Digital Commons Network^™

Alcohol Availability And Neighborhood Poverty And Their Relationship To Binge Drinking And Related Problems Among Drinkers In Committed Relationships, Christy M. Mckinney, Karen G. Chartier, Raul Caetano, T. Robert Harris

Social Work Publications

The authors examined the relationship of alcohol outlet density (AOD) and neighborhood poverty with binge drinking and alcohol-related problems among drinkers in married and cohabitating relationships and assessed whether these associations differed across sex. A U.S. national population couples survey was linked to U.S. Census data on AOD and neighborhood poverty. The 1,784 current drinkers in the survey reported on their binge drinking, alcohol-related problems, and other covariates. AOD was defined as the number of alcohol outlets per 10,000 persons and was obtained at the zip code level. Neighborhood poverty was as having a low (<20%) or high (≥20%) proportion of residents living in poverty at the census tract level. We used logistic regression for survey data to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals and tested for differences of associations by sex. Associations of neighborhood poverty with binge drinking were stronger for male than for female drinkers. The association of neighborhood poverty with alcohol-related problems was also stronger for men than for women. We observed no relationships between AOD and binge drinking or alcohol-related problems in this couples survey. Efforts to reduce binge drinking or alcohol-related problems among partners in committed relationships may have the greatest impact if targeted to male drinkers living in high-poverty neighborhoods. Binge drinking and alcohol-related problems, as well as residence in an impoverished neighborhood are risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV) and other relationship conflicts.

Evaluation Of A Revised Curriculum: A Four-Year Qualitative Study Of Student Perceptions, Sharon K. Lanning, Angela P. Wetzel, Meredith B. Baines, B. Ellen Byrne

Periodontics Publications

Following curricular revisions at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, this longitudinal study was designed to determine students' perceptions of their educational experience in the revised curriculum. A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) open-ended response questionnaire was administered to students in the class of 2011 (N=89) in January of each academic year, 2008 through 2011, followed by focus groups three months prior to graduation. The overall response rate for the questionnaire was 69 percent, and a total of fourteen students participated in four focus groups. Cumulatively, 1,382 responses (SWOT=984 and focus groups=398) were qualitatively analyzed, and five themes …

Spxa1 Involved In Hydrogen Peroxide Production, Stress Tolerance And Endocarditis Virulence In Streptococcus Sanguinis, Lei Chen, Xiuchun Ge, Xiaojing Wang, Jenishkumar R. Patel, Ping Xu

Philips Institute for Oral Health Research Publications

Streptococcus sanguinis is one of the most common agents of infective endocarditis. Spx proteins are a group of global regulators that negatively or positively control global transcription initiation. In this study, we characterized the spxA1 gene in S. sanguinis SK36. The spxA1 null mutant displayed opaque colony morphology, reduced hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production, and reduced antagonistic activity against Streptococcus mutans UA159 relative to the wild type strain. The ΔspxA1 mutant also demonstrated decreased tolerance to high temperature, acidic and oxidative stresses. Further analysis revealed that ΔspxA1 also exhibited a ~5-fold reduction in competitiveness in an animal model of …

Toothbrush Contamination: A Review Of The Literature, Michelle R. Frazelle, Cindy L. Munro

School of Nursing Publications

Toothbrushes are commonly used in hospital settings and may harbor potentially harmful microorganisms. A peer-reviewed literature review was conducted to evaluate the cumulative state of knowledge related to toothbrush contamination and its possible role in disease transmission. A systematic review was conducted on adult human subjects through three distinct searches. The review resulted in seven experimental and three descriptive studies which identified multiple concepts related to toothbrush contamination to include contamination, methods for decontamination, storage, design, and environmental factors. The selected studies found that toothbrushes of healthy and oral diseased adults become contaminated with pathogenic bacteria from the dental plaque, …

Early Hearing-Impairment Results In Crossmodal Reorganization Of Ferret Core Auditory Cortex, M. Alex Meredith, Brian L. Allman

Anatomy and Neurobiology Publications

Numerous investigations of cortical crossmodal plasticity, most often in congenital or early-deaf subjects, have indicated that secondary auditory cortical areas reorganize to exhibit visual responsiveness while the core auditory regions are largely spared. However, a recent study of adult-deafened ferrets demonstrated that core auditory cortex was reorganized by the somatosensory modality. Because adult animals have matured beyond their critical period of sensory development and plasticity, it was not known if adult-deafening and early-deafening would generate the same crossmodal results. The present study used young, ototoxically-lesioned ferrets () that, after maturation (avg. = 173 days old), showed significant hearing deficits (avg. …

Consumers’ Choice Of Dentists: How And Why People Choose Dental School Faculty Members As Their Oral Health Care Providers, M. Julie Kim, Peter C. Damiano, Jed Hand, Gerald E. Denehy, Deborah S. Cobb, Fang Qian

General Practice Publications

This study aimed to better understand how and why people choose dental school faculty members as their oral health care providers. Increasing financial constraints in U.S. dental schools have led their administrators to seek alternative funding sources, one of which can be revenues from dental school faculty practice. To effectively promote faculty practice, it is necessary to understand how and why one chooses a dental school faculty member as his or her oral health care provider. A survey of 1,150 dental school faculty practice patients who recently chose their dentist was conducted, and 221 responded. The information sources these respondents …

Faculty Impressions Of Dental Students’ Performance With And Without Virtual Reality Simulation, Riki Gottlieb, Sharon K. Lanning, John C. Gunsolley, Judith A. Buchanan

Periodontics Publications

This study compared faculty perceptions and expectations of dental students’ abilities using virtual reality simulation (VRS) to those who did not use virtual reality simulation (non-VRS) in an operative dentistry preclinical course. A sixteen-item survey with a ten-point rating scale and three open-ended questions asked about students’ abilities in ergonomics, confidence level, performance, preparation, and self-assessment. The surveys were administered three times to a small group of preclinical faculty members. First, faculty members (n=12, 92 percent response rate) gave their perceptions of non-VRS students’ abilities at the end of their traditional course. Secondly, faculty members (n=13, 100 percent response rate) …

The Streptococcus Sanguinis Competence Regulon Is Not Required For Infective Endocarditis Virulence In A Rabbit Model, Jill E. Callahan, Cindy L. Munro, Todd Kitten

Philips Institute for Oral Health Research Publications

Streptococcus sanguinis is an important component of dental plaque and a leading cause of infective endocarditis. Genetic competence in S. sanguinis requires a quorum sensing system encoded by the early comCDE genes, as well as late genes controlled by the alternative sigma factor, ComX. Previous studies of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus mutans have identified functions for the >100-gene com regulon in addition to DNA uptake, including virulence. We investigated this possibility in S. sanguinis. Strains deleted for the comCDE orcomX master regulatory genes were created. Using a rabbit endocarditis model in conjunction with a variety of virulence assays, …

Pooled Protein Immunization For Identification Of Cell Surface Antigens In Streptococcus Sanguinis, Xiuchun Ge, Todd Kitten, Cindy L. Munro, Daniel H. Conrad, Ping Xu

Philips Institute for Oral Health Research Publications

Background

Available bacterial genomes provide opportunities for screening vaccines by reverse vaccinology. Efficient identification of surface antigens is required to reduce time and animal cost in this technology. We developed an approach to identify surface antigens rapidly inStreptococcus sanguinis, a common infective endocarditis causative species.

Methods and Findings

We applied bioinformatics for antigen prediction and pooled antigens for immunization. Forty-seven surface-exposed proteins including 28 lipoproteins and 19 cell wall-anchored proteins were chosen based on computer algorithms and comparative genomic analyses. Eight proteins among these candidates and 2 other proteins were pooled together to immunize rabbits. The antiserum reacted …

Leaders Or Managers: Who Will Define A New Vision For Dental Education?, Fred Certosimo

General Practice Publications

Leaders and managers are vital to any organization; however, each possesses intrinsic characteristics ideally suited to produce entirely different outcomes. Modern dental education finds itself in a predicament as it assesses new ways to meet the ever-changing demands of its profession and the superimposed mega-issues and global concerns of the new millennium—all competing in an organization and curriculum imprisoned in the first two-thirds of the twentieth century. The purpose of this article is to highlight the role of leadership in dentistry and more specifically dental education. It compares and contrasts characteristics commonly found in leaders who seek long-term, outward-looking organizational …

Dental Anatomy Carving Computer-Assisted Instruction Program: An Assessment Of Student Performance And Perceptions, Elizabeth T. Nance, Sharon K. Lanning, John C. Gunsolley

Periodontics Publications

The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of students exposed to two different instructional modalities for dental anatomy wax carving: CAI (computer-assisted instruction) using DVD technology, or traditional laboratory instruction. Students’ self-assessment scores were also compared to faculty scores, and students’ perceptions of their teaching modality were analyzed. Seventy-three first-year dental students (response rate 81 percent) participated in this randomized single blind trial, in which faculty graders were blinded to student group assignment. There were no statistical differences, as determined by the Wilcoxon non-parametric test and a t-test, between the faculty grades on the wax carving from …

Sleep And Sleep Disorders In Later Life, Robert D. Vorona

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Describe basic changes in sleep that occur as we age.

2. Review several important sleep disorders common in later life

3. Discuss treatment modalities for these sleep disorders and potential benefits of therapy.

Apoptotic Engulfment Pathway And Schizophrenia, Xiangning Chen, Cuie Sun, Qi Chen, F. Anthony O'Neill, Dermot Walsh, Ayman H. Fanous, Kodavali V. Chowdari, Vishwajit L. Nimgaonkar, Adrian Scott, Sibylle G. Schwab, Dieter B. Wildenauer, Ronglin Che, Wei Tang, Yongyong Shi, Lin He, Xiong-Jian Luo, Bing Su, Todd L. Edwards, Zhongming Zhao, Kenneth S. Kendler

Human and Molecular Genetics Publications

Background

Apoptosis has been speculated to be involved in schizophrenia. In a previously study, we reported the association of the MEGF10 gene with the disease. In this study, we followed the apoptotic engulfment pathway involving the MEGF10, GULP1, ABCA1 and ABCA7 genes and tested their association with the disease.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Ten, eleven and five SNPs were genotyped in the GULP1, ABCA1 and ABCA7 genes respectively for the ISHDSF and ICCSS samples. In all 3 genes, we observed nominally significant associations. Rs2004888 at GULP1 was significant in both ISHDSF and ICCSS samples (p = 0.0083 and …

The Servant Leader: A Higher Calling For Dental Professionals, Fred Certosimo

General Practice Publications

The dental profession is guided by normative principles that provide guidance to our leaders and practicing dentists in addressing the needs of patients and the profession, yet there is room for incorporating new ideas that help dental professionals meet their professional obligations. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the concept of “servant leadership,” especially in contrast with “self-serving leaders,” and to suggest that servant leadership is consistent with the high ethical and professional ideals of the dental profession. The servant leader is the antithesis of the self-serving leader, who incessantly seeks more power and acquisition of material possessions. …

Diagnosis Of Infections Caused By Pathogenic Free-Living Amoebae, Bruno Da Rocha-Azevedo, Herbert B. Tanowitz, Francine Marciano-Cabral

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Naegleria fowleri, Acanthamoeba spp., Balamuthia mandrillaris, and Sappinia sp. are pathogenic free-living amoebae. N. fowleri causes Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis, a rapidly fatal disease of the central nervous system, whileAcanthamoeba spp. and B. mandrillaris cause chronic granulomatous encephalitis.Acanthamoeba spp. also can cause cutaneous lesions and Amoebic Keratitis, a sight-threatening infection of the cornea that is associated with contact lens use or corneal trauma. Sappinia pedata has been identified as the cause of a nonlethal case of amoebic encephalitis. In view of the potential health consequences due to infection with these amoebae, rapid diagnosis is critical for early treatment. Microscopic examination and …

Communication Skills Instruction Utilizing Interdisciplinary Peer Teachers: Program Development And Student Perceptions, Sharon K. Lanning, Sonya L. Ranson, Rita M. Willett

Periodontics Publications

Lack of curricular time, faculty time, and funding are potential limitations for communication skills training in dentistry. Interdisciplinary collaboration amongst health care faculties could address these limitations. This article describes the development, implementation, and student perceptions of a communication skills program in dentistry. The program has four components: Knowledge, Observation, Simulation, and Experience (KOSE) and spans over the second and third years of dental school. KOSE allows students to obtain knowledge of and observe effective communication skills and practice these skills in the simulated and nonsimulated environment. A key feature of KOSE is the utilization of fourth-year medical and dental …

Accuracy Of Ct Colonography For Detection Of Large Adenomas And Cancers, Daniel C. Johnson, Mei-Hsiu Chen, Alicia Y. Toledano, Jay P. Heiken, Abraham Dachman, Mark D. Kuo, Christine O. Menias, Betina Siewert, Jugesh I. Cheema, Richard G. Obregon, Jeff L. Fidler, Peter Zimmerman, Karen M. Horton, Kevin Coakley, Revathy B. Iyer, Amy K. Hara, Robert A. Halvorsen Jr, Giovanna Casola, Judy Yee, Benjamin A. Herman, Lawrence J. Burgart, Paul J. Limburg

Radiology Publications

Background

Computed tomographic (CT) colonography is a noninvasive option in screening for colorectal cancer. However, its accuracy as a screening tool in asymptomatic adults has not been well defined.

Methods

We recruited 2600 asymptomatic study participants, 50 years of age or older, at 15 study centers. CT colonographic images were acquired with the use of standard bowel preparation, stool and fluid tagging, mechanical insufflation, and multidetector-row CT scanners (with 16 or more rows). Radiologists trained in CT colonography reported all lesions measuring 5 mm or more in diameter. Optical colonoscopy and histologic review were performed according to established clinical protocols …

Accuracy And Consistency Of Radiographic Interpretation Among Clinical Instructors In Conjunction With A Training Program, Sharon K. Lanning, Al M. Best, Henry J. Temple, Philip S. Richards, Alllison Carey, Laurie K. Mccauley

Periodontics Publications

There are inaccuracies and inconsistencies of radiographic interpretation among clinical instructors. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if a training program could improve the accuracy and consistency of instructors’ ratings of bone loss. A total of thirty-five clinical instructors consisting of periodontal faculty (periodontists and general dentists), dental hygiene faculty, and periodontal graduate students viewed projected digitized radiographic images and quantified bone loss for twenty-five teeth into four descriptive categories. Ratings of bone loss were made immediately before (pretest) and after (post-test 1) initiation of the training program and then again three months later (post-test 2). Ratings were …

Survival Analysis Of Complete Veneer Crowns Vs. Multisurface Restorations: A Dental School Patient Population, Charles E. Janus, John W. Unger, Al M. Best

Prosthodontics Publications

The purpose of this study was to compare the longevity of crowns versus large multisurface restorations in posterior teeth. The investigation used the treatment database at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry. The inclusion criteria for the final data set used for analysis were: only one restored tooth per patient, premolars with three or more restored surfaces, molars with four or more restored surfaces, molars and premolars restored with complete veneer metal crowns, or crowns veneered with metal and porcelain. The Kaplan-Meier approach was used to visualize the survival curves, and the Cox proportional hazards model was used for analysis …

Accuracy And Consistency Of Radiographic Interpretation Among Clinical Instructors Using Two Viewing Systems, Sharon K. Lanning, Al M. Best, Henry J. Temple, Philip S. Richards, Alllison Carey, Laurie K. Mccauley

Periodontics Publications

Accurate and consistent radiographic interpretation among clinical instructors is needed for assessment of teaching, student performance, and patient care. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if the method of radiographic viewing affects accuracy and consistency of instructors’ determinations of bone loss. Forty-one clinicians who provide instruction in a dental school clinical teaching program (including periodontists, general dentists, periodontal graduate students, and dental hygienists) quantified bone loss for up to twenty-five teeth into four descriptive categories using a view box for plain film viewing or a projection system for digitized image viewing. Ratings were compared to the correct category …

The Shepherd’S Center Of Richmond: Opportunities For Meaning And Personal Growth Through Service, Linda Frank

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. To inform Virginians about The Shepherd’s Center of Richmond, a non-profit service organization by, with, and for older adults.

2. To demonstrate the impact of volunteer service as a means to finding a sense of meaning and purpose in later life.

Metro Richmond Latino Health Services & Resource Guide – 2006, Virginia Commonwealth University

2006 Latino Health Summit

This Guide was produced by the VCU Institute for Women’s Health, VCU Center on Health Disparities, and CLAS Act Virginia as a resource for the fall 2006 Latino Health Summit: Latino Cultures and Beliefs in Health Care. The purpose of this Guide is to provide a practical tool for community health care professionals to use in their work by assisting in cataloguing key provider and patient resources and services. The guide will be posted on the VCU Institute for Women’s Health and VCU Center on Health Disparities websites, which will be updated on a regular basis.

Variation In Periodontal Diagnosis And Treatment Planning Among Clinical Instructors, Sharon K. Lanning, Scott D. Pelok, Brent C. Willians, Philip S. Richards, David P. Sarment, Tae-Ju Oh, Laurie K. Mccauley

Periodontics Publications

Consistency in clinical decision making may be necessary for reliable assessment of student performance and teaching effectiveness, yet little has been done to examine variation in periodontal diagnosis and treatment planning among dental school faculty. The purpose of this investigation was to examine variation among faculty in diagnosis and management of common periodontal diseases. Twenty-seven clinical instructors (periodontists, general dentists, dental hygienists, and first- and second-year periodontal graduate students) reviewed three web-based cases and answered a brief questionnaire focusing on radiographic interpretation, periodontal diagnosis, and treatment planning. Response rates for the three cases ranged from 62 percent to 70 percent. …

Equivalence Study Of A Dental Anatomy Computer-Assisted Learning Program, Russell E. Bogacki, Al M. Best, Louis M. Abbey

Periodontics Publications

Tooth Morphology is a computer-assisted learning program designed to teach the anatomy of the adult dentition. The purpose of this study was to test whether Tooth Morphology could teach dental anatomy to first-year dental students as well as the traditional lecture. A randomized controlled trial was performed with forty-five first-year dental students. The students were randomly assigned to either the Tooth Morphology group (n=23), which used the computer-assisted learning program and did not attend lecture, or the lecture group (n=22), which attended the traditional lecture and did not useTooth Morphology. The Tooth Morphology group had a final exam …

Case Studies For Dentistry®: Development Of A Tool To Author Interactive, Multimedia, Computer-Based Patient Simulations, Louis M. Abbey, Pamela Arnold, Lucy Halunko, Mary Beth Huneke, Stacie Lee

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Publications

Computer-based patient simulations have been used to enhance the dental curriculum since the 1980s. This article describes the development of CASE STUDIES for Dentistry (CSD), a patient case simulation building template, developed at Virginia Commonwealth University, with which authors who have no programming expertise can create realistic, effective, interactive multimedia patient simulations by entering their own information and images into a straightforward, fill in the blanks interface. This program was written with Authorware, by Macromedia Inc. Design considerations included emphasis on information collection and analysis, synthesis of collected information, hypothesis proposal and testing, diagnosis, and treatment planning. The program consists …

Factors Considered By New Faculty In Their Decision To Choose Careers In Academic Dentistry, Harvey A. Schenkein, Al M. Best

Periodontics Publications

To determine the characteristics of new dental faculty and what factors influenced them to choose academic careers, a survey was sent to deans at all U.S. dental schools to be distributed to faculty with length of service of four years or less. Responses were received from 240 individuals. About half of the respondents had been in private practice for an average of eight years, and 20 percent had military experience averaging almost sixteen years. A majority had postgraduate training and 60 percent had specialty training. Nearly 32 percent of new faculty were female and 80 percent were U.S. citizens. Analyses …