Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Annual Report Department Of Community Medicine And Health Care

Annual Reports - Education

Annual Report, 2007-2008 Academic Year, Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, University of Connecticut School of Medicine

A Watershed Analysis Of Pattee Pond: Implications For Water Quality And Land Use Management, Problems In Environmental Science Course (Biology 493), Colby College, Colby Environmental Assessment Team, Colby College

Colby College Watershed Study: Pattee Pond (2008, 1992)

The Colby Environmental Assessment Team (CEAT) investigated the impact of land use patterns on the water quality of Pattee Pond in Winslow, Maine, during the summer and fall of 2008. Physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of water quality were analyzed to evaluate the current health of the lake. Data collected were compared with previous studies conducted by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and CEAT to examine changes in water quality and land use over time. Trends in Pattee Pond water quality suggest an improvement since the 1970s. However, the lake is still experiencing algal blooms resulting from phosphorus …

Annual Report John Dempsey Hospital Compliance Agreement 2007-2008

Annual Reports - Patient Care

John Dempsey Hospital, Certification of Compliance Agreement, Annual Report, Year One. Reporting Period: June 25, 2007 through June 25, 2008.

This report documents the Compliance Agreement between the Office of Inspector General of the Dept. of Health and Human Services and John Dempsey Hospital. Report is issued by K. Michael Walker, PhD, Chief Audit and Compliance Officer, UConn Health Center.

Dynamic Smile Analysis : Changes With Age, Shyam G. Desai

SoDM Masters Theses

Introduction: The objective of this study was to define age-related changes in the human smile. The areas of interest were: upper lip length at smile and repose, upper lip thickness at smile and repose, maxillary incisal display at smile, interlabial gap height at smile, smile index, percent buccal corridors, intercommissural width at rest, smile height, and smile arc. A secondary objective was to study the perioral changes from rest to smile and compare them on the basis of age.

Materials and Method: Video equipment was used to capture video for 261 subjects. Two frames for each subject were selected; one …

Characterization Of Chemical And Biological Properties Of Purified Porphyromonas Gingivalis Free Dihydroceramides, Andrew Robert Chapokas

SoDM Masters Theses

The aim of the present investigation is to purify, characterize, and determine the chemical and biological properties of Porphyromonas gingivalis free dihydroceramides (fDHC). Effects were tested by examination of human gingival fibroblast morphologic changes in addition to their synthesis of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostaglandin F2α (PGF2&#;) produced in vitro. Free dihydroceramides as well as phosphoglycerol dihydroceramide (PGDHC), and de-esterified phosphoglycerol dihydroceramide (PGDHC-C15:0) were obtained by total lipid extraction of P. gingivalis followed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Confirmation and structural analysis was obtained by electrospray mass spectrometry (ES-/+MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). A synthetic free dihydroceramide …

Characterization Of Structural Changes In The Subchondral Bone And Fibrocartilage From A Mouse Model Of Temporomandibular Joint Osteoarthritis, Tina Rattan Gupta

SoDM Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Permeability Alterations Of Bio-Silicified Treated Human Dentin: An In Vitro Study, Takashi Komabayashi

SoDM Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

First Order Archwire Deflections: Comparing Conventional, Active Self-Ligating And Passive Self-Ligating Mechanisms, Michael B. Holbert

SoDM Masters Theses

Our aim in this study was to compare conventional, active self-ligating and passive self-ligating mechanisms using first order archwire deflections. A cantilever and three point bend model were used to assess degree of bracket play, deactivation force, and superelastic range. Methods: We studied five different bracket types: victoryTM( 3M-Unitek, St. Paul, MN), smartClipTM( 3M-Unitek, St. Paul, MN), Damon hYTM( ~ rmc oG, lendora, CA), CarriereTM( Ortho Organizers, Carlsbad, CA) and In- Ovation R~~ (GAC Intl., Bohemia, NY). These brackets were tested with round superelastic nickel titanium wires varying in diameter: 0.014", 0.016", 0.018" and 0.020" (Ultimate Wireforms Inc., Bristol, CT). …

Annual Report General Clinical Research Center 2007/2008

Annual Reports - Research

General Clinical Research Center University of Connecticut Health Center, School of Medicine, Annual Progress Report, from 04/01/2007 to 03/31/2008. Signature: Henry Kranzler, Professor of Psychiatry

The Public Health Of Disabilities : Functional Independence, Health-Related Quality Of Life, And Parental Stress In Adolescents With Disabilities, Taylor Reese Spencer

UCHC Graduate School Masters Theses 2003 - 2010

Background/Objectives: To investigate the null hypotheses that no correlation exists between functional independence, health related quality of life, and parental stress

Design: Baseline cross-sectional analysis of a population

Participants and Setting: Participants were recruited from camps, wheelchair sports, and disability-related meetings. They are 10-21 years old with disabilities, in school for the prior year, understand English, and demonstrate necessary cognitive comprehension. We enrolled 72 youths, with 39 completing all components. There were 39 males and 33 females. Fifty six subjects self-identified as Caucasian. Six were African American, 5 were Hispanic, 2 were Asian, and 3 self-identified as “other.” The range …

General Health Assessment, Lvea Em District, Kandal Province, Cambodia, Rasy Mar

UCHC Graduate School Masters Theses 2003 - 2010

No abstract provided.

Barriers To Timely Screening Colonoscopy, Amir Mohammad

UCHC Graduate School Masters Theses 2003 - 2010

Objective: Colorectal cancer (CRC) can be largely prevented or effectively treated in its early stages, yet disparities exist in timely screening. The aim of this study was to explore the disparities in CRC screening on the basis of health insurance status including private, Medicare, Medicaid, and State Administered General Assistance (SAGA).

Methods: A retrospective chart review for the period January 2000 to May 2007 (95 records) was conducted at two clinic sites; a private clinic and a university hospital clinic. All individuals at these sites who met study criteria (>50 years old with screening colonoscopy) were included. Age, gender, …

The Effect Of Variation In Early Summer Rainfall Patterns On Blacklegged Tick (Ixodes Scapularia) Nymph Survival, And The Implications For The Transmission Of Lyme Disease In Connecticut, Jennifer Scott

UCHC Graduate School Masters Theses 2003 - 2010

No abstract provided.

Latent Tuberculosis Infection Treatment Completion In Contacts To Pulmonary Tuberculosis Cases In Connecticut, 2000-2005, Ava N. Nepaul

UCHC Graduate School Masters Theses 2003 - 2010

No abstract provided.

Fas And Cfl Forms Of Verbal Fluency Differ In Difficulty: A Meta-Analytic Study, Danielle Barry

UCHC Articles - Research

The Controlled Oral Word Association (COWA) Test is a brief and sensitive measure of executive cognitive dysfunction. There are two commonly used forms of the test, one using the letters F, A, and S, and the other using C, F, and L. This study examines the relative difficulty of the two forms using a meta-analytic approach that includes multiple samples of normal individuals. The effects of age, education, gender composition, exclusion criteria, and age of study are also examined. Results indicate that the CFL form of the test is more difficult and that age, education, and the use of strict …

Biochemical Applications Of Ultrathin Films Of Enzymes, Polyions And Dna, James F. Rusling, Dominic O. Hull, Eli G. Hvastkovs, John B. Schenkman

UCHC Articles - Research

This feature article summarizes recent applications of ultrathin films of enzymes and DNA assembled layer-by-layer (LbL). Using examples mainly from our own research, we focus on systems developed for biocatalysis and biosensors for toxicity screening. Enzyme–poly(l-lysine) (PLL) films, especially when stabilized by crosslinking, can be used for biocatalysis at unprecedented high temperatures or in acidic or basic solutions on electrodes or sub-micron sized beads. Such films have bright prospects for chiral synthesis and biofuel cells. Excellent bioactivity and retention of enzyme structure in these films facilitates their use in detailed kinetic studies. Biosensors and arrays employing DNA–enzyme films show great …

Management Of Oral Mucositis In Patients With Cancer, Rajesh V. Lalla, Douglas E. Peterson

UCHC Articles - Research

Oral mucositis refers to erythematous and ulcerative lesions of the oral mucosa observed in patients with cancer being treated with chemotherapy, and/or with radiation therapy to fields involving the oral cavity. Lesions of oral mucositis are often very painful and compromise nutrition and oral hygiene as well as increase risk for local and systemic infection. Mucositis can also involve other areas of the alimentary tract; for example, gastrointestinal (GI) mucositis can manifest as diarrhea. Thus, mucositis is a highly significant and sometimes dose-limiting complication of cancer therapy.

.

The Validity Of Cocaine Dependence Subtypes, Henry R. Kranzler, Victor M. Hesselbrock

UCHC Articles - Research

Cocaine dependence (CD) is a multifactorial disorder, variable in its manifestations, and heritable. We examined the concurrent validity of homogeneous subgroups of CD as phenotypes for genetic analysis. We applied data reduction methods and an empirical cluster-analytic approach to measures of cocaine use, cocaine-related effects, and cocaine treatment history in 1393 subjects, from 660 small nuclear families. Four of the six clusters that were derived yielded heritability estimates in excess of 0.3. Linkage analysis showed genomewide significant results for two of the clusters. Here we examine the concurrent validity of the six clusters using a variety of demographic and substance-related …

Phagocytosis Of Borrelia Burgdorferi, The Lyme Disease Spirochete, Potentiates Innate Immune Activation And Induces Apoptosis In Human Monocytes, Adriana R. Cruz, Meagan W. Moore, Carson J. La Vake, Christian H. Eggers, Juan C. Salazar, Justin D. Radolf

UCHC Articles - Research

We have previously demonstrated that phagocytosed Borrelia burgdorferi induces activation programs in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells that differ qualitatively and quantitatively from those evoked by equivalent lipoprotein-rich lysates. Here we report that ingested B. burgdorferi induces significantly greater transcription of proinflammatory cytokine genes than do lysates and that live B. burgdorferi, but not B. burgdorferi lysate, is avidly internalized by monocytes, where the bacteria are completely degraded within phagolysosomes. In the course of these experiments, we discovered that live B. burgdorferi also induced a dose-dependent decrease in monocytes but not a decrease in dendritic cells or T cells …

Underage Alcohol Consumption In The United States: Associations With Access Laws, Alcohol Excise Taxes And Enforcement Practices, Matthew J. Cook

UCHC Graduate School Masters Theses 2003 - 2010

This thesis, in fulfillment of the Masters requirements in Public Health, examines underage alcohol consumption in the United States and its association with retail and social access laws, alcohol excise taxes, and enforcement. The study objectives are to assess the availability and quality of consumption and policy data at the state level, describe the number and type of alcohol access policies enacted in the states since 1998, determine whether the number of exemptions placed on alcohol access policies are related to state underage drinking patterns across states, determine if two social access polices ⎯ keg registration and social host criminal …

Hiv/Aids Prevention: Factors Affecting Risky Sexual Behaviors Among Msm In Shenzhen, China, Karen Behringer

UCHC Graduate School Masters Theses 2003 - 2010

No abstract provided.

Morphine Exacerbates Hiv-1 Tat-Induced Cytokine Production In Astrocytes Through Convergent Effects On [Ca2+]I, Nf-Κb Trafficking And Transcription, Nazira El-Hage, Annadora J. Bruce-Keller, Tatiana Yakovleva, Igor Bazov, Georgy Bakalkin, Pamela E. Knapp, Kurt F. Hauser

Pharmacology and Toxicology Publications

Astroglia are key cellular sites where opiate drug signals converge with the proinflammatory effects of HIV-1 Tat signals to exacerbate HIV encephalitis. Despite this understanding, the molecular sites of convergence driving opiate-accelerated neuropathogenesis have not been deciphered. We therefore explored potential points of interaction between the signaling pathways initiated by HIV-1 Tat and opioids in striatal astrocytes. Profiling studies screening 152 transcription factors indicated that the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) subunit, c-Rel, was a likely candidate for Tat or Tat plus opiate-induced increases in cytokine and chemokine production by astrocytes. Pretreatment with the NF-κB inhibitor parthenolide provided evidence that Tat±morphine-induced …

Long Lasting Synchronization Of Calcium Oscillations By Cholinergic Stimulation In Isolated Pancreatic Islets, Min Zhang, Bernard Fendler, Bradford Peercy, Pranay Goel, Richard Bertram, Arthur Sherman, Leslie Satin

Pharmacology and Toxicology Publications

Abstract

Individual mouse pancreatic islets exhibit oscillations in [Ca²⁺]_i and insulin secretion in response to glucose in vitro, but how the oscillations of a million islets are coordinated within the human pancreas in vivo is unclear. Islet to islet synchronization is necessary, however, for the pancreas to produce regular pulses of insulin. To determine whether neurohormone release within the pancreas might play a role in coordinating islet activity, [Ca²⁺]_i changes in 4–6 isolated mouse islets were simultaneously monitored before and after a transient pulse of a putative synchronizing agent. The degree of synchronicity was …

Effect Of Sex Hormones On Neuromuscular Control Patterns During Landing, G. S. Dedrick, P. S. Sizer, J. N. Merkle, T. R. Hounshell, J. R. Mccomb-Robert, S. F. Sawyer, J. M. Brismée, C. R. James

Physical Therapy

No abstract provided.

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Response Regulator So2426-Mediated Gene Expression In Shewanella Oneidensis Mr-1 Under Chromate Challenge, K. Chourey, W. Wei, X. -F. Wan, D. K. Thompson

Pharmaceutical Sciences

No abstract provided.

Lower Limb Coordination And Stiffness During Landing From Volleyball Block Jumps, Gerwyn Hughes, James Watkins

Kinesiology (Formerly Exercise and Sport Science)

The aim of the study was to investigate lower limb coordination and stiffness in five male and five female university volleyball players performing block jump landings. Coordination was assessed using angle – angle plots of the hip – knee, knee – ankle and hip – ankle joint couplings and discrete relative phase (DRP) of right – left joint couplings (i.e. left knee coupled with right knee). Leg stiffness was calculated as the ratio of the change in vertical ground reaction force (GRF) to the change in vertical displacement of the centre of gravity between ground contact and maximum vertical GRF. …

Nursing Annual Report 2007, Children's Mercy Hospital

Nursing Annual Reports

Annual report for nursing services at Children's Mercy Kansas City.

Profiling Physiotherapy In Australian And New Zealand Intensive Care, Kristin Leslie, Shane Patman

Health Sciences Conference Papers

Physiotherapy for ICU patients is considered essential by many health professionals and professional bodies, yet the evidence base for this service is insufficient. No published research outlining optimal management of this service exist. Effective evaluation and implementation of best practice ‘critical-care physiotherapy’ requires knowledge of the current profile of ICU physiotherapists’.

Leslie, K., & Patman, S. (2008). Profiling physiotherapy in Australian and New Zealand intensive care. Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, 36(6), 897.

ISSN: 0310-057X

Communication Skills Instruction Utilizing Interdisciplinary Peer Teachers: Program Development And Student Perceptions, Sharon K. Lanning, Sonya L. Ranson, Rita M. Willett

Periodontics Publications

Lack of curricular time, faculty time, and funding are potential limitations for communication skills training in dentistry. Interdisciplinary collaboration amongst health care faculties could address these limitations. This article describes the development, implementation, and student perceptions of a communication skills program in dentistry. The program has four components: Knowledge, Observation, Simulation, and Experience (KOSE) and spans over the second and third years of dental school. KOSE allows students to obtain knowledge of and observe effective communication skills and practice these skills in the simulated and nonsimulated environment. A key feature of KOSE is the utilization of fourth-year medical and dental …

Nadph Oxidase As A Therapeutic Target In Alzheimer's Disease, Michelle L. Block

Anatomy and Neurobiology Publications

At present, available treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD) are largely unable to halt disease progression. Microglia, the resident macrophages in the brain, are strongly implicated in the pathology and progressively degenerative nature of AD. Specifically, microglia are activated in response to both β amyloid (Aβ) and neuronal damage, and can become a chronic source of neurotoxic cytokines and reactive oxygen species (ROS). NADPH oxidase is a multi-subunit enzyme complex responsible for the production of both extracellular and intracellular ROS by microglia. Importantly, NADPH oxidase expression is upregulated in AD and is an essential component of microglia-mediated Aβ neurotoxicity. Activation of …