Papers by Angela Juliana Berry
Nutraceuticals, 2021
The purpose of this study was to investigate acute Zembrin® (Sceletium tortuosum) supplementation... more The purpose of this study was to investigate acute Zembrin® (Sceletium tortuosum) supplementation on muscle soreness, markers of muscle damage, mood, and exercise performance following unaccustomed resistance exercise. Untrained females (n = 16) were divided into two groups with a different three-day treatment regimen: (1) placebo (PL) and (2) Zembrin® (ZEM). During the initial visit, baseline perceived soreness, range of motion (ROM), mood state (profile of mood states (POMS) questionnaire), and plasma lactate dehydrogenase concentrations (LDH) were measured followed by the performance of an eccentric bicep curl protocol with their non-dominant arm. The total repetitions and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded throughout the exercise. The participants then supplemented with the corresponding treatment immediately following, the subsequent day, and 30 min prior to completing a 48 h follow-up visit. For the 48 h visit, all procedures were repeated and comparisons were draw...
American Journal of Critical Care, 2007
Background Oropharyngeal colonization with pathogenic organisms contributes to the development of... more Background Oropharyngeal colonization with pathogenic organisms contributes to the development of ventilator-associated pneumonia in intensive care units. Although considered basic and potentially nonessential nursing care, oral hygiene has been proposed as a key intervention for reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia. Nevertheless, evidence from randomized controlled trials that could inform best practice is limited.Objective To appraise the peer-reviewed literature to determine the best available evidence for providing oral care to intensive care patients receiving mechanical ventilation and to document a research agenda for this important activity in optimizing patients’ outcomes.Methods Articles published from 1985 to 2006 in English and indexed in the CINAHL, MEDLINE, Joanna Briggs Institute, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and DARE databases were searched by using the key terms oral hygiene, oral hygiene practices, oral care, mouth care, mouth hygiene, intubated, mechanically vent...
International Journal of Nursing Studies, 2011
What is already known about the topic? Ventilator associated pneumonia is associated with signifi... more What is already known about the topic? Ventilator associated pneumonia is associated with significant morbidity and mortality.
Compounds of formula (I) are disclosed. Compounds according to the invention bind to and are agon... more Compounds of formula (I) are disclosed. Compounds according to the invention bind to and are agonists, antagonists or inverse agonists of the CB2 receptor, and are useful for treating inflammation. Those compounds which are agonists are additionally useful for treating pain.
Cannabinoid receptors CB2 and CB1 are G-protein coupled receptors which may be useful in the trea... more Cannabinoid receptors CB2 and CB1 are G-protein coupled receptors which may be useful in the treatment of inflammatory diseases and chronic pain. The use of cannabinoid receptor modulating ligands to treat these diseases has been hampered by insufficient receptor selectivity resulting in undesired psychotropic effects. Several CB2 selective agonists have been reported and these are expected to lack the undesired CB1 mediated side effects. Identification of a biaryl and a diazepane class of CB2 selective agonists using design and screening methods will be discussed. The optimization of these molecules for CB2 potency, selectivity over the CB1 receptor, as well as microsomal stability, solubility and their efficacy in a murine model of inflammation will be presented.
Series In Anxiety and Related Disorders
... Jasper AJ Smits, Angela C. Berry, Mark B. Powers, Tracy L. Greer, and Michael W. Otto ... Mor... more ... Jasper AJ Smits, Angela C. Berry, Mark B. Powers, Tracy L. Greer, and Michael W. Otto ... Moreover, several studies have now shown that exercise training programs are associated with significant improvements in self-reported sleep quality (King, Oman, Brassington, Bliwise, & ...
Background Oropharyngeal colonization with pathogenic organisms contributes to the development of... more Background Oropharyngeal colonization with pathogenic organisms contributes to the development of ventilatorassociated pneumonia in intensive care units. Although considered basic and potentially nonessential nursing care, oral hygiene has been proposed as a key intervention for reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia. Nevertheless, evidence from randomized controlled trials that could inform best practice is limited. Objective To appraise the peer-reviewed literature to determine the best available evidence for providing oral care to intensive care patients receiving mechanical ventilation and to document a research agenda for this important activity in optimizing patients' outcomes. Methods Articles published from 1985 to 2006 in English and indexed in the CINAHL, MEDLINE, Joanna Briggs Institute, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and DARE databases were searched by using the key terms oral hygiene, oral hygiene practices, oral care, mouth care, mouth hygiene, intubated, mechanically ventilated, intensive care, and critical care. Reference lists of retrieved journal articles were searched for publications missed during the primary search. Finally, the Google search engine was used to do a comprehensive search of the World Wide Web to ensure completeness of the search. The search strategy was verified by a health librarian. Results The search yielded 55 articles: 11 prospective controlled trials, 20 observational studies, and 24 descriptive reports. Methodological issues and the heterogeneity of samples precluded meta-analysis. Conclusions Despite the importance of providing oral hygiene to intensive care patients receiving mechanical ventilation, highlevel evidence from rigorous randomized controlled trials or high-quality systematic reviews that could inform clinical practice is scarce.
Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 2009
Background: The application of weekly doses of D-cycloserine (DCS) to the enhancement of exposure... more Background: The application of weekly doses of D-cycloserine (DCS) to the enhancement of exposure-based treatments has been a particular achievement of translational research. It is not known, however, whether this enhancement effect can be extended to other forms of learning. In this study, we investigated the relative benefit of DCS versus placebo for enhancing nonemotional verbal and nonverbal memory across weekly trials. Methods: We randomized healthy participants to weekly doses of 50 mg DCS or placebo, with 33 participants completing a 5-week protocol. Participants completed baseline neuropsychological evaluation and then 4 subsequent weeks of repeated learning tasks. Results: No improvement was found in immediate or delayed memory following single doses of DCS for the memory tasks repeated on a weekly basis. Trends for an advantage of DCS were evident for novel word lists given each week. Conclusions: The learning tasks in our study were particularly distinct from the extinct...
Journal of School Health, 2014
This project quantified and categorized medications left unclaimed by students at the end of the ... more This project quantified and categorized medications left unclaimed by students at the end of the school year. It determined the feasibility of a model medication disposal program and assessed school nurses' perceptions of environmentally responsible medication disposal. At a large urban school district all unclaimed medications were collected at the end of a school year to determine the extent and nature of this problem. Nurses documented unclaimed medications and transported them to a central district location. An environmentally responsible medication disposal program, consisting of sealed containers bound for a local hospital's disposal system, was implemented. In a school district of approximately 133,000 students, there were 926 different medications abandoned at the end of a school year brought to a central disposal area. Nurses complied with the newly implemented protocol. Information collected from nurses indicates acceptance of the program. Disposal of unclaimed medications at a central location, use of secured containers, and transportation to a hospital for environmentally responsible disposal proved to be feasible and acceptable to the staff. Unclaimed medications at school each year pose a potentially huge environmental risk when disposed of improperly. It is feasible to implement an environmentally responsible medication disposal protocol at schools.
Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 2011
To describe a respiratory disease prevention program in a US heavy-construction company. The prog... more To describe a respiratory disease prevention program in a US heavy-construction company. The program uses periodic spirometry and questionnaires and is integrated into a worksite wellness program involving individualized intervention. Spirometry Longitudinal Data Analysis (SPIROLA) technology is used to assist the physician with (i) management and evaluation of longitudinal spirometry and questionnaire data; (ii) designing, recoding, and implementing intervention; and (iii) evaluation of impact of the intervention. Preintervention data provide benchmark results. Preintervention results on 1224 workers with 5 or more years of follow-up showed that the mean rate of FEV1 decline was 47 mL/year. Age-stratified prevalence of moderate airflow obstruction was higher than that for the US population. Preintervention results indicate the need for respiratory disease prevention in this construction workforce and provide a benchmark for future evaluation of the intervention.
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2014
Synthesis and structure−activity relationship (SAR) of a series of nonsteroidal glucocorticoid re... more Synthesis and structure−activity relationship (SAR) of a series of nonsteroidal glucocorticoid receptor (GR) agonists are described. These compounds contain "diazaindole" moieties and display different transcriptional regulatory profiles in vitro and are considered "dissociated" between gene transrepression and transactivation. The lead optimization effort described in this article focused in particular on limiting the transactivation of genes which result in bone side effects and these were assessed in vitro in MG-63 osteosarcoma cells, leading to the identification of (R)-18 and (R)-21. These compounds maintained anti-inflammatory activity in vivo in collagen induced arthritis studies in mouse but had reduced effects on bone relevant parameters compared to the widely used synthetic glucocorticoid prednisolone 2 in vivo. To our knowledge, we are the first to report on selective glucocorticoid ligands with reduced bone loss in a preclinical in vivo model.
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2007
Integration of computational methods, X-ray crystallography, and structure-activity relationships... more Integration of computational methods, X-ray crystallography, and structure-activity relationships will be disclosed, which lead to a new class of p38 inhibitors that bind to p38 MAP kinase in a Phe out conformation.
Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 1990
Young Retusa obtusu (Montagu) in the field started eating significant numbers of newly hatched Hy... more Young Retusa obtusu (Montagu) in the field started eating significant numbers of newly hatched Hydrobia ulvae (Pennant) in August at sizes much smaller than might physically have been ingested. Ingested H. ulvae approached and some exceeded mean maximum edible sizes in October. Then, as R. obtusa grew to 4-5 mm and bred in December-March, prey in the gizzards again decreased in size (to X values of 0.7-0.8 mm) and fell markedly short of maximum possible sizes. This winter reduction in ingested prey size is inconsistent with the growth of most small H. ulvae, their consequent decline in abundance and the increasing preponderance oflarger ones that might have been readily ingestible by the full-grown predators. In the laboratory, individual R. obtrtsa with equal numbers of prey sizes all ate more small (0.6-1.0 mm) than large (1.4-2.2 mm) prey over 38-49-day observation. Larger R. obtusa ate more large prey and in late November-early December the largest predators together briefly ate slightly more large than small H. ulvae before returning to a predominance of small prey. When small prey comprised only 23 % of those offered, they accounted for 41 y0 numerically of those eaten. Yet, consumption of large H. ulvae contributed heavily to estimated total AFDW intake even when few large prey were taken and especially in larger R. obtusa. R. obtusa cleared small H. ulvae from the gizzard faster than large prey: large predators cleared prey faster than small predators. Thus at IO-12 "C, 1.7-1.9-mm prey in 3.1-3.3-mm R. obtusa took 6-7 days to clear the gizzard while O&l-mm prey in S-mm R. obtusa took only 1.75-2 days. Simultaneous ingestion of two H. ulvae prolonged clearance to nearly double the time for single prey. AFDW intake, based on gizzard clearance times for single prey, was fastest (w 2 pg AFDW. h-') when big R. obtusa ate big prey but was only 0.3 pg * h-1 when small predators ate the smallest prey. The general lack of preference for larger prey and the marked preference for small prey in full-grown breeding R. obtusa of December-March lead, in nature, to rapid intake of multiple small prey: large R. obtusa in the field contained means of 3.47 and an in~~du~ maximum of 11 small H. uivae in February 1987 compared with the usual single H. ulvae per gizzard at most times. Prey AFDW increases steadily with shell weight and thinner shells of several small prey might be easier to dissolve in the gizzard of a big predator than the thick shell of one equivalent large prey.
Intensive and Critical Care Nursing, 2006
Background: The role of oral hygiene in maintaining the health and well being of patients in the ... more Background: The role of oral hygiene in maintaining the health and well being of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) is indisputable. This importance is not reflected in the body of research related to ICU practice. While a number of studies have examined oral hygiene practices in oncological patients there is significantly less attention devoted to these practices in the critically ill. Aim: This paper has two discrete yet interrelated aims. Firstly, in relation to current available evidence and based on a sound knowledge of oral physiology, identify barriers to effective oral hygiene and subsequent effectiveness of the most commonly used and recommended methods of providing oral hygiene in the critically ill population. Secondly, informed by the critical review, identify recommendations for practice and future intervention studies. Findings: To date, there is no definitive evidence to determine the most appropriate method of oral hygiene including the use of beneficial mouth rinses. Barriers identified in this review to providing optimal hygiene include: (1) mechanical barriers and equipment issues, (2) perceptions of the importance of mouth care and empathy with patient discomfort by nurses, (3) altered patient sensory perception and discomfort and (4) difficulties in patient communication. In spite of these challenges opportunities for collaborative research and increasing expertise in nurse researchers creates a climate to derive solutions to these factors. Conclusions: It is clearly evident from this review of oral hygiene practices in intensive care that the need for ongoing research is of paramount importance. ICU nurses undeniably require rigorous research studies in order to inform their practice in the provision of oral hygiene for critically ill patients.
Intensive and Critical Care Nursing, 2011
Objectives: Oropharyngeal colonisation has been identified as a factor contributing to ventilator... more Objectives: Oropharyngeal colonisation has been identified as a factor contributing to ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). We sought to develop a clinical practice guideline for providing oral hygiene in the critically ill. Research methodology: Following a systematic literature review a prospectively derived consensus development conference was convened and sponsored by a clinical governance unit. Results: The consensus development conference generated 12 recommendations for tools and solutions; frequency and duration of cleaning; oral assessment tools and oral hygiene protocols. These recommendations underwent a validation process. Conclusions: In light of sparse high level evidence to inform guidelines, further research is needed inform clinical practice. Oral hygiene is a critical element of nursing care and a standardised approach has the potential to improve clinical outcomes.
Heart & Lung: The Journal of Acute and Critical Care, 1998
As a result of difficulties in attracting resident medical officers (RMOs) to the outer western s... more As a result of difficulties in attracting resident medical officers (RMOs) to the outer western suburbs of Sydney, the intensive care unit at Nepean Hospital created a new nursing position in 1992 called the clinical assistant (CA). This position was trialed and, after a successful period in the intensive care unit, it was expanded to the surgical, pediatric, and mental health divisions. The generic job description of the CA is comprehensive and includes advanced clinical, educational, research, and managerial components. There are a number of variations within the areas of practice. For example, within the clinical component, the intensive care CA is expected to be able to insert central venous and arterial catheters, whereas the mental health CA adopts a full caseload and is responsible for patient assessment and management. A working party was established in 1995 and comprised previous and current CAs, an education manager, a senior nursing administrator, and representatives from personnel and the New South Wales Nursing Association (nursing union). The working party conducted an extensive evaluation of this new nursing role, and the recommendations that followed received a positive response from the hospital management.
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Papers by Angela Juliana Berry