Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Effect Of An Educational Intervention On Adolescents' Knowledge And Attitudes About Violence, Jean E. Szorady

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an educational intervention on adolescents' knowledge and attitudes about violence.

Nurse Practitioners' Developmental Screening And Referral Practices For Children With Developmental Delays, Terri Chisolm Smith

MSN Research Projects

This descriptive study explored developmental screening and referral practices of pediatric and family nurse practitioners for children with developmental delays.

The Effects Of Two Teaching Methodologies On Knowledge Of Insulin Administration Practices In An Older Adult Group, Clara D.J. Pieh

MSN Research Projects

Approximately 11 million people are affected with acute and chronic complications of diabetes. An estimated $20 billion is spent annually on the diagnosis and management of diabetes. Client adherence to self-care practice is essential to the control of diabetes. The self-care practice of injecting insulin is imperative for the management of both patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Teaching modalities which effectively increase patient knowledge about insulin administration need to be developed and implemented. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether individualized instructions or audiovisual instructions increased the knowledge of insulin administration practices in older …

The Relationships Among Health Promoting Behaviors, Perceptions Of Health, And Quality Of Life In Elders With Atrial Fibrillation, Eric W. Smith

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to define health-promoting behaviors, perception of health, and quality of life in elders with atrial fibrillation to develop a basis for development of guidelines for nurse practitioners in practice.

Diet Adherence Factors Affecting Diabetic Older Adults, Laurie Schluter

MSN Research Projects

Diabetes is a chronic disease which affects a significant portion of the United States population. Effective management requires adherence to a prescribed dietary regimen. Many diabetics have difficulty adhering to their recommended diet. This descriptive study explored diabetic diet adherence in older adults. The following research question guided the study: What are the factors that affect diabetic diet adherence in older adults? Sr. Callista Roy's adaptation theory provided direction for the study. Thirty two diabetic patients age 45 years and older in Louisiana comprised the sample. The sample included rural and urban patients of a home health agency and a …

Factors Influences Adolescents' Choice And Discontinuation Of Depo-Provera, Carey E. Mccarter

MSN Research Projects

Long-term contraceptives are a needed measure for prevention of unintended pregnancies. Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo-Provera), a long-term injectable contraceptive, is particularly useful for adolescent women. Despite the widespread use of Depo- Provera, limited data exist in the literature on continuation rates, especially among adolescents. The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine the factors which influence the choice and discontinuation of Depo-Provera among adolescents. The Health Belief Model served as the theoretical framework to guide this study. The convenience sample consisted of adolescent females (N = 14) . The instrument utilized for the collection of data was the McCarter …

Alternative Health Practices Of Homebound Adults In Northeast Mississippi, Jenny Barnes

MSN Research Projects

More people are relying on alternative practices and less conventional therapies for a wide variety of problems. Alternative therapies have gained increasing popularity, recognition, and usage in the past decade. Minimal knowledge exists regarding the alternative health care practices of the essentially homebound population who may be more likely to use alternative forms of health care due to the difficulty in leaving home and in following with certain cultural beliefs and practices. The focus of this descriptive study was to describe the alternative health practices of home health clients and how these practices may effect care in the primary care …

Adolescent Mother-Infant Attachment: Self-Identification Of Problems That May Impede The Process, Desiree Snow

MSN Research Projects

As of 1992, nearly 1 out of every 10 births in the United States was to a single adolescent female (National Center for Health Statistics, 1994). Becoming an adolescent parent is known to elicit significant psychosocial changes. Most adolescents are not capable of accepting all of the responsibilities of the maternal role and the attachment process. The theoretical framework of Erikson's Psychosocial Theory reflects the concept of adolescent parenting constituting a potential crisis situation. The adolescent is torn between self-satisfaction and attending to the needs of the infant, which correlates with role confusion, as explained in the developmental stage of …

Exercise Prescriptive Practices Of Nurse Practitioners Who Use The Internet, Cindy L. Robertson

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine the exercise prescriptive practices and individual exercise habits of adult, family, and gerontological nurse practitioners who utilize the Internet. Pender's Health Promotion Model provided the theoretical framework for the study. The target population was adult, family, and gerontological nurse practitioners who use the Internet. The first 34 respondents were the nonrandom convenience sample. A researcher-designed home page was placed on-line with the consent form and Modified Auburn Exercise Questionnaire attached. Participants selected responses to the items and submitted the consent form and questionnaire to the e-mail address of the researcher. The …

Testicular Self-Examination Among College-Aged Males, Angela Pruitt Durham

MSN Research Projects

Testicular cancer represents the most common cancer of men ages 15 to 35 years, with peak incidence occurring in men between the ages of 20 and 34 yrs. Many men in this age group have a knowledge deficit of testicular cancer and testicular self-examination (TSE), a method for early detection of testicular cancer. A descriptive survey study, using the Health Belief Model as a theoretical framework, was conducted to answer the following two research questions: What is the incidence of TSE in men attending a southeastern state university and what are the factors affecting the practice of TSE? One hundred …

Nurse Practitioners’ Developmental Screening And Referral Practices For Children With Developmental Delays, Terri Chisolm Smith

MSN Research Projects

Children with developmental delays benefit from participation in early intervention programs. Yet many children are not screened for developmental delays, and many children with developmental delays are not referred to early intervention programs. Families depend on their primary health care providers for the detection of developmental delays and information about services available for their children with developmental delays. The primary care nurse practitioner is in an ideal position to screen for delays, provide necessary referrals for services, and assist the families in maximizing their self- care potentials. Orem's self-care deficit theory of nursing served as the theoretical framework for the …

Determination Of The N-Terminal Amino Acid Residues On Polypeptides In Secondary Wastewaters, Edward L. Creecy

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

The N-terminal amino acid residues on polypeptides and proteins were determined in wastewaters prior to chlorination. The terminal amino groups'ere first derivatized with the well known derivatizing agent dansyl chloride, and then the resulting dansyl amino acid hydrolyzed from the peptide chain by a propionic acid/ hydrochloric acid mixture. The resulting dansyl amino acids were then separated and detected using reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The majority of N-terminal residues detected were the more polar amino acids. Concentrations ranged from 1 x 10^-10 to 3 x 10^-7 moles/liter. It is suggested that the shorter …

Analyzing The Effects Of Display Characteristics And Cognitive Variables On Performance Using Keystroke And Eye Movement Data, Orhan E. Beckman

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Information about how operators use their eyes while interacting with visual displays is often an overlooked aspect of human-computer interaction. Such information is fundamental to assessing the quality of software interfaces and understanding the cognitive processes that underlie operator behavior. Other research evaluating information displays evolved from using reaction time and subjective data as dependent variables to using oculometric measures. In the current research conventional performance measures are coupled with oculometric measures to evaluate the influence display characteristics and cognitive variables have on performance.

Twelve subjects used a software program to complete a series of specified tasks. Subjects were asked …

Expression, Isolation And Purification Of Human Zona Pellucida Protein 3, Ting-Fung Chi

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Mammalian fertilization involves interactions of sperm surface receptors with the ligands of the zona pellucida, an extracellular matrix surrounding the ovulated oocytes. In humans, the zona pellucida is composed of three major glycoproteins. One of them, ZP3, participates in the primary sperm binding and in the subsequent triggering of the spermatozoa's acrosome reaction. Studies on the role of this specific protein in the human fertilization process are hampered by the limited amount of available biologically functional proteins.

By use of a pcDNA 3.1(+) expression vector, a transfecting-vector was constructed containing a 1.3 kb histidine tagged hZP3 cDNA. This histidine tagged …

Characterization Of The Biological Functions Of Human Recombinant Zona Pellucida Protein 3, Yu Wen Juan

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Recombinant human zona pellucida protein 3 (rhZP3), expressed. isolated and purified from PA-1 cells, is characterized for its biological activity and the role in the signal transduction pathway. Characterization of the biological activity of rhZP3 was detected by hemizona assay and immunofluorescence staining of acrosome reaction The results indicated that rhZP3 exhibited an inhibition in the binding assay (HZI 43.6 +/-3.3; n = 9; 30 ng/mL rhZP3) and induction of acrosome reaction (198.6% +/- 77.2% increase from baseline; n = 29; 30 ng/mL rhZP3). It was further confirmed by the transmission electron microscopy that there was no difference in morphology …

Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (Lif): Murine Preimplantation Embryo Development, Implantation Rates, And Skeletal Development, Michael Hayes Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a pleiotropic cytokine which demonstrates perplexing physiological effects. It has been demonstrated that LIF is essential for implantation in mice. Little is known relating to the manner by which LIF effects pre-implantation and post-implantation development. The objectives of this project were to determine the effects LIF on pre-implantation development, to determine the effects that it may have on implantation rates, successful pregnancy rates, and resorption rates, and to determine the effects that LIF has on the skeletal development of mice. For the embryo transfer experiments, embryos were exposed to test compounds in the transfer medium …

Mouse Embryo Development In The Presence Of Capsaicin, Carlos Santiago Villar-Gosalvez

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Capsaicin is the pungent agent found in hot peppers of the Capsicum genus. It is a potent neurotoxin that stimulates the degranulation and degeneration of C-afferent neurons. Capsaicin is widely used as a food condiment and medicine. Human exposure of capsaicin can exceed levels shown to be neurotoxic in laboratory animals. Additionally, capsaicin can cross the blood/placenta barrier and affect an embryo in utero. In order to assay the potential for toxicity to human embryos, mouse embryos were exposed to capsaicin and the effect of the capsaicin on embryo development was measured. Embryos were co-cultured in Krebs medium with 1% …

Efficacy Of AllowashTm Solution In Solubilization Of Bone Marrow, Alyce Marie Linthurst

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

LifeNet currently cleans allograft bone utilizing Allowash^TM Technology, which encompasses the use of a closed continuous circulation chamber to remove bone marrow by flushing it with Allowash^TM Solution for a prescribed time and temperature after which, it is rinsed with various solutions to remove residual detergent that could be toxic to the recipient. A portion of this process employs Allowash^TM Solution to improve the solubilization and removal of protein and cellular elements in the red bone marrow. This study examines the effectiveness of Allowash^TM Solution in comparison to its component detergents Nonidet P40, Nonoxynol 9 and …

Oral Health Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behaviors Of Qatari People, Najat Abdrabbo J. Saleh Al-Salahi

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine the oral health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of Qatari people. The convenience sample consisted of 859 Qatari people between the ages of 18-72 from Hamad Medical Corporation Dental Department,

Public Dental Health Care Centres, University of Qatar, Police and Army Departments, governmental schools, a private dental clinic, and citizens. Participants were asked to complete a self-designed questionnaire titled Oral Health Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors of

Qatari People. Prior to the study, 20 Arab college students responded to the questionnaire in a test-retest procedure to establish instrument reliability. The content validity of …

Development Of Fluorescent Techniques In The Kinetic Characterization Of Reverse Transcriptase, Kevin Kevin Howerton

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Reverse transcriptase (RT) is an RNA-directed DNA polymerase isolated from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other retroviruses. It has been the primary target for anti-HIV research since the discovery of its vital role in the retroviral life-cycle. The conventional method for carrying out kinetic characterization and inhibition studies of reverse transcriptase involves the use of radioactive materials. Although this method is effective, it is both time consuming, due to a necessary repeated washing step, and hazardous to the worker and environment. Furthermore, strict laws limit the use of radioactive materials to licensed workers and laboratories. In response to these concerns, …

Risk Management In Youth Athletics, Scot P. Hartwell

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

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The Relationship Of Self-Esteem, Learned Resourcefulness And Social Support To Health-Related Quality Of Life In Long-Term Cancer Survivors, Leli W. Pedro Dnsc, Ms, Rnc, Ocn

Dissertations

Increased survival and advances in oncology research demand that health professionals attend to the gap in knowledge regarding health-related quality of life (HRQL) variables associated with the unique sequelae of cancer in the long-term (LT) cancer survivor. Research in this area may direct the development of effective interventions to increase the HRQL of LT cancer survivors. The study's purpose was to describe the relationships between self-esteem, learned resourcefulness, and social support to HRQL as well as their predictive value to HRQL for LT cancer survivors. A quantitative, descriptive, correlational, and noninterventional design was used to describe the relationship of self-esteem, …

Measurement Of Hospital Performance: Environmental And Organizational Factors Associated With Cost, Debra Kay Dierksmeier Anderson

Health Services Research Dissertations

As U.S. health care expenditures top the $1 trillion mark, there is increased interest in measuring the performance of health care providers. For bottom line oriented payors such as government and business, the focus is on measuring cost. As hospitals account for over one-third of health care expenses, hospital cost per admission is a common measure of performance.

Many environmental and organizational factors come into play in determining hospital cost per admission. This research examines several of these factors, using Raymond Zammuto's model of organizational effectiveness assessment. Using Zammuto's framework, this research looks at the relationship of social, physical, and …

Speech Parameters Affects On Social Acceptability Ratings Of Adolescents With Repaired Cleft Lip And/Or Palate, Sarah Telkins Hoff

Dissertations and Theses

The current study explored speech social acceptability ratings of adolescents with and without orofacial clefts. The study utilized speech samples previously collected on 80 adolescents, 40 cleft and 40 noncleft, dubbed on to a stimulus tape in a random order. From an earlier study the following were available: (a) adolescent (cleft and noncleft) self-ratings of speech social acceptability, (b) objective ratings of the adolescents' speech social acceptability provided by a listener panel with no background in speech-language pathology. New data were collected by recruiting a new listener panel of 10 graduate students with training in speech-language pathology, utilizing a 7-point …

The Effects Of Reminiscence Therapy On The Elderly Client's Satisfaction With Nursing Care, Nancy Strong

Masters Theses

This study tested if reminiscence therapy would improve client satisfaction with nursing care. An experimental post test only design was used on 39 clients in a moderate sized home care agency in the Midwest. Ages ranged from 65 to 98. A single, one-on-one reminiscence session was done with 22 subjects in their homes after a routine nursing visit. The control group subjects did not receive the reminiscence intervention. The groups were homogeneous except for the number of hospitalizations experienced in the past year. The control group had a significantly higher number.

The Forbes Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire, modified for the home …

The Relationship Of Hardiness And Perceived Social Support To Nurses' Appraisals Of Stress, Susan A. Groesser

Masters Theses

Lazarus' Stress and Coping Theory was used to examine the relationship between hardiness, social support, and nurses’ appraisal of stress as a threat or challenge. This descriptive correlational design used a convenience sample of 40 registered nurses on orientation at a large West Michigan hospital.

Hardiness and social support were dichotomized by splitting them at the median. The proportion of the sample viewing orientation as a challenge versus threat was not significantly different regardless of their hardiness or social support status. The results were limited by lack of variation in stress appraisal (77% challenge) and hardiness levels, sample size, and …

Developmental Expression Of Rat Target Of The Antiproliferative Antibody (Rtapa) Protein In The Brain, Clyde Dale Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The present study defines the expression pattern of rTAPA (CD81) in the developing rat brain. rTAPA is a member of the tetramembrane spanning family of proteins, and like other members of this family, appears to be associated with the stabilization of cellular contacts. On immunoblots of the brain, rTAPA is present in higher levels than any other tissue examined: muscle, tendon, peripheral nerve, cartilage, liver, kidney, skin, and testicle. Immunohistochemical methods were used to define the distribution of rTAPA in the brain. This protein is expressed by ependyma, choroid plexus, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, and rTAPA is dramatically upregulated at the …

Disruption Of The Discriminative Stimulus Effects Of (+)-3, 4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (Mdma) By (± )-Mdma Neurotoxicity: Protection By Fluoxetine, Thomas B. Virden Iii

Dissertations

It is well established that repeated, high doses of 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) result in the long-term depletion of serotonin levels and destruction of serotonergic terminals in various locations in the brains of a variety of species. Further, it is also well known that concomitant injections of the serotonin reuptake inhibitor, fluoxetine, prevents this deterioration. It has recently been noted that such MDMA neurotoxicity disrupts stimulus control in rats trained to discriminate MDMA from saline in a drug discrimination procedure (Schechter, 1991a).

In order to extend Schechter's findings to the optical isomers of MDMA and to explore the potential of fluoxetine …

The Relation Of Weight Loss And Improved Fitness To Survival In Healthy Males, Joanna Lynn Bokovoy

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Obesity is a critical public health problem because of its prevalence, medical and psychosocial effects, and resistance to intervention. Weight loss in overweight individuals has been encouraged by the United States Public Health Service and by the medical community as a means for improving health. However, recent studies have suggested either positive or negative effects of weight loss on survival. It is possible that physical fitness may have a confounding effect, or be an effect modifier on survival in weight loss studies.

This study used Cox Regression analysis to address the separate and combined association of weight loss and improved …

Prediction Of Discharge Destination From Initial Physical Therapy Assessment Using The Physical Assessment Key (Pak), Wendy L. Chung, Kimberly A. Vieten

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if a patient’s discharge destination could be predicted by information available upon the physical therapy initial evaluation using the Physical Assessment Key (PAK). There were 141 subjects (58 male, 83 female) included in this study and their ages ranged from 19 to 89 years (mean age=57.1 years). Each subject was given a PAK score on the day of the initial physical therapy evaluation and on the day of discharge from the hospital. The PAK evaluates a patient in the areas of transfer activities, self-care activities, locomotion and excretion management. A patient was …