Research enrichment: evaluation of structured research in the curriculum for dental medicine students as part of the vertical and horizontal integration of biomedical training and discovery

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Research programs within medical and dental schools are important vehicles for biomedical and clinical discovery, serving as effective teaching and learning tools by providing situations in which predoctoral students develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Although research programs at many medical and dental schools are well-established, they may not be well integrated into the predoctoral curriculum to effectively support the learning objectives for their students.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A series of structured seminars, incorporating faculty research, was designed for first-year dental students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, School of Dental Medicine to reinforce and support the concepts and skills taught in concurrent courses. A structured research enrichment period was also created to facilitate student engagement in active research using faculty and student curricular release time. Course evaluations and surveys were administered to gauge student perceptions of the curricular integration of research, the impact of these seminars on recruitment to the research program, and overall levels of student satisfaction with research enrichment.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The analysis of course surveys revealed that students perceived the research-containing seminars effectively illustrated concepts, were logically sequenced, and were well-integrated into their curriculum. In addition, analysis of surveys revealed that the Integration Seminar courses motivated students to engage in research enrichment. Finally, this analysis provided evidence that students were very satisfied with their overall learning experience during research enrichment.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Curricular integration is one method of improving the teaching and learning of complicated and inter-related concepts, providing an opportunity to incorporate research training and objectives into traditionally separate didactic courses. Despite the benefits of curricular integration, finding the most appropriate points of integration, obtaining release time for curricular development and for research engagement, and funding predoctoral student research remain issues to be addressed in ways that reflect the character of the faculty and the goals of each institution.</p

Platelet-activating factor levels of serum and gingival crevicular fluid in nonsmoking patients with periodontitis and/or coronary heart disease

The purpose of the present study was to investigate systemic and local levels of platelet-activating factor (PAF), a potent proinflammatory mediator implicated in cardiovascular pathophysiology in adult nonsmoking patients with periodontitis with or without coronary heart disease (CHD). Eighty-seven volunteers, 25 periodontitis patients, 19 periodontitis with CHD patients, 19 CHD patients, and 24 healthy controls were included, and periodontal conditions were assessed. Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and venous blood were collected, and PAF levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. PAF levels in serum (303.3 ± 204 pg/ml) and in GCF (26.3 ± 6 pg/μl) of the periodontitis group with CHD, the periodontitis group (serum, 302.4 ± 241 pg/ml and GCF, 26.3 ± 8 pg/μl) and the CHD group (serum, 284.7 ± 192 pg/ml and GCF, 20.8 ± 6 pg/μl) were significantly higher than the healthy control group (serum, 65.4 ± 35 pg/ml and GCF, 7.7 ± 3 pg/μl; p < 0.05). In summary, the present study could demonstrate that in patients with periodontitis, the inflammatory mediator PAF is released into serum at least in the same range as for patients with coronary heart disease. However, no additive effects were seen when both conditions were present

Stimulatory effect of neonatal beta-estradiol treatment on aspartate-aminotransferase activity within rat cerebellar cortex

The effect of neonatal beta-estradiol treatment on the Aspartate-aminotransferase (Asp-T) activity within rat cerebellar cortex has been studied using a semi-quantitative histochemical technique. The Asp-T, localized chiefly at the level of nerve fiber-like structures in the molecular layer as well as around the perikaryon of Purkinje neurons, is significantly stimulated after estrogenization. The nerve fibers localized in the molecular layer were the Asp-T cerebellar structures more remarkably influenced by beta-estradiol treatment

Stimulatory effect of neonatal beta-estradiol treatment on aspartate-aminotransferase activity within rat cerebellar cortex

The effect of neonatal beta-estradiol treatment on the Aspartate-aminotransferase (Asp-T) activity within rat cerebellar cortex has been studied using a semi-quantitative histochemical technique. The Asp-T, localized chiefly at the level of nerve fiber-like structures in the molecular layer as well as around the perikaryon of Purkinje neurons, is significantly stimulated after estrogenization. The nerve fibers localized in the molecular layer were the Asp-T cerebellar structures more remarkably influenced by beta-estradiol treatment

Response to chemotherapy and tandem autologous transplantation of multiple myeloma patients and GSTP1 and TYMS polymorphisms

This study examines the response to dexamethasone-doxorubicin-vincristine (DAV) therapy, followed by conditioning regimen and autologous stem cells transplantation (ASCT) in patients with multiple myeloma in relation with the presence of polymorphisms in genes involved in drug metabolism (GSTP1) and DNA synthesis (TYMS). GSTP1 G313G genotype (OR=5.49; 95% CI, 1.3-22.5, p=0.02) and TYMS A227A genotype (OR=3.41; 95% CI, 1.3-8.9, p=0.01) resulted significantly associated with a poor response following chemotherapy and the risk increased for the combined genotype (OR=13.54; 95% CI, 2.0-91.3, p=0.01). TYMS T157T genotype was significantly associated with a poor response after ASCT (OR=4.60; 95% CI, 1.2-16.9, p=0.02). Pre-therapeutic individual determination of the GSTP1 and TYMS polymorphisms could help in choosing the most appropriate protocol