Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Re-Imagining The Experience And Study Of Aging, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

A small group of Japanese and American gerontologists have been working together toward developing a gerontology curriculum that would help people to understand the experience of aging. The group suggested adding business, information technology/communication, and education to the curriculum. The group also acknowledged that a curriculum on aging should include a way to help those of us who are not old to understand the importance for many who are old of the search for the infinite, the true self, the oneness, the spirit, or the divine, at the core of life.

Health Care Reform And Family Caregivers, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

Health care reform is in the air. Family caregivers need recognition, reinforcement, and a reliable resource of assistance. They need for the Commonwealth to recognize that they are the bedrock of long-term care. Minimizing investment in family caregivers would short circuit any serious effort to improve the health status and care of older Virginians.

Fiscal Year Retrospective, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

The Virginia Center on Aging relies on the dedication and selflessness of so many collaborating groups, agencies, and individuals to make our work for older Virginians possible. Drawing from official and informal reports from the 2006-2007 fiscal year, we thank them deeply and look forward to continuing these partnerships.

Acute And Chronic Pain Challenges For Arthritis Patients In An Acute Care Setting, Janet M. Bykowski

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Demonstrate the importance of chronic pain management in an acute care environment.

2. Discuss the special impact of co-morbidity of arthritis upon pain management intervention.

3. Provide education to clinicians, patients, and caregivers that would promote an interdisciplinary plan of care for acute and chronic concurrent pain management.

“Powerful Tools For Caregivers”: Teaching Skills That Reduce Stress And Increase Self-Confidence, Ed Rosenberg, Natasha Gouge

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Describe caregiving stress and burnout symptoms and effects experienced by older caregivers.

2. Report implementation and evaluation of the “Powerful Tools for Caregivers” workshop, which is designed to increase knowledge and skills in caring for elders and reduce caregiver stress.

3. Suggest ways to alleviate caregiver burden at both micro and macro levels.

Teens Teaching Alzheimer’S Caregivers To Become Tech- Savvy: The Power Of Community And Intergenerational Partnerships, Ann Bruner Duesing, Marilyn Pace Maxwell

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Describe a successful technology project for Alzheimer’s caregivers in rural, far southwest Virginia which recruited and trained teenagers to teach computer skills to Alzheimer’s caregivers and taught the teenagers about caregiving and the disease.

2. Identify barriers for Alzheimer’s caregivers to learning and using technology to assist and support them in their caregiving, and identify successful ways to address these barriers.

Pace: Program Of All-Inclusive Care For The Elderly, Laura R. Gadsby

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Describe the Program of Allinclusive Care for the Elderly model of care for frail seniors with chronic health care needs.

2. Demonstrate how PACE benefits providers in the delivery of services.

3. Explain how the PACE concept complements Virginia’s Long Term Care Reform, as well as initiatives to develop further the PACE program in Virginia.

Enhanced Balance Associated With Coordination Training With Stochastic Resonance Stimulation In Subjects With Functional Ankle Instability: An Experimental Trial, Scott E. Ross, Brent L. Arnold, J. Troy Blackburn, Cathleen N. Brown, Kevin M. Guskiewicz

Kinesiology and Health Sciences Publications

Background

Ankle sprains are common injuries that often lead to functional ankle instability (FAI), which is a pathology defined by sensations of instability at the ankle and recurrent ankle sprain injury. Poor postural stability has been associated with FAI, and sports medicine clinicians rehabilitate balance deficits to prevent ankle sprains. Subsensory electrical noise known as stochastic resonance (SR) stimulation has been used in conjunction with coordination training to improve dynamic postural instabilities associated with FAI. However, unlike static postural deficits, dynamic impairments have not been indicative of ankle sprain injury. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the …

Expression Pattern Of Three-Finger Toxin And Phospholipase A2 Genes In The Venom Glands Of Two Sea Snakes, Lapemis Curtus And Acalyptophis Peronii: Comparison Of Evolution Of These Toxins In Land Snakes, Sea Kraits And Sea Snakes, Susanta Pahari, David Bickford, Bryan G. Fry, R. Manjunatha Kini

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Publications

Background

Snake venom composition varies widely both among closely related species and within the same species, based on ecological variables. In terrestrial snakes, such variation has been proposed to be due to snakes' diet. Land snakes target various prey species including insects (arthropods), lizards (reptiles), frogs and toads (amphibians), birds (aves), and rodents (mammals), whereas sea snakes target a single vertebrate class (fishes) and often specialize on specific types of fish. It is therefore interesting to examine the evolution of toxins in sea snake venoms compared to that of land snakes.

Results

Here we describe the expression of toxin genes …

Linkage Analysis Of A Model Quantitative Trait In Humans: Finger Ridge Count Shows Significant Multivariate Linkage To 5q14.1, Sarah E. Medland, Danuta Z. Loesch, Bogdan Mdzewski, Gu Zhu, Grant W. Montgomery, Nicholas G. Martin

Psychiatry Publications

The finger ridge count (a measure of pattern size) is one of the most heritable complex traits studied in humans and has been considered a model human polygenic trait in quantitative genetic analysis. Here, we report the results of the first genome-wide linkage scan for finger ridge count in a sample of 2,114 offspring from 922 nuclear families. Both univariate linkage to the absolute ridge count (a sum of all the ridge counts on all ten fingers), and multivariate linkage analyses of the counts on individual fingers, were conducted. The multivariate analyses yielded significant linkage to 5q14.1 (Logarithm of odds …

Clomiphene, Metformin, Or Both For Infertility In The Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Richard S. Legro, Huiman X. Barnhart, William D. Schlaff, Bruce R. Carr, Michael P. Diamond, Sandra A. Carson, Michael P. Steinkampf, Christos Coutifaris, Peter G. Mcgovern, Nicholas A. Cataldo, Gabriella G. Gosman, John E. Nestler, Linda C. Guidice, Phyllis C. Leppert, Evan R. Myers M.P.H.

Obstetrics and Gynecology Publications

Background

The polycystic ovary syndrome is a common cause of infertility. Clomiphene and insulin sensitizers are used alone and in combination to induce ovulation, but it is unknown whether one approach is superior. Methods We randomly assigned 626 infertile women with the polycystic ovary syndrome to receive clomiphene citrate plus placebo, extended-release metformin plus placebo, or a combination of metformin and clomiphene for up to 6 months. Medication was discontinued when pregnancy was confirmed, and subjects were followed until delivery.

Results

The live-birth rate was 22.5% (47 of 209 subjects) in the clomiphene group, 7.2% (15 of 208) in the …

Application Of A Correlation Correction Factor In A Microarray Cross-Platform Reproducibility Study, Kellie J. Archer, Catherine I. Dumur, G. Scott Taylor, Michael D. Chaplin, Anthony Guiseppi-Elie, Geraldine Grant, Andrea Ferreira-Gonzalez, Carleton T. Garrett

Biostatistics Publications

Background Recent research examining cross-platform correlation of gene expression intensities has yielded mixed results. In this study, we demonstrate use of a correction factor for estimating cross-platform correlations.

Results In this paper, three technical replicate microarrays were hybridized to each of three platforms. The three platforms were then analyzed to assess both intra- and cross-platform reproducibility. We present various methods for examining intra-platform reproducibility. We also examine cross-platform reproducibility using Pearson's correlation. Additionally, we previously developed a correction factor for Pearson's correlation which is applicable when X and Y are measured with error. Herein we demonstrate that correcting for measurement …

Probing The Outer Mouth Structure Of The Herg Channel With Peptide Toxin Footprinting And Molecular Modeling, Gea-Ny Tseng, Kailas D. Sonawane, Yuliya V. Korolkova, Mei Zhang, Jie Liu, Eugene V. Grishin, H. Robert Guy

Physiology and Biophysics Publications and Presentations

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that the unusually long S5-P linker lining human ether a-go-go related gene’s (hERG’s) outer vestibule is critical for its channel function: point mutations at high-impact positions here can interfere with the inactivation process and, in many cases, also reduce the pore’s K⁺ selectivity. Because no data are available on the equivalent region in the available K channel crystal structures to allow for homology modeling, we used alternative approaches to model its three-dimensional structure. The first part of this article describes mutant cycle analysis used to identify residues on hERG’s outer vestibule that interact …

Telomerase Inhibition And Sensitization Of Breast Tumor Cells, Kennon R. Poynter

Theses and Dissertations

Telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein enzyme minimally composed of an RNA template (hTR) and a catalytically active protein subunit (hTERT), synthesizes telomeric repeats onto chromosome ends and is obligatory for continuous tumor cell proliferation, as well as malignant progression of breast cancer cells. Telomerase is an attractive anticancer therapeutic target because its activity is present in over 90% of human cancers, including more than 95% of breast carcinomas, but undetectable in most somatic cells. Traditions chemo- and radio-therapies lack the ability to effectively control and cure breast cancer, in part because residual cells are or become resistant to DNA damaging modalities.While various …

Effects Of Ankle Support On Time To Stabilization Of Subjects With Stable Ankles, Raquel Elise Martin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if prophylactic ankle tape and/or ankle braces improve dynamic stability in TTS measure. All subjects were healthy and had no prior history of ankle injuries. Data collection consisted of each subject performing a single leg jump-landing with ankle tape, ankle brace, combination of the two, and control (no tape or brace) conditions. Dynamic stability was assessed with time to stabilization force plate measure. Significant plane by ankle tape interaction (p=0.045) was found. No significant plane by ankle tape by ankle brace interaction (p=0.637), no significant ankle tape by ankle brace interaction (p=0.483), …

A Comparison Of Flexural Fracture Of Three Different Nickel-Titanium Rotary File Systems, Matthew Warren Lloyd

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the number of rotations to failure of three different rotary file systems. ProFile, Sequence, and Liberator files in sizes 25 and 40 with 0.04 taper were divided into groups of five and rotated against a grooved metal block mounted to a Universal testing machine at 31 and 34 degrees. Each file was rotated at 300 rpm until fracture occurred. The number of rotations to fracture were calculated. Use of a three-way ANOVA and Tukey's HSD multiple comparison tests revealed significant differences for the angle of deflection, size, and type of file. An …

The Utility Of Depression Screening Measures After Traumatic Brain Injury, Amy H. Riddick

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: Identifying reliable, practical and easy to use tools to assess depression in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), is a necessary first step to addressing a high incidence problem. The intention of this study is to validate depression screening measures with a criterion-based structured interview among people with TBI. The final outcome will identify which measure is the best indicator of depression diagnosis in this population. Methods: 112 participants with TBI were administered the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Neurobehavioral Functioning Inventory (NFI), The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (Ham-D), and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV TR Axis I …

The Substituted Pyrrole Jb-03-14 Induces Autophagic Cell Death And Growth Arrest In Breast Tumor Cells, Christopher Ryan Arthur

Theses and Dissertations

The use of chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer has stimulated the demand for better chemotherapeutic agents that are more potent at destroying tumor cell populations and more selective for the specific tumor versus normal host tissues. This project is directed at discovering new anti-tumor agents that are effective against breast cancer based on structures derived from marine organisms, specifically brominated pyrroles. We utilized an in vitro breast cancer model to study the effects of pyrroles on tumor proliferation and survival, as well as growth arrest and cell death. Our findings indicate that the substituted pyrrole JG-03-14 induces time dependent …

Overbite Correction And Smile Esthetics, Kevin Erick Kelleher

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this prospective clinical study was to investigate differences in outcomes from two common treatment modalities used to reduce deep overbite: maxillary incisor intrusion using an intrusion arch and posterior tooth eruption using an anterior bite plate. Pre-treatment, post-overbite correction and post-treatment records were gathered from 32 patients who presented with deep overbite malocclusions to the Virginia Commonwealth University orthodontic clinic. Both groups of patients experienced reductions in overbite and maxillary incisor display as well as maxillary and mandibular incisor proclination and mandibular incisor occlusal movement during treatment. In the intrusion arch group, the center of resistance of …

Obesity As A Risk Factor For Preeclampsia: Role Of Inflammation And The Innate Immune System, Tanvi Jayendra Shah

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is a known risk factor for preeclampsia, but the reason for this risk is unknown. We sought to demonstrate how obese individuals are predisposed to preeclampsia by mechanisms involving inflammation and the innate immune system. First, we used immunohistochemical studies to identify neutrophil infiltration, NF-κB activation and COX-2 expression in vascular tissue of obese women. We then demonstrated similar neutrophil infiltration and vascular inflammation in preeclamptic women.We used in vitro experiments to test if neutrophils and their products, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) can activate NF-κB and cause expression of its inflammatory products, COX-2, thromboxane …

Novel Sulfated 4-Hydroxycinnamic Acid Oligomers As Potent Anticoagulants, Brian Lawrence Henry

Theses and Dissertations

The occurrence of thrombosis in several pathophysiological conditions creates a huge need for anticoagulation therapy. Thrombin and factor Xa have been prime targets for regulation of clotting through the direct and indirect mechanism of inhibition. This work investigates chemo-enzymatically prepared oligomers of 4-hydroxycinnamic acids (DHPs) as potential anticoagulants. Oligomers were prepared through peroxidase-catalyzed oxidative coupling of 4-hydroxycinnamic acids. The products resulting from this reaction are called CDs, FDs and SDs. Structurally, these sulfated DHPs are unique and do not resemble any of the anticoagulants known in the literature.DHP oligomers were found to increase clotting times at concentrations comparable to heparin. …

A Survey On The Usage Of Articaine Among General And Pediatric Dentists, Robert Louis Hollowell Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the impact that the introduction of articaine has had on local anesthetic selection by general and pediatric dentists for use in three different age groups of children.Methods: Using a cross sectional survey design, a questionnaire regarding the use of local anesthetics in children was mailed to a random sample of 500 general dentists from North Carolina, 500 general dentists from Virginia, and all 230 pediatric dentists from North Carolina and Virginia. The 16-item questionnaire included questions regarding the preferred local anesthetic to use in three different age groups, 2-3 years of …

The Effect Of A Nominal Fee On Treatment Choices For Children Needing Dental Rehabilitation, D'Audra M. Cole

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of the study was to determine if a co-payment resulted in a differential preference for general anesthesia (GA) or oral sedation (OS) and, if so, to examine whether age, the number of appointments, perceived risks of treatment, child's awareness during treatment, or insurance type appeared to play a role in this preference.Methods: Using a cross-sectional survey design, questionnaires were distributed to caregivers of patients in the waiting room of the Virginia Commonwealth University Pediatric Dental Clinic. Two different questionnaires were distributed randomly. Both surveys described a scenario with the need for dental treatment under general anesthesia (GA) …

The Quantitative Genetics Of Neurodevelopment: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study Of Childhood And Adolescence, James Eric Schmitt

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the causes of individual differences in brain structure may give clues about the etiology of cognition, personality, and psychopathology, and also may identify endophenotypes for molecular genetic studies on brain development. We performed a comprehensive statistical genetic study of anatomic neuroimaging data from a large pediatric sample (N=600+) of twins and family members from the Child Psychiatry Branch at the NIMH. These analyses included variance decomposition of structural volumetric endophenotypes at several levels of resolution, voxel-level analysis of cortical thickness, assessment of gene by age interaction, several multivariate genetic analyses, and a search for genetically-mediated brain-behavioral relationships. These analyses …

Identification And Characterization Of Helper Phage Gene Products Involved In Mobilization Of Staphylococcal Pathogenicity Island Sapi1, Sandra Mckenzie Tallent

Theses and Dissertations

Staphylococcal pathogenicity island SaPI1 is excised from genomic DNA and extrachromosomal copies are amplified during the vegetative growth of staphylococcal phage 80α. The amplified genetic element is subsequently encapsidated and transduced at very high frequency. Previous studies have demonstrated that the transducing particles have virions with tails that appear identical to those of helper phage 80α but have smaller capsids, commensurate with the smaller genome of the SaPI (Lindsay et.al., 1998). The morphology of the transducing particles, coupled with the observation that the genomic sequence of SaPIl (GenBank U93688) does not reveal any obvious phage structural proteins, has led to …

Virginia Dental Journal (Vol. 84, No. 2, 2007)

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Virginia Dental Journal (Vol. 84, No. 4, 2007)

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Virginia Dental Journal (Vol. 84, No. 1, 2007)

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Virginia Dental Journal (Vol. 84, No. 3, 2007)

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Anesthesia Clinical Performance Outcomes: Does Teaching Methodology Make A Difference?, Nina E. Mclain

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have studied memory recall of crisis-oriented or emotional events in non-educational settings. However, within the health care field, there has been a limited study of the the concept of recall of crisis oriented or emotional events in& health care education. Crisis-oriented events such as natural disasters, acts of bioterroism, and industrial accidents, have been reported to impact memory. Patient safety is a primary focus in anesthesia education, appropriate crisis management is imperative to quality anesthesia care. Due to the critical nature of anesthesia delivery, there is a strong, constant need to develop methods that will enhance, support, and improve …