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Mechanistic Insight Into Traumatic Brain Injury Induced Neuronal Membrane Disruption: Cathepsin B Relocalization And A Neun Negative Cortical Neuron Subpopulation, Martina L. Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a mechanical insult to the head that leads to brain damage and, in turn, causes long-term sensory, motor, cognitive, and affective dysfunction. Diffuse pathologies seen following such injury are associated with these life-altering outcomes that impact the daily lives of TBI survivors. The diffuse pathology that this body of work focuses on is neuronal membrane disruption; it is characterized by increased permeability of the neuron’s plasma membrane. Moreover, our lab had previously found that membrane disruption is exacerbated with intracranial pressure (ICP) elevation. We set out to measure the duration of membrane disruption following injury …

Protacs – A Novel And Rapidly Developing Field Of Targeted Protein Degradation, Hannah R. Gatley

Theses and Dissertations

There is a continued need for new technology and strategies for tackling cancer and other diseases, and within the current century a novel therapeutic strategy has emerged in the realm of targeted protein degradation called Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs). This technology specifically targets and degrades disease-causing proteins via the ubiquitin-proteasome system, and has seen an explosion of research and intrigue in both academia and industry over the past two decades. The diversity of PROTAC classes based on the E3 ligase recruiting ligand and the target protein allows for a universal molecular structure that can be customized for a specific target and …

Seeing Themselves: White Preservice Teachers As Raced Individuals And As Members Of Their Future School Communities, Laurie Koth

Theses and Dissertations

Students of color, of poverty, with disabilities continue to slide into the school to prison pipeline (STPP.) Very often, an antecedent step is harsh exclusionary discipline that removes them from the classroom. Teachers, who play a major role in the decision whether to keep students in or eject them from the classroom and the school, are among multiple forces driving students toward or away from the STPP. A salient feature of the issue is that nearly 80% of teachers are white and their most vulnerable students are not. Rooted in critical race and care theories, and buttressed by self determination …

Examining Genetically-Informed Etiologic Models Of Co-Occurring Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And Recreational Cannabis Use Among College Students, Terrell A. Hicks

Theses and Dissertations

The college years encompass a period of increased risk recreational cannabis use (RCU), as well as a time of increased risk for trauma exposure and developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Given the high co-occurrence between RCU and PTSD, and the potentially negative consequences of the two (e.g., worse academic outcomes), there is a need to understand the etiologic mechanisms of these commonly co-occurring conditions. Two primary phenotypic models exist: self-medication model (i.e., PTSD to RCU) and the high-risk model (i.e., RCU to PTSD). To date, there are two existing studies longitudinally examining the etiologic models proposed to explain co-occurring RCU …

Factors Associated With Turnover Intention Of Medical Laboratory Professionals During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Approach, Keandra Walthall

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted and strained healthcare systems worldwide. Frontline healthcare workers have experienced increased rates of psychological distress and burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic, which have led to high turnover intention and workforce shortages. Medical Laboratory Professionals have endured similar experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, there has been limited research exploring these factors for this group of professionals. This study utilized a convergent mixed methods approach to investigate the impact of psychological distress and burnout on the turnover intentions of Medical Laboratory Professionals in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to explore motivational factors …

Correlates Of Current Tobacco Use Among Cancer Survivors: Examining The Role Of Posttraumatic Growth And Family Conflict, Kendall Fugate-Laus

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer survivors who use tobacco are at a greater risk of death and poor health outcomes. Although tobacco use during cancer survivorship is associated with poor psychosocial functioning, it is relatively unknown how tobacco use is associated with other variables important to cancer survivorship, such as family functioning and posttraumatic growth. Thus, the current study aims to contribute to this gap within the literature by investigating the association between family conflict, posttraumatic growth, and current tobacco use status among cancer survivors. Participants were recruited from Virginia Commonwealth University’s Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center and eligible to participate if they received any …

Wrestling With The One Drop Rule: Exploring Multiraciality In Social Work Education, Britney Pitts

Theses and Dissertations

This three paper dissertation aims to provide a baseline understanding of how multiraciality is understood in social work education. The first paper, a fusion autoethnography, explores how my own perception of my multiracial identity was clarified throughout my social work education. This exploration led to the development of incongruent logic in/validation (ILV), a new aspect of racial identity invalidation (RII). The second paper, a multimethod qualitative case study, explores master of social work (MSW) students’ knowledge, attitudes, and anticipated professional behaviors with multiracial individuals and families. Themes from this study include: never explicitly learned about multiraciality; non-ecological endorsements of multiracial …

Tgif1 Physiological Levels Limit Β-Cell Distress And Neonatal Diabetes, Creighton J. Friend

Theses and Dissertations

TGIF1 belongs to the superfamily of homeodomain proteins, which regulate a wide variety of biological functions, including cell stemness and specification of cell fate during early development. Perhaps surprisingly, we found that enforced expression in pancreatic progenitor cells during embryogenesis resulted in severe diabetes, hinting at the possibility that TGIF1 might regulate pancreas development. Subsequent genetic experiments targeting β-cells showed that TGIF1 affected β-cell function and homeostasis. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that TGIF1 expression inhibits the expression of essential components of UPR signaling, underscoring a potential mechanism in which TGIF1 disrupts protein folding and secretion. Congruently, TGIF1 expression led to a …

The Five Senses: Fundamentals In Acting Training, Landon A. Nagel

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

THE FIVE SENSES: FUNDAMENTALS IN ACTING TRAINING

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MFA Theatre Pedagogy at Virginia Commonwealth University

by

LANDON NAGEL

Thesis Chair: Aaron Anderson, PH.D.

Theatre Graduate Program Director, Department of Theatre

The following is presented as a tool for new acting teachers, students and potentially parents. It identifies and explores the fundamental lessons that I believe are necessary inside a beginning acting studio, inspired by that which I believe is necessary when raising a young child. Rather than focusing on one particular technique, system or method - I …

Analysis Of Referrals To Trauma Psychology And Subsequent Development And Proof-Of-Concept Study Of Provider Mental Health Training At A Level I Trauma Center, Samantha Mladen

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Millions of people are traumatically injured each year, with a significant portion going on to develop negative mental health sequelae. Many Level I trauma centers are integrating psychologists to provide acute assessment and intervention to patients at risk for poor outcomes. However, medical providers receive very limited training in how to best refer patients to mental health services and may benefit from such education.

Objective: To characterize current patterns of referral to trauma psychology at a Level I trauma center and to develop, refine, and test proof-of-concept for a new training for referring providers.

Method: One year of patient …

The Impact Of Patient Characteristics On Dysphagia Therapy Utilization And Feeding Outcomes For Premature Infants In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Tiana Nguyen

Theses and Dissertations

Medical advances have significantly increased the survival rates of preterm infants at lower gestational ages. However, infants born at lower gestational ages have an increased risk for developmental disabilities and oral feeding difficulties. A stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is very costly and inadequate oral feeding is the most common barrier to discharge for premature infants. Infants can receive dysphagia therapy services during their NICU stay that focuses on the development of oral feeding and swallowing skills. However, literature to this date has mainly focused on the impact of therapy services for premature infants after NICU discharge. …

The Presentation And Impact Of Compassion Fatigue And Compassion Satisfaction In Occupational And Physical Therapists Working With People Who Have Sustained Burn Injuries, Miranda L. Yelvington

Theses and Dissertations

Therapists who work with burn survivors are frequently exposed to patients who are undergoing or have undergone severe trauma and pain. This exposure places burn therapists at risk for the development of compassion fatigue and diminished professional quality of life. Alternatively, the sense of purpose and altruism experienced by these same therapists have the potential to foster compassion satisfaction. This dissertation explores the prevalence and presentation of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction in burn therapists in the United States. This three-paper design focuses on: 1) a scoping review of current literature, 2) a cross-sectional quantitative survey utilizing the Professional Quality …

Mitigation Of Nicotine Reward And Withdrawal By The N-Acyl Amino Acids: N-Oleoyl Glycine And N-Oleoyl Alanine, Kimberly Karin

Theses and Dissertations

A growing body of research is exploring the efficacy of N-acyl amino acids (N-oleoyl glycine; OlGly and N-oleoyl alanine; OlAla) in rodent models of drug reward and dependence. In particular, OlGly attenuated the reinforcing effects of nicotine in the mouse nicotine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm and reduced somatic and affective signs of mecamylamine-precipitated withdrawal in nicotine-dependent mice. Based on the addition of a methyl group on the head group, OlAla was proposed to have increased metabolic stability compared to OlGly. While OlAla has been assessed in assays of reward and withdrawal of opioids, cocaine, and …

Motivations And Conflicts In Prison Medical Contracting, Meagan D. Sok

Theses and Dissertations

State correctional departments are responsible for all medical care incarcerated individuals require. Many systems outsource their medical

State correctional departments are responsible for all medical care incarcerated individuals require. Many systems outsource their medical program. Literature indicates that many of these contracts experience significant issues that negatively impact state resources, including both personnel and money.

This dissertation explores the relationship between prison administrators' motivations and the structure, outcomes, efficiencies, and partner conflicts that arise in the contractual process. Using a framework developed from Incomplete Contract Theory, Contracts as Reference Points Theory and the concept of “essential tension,” this dissertation hypothesizes …

Anti-Immigration-Related Stressors And Latine Immigrant Well-Being: The Role Of Family & Community Resilience, Lisa S. Fuentes

Theses and Dissertations

Anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies have continued to adversely impact Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protection Status (TPS) beneficiaries (Arevalo et al., 2015; Cleary, 2017; Li, 2015; Sangalang et al., 2018). There have been numerous attempts to revoke DACA, TPS, and other policies that temporarily protect immigrant families. Although the number of resilience literature has grown, more strength-based approaches are still needed. Additionally, given that familismo (familism) and collectivism are key cultural values for Latine families (Campos et al., 2019; Corona et al., 2017), it is imperative to explore family and community resilience among Latine immigrants to gain …

Initial Psychometric Evaluation Of An Observer-Rated Measure Of Shared Decision Making Practices In Youth Psychotherapy, Jennifer Lc Herbst

Theses and Dissertations

SDM is a process by which clinicians and clients collaboratively make treatment decisions; this process may improve the alliance and clinical outcomes. SDM in youth psychotherapy is understudied, and a critical gap in the field is the paucity of established measures designed to assess SDM practices in youth psychotherapy. This project aimed to fill this gap by examining the score reliability and validity of a novel observer-rated measure of SDM designed for youth psychotherapy—the Shared Decision Making Practices in Youth Mental Health scale (SDM-YMH)—and using the measure to investigate linkages between SDM practices, the alliance, and clinical outcomes. Therapy tapes …

Strength Scaling A Generic Upper Limb Musculoskeletal Model To Represent Individuals With Paraplegia, Yeajin Cho

Theses and Dissertations

Musculoskeletal (MSK) modeling and simulation of human movement is needed to estimate biomechanical quantities which cannot be directly measured, including muscle and joint contact forces during wheelchair propulsion. When accurate representation of an individual's muscle strength and musculoskeletal anatomy is needed, a generic upper limb MSK model can be scaled, or a subject-specific model can be developed. A generic MSK model can be scaled with regard to strength to represent an individual nonimpaired adult or child based on limb lengths and muscle volumes, or other techniques. Developing a subject-specific model requires MSK and physiologic data typically derived from medical imaging …

Qvoices: Queer Voices In Oncology Igniting Change Through Empowered Stories Of Survivorship, Viktor Clark

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Each year in the United States there are roughly 2 million new cancer diagnoses, with over 600,000 deaths due to cancer. The National Cancer Institute developed a six-stage cancer control continuum framework ranging from etiology to survivorship to organize the cancer experience. Sexual and gender minorities (SGM) are comprised of multiple communities representing ~23.6 million adults in the US, SGM face disparities at each stage of the cancer control continuum. This study emphasizes three stages, prevention, detection, and treatment. Engagement in prevention can prevent or prolong cancer, early detection through engagement in cancer screening improves cancer trajectories and compliance …

Characterizing The Effects Of Antiandrogens And Senolytics To Enhance The Therapeutic Response To Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer, Justin M. Silverman

Theses and Dissertations

Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in males and the second most common cause of cancer deaths. Androgen deprivation therapy, whether through surgical or chemical castration, is the mainstay for treatment of advanced prostate cancer; however, despite an initial response, most patients eventually develop a progressive PSA rise, and castration- sensitive prostate cancer gives rise to castration-resistant prostate cancer. The standard of care therapy includes the antiandrogens such as enzalutamide and abiraterone acetate as well as the microtubule poison, docetaxel, and various immunotherapies; however, while prostate cancer research is progressing, there continues to be a compelling need for …

Real-Time Motion Controller For Human-Robot Teams Utilizing Artificial Potential Fields, Gabriella Graziani

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a real-time robotic motion control system for human-robot teams. The framework utilizes artificial potential fields (APFs) to guide robotic agents towards a “goal” agent while navigating around “obstacle” agents; these goals and obstacles are also dynamic agents with their own set of tasks. This system is also developed for a live-programming environment, where a controlling agent updates the tasks of all agents within the system at any time during the system’s runtime. This motion controller was created and tested for a human-robot choreographic team. After the controller was fully integrated on a Trossen Robotic LoCobot Wx200 robotic …

Breaking Bread & Boundaries : Finding Home In Every Bite, Steffi Ann Braganza

Theses and Dissertations

Raised outside of their “passport” countries, Third Culture Individuals (TCIs) often experience a lack of rootedness and belonging, and home is often everywhere and nowhere. Childhood food memories can provide the sense of connection and identity TCIs crave. Four Qatar-raised TCIs, from very different backgrounds share memories of their childhood comfort foods, now hybridized dishes, that reflect their unique third culture experiences. Each dish, in turn, inspired the creation of a bespoke set of cooking /dining ware designed to trigger a specific sensory memory: the sight, smell, touch, or sound associated with the original comfort dish. This specialized cooking/dining ware …

Building A Macrosystems Ecology Framework To Identify Links Between Environmental And Human Health, Felisha N. Walls

Theses and Dissertations

The structure and functions of natural systems continue to be degraded by human activities such as land-use change. One potential consequence that has received relatively little attention is a corresponding decline in human health. Altered ecosystems can present a host of risks to human health. Yet the consequences of environmental degradation are rarely considered in national-scale research on human well-being. The guiding objective of this work is to compare stream health and socioeconomic metrics with spatially congruent human health metrics throughout the conterminous United States, then to identify potential links between environmental health, socioeconomic factors and human health. Environmental health …

Model-Based Imputation Of Below Detection Limit Missing Data And Group Selection In Bayesian Group Index Regression, Matthew Carli

Theses and Dissertations

Investigations into the association between chemical exposure and health outcomes are increasingly focused on the role of chemical mixtures, as opposed to individual chemicals. The analysis of chemical mixture data required the development of novel statistical methods, one of these being Bayesian group index regression. A statistical challenge common to all chemical mixture analyses is the ubiquitous presence of below detection limit (BDL) data. We propose an extension of Bayesian group index regression that treats both regression effects and missing BDL observations as parameters in a model estimated through a Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm that we refer to as …

Moderators Of Response To Intervention For College Students With Adhd: Integrating Personal And Contextual Factors, Cathrin D. Green

Theses and Dissertations

College students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk for educational, interpersonal, and comorbid mental health difficulties. Although growing evidence suggests that psychosocial interventions can effectively improve ADHD symptoms and functioning in college students with ADHD, there is almost no research investigating individual differences in intervention response. Numerous factors ranging from participant characteristics, as well as social and contextual factors could lead some people to respond more positively than others. Understanding individual differences in intervention response may help to better target intervention efforts and to determine where intervention refinement is needed. This study evaluates whether personal and contextual …

Integrative Post-Gwas Analyses Of Psychiatric Disorders: Identifying Putative Risk Genes And Gene Sets Using Transcriptome, Proteome And Methylome Information, Huseyin Gedik

Theses and Dissertations

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of psychiatric disorders (PD) yield numerous loci with significant signals, but often they do not implicate specific protein coding genes. Because GWAS risk loci are enriched in expression/protein/methylation quantitative loci (e/p/mQTL, hereafter xQTL), transcriptome/proteome/methylome-wide association studies (T/P/MWAS, hereafter XWAS), which integrate information from GWAS and x-level (mRNA, protein or DNA methylation levels) coming from largest xQTL studies, can link GWAS signals to effects on specific genes. For gene level analyses, researchers use mendelian randomization (MR) methods to fine-map the association between x-levels and trait. However, none of the previous studies ever jointly analyzed XWAS of multiple …

Refashioning Style From The Outside-In: A Pakistani Diasporic Response, Sidra Sohail Khawaja

Theses and Dissertations

Pakistan’s traditionalists and modernists hold opposing political, religious, social and nationalist views creating a constant tension within the culture. This tension creates a fashion industry with two extremes, one side reflecting traditional influences and the other reflecting western trends. I address the tension by analysing the craft and context of traditional Pakistani men’s clothing and incorporating traditional construction techniques into garments that reflect aspects of both points of view. In a series of five looks, I extract from influences like Persian, North Indian, Afghani, Colonial and Neo-Colonial, to generate hybridized garments that offer a new perspective, blending traditional elements with …

A Learning Health System For Radiation Oncology, Rishabh Kapoor

Theses and Dissertations

The proposed research aims to address the challenges faced by clinical data science researchers in radiation oncology accessing, integrating, and analyzing heterogeneous data from various sources. The research presents a scalable intelligent infrastructure, called the Health Information Gateway and Exchange (HINGE), which captures and structures data from multiple sources into a knowledge base with semantically interlinked entities. This infrastructure enables researchers to mine novel associations and gather relevant knowledge for personalized clinical outcomes.

The dissertation discusses the design framework and implementation of HINGE, which abstracts structured data from treatment planning systems, treatment management systems, and electronic health records. It utilizes …

The Living Legends Of Sholoukh – شلوخ الأساطير Facial Scarification In Sudan, Ayah S. Elnour

Theses and Dissertations

Sholoukh — ritual face scarring—is a dying art form in Sudan.

Used to distinguish members of one tribe from another,

Sholoukh reflects the tribal pride of an individual. In the past,

sholoukh was seen as important as having a passport for a tribe

member, however, it was not always applied by choice. Using

just a razor blade, the wisest, most senior tribal elder would scar

the face of a child, initiating them into the tribe for life.

As this tribal art form fades away, the dwindling Sholoukh-bearers

have become living legends in Sudan. To honor them, I create

a collage …

Youth And Caregivers' Perceptions Of Racial Socialization: Examining The Interactive Role Of Risk And Cultural Resilience Factors As Predictors And Mental Health As Outcomes, Arlenis Santana

Theses and Dissertations

Black families' mental health, including that of the children and caretakers, is a persistent public health concern. Existing work documents that parental racial socialization messages are a protective process for the psychological well-being of Black children, youth, and emerging adults (Bannon et al., 2009). The majority of work to date has focused on youth, and we have limited information about the effects of racial socialization on caregivers’ mental health outcomes. It is also essential to examine the relation between racial socialization and outcomes among caregivers because, aside from their identity as parents, caregivers have other identities and experiences that deserve …

Impact Of Portal Of Exit On The Prevalence Of Apical Periodontitis In Root Canal Treated Maxillary Molars With Missed Second Mesiobuccal Canals: A Cbct Study, Jing Ye

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To evaluate the association of portal of exit (POE) of the second mesiobuccal (MB2) canal with the prevalence of apical periodontitis (AP) in previously treated maxillary molars

Methods: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans of 106 previously treated maxillary molars seen for either recall or retreatment in the past 3 years were included in the study. Scans were reviewed by one endodontic resident and one board-certified endodontist to determine the POE (separate versus common) of the missed MB2 canal and the presence or absence of a periapical hypo-dense area. Association between AP and portal of exit was assessed using …