Cardiovascular System Commons^™

Relative Heart Ventricle Mass And Cardiac Performance In Amphibians, Gregory Joseph Kluthe

Dissertations and Theses

This study used an in situ heart preparation to analyze the power and work of spontaneously beating hearts of four anurans (R. marina, L. catesbeianus, X. laevis, P. edulis) and three urodeles (N. maculosus, A. tigrinum, A. tridactylum) in order to elucidate the meaning of relative ventricle mass (RVM) in terms of specific cardiac performance variables. This study also tests two hypotheses: 1) the ventricles of terrestrial species (R. marina, P. edulis, A. tigrinum) of amphibians are capable of greater maximum power outputs (P_max) compared to aquatic species (X. laevis, A. tridactylum, N. maculosus, L. catesbeianus) and, 2) …

Evaluation Of Accelerated Plethysmography As A Measure Of Health And Fitness, Angela Marie Humble

Dissertations and Theses

Plethysmography is a technique used for measuring alterations in the volume of organs or limbs. Japanese researchers have developed a relatively new application of plethysmography (accelerated plethysmography) that uses information from the pulse wave measured at the fingertip to make inferences about health and fitness status. The instrument used to collect data -- the Precaregraph (accelerated plethysmograph) -- provides an accelerated pulse waveform and APG index, a mathematical representation of the waveform. It was the purpose of this study to evaluate the validity of the Precaregraph by examining the relationship between the APG index and previously validated measures of health …

Comparison Of Cardiovascular Disease Risk In Japanese Natives And Japanese Americans, Mayumi Takeda

Dissertations and Theses

This research examined potential differences in cardiovascular disease risk (CVR) in two groups: Japanese Natives living in Saga, Japan and Japanese Americans living in or near Portland, Oregon. It explored data gathered in an effort to build a theoretical framework for future studies. Environmental, nutritional, and lifestyle differences were also examined to compare the health status of Japanese residents in the two countries. The history of Japan from World War II to present, and the history of Japanese Americans both first and second generation, are discussed in the literature review.

Accelerated plethysmography (APG) is a technique which presumably allows the …

A Comparison Of An Acoustic Stethoscope And An Amplified Stethoscope In White Noise And Cafeteria Noise During Cardiac Auscultation, Lynda Lynell Gigstad

Dissertations and Theses

A basic relationship between stethoscopic auscultation and background noise interference was reviewed and examined in this study. The principle experimental design of the study questioned whether hospital background noise levels are capable of masking the threshold of detection for auscultated heart sounds. Several cited studies monitoring background noise levels in various hospital locations have reported averages exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (1974) and World Health Organization (WHO) (1980) recommendations of "quiet", namely 35 to 40 dBA (Falk & Woods, 1973; Hilton, 1985, 1987; Shapiro & Berland, 1972; Turner, et al., 1975; Woods & Falk, 1974) by as much …

Aspects Of Cardiovascular Oxygen Transport In Vertebrates, Michael Scott Hedrick

Dissertations and Theses

The hematological and rheological characteristics of blood from a number of vertebrates was compared to assess possible species differences in blood viscosity that may influence cardiovascular oxygen transport. Nucleated red blood cells (RBCs) were more viscous (measured by cone-plate viscometry) in comparison with enucleate (mammalian) RBCs at hematocrits greater than 40% when measured at equivalent temperatures. The lower viscosity of enucleate RBCs is attributed to an enhanced deformability of enucleate cells in comparison to nucleated cells.

Serial Cardiovascular Adaptations During Pregnancy, Mark Vincent Hart

Dissertations and Theses

Maternal cardiovascular adaptations appear to be essential in order to supply extra circulation to both the developing fetus and maternal system during a successful pregnancy. Since inadequate cardiovascular adjustments may produce abortions or maternal morbidity, the characterization of maternal cardiovascular changes during pregnancy and the elaboration of the underlying mechanism for these changes are essential to the understanding of how the heart enlarges during pregnancy and what significance this enlargement might have. To provide needed information regarding this time course and extent of maternal cardiac enlargement and the hormonal and hemodynamic changes which may be responsible for these changes, the …