Thesis (M.A.(Theology)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-101).

While technological advances in immunology and surgery have permitted rapid increases in the number of homotransplantations now performed, little is known about layman’s attitudes toward donation of organs. Implicit in such progress has been the medical field's assumption that enough donor organs will be forthcoming to meet the increasing demand. In order to research this area a dual emphasis on practical and theoretical issues was employed. The purpose of the present study then, was to investigate this medical assumption by sampling the attitudes and behavior of college students toward donation of organs for transplant purposes, and at the same time, to clarify some of the methodological issues resident in attitude research. The following experimental hypothesis was tested: individuals who express positive or negative attitudes toward organ donation, as measured on an attitude scale, behave in a manner consistent with their attitudes, behavior being measured by statements of intention and by behavioral commitment responses. A Likert-type summated rating scale was developed and utilized as the attitude measuring instrument in the study. A split-half reliability coefficient of .95 and a test-retest reliability of .94 were obtained. A test battery containing the attitude scale, a demographic questionnaire, a social desirability scale and an information test was administered to 389 college students in their classrooms. The validity study utilized two behavioral indices: 1) behavioral intent statements which were gathered following completion of the test battery, and 2) behavioral commitment responses as obtained in individual interviews. The second criterion involved 100 telephone interviews which took place from six to ten weeks after classroom testing. An additional 20 Ss followed up with personal interviews. Both criteria measures constituted Guttman scales. Several secondary issues were investigated. 1. As attitude scales have routinely been validated by use of signed behavioral intent statements the effect of anonymity was examined. Of the total number of Ss participating in the test battery 86 were requested to sign the intent statements; all others were anonymously filled out. 2. In order to evaluate any sensitizing effect on behavioral commitment responses, one-half of those Ss ticipating in the individual interviews had not received any testing in the classroom situation. 3. The Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale was used to control or the effect of social norms on attitude and behavioral scale scores in approval dependent individuals. 4. An information test was incorporated into the test battery to ascertain the relationship between cognition, affect and behavior. The major results lent strong support to the experimental hypothesis; Ss did tend to behave in a manner consistent with their measured attitudes. Validity coefficients of .38 (attitude and behavioral intent statements), .58 (attitude and behavioral commitment responses) and .64 (composite prediction) suggested that under certain conditions predictive salience can be obtained from attitude scale scores. With regard to the secondary measures, no significant effects were found for anonymity, pretest sensitization, or social desirability. There was some evidence which suggested a relationship between level of information and attitude; however, the results were not conclusive. Empirical findings did support the medical supposition that some people at least (i.e., college students) will be favorably disposed toward posthumous organ donation. Twenty percent of those Ss contacted made a substantial commitment. Further research is planned in order to gain normative data on more representative samples of the total population.

A brief investigation was made of various organic and inorganic solvents for the dissolution of urinary calculi in vitro and Albright’s (1) citric acid buffer and a solvent designated in this investigation simply as “G” (33) were shown to be the most efficient solvents. Further investigation showed that something was necessary to increase the efficiency of these solvents, as the dissolution would proceed to a certain point where the solvent ceased to act. It was at this point that the investigation changed its course and the attack was centered on the organic colloidal matrix in the structure of the stone. It is a well known fact that this organic matrix is resistant to weak acids and bases (30) and therefore the course of the investigation pointed to those most remarkable agents, “the enzymes”, which due to their enormous amount of surface energy are capable of producing astonishing results. The enzymes investigated were not selected for their specific action, but they were selected for the purpose of studying the effect of their surface energy on the colloidal matrix of urinary calculi. The investigation indicates that a calculus pretreated with urease for fifteen minutes, followed by a 6 hour irrigation with “G” (33) solution is sufficient to cause dissolution and disintegration in nearly all of the one hundred calculi selected at random. (See Table 5) The ability of urease to hasten disintegration may be due to its activity on the colloidal matrix, causing it to swell, thereby giving back the former hydrotropic properties mentioned by Snapper (52). Colloidal material was isolated from a large calculus and was subjected to the action of urease. After 6 hours the colloids from the calculus had swollen approximately five hundred times their original volume, and changed from a dark brown-colored material to a white translucent gel. These organic colloidal matrices of urinary calculi are apparently of a reversible nature and irreversible as investigators have assumed in the past (30). Investigations were made and reported in various sections of this paper on the ability of other enzymes, peroxide, and acids to act as dissolution agents or as aids to dissolution. An efficient in vitro irrigator Fig. 1 is described and its merit in the irrigation of urinary calculi lies in the facts that its construction is simple, its rate of flow can be accurately regulated by a slight manipulation, and the calculus can be treated in various ways without removing it from the original crucible. It now remains for the urologist to investigate the possibility of in vitro dissolution, using the above auxiliary agent. It is suggested that the urease might be used simultaneously with the irrigation solvent. / Ph. D.

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Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University / The pericardial organs are neurosecretory structures situated within the pericardial cavity of stomatopod and decapod crustaceans. Their location in the pericardium is such that blood approaching the heart must flow directly over them. This arrangement facilitates the distribution of pericardial organ secretions to all parts of the organism. It is not known how many different neurohormones are secreted by the pericardial organs, but at least one of these has been shown to act as a strong cardioexcitor. Electron microscopy of pericardial organs has revealed the presence of membrane-bounded granules, approximately 1500 A in diameter, which are believed to contain the neurosecretory material. An attempt was made here to isolate the cardiaexcitor by means of differential centrifugation of crude 0.9 M sucrose homogenates of pericardial organs from two species of Cancer. Live Homarus heart served as bioassay material. Cardioexci tatory effects were found in material which sedimented below 17,000 x g. On two occasions another active sediment was found at 71,000 x g. The present data is in agreement with the hypothesis that the cardioexcitor is contained within neurosecretory granules. However, a definitive statement to this effect cannot be made, as sediments were not checked microscopically. Presumptive evidence is offered for the existence of a second type of neurosecretory granule.

Bibliography: leaves 181-201.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri--Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-121). Also available on the Internet.