Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Comparative Analysis Of Longevity And Stress Resiliency Benefits Of Supplementation With High-Antioxidative Capacity Juices In Organisms That Are Representative Of Humans, Meghan Long

Honors Scholar Theses

Neurodegenerative disease presents itself in a complex array of illnesses that is increasingly affecting the geriatric population. There has not been research on a common cause since there are a culmination of reasons that are probable ranging from genetic to environmental factors. Antioxidants have been known to prevent and protect against the damage that is otherwise caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Thus, high-capacity antioxidant juices supplemented into the diet of animal models such as Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, rats, and humans will allow for the study of the possible benefits.

Although a conclusion and common causation on the usage …

Wellness Through Answers News V.35:No.4 September-October 2020, Wendy Urciuoli

Articles - Patient Care

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Location On Healthcare Access For Individuals With Disabilities, Addison Kimber

Honors Scholar Theses

This paper analyzes healthcare access for individuals with disabilities living in rural areas. In current political discussion, we typically think of insurance coverage as the metric to analyze healthcare access. However, as demonstrated by studies of healthcare in the United Kingdom, people with disabilities continue to face barriers to health care even with universal healthcare systems. In particular, individuals in rural areas have less healthcare access than urban residents. This is due to factors including socioeconomic status, insurance coverage, access to competent care, and transportation. This study aims to understand if disability status exacerbates the issue of access in rural …

Preparing Future Health Care Workers: An Assessment Of Undergraduate Student Integrative Pre-Health Education, Haley Bevza Brennan, Pamela Erickson

Undergraduate Papers

This paper analyzes the current state of, and demand for, integrative pre-health education in the undergraduate setting, specifically at the University of Connecticut. Students’ knowledge of, exposure to, and attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are assessed through a web-based survey and semi-structured interviews. This paper compares this research with surveys conducted in undergraduate, medical school, and medical professional settings to gauge current efforts to provide a more holistic approach to educating health care workers in subjects such as mind-body therapies, lifestyle contributors to health such as diet and exercise, culturally competent care, and therapeutic techniques outside of the …

Distribution And Localization Of Novel Iodine Nanoparticles In The Human Glioma 1242 Growing In The Brains Of Mice, Benjamin Billings

Honors Scholar Theses

Observing and designing the in vivo distribution and localization of therapeutic nanoparticles is an essential aspect of developing and understanding novel nanoparticle- based medical treatments. This study investigates novel PEGylated Iodine-based nanoparticles (INPs), an alternate composition to the more widely researched gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), which may help avoid adverse effects associated with AuNPs, such as potential toxicity and skin discoloration, when used in similar applications. Determining the localization of the novel INPs within murine brains containing human glioma U-1242MG cells is critical in assisting the development of radiation dose enhancement therapy for this aggressive cancer. Radiation dose enhancement utilizes the …

Effectiveness Of Co-Payment Policies In The Correctional Healthcare Setting: A Review Of Literature, Andrew L. Glick, Megan Ehret, Valori Banfi, Deborah Shelton

Journal for Evidence-based Practice in Correctional Health

Objective: To investigate the effects co-payment policies in the correctional health environment on access and utilization of healthcare services, cost-effectiveness of care, and health outcomes. Methodology: A literature search yielded 97 articles, 15 duplicates were eliminated. Thirty-three additional articles not in peer review journals were eliminated; 40 were eliminated because they did not focus on the research question and four were eliminated because they did not adequately present their data. A decision was made to retain the four quantitative studies in the review, and to utilize the single qualitative study to support conclusions and, or the discussion section. The Reporting …

Healthnet News V.32:No.2 March-April 2017, Wendy Urciuoli

Articles - Patient Care

Linking Connecticut Patients and Families to Reliable Health Information

Contribution Of Probiotics Streptococcus Salivarius Strains K12 And M18 To Oral Health In Humans: A Review, Turner A. Stowik

Honors Scholar Theses

The overgrowth and disequilibrium of pathogenic microorganism species both native and non-native to the oral cavity can manifest into a variety of different oral diseases, pathologies, and afflictions in humans, including dental caries, gingivitis, pharyngitis, halitosis, and oral candidiasis. Two bacterial strains with clinically-significant probiotic applications in curtailing the pathogenic bacterial growth involved in these conditions are Streptococcus salivarius strain K12 and Streptococcus salivarius strain M18. To summarize the most up-to-date in vitro, in vivo, and clinical research findings, administration of these S. salivarius strains typically in the form of probiotic lozenges results in colonization, reduction in inflammatory measures, …

Healthnet News V.30:No.3 Summer 2015, Wendy Urciuoli

Articles - Patient Care

No abstract provided.

Oscillatory Activity In The Subthalamic Nucleus And Motor Cortex In A Pharmacological Model Of Parkinsonian Tremor, Aileen F. Haque

Honors Scholar Theses

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a motor disorder with symptoms including resting tremor, akinesia, bradykinesia, and rigidity. A major neuropathological feature of PD is degeneration of nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) neurons. The resulting DA depletions lead to the production of severe motor deficits. Pharmacological agents that reduce DA transmission can also induce these motor abnormalities. In addition to the involvement of DA, drugs acting on acetylcholine, namely cholinomimetics, can induce or exacerbate Parkinsonian symptoms. In humans, one of the main motor symptoms associated with PD is resting tremor, occurring at a frequency of 3-7 Hz. This can be modeled in rodents using …

Biphasic Effects Of Fgf2 On Odontoblast Differentiation Involve Changes In The Bmp And Wnt Signaling Pathways, Karen Sagomonyants, Mina Mina

UCHC Articles - Research

Odontoblast differentiation during physiological and reparative dentinogenesis is dependent upon multiple signaling molecules, including Fibroblast Growth Factors (FGFs), Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) and Wingless/Integrated (Wnt) ligands. Recent studies in our laboratory showed that continuous exposure of primary dental pulp cultures to FGF2 exerted biphasic effects on the expression of markers of dentinogenesis. In the present study we examined the possible involvement of the BMP and Wnt signaling pathways in mediating the effects of FGF2 on dental pulp cells. Our results showed that stimulatory effects of FGF2 on dentinogenesis during the proliferation phase of growth were associated with increased expression of …

Non-Surgical And Supportive Periodontal Therapy: Predictors Of Compliance, Efthimia Effie Ioannidou

UCHC Articles - Research

Aim

To identify predictors of compliance during non-surgical and supportive periodontal therapy (SPT).

Materials and Methods

In this retrospective study, demographic, dental, medical data of 427 new patients in a private practice were collected. Data were analysed in statistical models with non-surgical therapy and SPT compliance used as dependent variables.

Results

Of the 427 patients, 17.3% never agreed to initial therapy, 10.7% never completed therapy and 20.8% completed treatment, but never entered SPT. Of the 218 SPT patients, 56% became non-attenders after a period of 20 months, 33% were erratic attenders and 10.5% were regular attenders until the end of …

Tooth Loss Strongly Associates With Malnutrition In Chronic Kidney Disease, Efthimia Effie Ioannidou, Helen Swede

UCHC Articles - Research

Background

In chronic kidney disease (CKD), inadequate nutritional intake, inflammation, and increased oxidative stress have been the major contributing factors in malnutrition pathogenesis. However, there is still a paucity of evidence assessing the magnitude of the effect of tooth loss on malnutrition in CKD populations. The authors hypothesize that among patients with CKD, tooth loss may affect nutritional status, using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1988 to 1994 (NHANES III).

Methods

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated based on cystatin C levels using the relevant equation. Urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (albuminuria) was calculated in milligrams per gram with a …

Theta Dynamics In Rat: Speed And Acceleration Across The Septotemporal Axis, Lauren L. Long, James R. Hinman, Chi-Ming Chen, Monty A. Escabi, James J. Chrobak

Open Access Author Fund Awardees' Articles

Theta (6–12 Hz) rhythmicity in the local field potential (LFP) reflects a clocking mechanism that brings physically isolated neurons together in time, allowing for the integration and segregation of distributed cell assemblies. Variation in the theta signal has been linked to locomotor speed, sensorimotor integration as well as cognitive processing. Previously, we have characterized the relationship between locomotor speed and theta power and how that relationship varies across the septotemporal (long) axis of the hippocampus (HPC). The current study investigated the relationship between whole body acceleration, deceleration and theta indices at CA1 and dentate gyrus (DG) sites along the septotemporal …

Theta And Learning: Dorsal And Ventral Hippocampal Theta Oscillation Respond Differently To Learning, Gregory N. Newman

Honors Scholar Theses

Rhythmic oscillations within the hippocampus are thought to synchronize various subregions during learning, maximizing efficiency of the neural circuits. In rats, the most prominent oscillation is hippocampal theta. Theta is known to be modulated by an animal’s velocity, but it has also been shown to change in response to cognitive demands. To determine if theta is important for learning and memory, EEG recordings were examined for changes in theta related to the decision point of a spatial or non-spatial T-maze task. Additionally, a straight runway served as a control to verify the consistent relationship between velocity and theta during a …

Lineage Tracing Of Resident Tendon Progenitor Cells During Growth And Natural Healing, Nathaniel A. Dyment, Yusuke Hagiwara, Brya G. Matthews, Yingcui Li, Ivo Kalajzic, David W. Rowe

Open Access Author Fund Awardees' Articles

Unlike during embryogenesis, the identity of tissue resident progenitor cells that contribute to postnatal tendon growth and natural healing is poorly characterized. Therefore, we utilized 1) an inducible Cre driven by alpha smooth muscle actin (SMACreERT2), that identifies mesenchymal progenitors, 2) a constitutively active Cre driven by growth and differentiation factor 5 (GDF5Cre), a critical regulator of joint condensation, in combination with 3) an Ai9 Cre reporter to permanently label SMA9 and GDF5-9 populations and their progeny. In growing mice, SMA9 cells were found in peritendinous structures and scleraxis-positive (ScxGFP) cells within the tendon midsubstance and myotendinous junction. The progenitors …

Preosteocytes/Osteocytes Have The Potential To Dedifferentiate Becoming A Source Of Osteoblasts, Elena Torreggiani, Brya G. Matthews, Slavica Pejda, Igor Matic, Danka Grcevic, Mark C. Horowitz, Ivo Kalajzic

UCHC Articles - Research

Presently there is no clear evidence for the ability of mature osteogenic lineage cells to dedifferentiate. In order to identify and trace mature osteogenic lineage cells, we have utilized transgenic mouse models in which the dentin matrix protein 1 (Dmp1) promoter drives expression of GFP (active marker) or Cre recombinase (historic label) in preosteocytes/osteocytes. In long bone chip outgrowth cultures, in which cells on the bone surface were enzymatically removed, cells with previous activity of the Dmp1 promoter migrated onto plastic and down-regulated Dmp1-GFP expression. Dmp1Cre-labeled cells from these cultures had the potential to re-differentiate into the osteogenic lineage, while …

Utilization Of Transgenic Models In Evaluation Of Osteogenic Differentiation Of Embryonic Stem Cells, Dario Repic, Elena Torreggiani, Tiziana Franceschetti, Brya G. Matthews, Alexander C. Lichtler, Ivo Kalajzic

UCHC Articles - Research

Previous studies reported that embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can be induced to differentiate into cells showing a mature osteoblastic phenotype by culturing them under osteo-inductive conditions. It is probable that osteogenic differentiation requires that ESCs undergo differentiation through an intermediary step involving a mesenchymal lineage precursor. Based on our previous studies indicating that adult mesenchymal progenitor cells express αSMA, we have generated ESCs from transgenic mice in which an αSMA promoter directs the expression of red fluorescent protein (RFP) to mesenchymal progenitor cells. To track the transition of ESC-derived MSCs into mature osteoblasts, we have utilized a bone-specific fragment of …

Healthnet News V.28:No.2 Summer 2013, Judith S. Kronick, Alberta Richetelle

Articles - Patient Care

A newsletter for public librarians and others interested in consumer health information services.

Novel Space Alters Theta And Gamma Synchrony Across The Longitudinal Axis Of The Hippocampus., Stephanie C. Penley, James R. Hinman, Lauren L. Long, Etan J. Markus, Monty A. Escabí, James J. Chrobak

Open Access Author Fund Awardees' Articles

Hippocampal theta (6–10 Hz) and gamma (25–50 Hz and 65–100 Hz) local field potentials (LFPs) reflect the dynamic synchronization evoked by inputs impinging upon hippocampal neurons. Novel experience is known to engage hippocampal physiology and promote successful encoding. Does novelty synchronize or desynchronize theta and/or gamma frequency inputs across the septotemporal (long) axis of the hippocampus (HPC)? The present study tested the hypothesis that a novel spatial environment would alter theta power and coherence across the long axis. We compared theta and gamma LFP signals at individual (power) and millimeter distant electrode pairs (coherence) within the dentate gyrus (DG) and …

Subtelomeric Hotspots Of Aberrant 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine-Mediated Epigenetic Modifications During Reprogramming To Pluripotency, Stormy J. Chamberlain, I-Ping Chen

UCHC Articles - Research

Mammalian somatic cells can be directly reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by introducing defined sets of transcription factors. Somatic cell reprogramming involves epigenomic reconfiguration, conferring iPSCs with characteristics similar to embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Human ES cells contain 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), which is generated through the oxidation of 5-methylcytosine by the TET enzyme family. Here we show that 5hmC levels increase significantly during reprogramming to human iPSCs mainly due to TET1 activation, and this hydroxymethylation change is critical for optimal epigenetic reprogramming, but does not compromise primed pluripotency. Compared with hES cells, we find iPS cells tend to form …

Healthnet News V.28:No.4 Winter 2013, Judith S. Kronick, Alberta Richetelle

Articles - Patient Care

A newsletter for public librarians and others interested in consumer health information services.

Retrospective Study Of Microorganisms Associated With Vascular Access Infections In Hemodialysis Patients, Andre A. Kaplan, Richard S. Feinn, Rajesh V. Lalla

UCHC Articles - Research

Objective

To assess microorganisms associated with vascular access-associated infections (VAIs) in hemodialysis patients, with respect to possible origin from the mouth.

Study Design

A retrospective and comparative analysis of the microbes associated with VAI in hemodialysis patients treated during a 10-year period was performed using the Human Oral Microbiome Database (HOMD).

Results

Of 218 patient records identified, 65 patients collectively experienced 115 VAI episodes. The most common microorganisms involved were Staphylococcus aureus (49.6% of infections), Staphylococcus epidermidis (10.4%), Serratia marcescens (10.4%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.6%), and Enterococcus faecalis / fecum (8.7%). None of these was found in 1% or more of …

An Opportunity For Diagonal Development In Global Surgery: Cleft Lip And Palate Care In Resource-Limited Settings, Christopher D. Hughes

Articles - Patient Care

Global cleft surgery missions have provided much-needed care to millions of poor patients worldwide. Still, surgical capacity in low- and middle-income countries is generally inadequate. Through surgical missions, global cleft care has largely ascribed to a vertical model of healthcare delivery, which is disease specific, and tends to deliver services parallel to, but not necessarily within, the local healthcare system. The vertical model has been used to address infectious diseases as well as humanitarian emergencies. By contrast, a horizontal model for healthcare delivery tends to focus on long-term investments in public health infrastructure and human capital and has less often …

Cicats Brochure 2012

Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (CICATS)

The scientific mission of CICATS is to promote clinical and translational research of medical relevance applicable to the community. For this purpose, CICATS will:

Expedite the translation of new discoveries and foster clinical & translational research

Educate and mentor new scientists

Work collaboratively to reduce health care disparities

Looking In The Mouth For Noninvasive Gene Expression-Based Methods To Detect Oral, Oropharyngeal, And Systemic Cancer, Alexander J. Adami

UCHC Articles - Research

Noninvasive diagnosis, whether by sampling body fluids, body scans, or other technique, has the potential to simplify early cancer detection. A classic example is Pap smear screening, which has helped to reduce cervical cancer 75% over the last 50 years. No test is error-free; the real concern is sufficient accuracy combined with ease of use. This paper will discuss methods that measure gene expression or epigenetic markers in oral cells or saliva to diagnose oral and pharyngeal cancers, without requiring surgical biopsy. Evidence for lung and other distal cancer detection is also reviewed.

A Qualitative Study Of Barriers To Dental Care Among Older Minority Adults Residing In Lower Income Communities, Demetress Davis

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to explore factors that presented barriers to the use of dental care among low-income minority older adults. Participants were recruited from low-income senior housing in Hartford, CT. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain data on demographics, oral health status, oral health knowledge and factors that affected use of dental care including finances, perceived oral symptoms, cultural factors, and beliefs about dental care. Interviews were conducted with 17 participants. The major perceived barriers were ability to pay for care, transportation and fear/mistrust of the dentist. Participants may have had poor oral health as …

Immediate Versus Delayed Loading Of Two Implants Supporting A Locator Retained Mandibular Overdenture. A Randomized Controlled Study., Sejal R. Thacker

Master's Theses

The aim of this study was to evaluate immediate versus delayed loading of two implants, six months post-surgery, supporting a locator retained mandibular overdenture. The objective was to evaluate implant bone remodelling using radiographic bone level changes (RBL) as the variable, from baseline to six months, between the test and the control groups. The secondary objectives included (1) evaluation of implant survival, (2) nature and frequency of surgical and prosthetic complications, and (3) correlation of implant length and insertion torque on RBL.

Eligible patients were randomized into test (immediate loading) and control group (delayed loading). Five patients were allocated to …

Three-Dimensional Force Systems Produced By Vertical V-Bends In An Arch Wire, Raja Shah

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Virtual Three-Dimensional Analysis Of Dimensional Accuracy Of Dental Master Die Models Created By The Iterotm Electronic Impression Device And Those Made From A Polyvinyl Siloxane Impression Material, Polina P. Shcherbatov

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.