Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Early Osteoclast Responses To A Calcium Supplemented Meal In Calcium Deficient Rats, Eugene E. Joseph

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Osteoclasts are large, irregularly-shaped, multinucleated cells. They are the primary cells responsible for the mobilization of calcium from bone (bone resorption). It is a well known fact that bone diseases (i.e. osteoporosis and osteopetrosis) occur as a result of unbalanced cellular activity. The implicated bone cells include osteoblasts (bone forming cells) and osteoclasts. The earlier one can detect abnormal bone cell function, the more efficient will be the diagnosis and treatment of diseased bone tissue.

Numerous studies have been done on osteoclast morphology and function in vitro (Kallio, et al., 1972; Chambers and Magnus, 1982; Warshafsky, et al., 1985). On …

The Development And Application Of A Multiple Regression Equation That Predicts The Sum Of Triceps And Subscapular Skinfolds In Children Ages 10-18, Pamela Luna-Raffy

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to develop a tool to predict the sum of triceps and subscapular skinfolds in children ages 10-18. In addition, school-based weight management programs were reviewed.

Skinfold calipers are often used to assess body fat percentage, particularly in non-clinical settings, test sites recommended by researchers are the triceps and The subscapular skinfolds. Recently, however, educators have reported two concerns about using skinfold calipers in the schools: (1) Specialized training and equipment are required, and (2) individuals must remove their clothing from selected test sites.

For schools where the use of calipers present problems, it seemed …

Decreased Triiodothyronine Binding To The Hepatic Nuclear Thyroid Hormone Receptor In The Diabetic Mouse, Thomas J. Dewind

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The diabetic C57BL/KsJ-db m mouse has abnormal thyroid hormone levels and indications of thyroid hormone resistance. To investigate the basis of these abnormalities, the hepatic nuclear thyroid hormone receptor was extracted with 0.4 M KCl, 1.1 mM MgCl₂, 20 mM Tris/HCl, pH 7.9 from hepatocyte nuclei of normal C57BL/KsJ, heterozygous C57BL/KsJ-db m (db/m), and diabetic C57BL/KsJ-db m (db/db) mice. Normal and heterozygous mice were grouped together as the controls. Triiodothyronine (T₃) binding studies at 4°C using nitrocellulose filtration to separate free T₃ from receptor bound T₃ demonstrated an …

Determination Of Antibody Levels In Periapical Lesions Against Sixteen Oral Microorganisms By The Elisa Technique, Sammee Lee Jones

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The root canal system, which includes the periapical region of the tooth, may become infected by several types of microorganisms which are normally associated with these tissues. A bacteria-specific antibody response may occur at the local level, where various classes of immunoglobulins have been found and reported in the literature. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively measure locally produced immunoglobulin' levels in periapical lesion abscess materials and to determine the specific reactivity of these antibodies to several microorganisms which are normal flora, as well as being previously associated with the development and pathogenesis of endodontic infections. Periapical lesions …

Immunologic Mechanisms Involved With Human Endodontic Lesions, Sunita V. Prabhu

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Endodontic or root canal infection results in immunologic changes in periapical region, which causes the destruction of pulpal and periapical tissue. No definitive study has identified a specific organism or a group of organisms as a etiological agents. Past studies have indicated that immunoglobulin E play a significant role in the pathogenesis of periapical lesions. The presence of this factor suggests that some of the endodontic flare-ups may be IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions. Antibody levels of IgA have been quantitatively measured by ELISA and IgE by modified RAST assay, against eleven oral bacteria which are routinely isolated from such lesions. The …

Treatment Of Periodontal Furcation Defects, Michael Martin, Bernard Gantes

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

[Note: Three parts in one.]

I. Review of the Literature and Description of a Regeneration Surgical Technique

This report provides an abbreviated review of the literature on treatment and prognosis of periodontal furcation lesions. In addition, it describes a surgical technique designed to accomplish bone regeneration in class II furcation defects, together with the rationale for the development of this procedure. Results of treatment of 30 defects with this technique are presented in a subsequent report (Gantes et al. 1987).

II. Bone Regeneration in Mandibular Class II Defects

A total of 30 mandibular, buccal class II furcation defects were treated …

Effects Of Corticosteroids And Of Cyclosporin A On Trypanosoma Musculi In Mice And In Culture, Philip Stephen Schuyler

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The in vivo and in vitro effects of cyclosporin A and corticosteroids on Trypanosoma musculi were examined. Mice that received continuous administration of 6 mg/liter/day of dexamethasone in drinking water and 200 mg/kg hydrocortisone acetate as a single dose 24 hrs prior to injection with T. musculi had significantly higher and longer parasitemias, than controls. Body and spleen weights and B cell responsiveness were lower in test animals and there were some deaths. Mice injected with T. musculi that received 100 mg/kg/day cyclosporin A had longer, but not higher, parasitemias than controls. Corticosteroids appear to partially inactive antibody production (i.e. …

The Effects Of Subcondylar Fracture On Mandibular Symmetry, Crystal Gregory-Anderson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A sample of thirteen patients who had sustained subcondylar fractures were evaluated for mandibular asymmetry. They were compared with a set of age and sex matched control patients with no history of fracture. The comparison was done cephalometrically by analysis of posterior-anterior radiographs. The purpose of the study was to determine if there was an increase in mandibular asymmetry in the subcondylar fracture patients over the control patients and to determine the location of the change.

On each radiograph 53 measurements were taken; of these there were 17 sets of bilateral measurements. Each set of bilateral measurements was analyzed in …

The Fracture Strength Of Ceramic Brackets : A Comparative Study, Daniel A. Flores

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of different surface conditions and different ligation methods on the fracture strength of ceramic brackets and the yield strength of metal brackets.

Ceramic brackets followed the Griffith model, which was used to interpret their fracture strength with respect to their surface condition. With surface damage (scratching), their fracture strength decreased, while metal brackets experienced work hardening and an increased yield strength. Undamaged single-crystal brackets had a higher fracture strength than undamaged polycrystalline brackets, but after scratching, their strength decreased to value near to that of polycrystalline brackets. The fracture strength …

The Effects Of Spouse-Based Cognitive-Behavior Therapy On The Treatment Of Agoraphobia, Joan Woods

Dissertations

The purpose of this clinical research was to determine whether spouse-supported treatment of agoraphobia would result in greater improvement on measures of exposure and avoidance than would individual treatment or no treatment. It was hypothesized that Couples Treatment subjects would demonstrate a significantly greater change from pretest to posttest than would Individual Treatment subjects or No-Treatment Control subjects. The study further predicted that significant improvements would be demonstrated for both treated groups on the same outcome measures, pretest to posttest and from pretest to follow-up.

Total N was 10 subjects, all were agoraphobic, married, and female, with 4 in Couples …

Relationship Of Quality Circles In Nursing To Leadership, Job Satisfaction, Patient Care, And Cost Containment, Shirley A. Weiglein

Dissertations

The use of quality circles in nursing has been widely espoused in nursing literature as a concept that enhances participatory leadership, promotes job satisfaction, improves the quality of patient care and contributes to cost containment. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between the use of quality circles in nursing units and leadership, job satisfaction, the quality of patient care and cost containment.

Quality circle and non-quality circle units in two midwest hospitals were used for data collection. Staff nurses only were asked to complete the survey. A total of 126 of the possible 295 staff nurses in the …

Communication And Socialization Profiles In Toddlers With Expressive Language Delay, Shawn Spangle-Looney

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare expressive communication, receptive communication, and socialization achievement in 18- to 34-month-old ELD toddlers to the same skills in normally-speaking children. The questions this study sought to answer were, how do the three skill areas in ELD toddlers compare with the same skills in normal toddlers?, will ELD subjects evidence specific profiles of deficits involving not only expressive but receptive and social skills as well? and, within the ELD subjects will two subgroups emerge, one group having poor expressive skills only, and a second group having deficits in addition to expression.

Determination Of Homology Between The Arsenic Resistance Plasmids R45 And R773 In Escherichia Coli, Joshua T. Clark

Dissertations and Theses

The resistance transfer factor R45 from Escherichia coli confers inducible arsenate and arsenite resistance in that bacterium. The genes for these resistances were cloned into the EcoR1 - Sph1 multiple cloning site of PGEM3 Blue vector (Promega) to produce a 4.9 kilobase plasmid, pJC1. This recombinant plasmid, pJC1, conferred IPTG induced resistance to arsenite and arsenate. In addition, pJCl was tested for homology with the E. coli plasmid R773, which encodes for arsenic resistance in that bacterium as well.

Through DNA-DNA hybridization the arsenic resistance determinants of R45 and R773 were compared. Under stringent hybridization conditions, R45 demonstrated DNA sequence …

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Of Oromandibular Limb Hypogenesis Syndrome (Olhs) : Type 1a Congenital Hypoglossia With Micrognathia, Edmond H. Henken

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

An eighteen-year old female with Oromandibular Limb Hypogenesis Syndrome Type 1A was imaged with Magnetic Resonance in the sagittal, coronal, and transverse planes with the jaws closed. The intrinsic muscles of the tongue, genioglossus, geniohyoid, mylohyoid, medial and lateral pterygoid muscles were identified and compared with a control of the same age and sex. All the muscles in question were present. Combined with the intrinsic muscles of the tongue, the genioglossus were approximately one-half the size of the control in the sagittal plane. The geniohyoid of the OLHS subject was enlarged most probably due to the hyperactivity of the floor …

Nonsense Mutations In The Human Beta Globin Gene Affect Mrna Metabolism, Susan J. Baserga

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

A common mutation causing thalassemia in Mediterranean populations is an amber (UAG) nonsense mutation at the 39th codon of the human β globin gene, the β-39 mutation. Studies of mRNA metabolism in reticulocytes from patients with β-39 thalassemia and studies using heterologous transfection systems have suggested the possibility that this mutation affects not only protein synthesis but also alters mRNA metabolism. This phenomenon has been investigated further by two approaches. A careful series of RNA expression studies were performed comparing expression of β-39 to β-normal (β-nl). These experiments led to the conclusion that the defect in expression of the β-39 …

Interferon Action: A. Studies Of The Effect Of Interferons On Sv40 Replication. B. Studies Of The 2'-5' A System, Mariano Agustín García-Blanco

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

This thesis is divided into two parts: the first deals with studies that focus on the effect of interferons on the expression of foreign genetic material. The second part deals with the interferon-regulated (2'5')oligoadenylate system. This system is most probably an effector arm of the anti-viral anti-mitogenic actions of interferons.I show here that interferons inhibit the expression of both early SV40 RNA and SV40 Tag, and SV40 DNA replication in SV40 infected cells. Interferons selectively inhibit the expression of the Tag encoded by superinfecting SV40 virions in SV40-transformed cells superinfected with SV40. The effect of interferon was seen when cells …

Identification, Characterization, And Purification Of A 65,000 Dalton Protein In Rat Brain That Is Photolabeled By Nitro-Containing Benzodiazepines, Allen Clarke Bowling

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Benzodiazepines bind to two well-characterized classes of nanomolar-affinity binding sites, the central and the peripheral types. Although these sites appear to mediate many of the effects of these compounds, they cannot account for all of the biochemical and physiologic effects of the benzodiazepines. In this investigation, a protein that is photolabeled by NO2-containing benzodiazepines was identified and characterized in rat brain by performing photaffinity labeling experiments with [3H] -clonazepam and [3H] -flunitrazepam. These experiments demonstrate that this photolabeled protein has a molecular weight of 65,000 daltons. Photolabeling of the protein was saturable, inhibited in a stereoselective manner by benzodiazepine enantiomers, …

The Role Of Homeostatic Imbalance In The Reported Immunomodulation Of T-2 Toxin, Michael Jay Taylor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

T-2 toxin (T-2), produced by the genus Fusarium, is a cytotoxic trichothecene mycotoxin, a feed contaminant, and has been shown to be immunomodulatory. It is suspected that T-2-associated immunomodulation is mediated partly through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The presence of endotoxin, a bacterial product capable of activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis as well as the levels of several hormones, also associated with activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, were determined in both vehicle- and toxin-treated animals. Endotoxemia was evident twenty-four hours after a single oral exposure to T-2. Blood levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone, parameters of the stress response, also increased …

Relationship Of Self-Care Behaviors And Selected Demographic Variables Of Pregnant Women, Eva Mcguff Wheeless

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this descriptive study was to compare self-care behaviors which influence the risk for urinary tract infection in pregnant women of lower and other socioeconomic groups . The Survey of Personal Habits and Behaviors in Pregnant Women (1988) was administered to 57 subjects; however, one survey form was incomplete and was discarded from the data analysis. Data collected included positive and negative self-care behaviors, age, race, marital status, educational level, gestation, prenatal history, and employment. Ages of subjects ranged from 16 to 36 years, and stages of pregnancy ranged from 8 to 39 weeks gestation. All subjects were …

Development And Testing Of The Stress Adaptation Scale For Parents With Chronically Ill Children (Sasp), Carolyn M. Rutledge

Ellmer School of Nursing Theses & Dissertations

This research study consisted of four phases used to develop and test the Stress Adaptation Scale for Parents with Chronically Ill Children (ASP). The first phase dealt with developing the items on the SASP from a review of the literature and the researcher's professional experience. The SASP was then divided into the six categories of health care, social, personal, familial, financial, and spiritual. In phase II, content validity was evaluated by a panel of experts. In phase III, stability over time and face validity was demonstrated using 26 parents of chronically ill children. The SASP achieved a Pearson's r=.85 with …

The Influence Of Nursing Experience And Education On Nurses Inferences Of Patients' Suffering, Patricia A. Coots

Ellmer School of Nursing Theses & Dissertations

A primary dimension of nursing is caring tor patients who suffer. This study examined the inferences made about patients' suffering oy 65 registered nurses employed in acute care health facilities. Utilizing The standard Measure of Inferences of Suffering Questionnaire. the purpose of the study was to explore the influence of nursing education and experience on the degree of pain and psychological distress inferred by the nurses. Analysis of Covariance was used to test for group differences on the basis of nursing education when number of months of nursing experience was controlled. Although nursing education did not influence nurses' inferences of …

An Evaluation Of Injury Incidence And Typology In Industry, Shirlee Ann Brooks

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

In a retrospective study, 84 subjects treated for industrial injuries at one urgent care center during one calendar year were analyzed. The parameters evaluated were type of industry engaged in, type of injury sustained, and body part affected by the injury. All subjects were categorized within these parameters. Statistical analysis was performed by frequency distribution and Chi Square. Results obtained showed a statistically significant difference in distribution of various types of injuries that affected different body parts. It also revealed a significant difference in the distribution of types of injuries incurred by workers in different types of industry. It failed, …

Electromagnetic Field Variations In The Activation Of Bone Cell Synthesis, Gary Ketcherside

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

[Abstract Not Included]

Alteration Of The Adenylate Cyclase System In Specific Regions Of Brain Infected With Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Susan Valley

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Creutzfeldt-Jakob (CJD) disease is an infectious, progressive neurological disorder which results in human dementia. Synaptic membranes from various brain regions of guinea pigs and hamsters infected with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease show increased guanyl nucleotide mediated activation of adenylate cyclase which appears to be due to a greater coupling of stimulatory subunits (Ns) and not to a decreased coupling of inhibitory subunits (Ni) or to a change in the catalytic subunit of adenylate cyclase. In addition to the increase in Ns coupling, CJD infected membranes appear to be more fluidized than normal membranes especially in the cerebral cortex. Experiments with selected neurotransmitters …

The Effects Of Group Incentive Plans On Individual Performance, Karen Geralyn Stoneman

Masters Theses

A simulated work environment was utilized to study the effects of group incentive plans on individual performance on an assembly task. The subjects in the study were college students who worked in groups of a small size, a medium size, or a large size. A reversal design was utilized in which the first condition was an individual incentive condition, the second was a group incentive condition, and the final was the return to an individual incentive condition.

The results showed: (a) individual performance did not significantly change when individuals were switched from an individual to a group incentive plan; (b) …

The Use Of A Behavioral Checklist To Delimit And Define The Premenstrual Syndrome, R. Hope Kerr

Masters Theses

For the premenstrual syndrome (PMS), there is no consensus as to specific symptoms comprising the syndrome or their temporal relationship to the menstrual cycle. The purpose of this study was to delimit and define PMS by comparing contemporaneous, behavioral data collected by 3 groups of subjects.

Based on the results of this study, PMS is suspected of being a misnomer for frequently random symptoms which may or may not be menstrually-related. "Syndrome" is misleading since there is no group of symptoms specific to one group of women. "Pre-" and "menstrual" are also misleading because the symptoms do not occur consistently …

Eliminating Resistive Behavior During Physical Therapy Using A Behavior Modification Procedure, Marcia Erhardt Roback

Masters Theses

The clinical utility of a behavior modification procedure, Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior, to reduce resistive behavior during physical therapy was investigated using a sample of four severely physically and developmentally disabled females. A multiple baseline design across subjects was employed to assess the effects of positively reinforcing behaviors other than the resistive or inappropriate behaviors during the therapy sessions. The procedure employed produced a dramatic decrease in the inappropriate behavior of two subjects, a moderate decrease in the behavior of one subject, and a minimal decrease in the fourth. The observational system generated extremely reliable data as indicated by …

A Systematic Approach To Staff Management And Systems Evaluation In An Inpatient Psychiatric Setting: The First Step Toward Reform Through Accountability, Helen Diann Pratt

Dissertations

The current study had two major objectives: (1) to evaluate the impact of a staff management package consisting of training, prompts, task assignments, and oral and graphic feedback, and (2) to assess the effects of prescribed staff interventions on the inappropriate behaviors of three psychiatric inpatients. Accomplishing these two objectives produced an objective data base for the detailed evaluation of patient behaviors. Study I was designed to get staff members to record patient behaviors, to use contingent and consistent interventions, and to record those interventions. Results yielded high staff performance without tangible incentives. Staff members were able to consistently, reliably …

A Biomechanical Analysis Of The Effect Wear Patterns Of Running Shoes Have On Kinematic Variables Of The Lower Extremities, Audrey E. Randall

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between wear patterns of running shoes and selected kinematic variables of the lower extremities. Statistical analyses were completed by using a case study design for two male subjects. Subjects were filmed for ten strides on six different sessions over a three-month period. A two-way ANOVA design, with repeated measures, evaluated the dependent variables: (a) footstrike, (b) midstance and (c) toeoff phases. The degree of change was determined by digitizing ten points on the body. A University of California, Los Angeles, BMDP2V statistical package was used to determine differences between means. …

The Effects Of A Wilderness/Adventure Program On The Self-Concept, Locus Of Control Orientation, And Interpersonal Behavior Of Delinquent Adolescents, Timothy J. Zwart

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 26-day therapeutic wilderness program for delinquent adolescent males on three conceptually distinct but closely related constructs: self-concept, locus of control orientation, and interpersonal behavior. Justification for the study was derived from the limitations of past wilderness/adventure research which suggested that there was a need for additional research on the effects of this type of alternative program for delinquent adolescents.

It was hypothesized that following participation in this program the youths would exhibit increased self-concept, more internal locus of control orientation, would express higher needs for inclusion and affection …