Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Reliability And Validity Of The Black English Sentence Scoring System, Yvette D. Hyter

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess the concurrent validity and interscorer reliability of a specific diagnostic tool of language assessment which is designed to be nonbiased for dialectally different children. Black English Sentence Scoring (BESS; Nelson, 1983), which is based on Lee's (1974) Developmental Sentence Scoring (DSS), is a system for analyzing spontaneous language samples that gives cred it for the normally developing features of Black English dialect. The sample consisted of 17 children between three and seven years who were residing in Michigan in communities where Black English was spoken frequently. All were identified as having language …

Force Relaxation In Matched Light Titanium And Stainless Steel Wires, Granville Gene Wilson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Force relaxation was constantly monitored in light titanium alloy and stainless steel wires over a 7 day period in a simulated use test. The smallest dimension of round titanium wires now available were matched with round stainless steel wires in dimensions that most closely approximated the same stiffness. The .016" NITINOL (Unitek) and TITANAL (Lancer Pacific) wires were compared to .012" Standard Permachrome (Unitek) wire. The .016" TMA (Ormco) wire was compared to .014" Standard Permachrome (Unitek) wire. Six samples were tested for each wire type.

Each wire was ligated with Alastic modules (Unitek) into .018" x .025" slots of …

Effects Of Dentin Chips, Hydroxyapatite, And Demineralized Dentin As Apical Plugs, D. Wylie Brandell

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Two mm plugs of demineralized dentin, hydroxyapatite, or dentin chips were condensed into the apical perforations of 48 anterior teeth of eight adult cynamolgus monkeys. The remainder of the canals were obturated with gutta percha and Grossmans sealer using lateral condensation technique. The degree of hard tissue formation and inflammation was evaluated at three and six months. No significant changes were noted between various materials at three months. However, after six months, the samples with apical plugs of hydroxyapatite had more hard tissue formation and less inflammation than others.

A Comparison Of Enamel Detachments After Debonding Between Unitek's "Dynalok" Bracket And A Foil-Mesh Bracket: A Scanning Electron Microscope Study, Robert E. Meister

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The intent of this paper was to: 1. Evaluate the mode of adhesive failure when debonding both flexible and rigid base orthodontic brackets. 2. Evaluate the bracket bases for enamel detachments. 3. Measure the enamel detachments.

After preforming shear test on flexible and rigid base orthodontic brackets mounted to extracted human teeth it was determined that failure occurred at the enamel/adhesive interface 30% of the time, at the bracket/adhesive interface 10% of the time and a combination of these 60% of the time for both groups.

Five brackets from each group were evaluated for enamel detachments using energy dispersive x-ray …

Extrathyroidal Human Biochemistry Of Monoiodotyrosine, Stanley Andrew Tan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The existence of extrathyroidal monoiodotyrosine (MIT) has been debated because of uncertain results from measuring serum MIT. The reason is that the isotopic and chromatographic assays used have not been sensitive enough. This investigation undertook to establish the existence of MIT in serum utilizing a radioimmunoassay (RIA), to study the physiology of serum MIT, and to discover the pharmacologic effects of exogenous MIT.

MIT-binding antibody was raised in rabbits by immunization with an MIT-porcine thyroglobulin conjugate. The antiserum bound 40% of the labeled MIT at a final dilution of 1:1000. Incubation of 100 µ1 antiserum with 50 pg [^{125 …}

Age-Related Changes Of Neurites In Meissner Corpuscles Of Diabetic, Vicky R. Ras

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This thesis is based on a qualitative and quantitative study of the neural component of Meissner corpuscles of diabetic and non-diabetic mice. Age-related changes were also documented in these mechanoreceptors. Corpuscles from forty-six diabetic mice and forty-six non-diabetic mice ranging from 2.5 to 17 months old were studied. Forepaw index digital pads were formalin-fixed and frozen-sectioned parallel to each digit and perpendicular to the skin. Serial sections were then silver-impregnated to allow light microscopic examination of the neurites in the corpuscles.

Neurites became more coarse, tortuous, branched, varicose, and thus more complex until middle age. Corpuscle size appeared greatest at …

Alcoholism: The Insidious Disease, Kathryn Van Bruggen

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to describe alcoholism as a disease, it s likely etiology, symptoms, methods of treatment and prognosis. Problems due to alcoholism are reported as they affect not only the alcoholic but the family, job and community as well. Education will help identify an alcoholic problem before it becomes too advanced. Various treatment modalities are discussed, including Alcoholics Anonymous. This study relates to the impact on the family and how the family can exacerbate the problem. Conclusions are based on observations of alcoholics and families of alcoholics in a therapeutic setting and literature review.

Physical Activity And Its Relationship To Life Satisfaction And General Health In The Elderly, Joan A. Hannicker Clay

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to Investigate the relationship between the level of physical activity and life satisfaction and general health in the elderly.

The null hypothesis stated there would be no relationship between levels of physical activity and life satisfaction, common ailments, and health perception in the elderly (alpha = 0.05). The study was a correlational survey using a convenience sample from four groups of elderly subjects.

Ordinal data was obtained through a health questionnaire administered to sixty subjects who met the criteria. Statistical analysis using chi-square found no relationship between the physical activity level and life satisfaction …

The Effect Of A High Fiber, High Carbohydrate Diet On Blood Sugar Levels Utilizing Traditional Foods Of The Choctaw Indians, Martha Sharp

MSN Research Projects

This was a quasi-experimental study designed to determine the difference in blood sugar levels in subjects diagnosed with diabetes mellitus who received teaching on a high fiber, high carbohydrate diet and subjects diagnosed with diabetes mellitus who did not receive this dietary teaching. The researcher hypothesized that when the blood sugar levels of diabetic Indians who participated in a planned, high fiber, high carbohydrate dietary teaching program were compared to diabetic Indians who participated in the ADA diabetic exchange dietary teaching program and to diabetic Indians who chose not to participate in either teaching program, there would be no significant …

A Survey To Determine The Relationship Between The Elderly's And The Family’S Perception Of Aging, Paula M. Brubaker

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the elderly*s and family's perceptions of aging. The null hypothesis stated that when the elderly's and family's perceptions of aging were compared, as determined by scores on the "Perceptions about Aging" survey, there would be no significant difference at the .05 level. Data were collected from 60 subjects. Thirty were individuals age 65 and above, and 3 0 were non-elderly family members, one for each participant, who had had contact with the elderly subject at least once a week. All subjects were administered the "Perceptions about Aging" survey. The …

Effect Of Menstrual Cycle On Hedonic Response To Gustatory Stimuli, Laurie Ann O'Toole

Dissertations and Theses

The present experiment was conducted to determine the relationship between the human menstrual cycle and gustatory hedonic response. Hedonic response was defined as the perceived pleasantness or unpleasantness of a taste stimulus. Gender differences in taste hedonic have been observed; these may be due to differences in endocrine systems. Animal taste preferences are altered when reproductive hormonal status is experimentally manipulated. Previous researchers report that human females' hedonic responses to sucrose vary systematically with phase of menstrual cycle.

The Effects Of A Teaching Session On Public Health Nurses' Knowledge And Attitudes Toward Adolescent Sexuality, Peggy Robinson

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine the differences in sexual knowledge and attitudes between public health nurses who participated in a short-term sexuality course and public health nurses who did not participate in a human sexuality course. The Sex Knowledge and Attitude Test (SKAT, Parts I and II) was used as a data collecting tool. The sample was taken from districts of the Mississippi State Board of Health. The experimental group took the SKAT following a four-hour human sexuality course. The control group took the SKAT without any educational exposure. The hypothesis stated that there would be …

Two-Dimensional Electrophoretic Studies Of Normal Spematozoal Proteins, Ying Lin

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Protein profiles of human spermatozoa have been mapped by using high resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis which combines isoelectric focusing as the first dimension and polyacrylamide gradient gels electrophoresis in SDS as the second dimension. The profiles of normal spermatozoa! extraction, acrosomal extraction and seminal plasma showed high resolution in its separation capability. No qualitative or quantitative differences were observed by using Coomassie Brilliant Blue R-250 staining in a much higher concentration of proteins. However, coomassie blue lacks the sensitivity to detect many minor components. Therefore, a silver staining procedure was used, which resulted in greatly increased sensitivity.

Samples from normal fertile …

Orthodontists' Attitudes Toward Expanding Career Opportunities For The Dental Hygienist In Orthodontics, Julie A. Foster

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this survey was to determine attitudes of orthodontists toward employing dental hygienists. A self-designed, 33 item questionnaire was used to obtain descriptive data. The questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of orthodontists chosen from the United States portion of the Orthodontic Directory of the World (N=500). Data were obtained from 298 orthodontists for a 58.6 percent response rate.

The study suggests that although orthodontists believe dental hygienists are important oral health professionals (96.2 percent) and important parts of the orthodontic practice (32.6 percent), only 10.9 percent of orthodontists surveyed employ dental hygienists. Factors determined to be …

Tidewater Virginia: A Case Study In Health Planning, Maria Justice Moore Griffin

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

Leigh Memorial Hospital, a small private community care hospital merged with Norfolk General Hospital in 1972 to form an innovative health care corporation in Tidewater Virginia. By deciding to merge and alter its organizational identity, the Leigh Memorial Hospital leadership reversed a previous decision to relocate to the downtown Norfolk Medical Center complex, choosing instead to move to within a few yards of the neighboring city of Virginia Beach. Those two decisions and the story behind them are part of a complex, highly interdependent series of decisions which altered the health care delivery system in Tidewater Virginia.

This study is …

The Effects Of Tri-O-Cresyl Phosphate On 2',3'-Cyclicnucleotide-3'-Phosphohydrolase Activity In Neural And Non-Neural Tissue Of The Rat, Mark K. Schlager

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

A total of 44 Long-Evans rats received 5.7 g/kg tri-O-cresyl phosphate (TOCP) orally every 3 days for 6 days. A second group of 13 rats received 4.6 g/kg orally every 3 days for 6 days. Animals were administered atropine sulfate (10 mg/kg) intraperitoneally every 6 hours or as needed to alleviate cholinergic symptoms. Ten control animals were given corn oil orally. Eight rats (18%) survived the 5.7 g/kg dose regimen and 5 rats (38%) survived the 4.6 g/kg dose regimen. Surviving rats were killed at 30-33 days post-dose. Signs of delayed neuropathy included ataxia and motor impairment.

The CNP activity …

Block Encoding Of Speech Spectral Principal Components, James R. Holland Jr.

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A Karhunen-Loeve series expansion was used to block encode speech spectral principal components as a function of time. Each of ten principal components was first obtained as a linear combination of 2© speech spectral band energies. Using a fixed block length of 10 frames (0.128 s), the K-L basis vectors were computed separately for various speakers for each principal component. In all cases the resulting basis vectors were essentially a set of discrete cosine basis vectors. Synthesis of speech from the block encoded parameters showed that very little information is lost with up to 70% data reduction. The block encoding …

Knowledge About Prenatal Health Care Practices As Correlated To The Economic Status Of Primagravidas, Melisa Lepard

MSN Research Projects

This research was a descriptive study designed to examine the relationship between prenatal knowledge and economic status of primagravidas. The researcher hypothesized that when pregnant women were surveyed and the results of knowledge and actual health care practices were correlated with economic level, there would be no significant difference. A researcher-designed questionnaire was administered to 29 primagravidas between the ages of 18 to 32. There was a total of 29 participants. The participants consisted of 23 whites and 6 blacks. The null hypothesis was tested by correlating the score obtained on the questionnaire with economic status. The Pearson's r correlation …

A Comparative Study Of Cardiovascular Risk Factors Between Black And White Adolescent Males, Sylvia B. Homan

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this descriptive study was to compare the existence of cardiovascular risk factors between black and white adolescent males within the 18 and 19 year age range. A total of 22 male subjects, 13 white and 9 black, completed a three-day diary of diet, exercise, and smoking activity entitled The Heart Health Profile. Subjects were also interviewed concerning family history of cardiovascular disease, and measurements of blood pressure, percentage of body fat, and body weight were obtained. The researcher hypothesized that when black and white adolescent males were compared, there would be no significant difference relative to seven …

The Effects Of Family Influence On Contraceptive Use Among Adolescents, Gladys Marie Davis Hill

MSN Research Projects

This was a descriptive correlational study designed to determine if there was a relationship between adolescent contraceptive use and family communication. The null hypothesis stated that there would be no significant correlation in the adolescent use of contraceptive methods and family communication. A researcher-designed tool, the "Adolescent Contraceptive Questionaire," was administered to 27 college students aged IS and 19 years. Of this group there were 3 whites and 24 blacks. The hypothesis was tested using the Pearson r correlation coefficient. There was no significant relationship between the adolescent's contraceptive use and family communication. The researcher failed to reject the null …

Discriminating Characteristics Between Attenders And Nonattenders Of Prepared Childbirth Classes, Angela James

MSN Research Projects

A descriptive study was designed to survey discriminating characteristics between attenders and non attenders of prepared childbirth. The researcher hypothesized that there would be no significant predictors of why women do or do not choose to participate in prepared childbirth classes. Fifty-seven women between the ages of 21 and 40 who had at least one living child were interviewed. Then responses to the "Discriminating Characteristics Questionnaire” were recorded and analyzed. Of these fifty -seven women, 14 had chosen to attend prepared childbirth classes while 43 did not attend the classes. The data collected from the questionnaire were analyzed by descriptive …

A Survey Of The Knowledge And Attitudes Of The Elderly Towards Exercise, Susan R. Carlson

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this descriptive study was to survey the knowledge and attitudes of the elderly towards exercise. The researcher hypothesized that when black and white elderly men and women were surveyed about exercise and the results were compared, there would be no significant difference at the .05 level. A researcher-designed tool, "Exercise: Knowledge and Attitudes Questionnaire," was used in data collection. Twenty-one elderly subjects were surveyed. Of these, 10 were white while 11 were black. The sample included 8 men and 13 women. The test results were analyzed using the ANOVA test. There was not a difference at the …

The Relationship Between Locus Of Control And Body Weight Utilizing The Weight Locus Of Control Table, M.A. Bailey

MSN Research Projects

This was a descriptive study designed to correlate the Weight Locus of Control scale with body weight. The researcher hypothesized that there would be no significant correlation between body weight and the scores on the Weight Locus of Control scale. The Weight Locus of Control scale and a researcher-designed demographic tool were administered to 50 subjects between the ages of 18 and 65. Data were analyzed utilizing Pearson Product Moment correlation coefficient. The r value obtained was not significant at the .05 level. The researcher failed to reject the null hypothesis.

A Study Of How Health Locus Of Control Differs According To Type Of Residence Among Elderly Clients, Bonnie Adamski

MSN Research Projects

This study was descriptive in nature, designed to compare the Health Locus of Control (HLC) scores of the elderly living in the community with those who live in congregate housing. The researcher hypothesized that there would be no significant differences between the two groups on the HLC Scale. The HLC Scale was administered to 19 community and 22 congregate housing residents, all over age 65 Subjects also completed a demographic data form, designed by the researcher, that provided information about the age, sex, race, health and financial status of the participants. The null hypothesis was tested by comparing the mean …

The Effects Of Spouse Abuse On The Self Concept Of Women, Edna Elaine Newsome

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to compare the self concept of battered women with the self concept of non-battered women. The researcher hypothesized that there would be no significant difference between the self concept of battered women and the self concept of non-battered women. Twenty-five women were surveyed utilizing the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale: 15 subjects who had not been victims of battering and 10 subjects who were victims of battering. Voluntary participants were solicited from the Spouse Abuse Network and from a graduate nursing program. The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale was submitted to statistical analysis utilizing the test and Pearson's …

Career Lines In The Area Of Mental Retardation, Charlotte Ballard

Dissertations and Theses

In the past few years there has been a large growth in the number of facilities and services provided to the mentally retarded in the community, as contrasted to the institutional setting.

This thesis reviews some of the factors involved in the transition to community care for the mentally retarded as a background for an examination of the characteristics and perceptions of the persons who provide community care.

Temporomandibular Joint Relations Of Bone And Lateral Pterygoid Muscle : A Computerized Tomography Study, Duane K. Yamashiro

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study utilized the imaging technique of computerized tomography (CT). Scans taken with a GE CT/N 8800 scanner of an adult cadaver and a 12-patient group were obtained through the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, TMJ Department, and Loma Linda University Medical Center, Department of Neuroradiology.

The lateral scout image and a lateral cephalogram of the cadaver were compared using six angular measurements for facial type from Ricketts' Cephalometric Analysis. The six measurements, Maxillary Depth, Facial Depth, Mandibular Arc, Mandibular Plane, Lower Face Height and Facial Axis, were found to be similar. This allowed the investigator to rely exclusively …

A Comparison Of Indirect Lingual Bracket Placement By Practitioners And A Commercial Laboratory As It Relates To Crown Torque, Randy E. Buchmiller

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Four sets of patient models were selected from the eighty cases Ormco Corporation used in the development of their lingual bonded appliance. These four sets of models were duplicated and identical sets of four models were sent to each practitioner and the laboratory. The practitioners and the laboratory were to position the lingual brackets on the models from second bicuspid to second bicuspid upper and lower and return them to Loma Linda University Department of Orthodontics for evaluation.

The laboratory chosen for placement of the brackets was the Ormco laboratory in Glendora, California. The laboratory ran these four cases through …

The Effects Of Maternal Administration Of Methadone On Beta-Endorphin Content In The Brain And Pituitary Of The Rat Progeny, Randall L. Braun

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Methadone is often used in the maintenance and detoxification of opioid-dependent pregnant women. This use of methadone during pregnancy is known to be associated with teratogenic effects observed in the progeny. The present study is an attempt to gain insight into possible pathophysiologic mechanism(s) responsible for these teratogenic effects: specifically, a relationship between maternal methadone administration and the content of the endogenous opioid peptide, beta-endorphin, in the brain and pituitary of the rat progeny.

In brief, nulliparous mature female Sprague-Dawley rats received daily injections (5 mg./kg.) of methadone hydrochloride (methadone-treated) or a similar volume of physiological saline (controls), treatment started …

Cephalometric Changes In The Soft Tissue Chin After Orthodontic Treatment, Ruchi Nanda Singh

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study was performed to cephalometrically assess the soft tissue chin changes from orthodontic treatment and after 5 years post-treatment. Variability in the soft tissue chin structure between the different facial types and between the sexes was also evaluated.

Sixty patients, treated by Dr. Ricketts, were selected from the Rocky Mountain Data system files. Pretreatment, post-treatment and 5 year post-treatment cephalograms were taken on each patient and the soft tissue chin thickness was measured at six points around the symphysis. Means and standard deviations were calculated for each point on the symphysis by sex and facial type.

The post-treatment data …