Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Uconn School Of Medicine Dean's Newsletter, Fall 2010, Cato T. Laurencin

Annual Reports - Education

From the earliest days of my career in orthopaedic surgery and chemical engineering, I have been fascinated with the prospect of regrowing bone and connective tissue to help patients regain mobility. It is now my privilege to be leading teams of scientists not only in my own lab but throughout the UConn Health Center who are pursuing promising research in this area. This includes Dr. David Rowe who has devoted most of his career to the study of osteogenesis imperfecta and is now pioneering new approaches for bone and tissue regeneration through the use of adult and embryonic stem cells. …

Dentoskeletal And Soft Tissue Treatment Effects Of Two Different Methods For Treating Class Ii Malocclusions., Madhur Upadhyay

Master's Theses

Objectives: Moderate to severe Class II malocclusions can not only cause esthetic and functional problems but can also lead to psychological problems of varying intensity depending on the amount of anterior-posterior discrepancy and its interaction with the related soft tissue structures. Although there are several methods of treating such malocclusions (extractions,distalization,functional appliances etc), the final goal is always to provide acceptable esthetics and stability. The purpose of this clinical-cephalometric study was to examine the dentoskeletal and soft tissue treatment effects of maxillary anterior teeth retraction with mini-implant (MI) anchorage in young adults having Class II Division I malocclusion undergoing extraction …

Dental Hypotheses: Seeks To Publish Hypotheses From All Areas Of Dentistry, Edward F. Rossomando

UCHC Articles - Research

Starting a new open access journal in a rapid growing scientific panorama is a severe challenge. However, the first issue of dental hypotheses is now history and the even skeptics can appreciate that dental hypotheses is a success - it is a journal of high quality that provides an outlet for publication of articles that encourage readers to question dental paradigms. But dental hypotheses readers might have noticed that the majority of the articles published in the first issue of dental hypotheses concern clinical dentistry. However, dental hypotheses editors recognize that there are many other areas in dentistry that present …

In Translation, V.1:No.1 (2010:Summer), Matthew J. Cook

UCHC Articles - Research

Momentum is Strong. Thanks for taking time to learn about some of impressive accomplishments achieved recently by the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (CICATS.) With so much momentum, it’s hard to believe it’s been less than one year since CICATS held its formal launch last fall! True to its mission and goals, CICATS is making great strides to educate and nurture new scientists and increase the number of clinical and translational research projects in the greater Hartford area.

Oral Mucositis: The New Paradigms, Rajesh V. Lalla, Douglas E. Peterson

UCHC Articles - Research

Purpose of review

Mucositis has long been viewed as an unavoidable consequence of high-dose chemotherapy and/or radiation. Management has been directed to supportive care including oral pain control, nutritional support, infection treatment and control of diarrhea. While these interventions have been valuable for clinical management, they have not been collectively directed to molecularly targeted prevention and treatment. This review addresses recent advances regarding mucosal injury in cancer patients, with emphasis on symptom clusters, genetically-based tissue susceptibility and risk prediction, imaging technology, and computational biology.

Recent findings

Modeling of symptom clusters in cancer patients continues to mature. Although integration of mucositis …

Characterization Of Stem And Progenitor Cells In The Dental Pulp Of Erupted And Unerupted Murine Molars, Anamaria Balic, Hector L. Aguila, Melissa J. Caimano, Victor P. Francone, Mina Mina

UCHC Articles - Research

In the past few years there have been significant advances in the identification of putative stem cells also referred to as “mesenchymal stem cells” (MSC) in dental tissues including the dental pulp. It is thought that MSC in dental pulp share certain similarities with MSC isolated from other tissues. However, cells in dental pulp are still poorly characterized. This study focused on the characterization of progenitor and stem cells in dental pulps of erupted and unerupted mice molars. Our study showed that dental pulps from unerupted molars contain a significant number of cells expressing CD90+/CD45-, CD117+/CD45-, Sca-1+/CD45- and little if …

The State Of The University Of Connecticut Health Center, Ankeet S. Bhatt

Honors Scholar Theses

Academic medical centers represent the integration of education, namely schools of medicine and dental medicine, research, often through a biomedical sciences graduate program, and a clinical experience, often supplied with an onsite hospital. These medical centers involve an intricate mix of individuals and personalities, making their operation a difficult and sometimes daunting task. The University of Connecticut Health Center (UCHC) financial struggles have created a new opportunity, an affiliation with Hartford Healthcare, which will equip the UCHC with a major tertiary care University Hospital. This thesis intends to provide an analysis of the challenges and potential benefits of such a …

Uconn School Of Medicine Dean's Newsletter, Spring 2010, Cato T. Laurencin

Annual Reports - Education

In the mid-90’s, the UConn School of Medicine made several innovative changes to its curriculum that emphasized the development of clinical skills and problem-based learning. One of the hallmarks of the curriculum is the Student Continuity Practice, a program that places students as early as the first month of their first year, in community-based primary care offices. For the next three years, students spend time in that office, observing and learning the nuances and art of primary care medicine.

This is part of UConn’s overall strategy to prepare graduates for all facets of medicine, including primary care. Through the years, …

Welcome To Tomorrow, Edward F. Rossomando

UCHC Articles - Research

It is always a delight to see an idea become a reality. We recognized that there was a need for a dental journal for those to publish a tentative explanation for a phenomenon, an explanation that could be used as a basis for further investigation. Early in the planning, it was necessary to address the question: Is there a need for a journal for dental hypothesis? A detailed examination of dental journals now published revealed that most if not all published research findings - this research might be in various scientific disciplines or in education but all contained results of …

Kitchen Pharmacy: Garlic For Ayurvedic Recipe, Amala Guha

SoM Articles

No abstract provided.

Uconn School Of Medicine Dean's Newsletter, Winter 2010, Cato T. Laurencin

Annual Reports - Education

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Orthodontic Tooth Movement On Osteoblast Differentiation Markers Within The Periodontal Ligament, Christopher E. Olson

SoDM Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Perceived Prognosis Of Endodontic Treatment And Implant Therapy Among Dental Practitioners, Rachel Margaret Stockhausen

SoDM Masters Theses

Little data concerning the perceived success of implant therapy in comparison with endodontic treatment exists. While the criteria used to measure the outcome of each modality are not the same, it is not clear if this is appreciated by practicing dentists. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the perceived outcome of implant therapy in comparison to endodontic treatment. A 23 question Web-based survey was distributed to 648 dentists who matriculated from the University of Connecticut School Of Dental Medicine over the past 30 years. The response rate was 47%. Sixty-seven percent of respondents were general dentists. Forty-nine percent …

Periodontal Infections, Inflammatory Markers In Chronic Kidney Disease, Eric Sanjay Choudhury

SoDM Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Externally Applied, Cyclical, Low Magnitude Forces On Orthodontic Tooth Movement In Rats, Elizabeth Clair Blake

SoDM Masters Theses

Orthodontic tooth movement requires external orthodontic forces to be converted to cellular signals that result in the coordinated removal of bone on one side of the tooth (compression side) by osteoclasts, and the formation of new bone by osteoblasts on the other side (tension side). The length of orthodontic treatment can take several years, leading to problems of caries, periodontal disease, root resorption, and patient dissatisfaction. It appears that the velocity of tooth movement is largely dependent on the rate of alveolar bone remodeling. Pharmacological approaches to increase the rate of tooth movement are limited due to patient discomfort, severe …

Epidemiological Assessment Of The Association Between Chronic Periodontitis And Psychological Distress/Major Depressive Disorder In General And Renal Populations, Dongha Oh

SoDM Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Fracture Behavior Among Different One-Stage Implants Under Cyclic Loading, Junghoon Yoo

SoDM Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Age Related Changes In Craniofacial Morphology In Gdf-8 (Myostatin) Deficient Mice, Jeffrey Miller

SoDM Articles

It is well recognized that masticatory muscle function helps determine morphology, although the extent of function on final form is still debated. GDF-8 (myostatin), a transcription factor is a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth. A recent study has shown that mice homozygous for the myostatin mutation had increased muscle mass and craniofacial dysmorphology in adulthood. However, it is unclear whether such dysmorphology is present at birth. This study examines the onset and relationship between hypermuscularity and craniofacial morphology in neonatal and adult mice with GDF-8 deficiency.

Fifteen (8 wild-type and 7 GDF-8 −/−), 1 day old and 16 (9 …

Attribution Of The Causes Of Death In People Infected With Hiv And/Or Hepatitis C In Connecticut, 2003-2007, Kristin Elizabeth Gerard

UCHC Graduate School Masters Theses 2003 - 2010

Introduction: This study examined the causes of death in Connecticut residents who were infected with hepatitis C and/or HIV/AIDS and died between 2003 and 2007. Disease surveillance and mortality data can provide important public health information that may be used to develop important public health programs, policies, or legislation. Underreporting of diseases in mortality data may lead to reduced public health funding. Background: Hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS are two potentially fatal infectious diseases that have been reportable in Connecticut since 1994 and 1981, respectively. Mortality data in Connecticut contain information about the causes of death in a deceased individual, which …

Role Of The Cyclooxygenase Pathway In Chemotherapy-Induced Oral Mucositis: A Pilot Study, Rajesh V. Lalla, Carol C. Pilbeam, Stephen J. Walsh, Stephen T. Sonis, Dorothy M. K. Keefe, Douglas E. Peterson

UCHC Articles - Research

Goals Oral mucositis can be a significant and dose-limiting complication of high-dose cancer therapy. Mucositis is a particularly severe problem in patients receiving myeloablative chemotherapy prior to bone marrow or hematopoetic stem cell transplant (HSCT). The cyclooxygenase (COX) pathway mediates tissue injury and pain through upregulation of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins, including prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostacyclin (PGI2). The objective of this small (n=3) pilot study was to examine the role of the COX pathway in causing mucosal injury and pain in chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis. Materials and methods We collected blood, saliva, and oral mucosal biopsy specimens from three autologous …

Nonlinear Oscillations In Pain Prediction Accuracy: A Dynamical Systems Approach To Understanding Daily Pain Prediction, Howard A. Tennen

UCHC Articles - Research

Dynamical systems modeling was used to analyze fluctuations in the pain prediction process of people with rheumatoid arthritis. 170 people diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis completed 29 consecutive days of diaries. Difference scores between pain predictions and next-day pain experience ratings provided a time series of pain prediction accuracy. Pain prediction accuracy oscillated over time. The oscillation amplitude was larger at the start of the diary than at the end, which indicates damping toward more accurate predictions. State-level psychological characteristics moderated the damping pattern such that the oscillations for patients with lower negative affect and higher pain control damped more quickly …