi Sandhill Cranes (Grus Canadensis Pulla), Jennifer Jill Heatley

LSU Master's Theses

The Mississippi Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis pulla), the most endangered North American crane, is considered critically endangered and is protected by Federal and State law. Substantial funding has established the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge in Southern Mississippi and an artificial insemination / breeding facility at the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species in New Orleans, Louisiana to promote species recovery. In spite of extensive time, labor, and money invested in captive propagation, juvenile Mississippi Sandhill Cranes suffer substantial mortality due to predation by bobcats (Lynx rufus), coyotes (Canis latrans) and red tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) upon reintroduction …

Pathogenic Mechanisms Of Photobacterium Damselae Subspecies Piscicida In Hybrid Striped Bass, Ahmad A. Elkamel

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Photobacterium damselae subspecies piscicida, previously known as Pasteurella piscicida, is an important pathogen of hybrid striped bass and many fish species cultured in brackish water in the United States, Japan, Europe, and the Mediterranean. The purpose of this study is to investigate virulence mechanisms that contribute to the pathogenesis of this organism. The ability of P. damselae to survive/replicate within hybrid striped bass macrophages was evaluated with an in vitro killing assay. Results indicated that the numbers of bacteria recovered from macrophages at 3, 6, 12, and 18 hours of incubation increased significantly over time. In contrast, the numbers of …

Predictors Of Occupational Health Nurses' Likely Ethical Action Regarding Confidentiality Of Employee Health Records., Betty Sue Mcgarvey

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Unmasking Cryptic Epitopes After Loss Of Immunodominant Tumor Antigens Through Epitope Spreading, Kate M. Lally

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

No abstract provided.

Peer Nutrition Education: A Model For Nutrition Education Among Spanish-Language Participants Of The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program For Women, Infants And Children (Wic), Maximino Alfredo Mejía

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Despite the steady improvement in the health status of Americans, Hispanics are a minority in the United States with greater prevalence of several infectious and chronic diseases and less health knowledge than the average citizen. Nearly half of the Hispanics living in this country die of preventable nutrition-related conditions, with heart disease and cancer being the leading causes. Since this minority has limited access to health care and preventive services, there is a need for an inexpensive, viable model of health education for this underserved segment of the population in order to lower the excess of preventable diseases. We trained …

Biomarkers Of Bone Turnover In Vegetarians And Omnivores, Susan Kim Louie Lue

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A cross-sectional study on fasting serum and 24-hour urine samples were used to determine whether biochemical markers of bone turnover, resorption and formation, differed in a group of 50 healthy premenopausal Caucasian women eating vegan, lactoovovegetarian(LOV) and omnivorous diets.

The women, ages 20-42, had participated in a study of bone mineral density(BMD). The three groups were comparable in mean age, BMI, calorie intake, calories spent in exercise, kcal/kg body weight, protein/day, protein/kg body weight and urinary creatinine.

Biomarkers included those of bone resorption—pyridinoline, deoxypyridinoline, and N-telopeptides, and of bone turnover—serum and urinary osteocalcin(OC), skeletal alkaline phosphatase, and propeptide-type-I-carboxyterminal-procollagen(PICP). In all …

The Role Of Diet And Physical Activity For Ovarian Cancer Results From The Adventist Health Study, Fatemeh Kiani

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A few aspects of the epidemiology of ovarian cancer are well understood, such as the inverse relationship with parity and oral contraceptive (OC) use. The role of other factors such as the potential influence of diet or physical activity is far from being established. A few studies, however, have been able to identify dietary risk factors for ovarian cancer. In this dissertation, I have conducted two studies that investigate the relationship between dietary factors and physical activity and the three endpoints: 1) nonfatal ovarian cancer (1976-1982; time to diagnosis), 2) fatal ovarian cancer (1976-1988; time to death), and 3) total …

Speech Perception And Lexical Effects In Specific Language Impairment: The Effects Of Vowel Duration And Word Knowledge On Perception Of Final Alveolar Stop Voicing, Frances L.V. Scheffler

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The perception of temporal speech cues, lexical knowledge, and their interactions were examined in children (6;0-9;6) with specific language impairment (SLI). An identification task was used to test four 12-step speech continua: word-word (FEET—FEED), nonword-nonword (ZEST—ZEED), word-nonword (CHEAT—CHEED) and nonword-word (REAT—READ). The stimuli were naturally recorded and digitally edited. The vowel steady state, which varied in duration from 110 to 350 milliseconds in 20-millisecond steps, was the acoustic cue to the voicing characteristic of the final consonant in each stimulus. The analyses revealed that both the TLD and SLI groups used vowel duration as a perceptual cue. For the word-word …