Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Perceived Job Stress In Critical Care Nursing In A Military Setting, Jeannette Theriault

Ellmer School of Nursing Theses & Dissertations

The purposes of this study. were: to explore job-related perceptions of stress in a group of military critical care nurses; and to determine if differences in anxiety and stress levels existed between nurses working in coronary care (CCCU) and medical/surgical intensive care (ICU) settings using the State/Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Questionnaire of Stressful Factors in Intensive Care. A free response question and a force-response checklist were also used to identify and rank work-related stressors. The sample of Navy nurses (n=105) consisted of 39 CCU nurses, 62 medical/surgical ICU nurses and 4 critical care supervisors. The results of the mailed …

The Relationship Of Humor, Life Satisfaction, And Age, Doris Sanford

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among humor, life satisfaction and a g e . Three null hypotheses were tested using Pearson's Product Moment Coefficient at the .05 level of significance: I. There is no significant correlation between humor and life satisfaction. II. There is no significant correlation between age and humor. III. There is no significant correlation between age and life satisfaction. Data were collected from 28 subjects using the I PAT Humor Test, Form A, and the Life S atisfaction Index A. Subjects ranged in age from 23 to 71 years of age with …

The Effects Of Reminiscence Therapy On Social Interactions Of Institutionalized Elders, Lori A. Cooley

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine the effects of reminiscence therapy on social interaction in a group of institutionalized elders. The researcher hypothesized that there would be no significant differences over time in social interactions as institutionalized elders participated in a reminiscence group. The sample was comprised of three elderly females in a nursing home in North Mississippi. The subjects were observed for behaviors indicating interaction during eight sessions. These sessions were conducted for 3 weeks and each one lasted approximately one hour. A trained observer recorded observations using the Social Interaction Tool. The data were submitted …

A Comparison Of The Expressive Speech Of Profoundly Hearing-Impaired Children : "Hearing Aids On" Versus "Hearing Aids Off", James Allen Henry

Dissertations and Theses

This investigation was conducted to determine whether the removal of hearing aids from these children for eighteen hours (+ 1/2 hour and including sleep time) would result in reduced speech intelligibility as perceived by a panel of listening judges who were unfamiliar with the speech of the deaf.

The Effect Of Exercise On Joint Mobility And Perceived Pain Of The Hand In The Elderly With Arthritis, Jane Hulett

MSN Research Projects

This was a quasi-experimental study designed to compare the amount of pain perceived and degree of joint mobility in elderly arthritics who participated in a water exercise program and elderly arthritics who participated in a land exercise program. The hypotheses tested in this study were: 1. There will be no significant difference in pain experienced by elderly arthritics who participate in land exercises and elderly arthritics who participate in water exercises. 2. There will be no significant difference in joint mobility of elderly arthritics who participate in land exercises and elderly arthritics who participate in water exercises. Twenty-three subjects participated …

Psychologists' Volunteering: Attitudes, Beliefs, And Behaviors Toward Psychotherapy Research, James Perry Howell

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Psychologists' volunteering behavior and attitudes toward psychotherapy research were studied using a mail survey. A random sample of 248 male and 248 female doctoral-level members of Division 29 (Psychotherapy) of the American Psychological Association served as subjects. The cover letter requesting their participation in this study contained the systematic manipulation of variables believed to affect volunteering behavior: recruiter gender, normative nature of volunteering for the study, and perceived social importance of the study. The therapist variables of gender, age, and years of experience were also studied in order to determine if volunteerism might result in biased sampling across these variables. …

Reactions Of Organic N-Chloramines In The Gastric Fluid Of The Rat, Kathryn E. Mazina

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Using chlorine as a drinking water disinfectant may have potential health effects due to its reactivity with organic amino nitrogen compounds found in the stomach. Organic N-chloramines have been shown to form in the stomachs of laboratory rats. The possible reactions of N-chloramines in the stomach fluid were examined in this study using a model radiolabeled N-chloramine. ³⁶Cl-N-Chloropiperidine, was synthesized and purified to remove ³⁶Cl-chloride. Stomach fluid was obtained from Sprague-Dawley rats which had been first fasted for 24 or 48 hours and then administered 3 mL of deionized water. Different concentrations of radiolabeled chloramine were reacted with …

Implications Of A Family Systems Orientation For Preventing Psychiatric Hospitalization, James Howard Bullock

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study evaluated the implications of a family systems approach for preventing psychiatric hospitalization by comparing the behavior of field clinicians who professed a systems view versus clinicians who held more traditional nonsystems views. The focus of the investigation was the clinical assessments and decisions of 31 clinicians who worked at five Virginia public mental health centers as they prescreened (i.e., evaluated need for inpatient treatment) 171 candidates for hospitalization. Q-technique was employed to determine theoretical orientation.

It was hypothesized that clinicians who held a systems view would be more likely than nonsystems therapists to evaluate and attempt to …

The Relationship Of Age To Knowledge About Diabetes, Veonnie Harper

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this research study was to correlate k n owledge about diabetes to age. From a population of former clients of the diabetic unit at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, a sample of 21 individuals w e r e g i v e n the Assessment of Educational Needs of the Diabetic Patient Questionnaire. Age of subjects ranged from 25 to 83 years with a mean of 51.5 years. There were 13 (62%) males and 8 (38%) females. Educational levels varied from 5 to 16 years with a mean of 10 years. There were 14 (67%) blacks …

The Effects Of Touch On Depression In Elderly Nursing Home Residents, Charlotte R. Taylor

MSN Research Projects

This was a quasi-experimental study designed to determine the effects of touch on depression in elderly nursing home residents. The null hypothesis stated there would be no significant difference at the .05 level of significance between depressed elders who participated in touch therapy and elders who did not participate in touch therapy. Data were collected from 10 elders, age 65 or older, who were residents of two nursing homes in Northeast Mississippi. All subjects were administered the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) as a pretest/posttest. These scores were then compared using the ^ test at the .05 level of significance. The …

The Effect Of Plush Animals On Depression In Elderly Nursing Home Residents, William J. Bergin

MSN Research Projects

A quasi-experimental study was used to study the effect of plush animals on depression in elderly nursing home residents. The researcher hypothesized that there would be no significant difference between depression prior to and following plush animal therapy. Data were collected preand p o s t - p l u s h animal therapy using the Beck Depression Inventory. There were four subjects who each selected a plush animal, kept it with them for 5 weeks, and were then retested using the Beck Depression Inventory. The results of the ^ test led the researcher to reject the null hypothesis. Plush …

Profile Of Nurse Entrepreneurs: A Descriptive Study, Saundra L. Wheeler

MSN Research Projects

The first purpose of this descriptive study was to determine if there were nurses who scored high enough on an e n t r e p r e n e u r ’s quiz to be considered possessing entrepreneurial characteristics. The second purpose was to determine if there were any correlations between the demographic data of age, sex, area of practice, educational level, length of nursing experience, site of practice, part-time work, extracurricular professional activity, marital status, number of children, ages of children, and the entrepreneurial score. Sixty-five registered nurses who practice in the West Alabama area completed a questionnaire …

The Effects Of A Game Simulation Program About Aging On The Attitudes Of Nursing Home Personnel, Renate Eaton

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine the effects of game simulation on nursing home personnel's attitudes toward the elderly. Data were collected using the Elderly Person's Questionnaire pre- and post-game simulation. The hypothesis stated there would be no significant difference in the attitudes toward elders of nursing home personnel who participated in a game simulation program and nursing home personnel who did not participate in the program. Subjects were 10 nursing personnel employed in a nursing home in North Mississippi. Five of these 10 were in an experimental group and participated in game simulation and 5 were …

The Differences In The Coping Strategies Of Male And Female Spouses Of Alzheimer Victims, Shelah M. Teeters

MSN Research Projects

This study was descriptive in nature, designed to identify differences in coping strategies of spouses of Alzheimer patients who are cared for at home . Data were collected using the Chronicity Impact and Coping Instrument: Spouse Questionnaire. The sample consisted of 14 subjects (3 males and 11 females) who met the criteria for the study. Subjects ranged in age from 60 to 86 years with an average age of 68.9 years. One Black and 13 Caucasians participated. To test the hypothesis, data were analyzed using percentiles. Eight coping strategies were found to be used "More often" by the participants. Males …

Modification Of Aggressive Behavior In An Adolescent Through The Use Of Imagery Therapy, Julie Jackson Underriner

Graduate Theses

This case study explored the effects of using 12 sessions of Guided Affective Imagery (GAI) as advocated by Leuner to diminish aggressive behavior. The subject for the study was a thirteen-year-old female who resides in a group home facility. Overt behavior change was analyzed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and' the Direct Observation Form (DOF) in a pretreatment, posttreatment, and delayed posttreatment design. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the CBCL revealed no significant change in the subject’s aggressive behaviors. However, the DOF revealed a decrease in the subject’s problem behaviors on three other rating scales and an …

The Effects Of Activity Group Structure On Cohesion, Engagement, And Affective Meanings In Acute-Care Psychiatric Patients, Hope L. Brucki

Masters Theses

Through activity analysis, occupational therapists identify various components of group structure and group processes for use in therapeutic activities. This study compared the effects of individual activity group structure (members engage in individual projects) and common activity group structure (members share a common project) in a sample of 38 acute-care psychiatric patients. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of eight theme-oriented poster-making groups, four for each experimental condition. Cohesion among group members was measured by the Group Environment Scale (GES), engagement was assessed by the Group Climate Questionnaire-Short Form (GCQ-S), and affective meanings were evaluated by Osgood's short-form semantic differential …

Effects Of Assertiveness Training And Cue Controlled Relaxation Training On Cardiovascular Reactivity To Social Stressors, Bernardine M. Pinto

Masters Theses

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of two interventions (assertiveness training and cue controlled relaxation training) on cardiovascular reactivity to role play simulations of social stressors. For this purpose, a single subject multiple-baseline experimental design was employed. Four subjects (three female and one male) received assertiveness training (which focused on behavioral components of assertiveness) and cue controlled relaxation training. Following assertiveness training, subjects responded assertively to the role plays but their blood pressure reactivity was not reduced. Cue controlled relaxation appeared to reduce blood pressure reactivity to a limited extent. Factors associated with the effects of …

The Effects Of Rational Emotive Education On The Rationality, Neuroticism And Defense Mechanisms Of Adolescents, Daniel John Kachman

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of Rational Emotive Education (REE) as a mental health prevention program for adolescents. The subjects included 109 eleventh and twelfth grade students who were enrolled in four introductory psychology courses. A nonequivalent control group design was used with experimental subjects receiving 12 biweekly sessions of REE. Subjects were pre and posttested on three measures of psychosocial adaptation: the Rational Behavior Inventory (RBI), the Defense Mechanism Inventory (DMI), and the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI). The effects of REE upon behavior were also examined by comparing academic effort grades, number of detentions …

The Mexican American Elderly And Barriers To The Utilization Of Health Care Services, Kathleen Anne Hoekstra

Masters Theses

The utilization of health care services by the Mexican American elderly is low compared to the severity of their health problems. This thesis examines the sociocultural factors which affect the interaction of the Mexican American elderly and mainstream health professionals. Included is a brief history detailing discriminatory practices, a description of traditional Mexican cultural practices and attitudes, and an exploration of the cultural barriers which limit access to health care.

A Non-Human Primate Model For Studying Corticotomy-Facilitated Orthodontic Tooth Movement, R. David Rynearson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that a corticotomised tooth moves as a tooth-bone unit when under orthodontic force. A non-human primate model was designed to test the hypothesis. The non-human primate selected was Macaca fasicularis. Three adult males with erupted third molars were chosen so that extrapolation could be made to the adult human. The methods employed included the following: 1) Each animal had one treatment quadrant and one control quadrant per arch; 2) Pre-op and post-op study models were made; 3) All 2nd premolars, 2nd molars, and 3rd molars were banded; 4) A full-thickness flap …

Magnetic Forces For Intrusion Of Buccal Segments In Dolichofacial Individuals With Anterior Open Bite : A Report Of Six Cases, Rosa Maria I. Reimann-Blaseio

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The correction of anterior open bite in dolichofacial individuals with magnetic forces has been studied. The attempt was made to intrude buccal segments by using interarch magnets set in repulsion in order to correct the anterior open bite of six dolichofacial patients. It was expected to intrude the posterior sections with these magnetic forces, to autorotate the mandible and to close the anterior open bite by decreasing the lower facial height and rotating the facial axis closed. The magnets were placed in each arch only on those teeth that needed intrusion, mainly second premolars and existing molars, for a period …

The Incidence And Magnitude Of Tooth-Size Discrepancies In Caucasians, Blacks And Hispanics, Dana R. Shaltry

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The present investigation utilized the Bolton Analysis to determine the incidence and magnitude of tooth-size discrepancy in a sample of 227 orthodontic patients. Sliding calipers were used to measure the mesiodistal width of the permanent dentition on pretreatment study models of 120 Caucasian, 51 Black, and 56 Hispanic patients. The overall and anterior ratios were analyzed and the frequency and magnitude of excess maxillary and mandibular tooth structure was determined. Each racial group demonstrated a significant incidence of tooth-size discrepancy in the maxillary and mandibular arches of a magnitude (> 0.5mm) which would require some form of correction. In addition, …

The Determination Of Antibody Levels In Endodontic Patients Against Eleven Microorganisms Using Ifa And Elisa Techniques, William C. Payne

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Endodontic (root canal) infections are generally considered to be caused by the invasion of microorganisms which destroy pulp tissue and extend to the periapical region. No definitive study has identified a specific bacterium or group of bacteria as etiological agents. We quantitively measured antibodies present in the serum of 30 normal individuals and patients with either chronic (n = 30) or acute (n = 30) periapical lesions with the indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for IgG and IgM against 11 oral microorganisms routinely isolated from such lesions. The results were analyzed statistically. Analysis of variance of …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Incisor Intrusion And Root Resorption, W. Michael Mcfadden

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study examined the relationship between maxillary and mandibular incisor intrusion and root resorption. Age, sex, facial type, treatment time, extraction versus non-extraction therapy, width of the symphysis, and the angle of the incisors to skeletal reference planes were also studied for their relationship to intrusion and root resorption. Thirty-eight cases treated with utility arches for intrusion were selected. Root shortening was found to average 1.84 mm for maxillary incisors and 0.61 mm for mandibular incisors. Intrusion of incisors in a population that exhibited growth was found to be one of "holding against growth". No relationship was found to exist …

Case-Control Study Of Vitamin A Intake And Colorectal Cancer In Seventh-Day Adventists, John William Morgan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in Americans; producing approximately 60,000 deaths in Americans each year. Studies of high and low risk populations have suggested a dietary etiology for colorectal cancer, although investigations of specific dietary factors have produced inconsistent results.

Population based studies of California Seventh-day Adventists demonstrate dietary variety regarding factors suspected as important in the etiology of colorectal cancer. These studies document a substantially reduced mortality and incidence from colorectal cancer in Seventh-day Adventists when compared to other California Populations. Although specific reasons for this difference remain obscure, the 'Unique lifestyle and …

A Comparison Of Liquid And Gel Etchants Determining Shear And Tensile Bond Strengths Of Four Orthodontic Adhesives, Gary M. Edgmon

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to compare liquid and gel etchants (37% phosphoric acid) by measuring tensile and shear bond strengths of four orthodontic adhesive systems.

Four orthodontic adhesives were tested on 287 extracted human teeth, 144 of which were etched with liquid and 143 with gel. The four adhesives tested were Concise-3M, Challenge-Ormco (new product), Unite-Unitek (no mix), and Fuji Glass-ionomer filling material or cement.

To eliminate the use of wire for bracket engagement during testing, two devices were designed and machined for direct attachment to the Instron testing machine: a rigid push rod for shear force and …

An Ethical Analysis Of Alternatives In Childbirth, William K. Faber

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This discussion concerns the ethical aspects of decisions regarding the various options of place, attendant and method for the actual delivery of infants. It focuses on the moral claims of childbearing women and fetuses and the roles of health care providers and society at large during the brief, but significant, transitional period between the state of pregnancy and the state of separate parent-child relations. The author's thesis is divided into two major components. The first component is that certain alternatives to what has become the typical U.S. childbirth experience are, under appropriate circumstances, safe and provide benefits which justify their …

Identification Of Actinobacillus Spp Cell-Surface Antigens Using Monoclonal Antibodies, Kall S. Symons

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Though a senior project is required for graduation from U.S.U. with the Honors Program, there are no written guidelines describing the requirements of a U.S.U. Honors Senior Project. This proposal seeks to show how the present research project from the College of Agriculture should meet the intended project requirements of the Honors Director.

Fluoride As A Therapeutic Drug In Osteoporosis Treatment, Rita Priyadarshani Francis

Honors Theses

The use of fluoride as a therapeutic drug is not a novel idea. Studies dealing with the effects of fluoride on the skeletal system date back to the late 1960's. This paper will define osteoporosis, examine methods of detection, and will discuss various methods of treatment with emphasis on the use of fluoride supplements in the form of tablets or fluorinated drinking water.

Treatment Of Periodontal Furcation Defects, Bernard Gantes

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

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).