Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

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.

Sold A Bill Of Goods, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

With regard to Boomers, elders, and all of us growing older, we have been sold a bill of goods in America. Rather than independence, assisted autonomy is a means to empowerment and inclusion. Additionally, as we grow older, we grow less like our age mates, and dissimilarity and heterogeneity increases.

Awaken The Sleeping Giant, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

In order to maintain our commitment to quality, we in the Aging Network need to invest in the future despite the monetary problems of the present. In Virginia, older Virginians are a remarkable resource for our future.

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.

The Older Inmate, Tara Livengood

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Present a general overview of elderly inmates, including statistics, characteristics, crimes, mental and medical illnesses, and disabilities.

2. Describe Virginia’s only geriatric correctional facility.

3. Explain the practice of release planning, focusing especially on geriatric release.

Sleep And Sleep Disorders In Later Life, Robert D. Vorona

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Describe basic changes in sleep that occur as we age.

2. Review several important sleep disorders common in later life

3. Discuss treatment modalities for these sleep disorders and potential benefits of therapy.

Activity Engagement For Persons With Dementia, Barbara Braddock, Ellen Phipps

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Describe a successful approach to activity engagement for persons with dementia.

2. Review three cognitive interventions useful for activity engagement for persons with dementia.

3. Discuss applications of this approach using university students in home visits.

Apoptotic Engulfment Pathway And Schizophrenia, Xiangning Chen, Cuie Sun, Qi Chen, F. Anthony O'Neill, Dermot Walsh, Ayman H. Fanous, Kodavali V. Chowdari, Vishwajit L. Nimgaonkar, Adrian Scott, Sibylle G. Schwab, Dieter B. Wildenauer, Ronglin Che, Wei Tang, Yongyong Shi, Lin He, Xiong-Jian Luo, Bing Su, Todd L. Edwards, Zhongming Zhao, Kenneth S. Kendler

Human and Molecular Genetics Publications

Background

Apoptosis has been speculated to be involved in schizophrenia. In a previously study, we reported the association of the MEGF10 gene with the disease. In this study, we followed the apoptotic engulfment pathway involving the MEGF10, GULP1, ABCA1 and ABCA7 genes and tested their association with the disease.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Ten, eleven and five SNPs were genotyped in the GULP1, ABCA1 and ABCA7 genes respectively for the ISHDSF and ICCSS samples. In all 3 genes, we observed nominally significant associations. Rs2004888 at GULP1 was significant in both ISHDSF and ICCSS samples (p = 0.0083 and …

The Servant Leader: A Higher Calling For Dental Professionals, Fred Certosimo

General Practice Publications

The dental profession is guided by normative principles that provide guidance to our leaders and practicing dentists in addressing the needs of patients and the profession, yet there is room for incorporating new ideas that help dental professionals meet their professional obligations. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the concept of “servant leadership,” especially in contrast with “self-serving leaders,” and to suggest that servant leadership is consistent with the high ethical and professional ideals of the dental profession. The servant leader is the antithesis of the self-serving leader, who incessantly seeks more power and acquisition of material possessions. …

Staphylococcus Aureus Immunodominant Surface Antigen B Is A Cell-Surface Associated Nucleic Acid Binding Protein, Nicole M. Mackey-Lawrence, Denise E. Potter, Nuno Cerca, Kimberly K. Jefferson

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Background

Staphylococcus aureus immunodominant surface antigen B (IsaB) elicits an immune response during septicemia and is generally classified as a virulence factor, but its biological function remains completely undefined. In an attempt to identify staphylococcal RNA-binding proteins, we designed an RNA Affinity Chromatography assay and subsequently isolated IsaB.

Results

Western analysis indicated that IsaB was both secreted and cell-surface associated. Gel Shift analysis confirmed the RNA binding activity but revealed that IsaB bound to any nucleic acid without sequence specificity. IsaB exhibited the highest affinity for double-stranded DNA followed by single-stranded DNA and RNA. Because extracellular DNA has been shown …

Human T Cells Express Cd25 And Foxp3 Upon Activation And Exhibit Effector/Memory Phenotypes Without Any Regulatory/Suppressor Function, Maciej Kmieciak, Madhu Gowda, Laura Graham, Kamar Godder, Harry D. Bear, Francesco M. Marincola, Masoud H. Manjili

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Background Foxp3 has been suggested to be a standard marker for murine Tregs whereas its role as marker for human Tregs is controversial. While some reports have shown that human Foxp3+ T cells had no regulatory function others have shown their role in the inhibition of T cell proliferation.

Methods T cell activation was performed by means of brayostatin-1/ionomycin (B/I), mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR), and CD3/CD28 activation. T cell proliferation was performed using BrdU and CFSE staining. Flow cytometry was performed to determine Foxp3 expression, cell proliferation, viabilities and phenotype analyses of T cells.

Results Both CD4+ and CD8+ T …

Diagnosis Of Infections Caused By Pathogenic Free-Living Amoebae, Bruno Da Rocha-Azevedo, Herbert B. Tanowitz, Francine Marciano-Cabral

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Naegleria fowleri, Acanthamoeba spp., Balamuthia mandrillaris, and Sappinia sp. are pathogenic free-living amoebae. N. fowleri causes Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis, a rapidly fatal disease of the central nervous system, whileAcanthamoeba spp. and B. mandrillaris cause chronic granulomatous encephalitis.Acanthamoeba spp. also can cause cutaneous lesions and Amoebic Keratitis, a sight-threatening infection of the cornea that is associated with contact lens use or corneal trauma. Sappinia pedata has been identified as the cause of a nonlethal case of amoebic encephalitis. In view of the potential health consequences due to infection with these amoebae, rapid diagnosis is critical for early treatment. Microscopic examination and …

Developing Higher-Level Cognitive Skills In A Fire Protection Course, Roger C. Jensen

Safety Health & Industrial Hygiene

In an ideal world, all instructors of safety and health courses would be masters of course subject matter as well as the theories and practices for effective teaching. In practice, however, most instructors are much stronger in one or the other. This paper provides an example of how some fundamental knowledge from educational experts can be useful for improving a traditional safety course.

Is there a problem with the way traditional safety and health (S&H) courses are taught? It is asserted by this author that S&H education, in general, places too much emphasis on acquisition and comprehension of facts at …

The Effect Of Respirator Wear On Blood Lactate During Maximal Exertion, Austin Anderson, Fred Sullivan, Sally Bardsley, Roger C. Jensen

Safety Health & Industrial Hygiene

The impact of a filtering half-face respirator and a half-face supplied air respirator use on blood lactate production was assessed during maximal exertion to determine if anaerobic strain increased compared to no respirator use. Twenty-eight participants performed a 30 second cycling Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT) wearing a half-face respirator. Blood lactate production was measured to evaluate if there was an increase in anaerobic strain from wearing a tight fitting half-face respirator compared to wearing no respirator. A supplied air respirator WAnT was then performed using 18 participants from the first experiment to evaluate if supplied air decreased anaerobic strain. Data …

Effects Of A 6-Week Jump Training Program Combined With Two Lifting Programs, John Amtmann, Edd, Jeremy Basler, Charles Todd, Phd, Shawn Vincent

Applied Health Sciences

We evaluated the effects of a 6-week jump training program on 12 college basketball players using strength training programs. The Leg Press (LP) group participated in a strength program using the leg press, and the Power Clean group (PC) used the power clean exercise instead of the leg press. Both groups participated in a 6-week jump training program. Pre-program measurements recorded jump scores for one-foot take off and two-foot take offs. The LP group had an average pre-program vertical of 72.60 and 88.05 cm for the 2-foot and 1-foot take-off for an increase of about 1.7 cm. The PC group …

“Oh! Dr. Kinsey!”: The Life And Work Of America’S Pioneer Of Sexology, Mikella Procopio

The Corinthian

Alfred Kinsey’s two most famous books Sexual Behavior in the Human Male and Sexual Behavior in the Human Female characterized the sexual behaviors of thousands of Americans. The content of these texts shocked the nation and initiated public discourse on one of the last great taboos in our society. Sex was a controversial topic of discussion in the mid-twentieth century and many researchers had flirted with sex research as it related to hygiene, or as we would refer to it today, the prevention of sexually transmitted infections. But for all the research that was available, no one really knew what …

Synapse, Alabama Health Libraries Association

Synapse - Newsletter of ALHeLa

This is the Winter, 2009 edition of the ALHeLa newsletter - Synapse.

Contents include:

• President's Column
• Alabama Health Libraries Association - 2009 Executive Committee
• Conference Reports from Recipients of Scholarships for Librarians with Limited Institutional Support
• News Around the State
• Annual Executive Committee Meeting Minutes
• Executive Committee Meeting Minutes

University Of South Alabama College Of Medicine Annual Report For 2009-2010, College Of Medicine

COM Annual Reports

The Annual Report of the USA College of Medicine highlights the achievements of faculty, students, residents, and staff in teaching, research, patient care, and community service during the 2009-2010 academic year.

Degree Of Vocal Handicap In Two Age Groups Of Individuals, Whitney N. Casey-Heatherman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A healthy, functional voice is a critical aspect of daily life, allowing the expression of basic needs as well as interaction within an individual’s community. Unfortunately, for many adults the voice declines in later life. The purpose of this study was to investigate how normal vocal aging affects the quality of life of the elderly. Two hundred two adults without voice disorders from two age groups (30-50 and 65-85) completed the Voice Handicap Index. Results indicated that the older group felt a greater degree of vocal handicap than the younger age group [F (1,156) = 4.944, p = 0.028]. Implications …

Nursing Faculty Shortage: Nurses' Perceptions As A Key To Administrative Solutions, Evelyn M. Klocke

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The nursing faculty shortage is well documented. Higher education administrators turn away qualified student applicants because of the lack of qualified nursing faculty. Furthermore, they find recruitment and retention of qualified nursing faculty a challenge. The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of the nursing faculty role, causes of the faculty shortage, and solutions to the shortage as perceived by: 1) nurses currently in a faculty role and 2) nurses with a master’s degree who were not employed in a full-time faculty position. A qualitative study using the phenomenological method was undertaken. Two groups of nurses were interviewed. …

Effect Of Growth Hormone On Hippocampal Synaptic Function During Sleep Deprivation, Eun Young Kim

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Long term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus is considered a cellular basis of learning memory. Sleep deprivation, especially rapid eye movement (REM) sleep deprivation, impairs learning and memory as well as LTP. Since most of the previous LTP studies were conducted in the in vitro condition, the full consequences of sleep deprivation (SD) in the living animal are yet to be found. Thus, I tested hippocampal LTP in living animals after 5 days of REM sleep deprivation to determine the effect of SD in vivo. SD also disrupts growth hormone (GH) release. Recent evidence indicates that GH regulates cognitive and …

Loss Of Ski Expression In Testicular Cancer Leads To An Enhanced Invasive Phenotype Through Both Bmp-Dependent And Bmp-Independent Pathways, Amy N. Nash

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The proto-oncogene SKI is a transcription factor and a co-repressor of the TGFβ superfamily, including TGF

β and BMP. However, additional data suggests that SKI may function as a tumor suppressor in some cell types. The TGFβ superfamily has been implicated in cancer progression and germ cell migration. Testicular cancer afflicts men during their peak reproductive years and is the most common cancer among men of this age group. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is the standard treatment for testicular cancer. This treatment can lead to undesirable side effects, including infertility. We have shown that SKI expression is decreased in testicular germ cell …

Enumeration Of Endothelial Progenitor Cells In Hind Limb Suspended Rats And The Mechanics Of Endothelial Wound Healing, Jarrod Matthew Pennington

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The endothelium repairs itself through two methods. One is by the activity of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). EPCs are immature endothelial cells that circulate the bloodstream that are capable of proliferation and differentiation into mature endothelium. It is thought that EPCs contribute to the repair and replacement of damaged endothelial cells in the process of reendothelialization. Physical inactivity and bed rest are known to be deleterious to the endothelium. It is possible that this inactivity is also deleterious to the number of viable EPCs, which would reduce the ability of the endothelium to repair itself. We used hind limb …

Prevalence Of Intestinal Parasite Infection In Symptomatic And Asymptomatic Dogs In Southwestern West Virginia: The Potential Impact On Human Health, Tashina Marie Savilla

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Most dog owners are unaware of asymptomatic infection and of the possibility of contracting zoonotic parasites from their dogs. We hypothesized that parasite infection is: associated with one or more symptoms; independent of gender and age; and independent of anthelmintic usage. Stool samples were collected from 231 dogs in Kanawha County, West Virginia, and were examined by simple fecal flotation. Parasitic prevalence was found to be 23% for Ancylostoma caninum, 8% for Trichuris vulpis, 7% for Toxocara canis, 4% for Isospora species, and 32.5% overall. There was no significant relationship between infection and gender, nor between infection and symptom for …

Effects Of Microgravity On Cancer Stem Cells Cultured In A Nasa Developed Bioreactor: Chemotherapeutic Implications., Sarah Elizabeth Daron Kelly

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of simulated microgravity on cancer cell growth. Simulated microgravity is a condition in which cells are in constant free-fall and in which they are able to grow suspended without the shear and stress. Microgravity allows for important insights into the cellular mechanism and may be key in understanding why some cells thrive in this condition and others go into apoptosis. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are considered a subset of the bulk tumor responsible for initiating and maintaining cancer. SAOS-2 is a human bone cancer cell line which consists of a …

Deferasirox Decreases Age-Associated Iron Accumulation In The Aging F344bn Rat Heart, Ravi K. Arvapalli

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

It is thought that aging in rats and humans is associated with increases in iron accumulation and these increases in iron may be associated with increased cellular apoptosis. Here we examine the relationship between cardiac iron levels and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in aged F344BN rats which were treated with an oral iron chelator (Deferasirox; 100mg/kg body. weight/day) for 6 months. Compared with 6- month controls, the levels of cardiac iron, cardiac apoptosis, FLC and DMT-1 were higher in 33-month hearts. Deferasirox treatment for six months decreased cardiac iron and this was associated with decreases in the number of apoptotic cardiac myocytes. …

Chronic Elbow Dislocation Treated With Open Reduction And Lateral Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction, Louis Joseph Rubino, Michael A. Herbenick, Ryan P. Finnan, Philip A. Anloague

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

In the United States, chronic unreduced elbow dislocations are rare injuries. We report the successful short-term outcome of a chronic elbow dislocation treated with open reduction and lateral ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction using a split semitendinosus allograft in a figure-of-8 technique without use of hinged external fixation. The authors have obtained the patient’s written informed consent for print and electronic publication of the case report.

Cover - Front Matter - Table Of Contents

International Journal of Global Health and Health Disparities

No abstract provided.

Inequality, Physician Distribution, And Health In Illinois Counties: A Three-Stage Least Squares Model, Martin Mistretta, Karen Peters

International Journal of Global Health and Health Disparities

Government health policies often do not succeed as planned, possibly due to income inequality. Its importance is often overlooked when searching for the causes of poor health and when developing strategies to improve the health of Americans. This research uses an advanced statistical technique to study the relationship between income inequality, racial/ethnic, and rural/urban disparities in health for counties in Illinois. Primary care physician to population ratios were also controlled in three-stage least squares econometric models. Mortality data were used as the health measure. Simultaneity between certain variables was accounted for: something not previously studied. Income inequality in the Illinois …