Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research

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    Strategic Grantmaking in Higher Education
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2010-04-09) Osili, Una; Miller, Melanie; Kramarek, Michal
    Resources are scarce relative to the colossal task of tackling the barriers to higher education. Delineating a grantmaking program- given the social, political, and economic dynamics in higher education- offers a substantial challenge to the nonprofit sector. The choice of strategy, implementation, and measurement are paramount considerations in effective grantmaking. Such choices include the grantmaker’s role in community and geographical contexts, allocation of grants according to location and size, engagement in partnerships and networks, and goal setting and measurement. This study investigates best practices in strategic grantmaking in the field of higher education. Through analysis of a literature review and case study interviews, this study identifies effective strategies of grantmaking organizations in addressing barriers to higher education. Such strategies include defining organizational purpose and identity, utilization of innovative techniques, adaptation to changing systems, catalyzing research, collaboration with co-funders and grantees, “big picture” goal setting, and identification and measurement of impact. The knowledge gained from this study offers grantmakers the tools needed to heighten the impact of the organizational mission under the most effective terms.
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    IUPUI Center for Health Geographics
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2010-04-09) Bodenhamer, David J.; Wilson, Jeffrey S.; Comer, Karen Frederickson
    The IUPUI Center for Health Geographics develops and supports research innovation through integration of geographic information science, medical informatics, community informatics, and public health. Our areas of research emphasis include geospatial technologies and standards for health surveillance, spatial and temporal contexts of health behaviors and health outcomes, and space-time models for investigating disease and mortality trends. Our poster highlights our collaborations, which include interdisciplinary partnerships with investigators in the fields of geographic information science, social science, clinical epidemiology, medical informatics, and health services research.
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    A Longitudinal Study of Cultural Tourism and Quality of Life of Indianapolis Residents
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2010-04-09) Cecil, Amanda K.; Fu, Yao-Yi; Wang, Suosheng; Hji-Avgoustis, Sotiris; King, Carina; Heo, Jinmoo
    Cultural tourism development is considered a viable channel to attract tourists to a destination and to enhance residents’ overall quality of life (QOL). This research reports the findings of a five-year study, from 2004-2008, to monitor patterns and changes in perceptions of cultural tourism and residents’ quality of life measurement. The series of studies yield interesting conclusions that have practical implications for Indianapolis city and tourism leaders who continually evaluate the cultural tourism initiatives and ways to improve the residents’ quality of life.
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    Dental Health Care Service Learning Research through Volunteer Children's Programs
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2010-04-09) Chin, Judith; Davenport, Megan
    This volunteer program outreach service learning research was designed to expand development and participation this program and analyze reasons for participation in this program.
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    Very High Energy Electron Laser Plasma Accelerators for use in Radiotherapy
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2010-04-09) DesRosiers, Colleen; Moskvin, Vadim; Stewart, Keith
    Very high energy electron beams, greater than 150 MeV, have been shown to have potential benefit in radiotherapy applications. Laser plasma technology is a highly efficient electron accelerator and this technology may be used to design an optimal radiotherapy accelerator.
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    Silver Hoosiers - Health and Aging Research Lab
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2010-04-09) Liu, Chiung-ju
    Facing the challenge of an entire nation growing older rapidly, the mission of the Silver Hoosiers-Health and Aging Research Lab is to promote health and independence in seniors. Located in the Department of Occupational Therapy within the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, this lab is led by Dr. Chiung-ju (CJ) Liu, a gerontologist, and collaborates from other schools including the School of Nursing and the School of Informatics. The poster will showcase the research conducted at the Silver Hoosiers-Health and Aging Research Lab. The lab research foci include 1) health literacy and comprehension, 2) muscle strength training and physical disability, and 3) systematic review and evidence-based practice. Dr. Liu’s health literacy work focuses on increasing accessibility of complex written health information (i.e. cancer prevention and instructions of medical devices) to seniors through the application of text cohesion and multimedia. The lab is equipped with sophisticated eye-tracking technology to study information processing load. Dr. Liu’s muscle strength training work examines the effects of progressive resistance strength training on physical functioning in older adults via meta-analysis. Additionally, Dr. Liu is in partnership with the American Occupational Therapy Association in reviewing the effects of environmental approaches on improving daily function in older adults with low vision. The aim of her review work is to provide the best research evidence to guide clinical practice. The impact of gaining is multidimensional. The lab welcomes collaborators interested in aging-related issues that share the same view of the lab’s mission.
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    Department of Music and Arts Technology's Music Therapy Program
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2010-04-09) Burns, Debra; Mauskapf, Phillip; Lee, Key Hwa
    The Music Therapy Program in the Department of Music and Arts Technology as two main goals: to improve the quality of life of individuals through the use of music-based interventions and to use rigorous, scientific methods to determine the best use of music-based interventions for individuals with medical and developmental needs.
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    Does Vibration Training Improve Physical Function and Quality of Life in Fibromyalgia Syndrome?
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2010-04-09) Kaleth, Anthony S.; Ang, Dennis C.; Streepey, Jefferson W.; Mikesky, Alan E.; Bahamonde, Rafael E.; Dilts, Sandi
    Exercise and physical activity recommendations are an integral component of the overall management of fibromyalgia. Unfortunately, despite the known health, fitness, and symptom relief benefits, underlying pain and fatigue prevent most from initiating (or maintaining) physical activity and exercise programs, thereby contributing to sedentary lifestyles that lead to low levels of aerobic and muscular fitness. Therefore, it is important to identify alternative approaches to exercise programming in the overall management of fibromyalgia. Vibration training is a relatively new approach to exercise that has been shown to elicit numerous benefits; however little is known about the effects of this training method in fibromyalgia. Therefore, the primary aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of vibration training in improving musculoskeletal function, balance and postural control, and health-related quality of life in patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
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    Identification of an Actin-Based Antidiabetic Action of Chromium in Skeletal Muscle
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2010-04-09) Hoffman, Nolan J.; Habegger, Kirk M.; Elmendorf, Jeffrey S.
    We recently demonstrated that cortical filamentous actin (F-actin) loss contributes to cellular insulin resistance induced by hyperinsulinemia. New animal and human analyses suggest a similar loss of F-actin is present in insulin-resistant skeletal muscle and results from cellular cholesterol accrual. Interestingly, we found that chromium picolinate (CrPic), a dietary supplement recognized to improve insulin action, lowers plasma membrane cholesterol in cultured adipocytes. Understanding whether CrPic can improve F-actin structure in insulinresistant skeletal muscle via lowering membrane cholesterol is not known, yet significant, as skeletal muscle is responsible for a large majority of insulin-stimulated glucose transport. In L6 myotubes stably expressing the insulin-responsive glucose transporter GLUT4 carrying an exofacial myc-epitope tag, acute insulin stimulation (20 min, 100 nM) increased myc-epitope labeling at the surface of intact cells by ~2-fold (P<0.05). In contrast, the ability of insulin to stimulate this process was inhibited 25% (P<0.05) by sustained exposure of L6 myotubes to insulin (12 h, 5 nM). Defects in insulin signaling did not readily account for the observed disruption. However, we found that insulin-induced insulin-resistant myotubes displayed a 28% elevation (P<0.05) in membrane cholesterol with a reciprocal 14% loss (P<0.05) in F-actin. This cholesterol/actin imbalance and insulin/GLUT4 dysfunction was corrected by the cholesterollowering action of CrPic. Mechanistically, CrPic increased the activity of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Tests also revealed that other well-recognized activators of AMPK (e.g., AICAR, DNP) lowered membrane cholesterol and that, in a fashion similar to that witnessed for CrPic, improved regulation of GLUT4 in insulin-induced insulin-resistant myotubes. These data, as well as findings from ongoing siRNA-mediated AMPK knockdown experiments, are consistent with AMPK mediating its antidiabetic action by lowering cellular cholesterol. We predict that chromium, via AMPK activation, protects against cholesterol accrual that induces skeletal muscle F-actin loss and insulin resistance.
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    Institute for American Thought
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2010-04-09) Pfeifer, David
    This poster will have images of recent volumes published by the critical editions being edited by the Institute for American Thought. Information will tell how long the critical editions have been in existence, how much funding has been received, and how many additional volumes will be published. The coming fifth critical edition will be mentioned. A listing of the visiting scholars for this academic year will be provided.