Digital Commons Network^™

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, …

Blockade Of Electron Transport At The Onset Of Reperfusion Decreases Cardiac Injury In Aged Hearts By Protecting The Inner Mitochondrial Membrane, Qun Chen, Thomas Ross, Ying Hu, Edward J. Lesnefsky

Internal Medicine Publications

Myocardial injury is increased in the aged heart following ischemia-reperfusion (ISC-REP) compared to adult hearts. Intervention at REP with ischemic postconditioning decreases injury in the adult heart by attenuating mitochondrial driven cell injury. Unfortunately, postconditioning is ineffective in aged hearts. Blockade of electron transport at the onset of REP with the reversible inhibitor amobarbital (AMO) decreases injury in adult hearts. We tested if AMO treatment at REP protects the aged heart via preservation of mitochondrial integrity. Buffer-perfused elderly Fischer 344 24 mo. rat hearts underwent 25 min global ISC and 30 min REP. AMO (2.5 mM) or vehicle was given …

We Are Family: When Elder Abuse, Neglect, And Financial Exploitation Hit Home, Jeannie J. Beidler

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. To describe a case, from discovery to prosecution, of familial abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation.

2. To demonstrate gaps in elder care policy.

3. To share my experience in order to help protect the vulnerable older adults.

Virginia Commonwealth University Undergraduate Bulletin [2012], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Undergraduate bulletin for Virginia Commonwealth University for the academic year 2012-2013. It includes information on academic regulations, degree requirements, course offerings, faculty, academic calendar, and tuition and expenses for undergraduate programs.

Service-Learning In English Language Courses, Audrey Short, Susan Dudley, Lynn Pelco

Division of Community Engagement Resources

No abstract provided.

Natural Disasters And Older Adults: The Social Construction Of Disaster Planning, Elizabeth Fugate-Whitlock

Theses and Dissertations

Examining older adults’ experiences with and response toward hurricanes within the context of the community of residence is key to both understanding their experiences and planning for future hurricanes. Specific to this research, the objective was to understand the current social network of older adults, or who provides care for whom under what circumstances, using the social constructionist perspective. Grounded theory combined with action research was the theoretical orientation guiding the study. Sources of data included the collection of household disaster plans, semi-structured interviews with older adult residents of housing authority neighborhoods, semi-structured interviews with community planners, and observation of …

The Professional Identity Development Of Gerontologists: An Experiential Learning Approach, Tracey Gendron

Theses and Dissertations

Professional identity is a complex construct that describes how an individual develops a sense of self-concept within a chosen profession. Professional identity refers to a self definition within a professional role based on attributes, beliefs, values, motives, and experiences (Ibarra, 1999). This study explored the relationships between the professional identity of gerontology graduates and age, career stage, student typology, occupation, and value of experiential learning both quantitatively and qualitatively. Survey results indicate that experiential learning opportunities provide a framework for all gerontology students to gain and apply the skills and knowledge necessary for professional identity development in the field of …

Organizational Culture And Partnership Process: A Grounded Theory Study Of Community-Campus Partnerships, Kready Sharon Foreman

Theses and Dissertations

Community engagement initiatives have experienced an increase in attention, appreciation, and participation among those in academic, nonprofit, and other community-based organizations over the past two decades. The purpose of this study is to explore the meanings of community-campus partnerships among stakeholders in the community and in academia towards the goal of generating a theory grounded in these data that will concomitantly contribute to the social work profession and the community engagement movement. Using as its foundation the shared interest among the social work profession and the community engagement movement on values and ethics, this study utilizes a traditional grounded theory …

Baby Boomers And Stereotypes, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

With age we become more and more like ourselves. This would mean millions and millions of individual Baby Boomers, each with his or her own characteristics and life trajectory. Stereotyping would, therefore, be wrong, but it is happening.

Virginia Commonwealth University Undergraduate Bulletin [2011], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Undergraduate bulletin for Virginia Commonwealth University for the academic year 2011-2012. It includes information on academic regulations, degree requirements, course offerings, faculty, academic calendar, and tuition and expenses for undergraduate programs.

Virginia Commonwealth University Fall Commencement Program [2011], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

The Cultural Context Of Alzheimer’S Disease: The Impact Of Perception And Knowledge On Willingness To Seek Medcial [I.E., Medical] Help Among Ghanaian Immigrants In The United States., Olivia Owusu-Boakyewaah

Theses and Dissertations

This correlational study explored the knowledge, perceived seriousness, and willingness to seek medical help for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) among Ghanaian Immigrants currently residing in the Unites States. Study participants were 163 Ghanaian Immigrants between the ages of 45 and 90, attending Ghanaian community churches in Virginia and Maryland. Significant results include a positive correlation between knowledge and perceived seriousness of the disease, perceived seriousness of the disease was negatively correlated with caregiving experience. These results as well as several seemingly counterintuitive findings are discussed in terms of the Health Disparities and Psychometric challenges. Specifically, these results points to the necessity …

The Decision Making Process Of Informal Caregivers Of Dementia Family Members Regarding Nursing Home Placement, Rebecca Merritt

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the decision making process of caregivers placing their elderly family members in a nursing home facility. Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) was used, as well as the Critical Incident Technique (CIT). ELT was utilized in an effort to understand the learning that took place during the caregiving experiences, and CIT was used to better understand the critical incidents that led the caregivers to seek nursing home placement. A sample of twelve former informal dementia caregivers between the ages of fifty-seven and eighty-seven was drawn from the metropolitan Richmond, Virginia area. In-depth interviews were …

Commonwealth Times 2010-09-23

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Geropsychiatric Nursing Staff: The Role Of Empowerment, Geriatric Caregiving Self-Efficacy, And Emotional Labor At Work, Ann Smolen-Hetzel

Theses and Dissertations

The current research examined the influence of the emotional labor strategies of faking emotion and suppression of emotion, empowerment, and geriatric caregiving self-efficacy on the relationship between work stress and emotional exhaustion—one dimension of burnout—for a sample of nursing staff members employed in a state-level geriatric psychiatric hospital. The total sample included 79 participants, which included registered nurses (n = 15), licensed practical nurses (n = 23) , and human service care workers (n = 41) who completed the Stress in General scale (Stanton, Balzer, Smith, Parra, & Ironson, 2001), Maslach Burnout Inventory (Human Services Survey; Maslach, Jackson & Leiter, …

Chemotherapy In Conjoint Aging-Tumor Systems: Some Simple Models For Addressing Coupled Aging-Cancer Dynamics, Mitra S. Feizabadi, Tarynn M. Witten

Study of Biological Complexity Publications

Background

In this paper we consider two approaches to examining the complex dynamics of conjoint aging-cancer cellular systems undergoing chemotherapeutic intervention. In particular, we focus on the effect of cells growing conjointly in a culture plate as a precursor to considering the larger multi-dimensional models of such systems. Tumor cell growth is considered from both the logistic and the Gompertzian case, while normal cell growth of fibroblasts (WI-38 human diploid fibroblasts) is considered as logistic only.

Results

We demonstrate, in a simple approach, how the interdependency of different cell types in a tumor, together with specifications of for treatment, can …

Increased Interleukin-6 Activity Associated With Painful Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy In Women After Breast Cancer Treatment, Angela R. Starkweather

School of Nursing Publications

Accumulating evidence suggests that neural-immune interactions are involved in the development of painful chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, particularly through the increased release of proinflammatory cytokines. The purpose of this study was used to evaluate levels of interleukin [IL]-6 and IL-6 receptors in women with breast cancer after the conclusion of chemotherapy who either had painful symptoms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN group, ) or did not experience CIPN symptoms (Comparison group, ). CIPN participants had significantly higher levels of IL-6 and soluble IL-6R (sIL-6R) compared to women without CIPN symptoms ( for both). In addition, soluble gp130, which blocks the IL-6/sIL-6R …

Aging And The Behavioral Problems Of Brain Injury, Paul F. Aravich, Marylin Copeland

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. List the various classes of brain injury.

2. Identify cognitive and emotional problems as among the most common and disabling complications of brain injury.

3. Assess challenges to successful aging with a brain injury.

4. Examine the consequences of inadequate systems of care for the challenging behaviors produced by brain injury.

Virginia Commonwealth University Undergraduate Bulletin [2010], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Undergraduate bulletin for Virginia Commonwealth University for the academic year 2010-2011. It includes information on academic regulations, degree requirements, course offerings, faculty, academic calendar, and tuition and expenses for undergraduate programs.

Long-Term Fish Oil Supplementation Induces Cardiac Electrical Remodeling By Changing Channel Protein Expression In The Rabbit Model, Xulin Xu, Min Jiang, Yuhong Wang, Timothy Smith, Clive M. Baumgarten, Mark A. Wood, Gea-Ny Tseng

Physiology and Biophysics Publications and Presentations

Clinical trials and epidemiological studies have suggested that dietary fish oil (FO) supplementation can provide an anti-arrhythmic benefit in some patient populations. The underlying mechanisms are not entirely clear. We wanted to understand how FO supplementation (for 4 weeks) affected the action potential configuration/duration of ventricular myocytes, and the ionic mechanism(s)/molecular basis for these effects. The experiments were conducted on adult rabbits, a widely used animal model for cardiac electrophysiology and pathophysiology. We used gas chromatography - mass spectroscopy to confirm that FO feeding produced a marked increase in the content of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the phospholipids of …

Nursing Home Organizational Characteristics And Utilization Of Cancer-Related Medical Services, Chun-Chieh Lin

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S and is more common among the elderly. Since frailty and other age related conditions put the elderly at risk for nursing home care, nursing homes may be the site of care and death for many elderly cancer patients. However, there is a large gap in knowledge concerning cancer treatment of elderly nursing home residents. Since residents rely heavily on their nursing facilities, nursing homes might influence them in their treatment decisions. After controlling for resident and nursing home market characteristics, this study applies Andersen’s Behavioral Model to examine whether …

The Effects Of Pet Ownership On Physical Well-Being In Older Adults, Tami Pohnert

Theses and Dissertations

A large percentage of Americans own pets which may impact their health. This study examines pet ownership’s effect on well being in older adults looking at race/ethnicity. A sample of 6,565 older adults (>60) was selected from the Third National Health and Nutrition Survey. Pet owners comprised 28.3% of the sample. The theories of symbolic interaction and social integration were used to examine pet ownership’s effect on physical components of well-being. The descriptive results showed statistically significant differences in age, education, income, and marital status between pet owners and non-pet owners. Pet owners were younger, more educate, higher income …

Commonwealth Times 2009-09-14

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

The Scarab (2009-09)

The Scarab, 1952-2010

From the cover: "Official Organ of the Alumni Association of the Medical College of Virginia."

To Evaluate The Level Of Agreement Between Two Self-Reported Medication Adherence Scales And Prescription Refill Records In Older Adults, Priyanka Kakad

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To evaluate the level of agreement between two self-reported medication adherence scales and prescription refill records in older adults. Design: Cross-sectional study Setting: Imperial Plaza; a retirement community located in Richmond, Virginia. Participants: 32 independent-living older adults, taking anti-hypertensive medications and filling their prescriptions at on-site Plaza Professional Pharmacy were recruited in the study. Methods: Participants’ 6 months refill records were obtained and Medication Possession Ration (MPR) was calculated. Participants were interviewed using Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS) & Brief Medication Questionnaire (BMQ). Kappa statistics was used to evaluate the level of agreement. Results: Poor level of agreement was …

The Scarab (2009-06)

The Scarab, 1952-2010

From the cover: "Official Organ of the Alumni Association of the Medical College of Virginia."

Blanche Dubois Geriatrics, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

While the numbers of older adults are growing and the leading edge of the Baby Boom is in its 60s, aging-related education, service, and practice are far from burgeoning. We look forward to continuing Virginia's Geriatric Training and Education program, which produces geriatrically or gerontologically trained physicians, nurses, pharmacists, therapists, recreators, and social workers.

My Passage To India, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

Different cultures select different "colors" from the curriculum palette in painting the experience of aging as they see it. Aging is a construct, experienced amid and influenced by the norms, limitations, expectations, and horizons around us.

Virginia's Money Follows The Person Demonstration, Jason A. Rachel, Karen Lawson

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Describe Virginia's Money Follows the Person Demonstration project, including the new services available to individuals through Virginia's Medicaid-funded home and community-based waiver program.

2. Explain how Virginia's Money Follows the Person Demonstration project, being administered by the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS), would assist an individual in transitioning from a long-term care facility to the community.

3. Illustrate how someone might experience the MFP processes from pre-transition through post-transition.

Virginia Commonwealth University Undergraduate Bulletin [2009], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Undergraduate bulletin for Virginia Commonwealth University for the academic year 2009-2010. It includes information on academic regulations, degree requirements, course offerings, faculty, academic calendar, and tuition and expenses for undergraduate programs.