Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Efficacy Of The De Novo-Derived Antimicrobial Peptide Wlbu2 Against Oral Bacteria, Karen F. Novak, William J. Diamond, Sreenatha S. Kirakodu, Rebecca Peyyala, Kimberly W. Anderson, Ronald C. Montelaro, Timothy A. Mietzner

Center for Oral Health Research Faculty Publications

The efficacy of a novel synthetic antimicrobial peptide (WLBU2) was evaluated against three oral microorganisms (grown planktonically): Streptococcus gordonii, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Porphyromonas gingivalis. WLBU2 killed all three species, with F. nucleatum being the most susceptible. WLBU2 also reduced the bacterial burden of S. gordonii and F. nucleatum biofilms.

Return Of Spontaneous Circulation And Survival At Hospital Discharge In Patients With Out-Of-Hospital And Emergency Department Cardiac Arrests In A Tertiary Care Centre., Rifat Rehmani, Syed Muhammad Baqir, Siraj Amanullah

Department of Emergency Medicine

OBJECTIVE:

To examine clinical variables and outcomes in patients with out-of-hospital (unwitnessed) and emergency department (ED; witnessed) cardiac arrests at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi.

METHODS:

A prospective observational study was conducted to note that outcomes in patients with first attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the Emergency Department of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, between Jan. 2000 and Dec. 2000. Cardiac arrest was defined as absence of a palpable central pulse and apnoea. Return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and survival at hospital discharge were primary outcomes. Logistic regression was applied to determine predictors for ROSC.

RESULTS:

Of 106 patients …

Phylogenetic Analysis Of The Cetonini Of The New World (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoninae), Jesus Orozeo

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The American genera of Cetoniini (Coleoptera: Cetoniinae) are analyzed. Fifty-eight morphological characters of seventy two taxa, including Cetoniini from the entire world and other representative tribes of Cetoniinae, were included in a phylogenetic analysis and studied under the parsimony criterion. The Cetoniini, a tribe including species from all continents, is monophyletic and appears supported by two homoplastic characters: the elytra-thorax articulation in a glove-like shape and the mesosternal process basally compressed and apically expanded in shape. No clade supporting a hypothesis of common ancestry for the American species was found. Of the traditionally defined genera in the American continents only …

Unique And Combined Contributions Of Multiple Child Abuse Types And Abuse Severity To Adult Trauma Symptomatology, John C. Clemmons, Kate Walsh, David K. Dilillo, Terri L. Messman-Moore

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Studies have documented the co-occurrence and cumulative impact of multiple types of child maltreatment on later psychosocial difficulties. Other research suggests that child abuse characteristics indicative of severity may also increase risk of later adjustment problems. However, little effort has been made to examine the co-occurrence of both multiple types of maltreatment and abuse severity within a single study. The present investigation examines self-reported child maltreatment and adult functioning in a geographically diverse sample of 1,396 undergraduate students. Results indicate that experiencing multiple types of maltreatment is positively associated with more severe abuse. Although increased maltreatment types and more severe …

Comparison Of Computer-Assisted Instruction Andconventional Method In Visual Field Testing, T. Supattanawong, V. Tantisevi

Chulalongkorn Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Gender Differences In Acute Cardiac Care: Where It’S Not (Poster), Marna R. Greenberg Do, Mph, Facep, Valerie Rupp Rn, Bsn, Anne Marie Crown, Sharon R. Kimmel

Department of Emergency Medicine

No abstract provided.

Developing A Pharmacy Professional Elective Course: Underserved Populations, Courtney Ann Hedrick

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Objectives. To ascertain the current curriculum exposure, knowledge, and interest in medically underserved populations of 3rd and 4th year professional pharmacy students enrolled at Butler University. Methods. An eleven item survey was designed, involving multiple choice, Likert scale, and open response questions. The survey was administered through the web-based survey software company, Survey Monkey, utilizing the Butler College of Pharmacy and health Sciences email listserv to all P3 and p4 students. Results. P3 and P4 students showed a high degree of interest in taking a professional elective focusing on medically underserved populations. Many of these students also felt the current …

Dentalgram - Vol. 21, No. 05, Loma Linda University School Of Dentistry

Dentalgram

In this issue:

• Dentalgram update
• Residents; faculty attend 2007 Annual Session for endodontists in Philadelphia
• CaviWipes XL now in use in clinics and labs
• LLUSD featured employee
• Commencement events, 2007
• Update: axiUm
• Department news
• Dean's List
• Disaster team update

The Extracellular Matrix And Blood Vessel Formation: Not Just A Scaffold, John M. Rhodes, Michael Simons

Dartmouth Scholarship

The extracellular matrix plays a number of important roles, among them providing structural support and information to cellular structures such as blood vessels imbedded within it. As more complex organisms have evolved, the matrix ability to direct signalling towards the vasculature and remodel in response to signalling from the vasculature has assumed progressively greater importance. This review will focus on the molecules of the extracellular matrix, specifically relating to vessel formation and their ability to signal to the surrounding cells to initiate or terminate processes involved in blood vessel formation.

Transition To Nursing Home Of Korean-American Elders, Myungja Kim Hahm Phd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore factors affecting Korean-American (KA) elders during the transition to nursing homes in the first month following admission. The three aims of this proposed study were (1) to explore culture specific factors that affect KA elders' perspectives during the transitional period to a nursing home, (2) to identify thoughts and feelings of KA elders about their admission into a nursing home, (3) to describe the adjustment process associated with admission to a nursing home. A grounded theory design was utilized to explore KA elders' perceptions/experiences associated with adjustment to a nursing home. Open-ended, …

Assessment Of Departmental Journal Requests And Impact On An Academic Health Sciences Library Collection: An Unanticipated Benefit, Anne Linton, Kathe Obrig

Himmelfarb Library Faculty Posters and Presentations

In 2005, the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library made the decision to convert from print to a predominantly electronic journal collection. The conversion was completed in 2007. This poster presentation reports the objectives, guidelines, and results of the print-to-electronic journal collection conversion process.

Cephalometric Evaluation Of One-Phase And Two-Phase Treatment Alternatives In Matched Class Ii Subjects, Fredrick Jerome Burr

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

“Early” or two-phase orthodontic treatment of Class II malocclusions is a highly debated topic in the orthodontic literature. We report here on a retrospective cephalometric study of patients with Class II, division 1 malocclusions. One group consisted of 32 consecutively treated patients who received “early” treatment with a Fränkel II appliance followed by treatment with full fixed appliance. These subjects were “matched” by sex and cephalometric value, to a subject treated with standard edgewise appliances in a single phase. Matching criteria focused on the bony facial characteristics, notably ANB, NAP, Y Axis, AOBO, FMA, overjet, and overbite. The question was …

Evaluation Of Osseointegration Between Two Different Modalities Of Hydroxyapatite Implant Surface Coatings: Plasma Sprayed Ha Coated Implants And Electrophoresis Deposited Nano Ha Coated Implants, Audrey Marie Selecman

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the osseointegration between plasma sprayed (PS) hydroxyapatite (HA) coated implants and electrophoresis deposited (EPD) nano hydroxyapatite coated implants in an animal model. The quantity of osseointegration was inferred by interfacial strength and percent tissue-contact length.Materials and Methods: Thirty-six cylindrical implants (18 PS and 18 EPD) were placed into dog mandibles. Nine implants from each group were evaluated with pull out testing and histological studies at 12 weeks after implantation. The remaining implants were occlusally loaded for 9 months and then evaluated by pull out testing and histological studies.Results: Twelve weeks after …

Quantitative Analysis Of First- Versus Second-Premolar Extraction Effects In Orthodontic Treatment, Robert A. Turner

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Malocclusions can involve arch-size tooth-size discrepancies that have to be resolved by premolar extractions. Treatment planning in such cases usually involves removing first (P1) or second premolars (P2). Choosing an extraction pattern is a learned skill that incorporates many diagnostic factors. This study compared the amounts of in-treatment tooth movement in two common extraction patterns (4/4 and 5/5) in order to gain insight into the criteria used for differential diagnosis and treatment planning. Objective: A method of cast analysis was developed to measure the anteroposterior and transverse changes in tooth positions during orthodontic treatment. Data were used (1) to …

Memory T Cells And The Endothelium In Allograft Rejection, Stephen Lawrence Shiao

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Organ transplantation has become increasingly important as a treatment for many human diseases. Despite the dramatic improvements in immunosuppression in recent years, acute and chronic rejection remain significant problems. It has become increasingly evident that the presence of T cell memory correlates with both acute and chronic rejection episodes. Endothelial cells (EC) have been shown to preferentially activate memory T cells and, as the lining of every transplanted organ, they are in a unique position to provide signals to alloreactive memory T cells. EC activation of memory T cells depends in part on the costimulatory molecule LFA-3 in addition to …

Implementing Partially Effective Hiv Prevention Programs: Changes In Sexual Risk Behavior And Epidemic Impact In Sub-Saharan Africa, Kyeen Mesesan

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

While there is no magic bullet that can completely prevent HIV transmission and halt the HIV/AIDS pandemic, governments and policy makers have an array of partially-effective HIV prevention programs from which to choose, including the use of existing interventions (e.g. education and condom use) and technologies under development (e.g. microbicides and vaccines). Complex decisions regarding if, when, and how to implement various programs with partial efficacy must be made, often in the absence of data on program outcomes. Additionally, the quantitative tradeoff between program-related decreases in HIV transmission and the effects of risk behavior change is often unknown. The potential …

Low-Income Minority Mothers’ Reports Of Infant Health Care Utilisation Compared With Medical Records, Kennan D. Murray, Ayman El-Mohandes, M. Nabil El-Khorazaty, Michele Kiely

Publications and Research

This study aimed to investigate mothers’ reporting of the nature, location, frequency and content of health care visits for their infants, as compared with data abstracted from the infants’ medical records. It was part of a community-based parenting intervention designed to improve preventive health care utilisation among minority mothers in Washington, DC. Mothers 18 years old with newborn infants and with poor or no prenatal care were enrolled in the study. A total of 160 mother–infant dyads completed the 12-month study. Mothers were interviewed when the infants were 4, 8 and 12 months old, and were asked to recall infant …

L'Avenir De La Pharmacie: Une Comparaison Des Modèles Français Et Américain, Amber Castle

Senior Honors Projects

“The counting and pouring now often alleged to be the pharmacist’s chief occupation will in time be done by technicians and eventually by automation. The pharmacists of tomorrow will function by reason of what he knows, increasing the efficiency and safety of drug therapy and working as a specialist in his own right.” --Linwood F. Tice, D. Sc., Dean, Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science (1966) More than forty years ago the pharmacy profession realized that it cannot continue to perform solely distributive functions. The world will not pay pharmacists to carry out tasks that do not require their level …

Sailing The Straits Of Approval: The Nature Of Fda Approval And Its Implications For Surgeons, David Reiter Md

Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Papers

Products approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for one use are often put to other uses. This practice, known colloquially as "off-label usage," is neither illegal nor unethical. Physicians can and should pursue scientifically sound use supported by medical evidence. The FDA requires only that we:

--Be well informed about the product
--Base its use on firm scientific rationale and sound medical evidence, if available
--Maintain records of the product’s use and effects
--Carry out good medical practice
--Use good judgment
--Consider the best interests of the patient before all else

The Lived Experience Of Wives And Husbands With Coronary Heart Disease, Patricia A. Bradley Phd

Dissertations

The purpose of this feminist hermeneutic study was to discover the meaning of living in the community with a husband who has coronary heart disease (CHD). Ten women, aged 47-74 who were married from 4 to 55 years, participated in unstructured face to face interviews. The women were interviewed 6 to 18 months after their husbands were diagnosed with medically or surgically treated CHD. Audio recorded transcribed interview data were analyzed to identify the essential themes and sub-themes. Texts were interpreted guided by hermeneutic phenomenology (Gadamer 1960/1989; 1976) and van Manen's (1990) research activities. A feminist lens was applied to …

Antibacterial Activity Of Positive And Negative Polarity Low-Voltage Pulsed Current (Lvpc) On Six Typical Gram-Positive And Gram-Negative Bacterial Pathogens Of Chronic Wounds, Georg Daeschlein, Ojan Assadian, Luther C. Kloth, Christina Meinl, Frank Ney, Axel Kramer

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

The positive effect of electrical stimulation (ES) on wound healing has been shown in vitro and in vivo. On the basis of increased blood flow, protein denaturation, and stimulation of cellular defense, an antibacterial effect of ES is to be expected. Although the antibacterial effect of ES already has been demonstrated in vitro, little attention has been paid to the direct antibacterial effect of changing polarity of the applied current. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial effect of positive and negative monophasic low-voltage pulsed current on typical Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens of chronic wounds. Using the …

Pharmacy Security: A Survey On Pharmacists' Perceptions And And Preparedness To Handle Prescription Fraud And Pharmacy Robbery, Amy Nicole Lenell

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Objective: To evaluate the perceptions of the community pharmacist with respect to prescription fraud and pharmacy robbery as well as their preparedness to handle such situations, with the intent to assess the need for a continuing education program on this topic. Methods: A survey was sent to licensed Indiana pharmacists using a listserv provided by Butler University. Only data from pharmacists currently practicing in the community (retail) setting was accepted and analyzed. The survey includes questions regarding prescription fraud, pharmacy robbery, security measures and demographics. Results: Of 1000 surveys sent, 80 surveys were returned, 47 met selection criteria, and 43 …

A Review Of The Methodological Features Of Systematic Reviews In Maternal Medicine, Lumaan Sheikh, Shelley Johnston, Shakila Thangaratinam, Mark D. Kilby, Khalid S. Khan

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Background: In maternal medicine, research evidence is scattered making it difficult to access information for clinical decision making. Systematic reviews of good methodological quality are essential to provide valid inferences and to produce usable evidence summaries to guide management. This review assesses the methodological features of existing systematic reviews in maternal medicine, comparing Cochrane and non-Cochrane reviews in maternal medicine.

Methods: Medline, Embase, Database of Reviews of Effectiveness (DARE) and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) were searched for relevant reviews published between 2001 and 2006. We selected those reviews in which a minimum of two databases were searched and …

Effect Of Polishing Brushes On Dental Composite Resins, Robert Shun-I Wang

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

PURPOSE: The effectiveness of many commercially available composite finishing and polishing devices have been studied and compared. However, no studies have directly compared the effectiveness among the polishing brushes. This study set out to (1) investigate the surface roughness reduction and gloss value increase of two universal dental composites polished by three polishing brushes and two well-studied finishing and polishing systems, and (2) to evaluate resulting surface morphology using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

METHODS: 10 specimens were fabricated for each of five polishing groups for both composite resins, one microhybrid (Herculite XRV) and one nanofilled composite (Filtek Supreme Plus). Each …

Biochemical Characteristics Of Inconsistent Free T₄ Assays, Kristofer S. Fritz

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Serum levels of free thyroxine (T₄) are helpful in the clinical evaluation of patients who are suspected of having thyroid disease, since free T₄ (unbound) is known to closely relate to hyper, eu and hypothyroidism. There are documented inconsistencies among commercially available direct free thyroxine immunoassays. The biochemical basis for these inconsistencies is not understood and has not been characterized. Direct free T₄ measurements have been linked to both T₄-binding serum protein concentrations and protein-bound T₄ concentrations. A free T₄ reference method using direct equilibrium dialysis radioimmunoassay has been well characterized. New …

The Effect Of Radiation And Repeated Sub-Culturing On Tgf-Β1 Signaling In Frtl-5 Cells, Cheryl G. Burrell

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

From our ongoing in vitro studies using the Fisher Rat Thyroid cell line-5 (FRTL-5) we recorded accelerated growth, reduced follicularization and reduction in thyroxin release that occurred as the cells were repeatedly sub-cultured. We also recorded that these changes occurred earlier and more rapidly following radiation exposure. We determined that TGF-β1 production increased under both conditions. We hypothesized that alteration in the TGF-β1 signaling pathway contributed to the changes observed in the cellular properties of FRTL-5 cells. Our objective was to examine some of the players in the TGF-β1 signaling pathway to determine whether radiation and/or repeated subculturing promoted changes …

Reproducibility Of Two Non-Consecutive Scans Using A Newtom 3g; In Vitro Model, Hyoung Jin Park

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the reproducibility of mineral density measurement expressed in Hounsfield Units (HU) using a phantom device with known mineral densities and the NewTom 3G Cone Beam Computerized Tomography (CBCT).

Materials and Methods: A phantom device made of 21 HA cylindrical disks with known densities was fabricated. The phantom was scanned in 6, 9, and 12 inch fields of view using a NewTom 3G CBCT. The scans were repeated at non-consecutive sessions. Volumetric data in each of the scans were formatted to DICOM images. HU values of the regions of interest were retrieved …

Radiation-Induced Increases In Pkc Modulate Integrin Expression And Contribute To Fibrotic Changes, Pinal Rushikesh Pandya

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The sequences of events in fibrosis are similar to those in wound healing; however, the normal termination and resolution stages do not take place. The initial cellular response following ionizing radiation involves accumulation of the ECM (extracellular matrix) including collagen, fibronectin and the interaction of many growth factors (cytokines) with their receptors. There are a number of unanswered questions regarding many aspects of radiation-induced fibrosis, including the initial triggers and physical changes that initiate the process. We have confirmed that elevated pKC and other cellular changes following radiation are similar to those found at sites of inflammation. This information leads …

Detoxification Of Lipopolysaccharide By Endodontic Sealers, Dominic Côté

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of pulpal and periapical diseases. Several studies have evaluated the ability of various medicaments and irrigants used during root canal therapy to chemically detoxify LPS. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of some endodontic sealers to detoxify LPS. This investigation compared the quantities of TNF-α released by human monocytes exposed to LPS or LPS pre-treated with sealers. The sealers tested were: Pulp Canal Sealer EWT (PCS), AH Plus (AH), and Sealapex (SA). Ca(OH)₂ and water (H2O) were respectively used as the positive and negative control materials. …

Maturational Changes In Cerebrovascular Thick- And Thin-Filament Regulation, Renan Joel Sandoval

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The present study focused on the main hypothesis that age-related changes in myofilament Ca²⁺ sensitivity involve simultaneous changes in the relations between cytosolic Ca²⁺ transients, myosin phosphorylation, and force development. To define the effects of late fetal and early postnatal maturation, parallel experiments were carried out using cerebral arteries from both term lamb fetuses (140-141 days of gestation) and nonpregnant adult sheep. Fetal and adult cerebral arteries were stimulated by either mechanically, electromechanically, and/or pharmacomechanically-induced contractions, and the relations of cytosolic Ca²⁺, MLC phosphorylation, and contractile tensions were measured. These measurements allowed for stimulus and age-dependent …