Digital Commons Network^™

Vcu Scholars Compass: Suggested Resources For Middle And High School Teachers, Kristina Lee

Open and Affordable Course Content at VCU

No abstract provided.

Environmental Governance For Whom? Examining The Political, Institutional, Fiscal, And Legal Determinants Of State Environmental Agency Budget Policy In The Us, Andrew R. Duggan

Theses and Dissertations

Budgets are a prospective tool of governance, and appropriations are a planning vehicle reflecting: bureaucracies’ values, complex interactions, collective preferences, political influences, and available resources. Research spanning 30 years finds that environmental pollution is a key determinant of environmental budgets in the US, though myriad factors, actors, and subsystems are important to consider. Due to federalism and devolution of responsibilities and authorities, environmental governance falls largely to the states. While the dynamics that shape state environmental budget policy have received scholarly interest, theoretically-driven examinations of environmental appropriations remain limited within the public budgeting and environmental policy literature.

Using panel data …

Behavior Change Techniques To Promote Smoking Cessation During Pregnancy: A Theory-Based Meta-Analysis, Caroline A. Orr

Theses and Dissertations

Despite significant progress, smoking during pregnancy remains one of the leading preventable causes of adverse fetal and maternal health outcomes. Using the current best practice standard of psychosocial counseling, only about one out of every 20 pregnant women quits smoking, and relapse rates are very high. Developing more effective interventions to promote smoking cessation during pregnancy is a critical public health priority that requires a thorough understanding of behavior change and its complex pathways and determinants. As such, the purpose of this three-part study was to conduct the first systematic theory-based evidence synthesis of smoking cessation interventions during pregnancy, and …

Why Them: The Informal Caregiver's Transition To A Cancer Diagnosis, Rebecca Hoppe, Marcia A. Winter, Tara A. Albrecht

Graduate Research Posters

Background: Hematologic malignancies (HM) are life-threatening cancers associated with high mortality, numerous symptoms, and lengthy hospitalizations. Informal caregivers (family or friend; IC) of adults with various diseases experience negative quality of life and poor psychological well-being. However, there is scant research exploring the IC experience.

Objective: To learn how ICs adapt to patients’ diagnosis of HM and their caregiver role.

Methods: The current study used a qualitative descriptive design to analyze the semi-structured interview responses from ICs (N=28) within six weeks of the patients’ HM diagnosis. A content analysis was conducted to generate common themes.

Findings: Several themes emerged related …

Policy And Practice Brief 2: English Learners Are A Priority During Covid-19, Melissa J. Cuba

MERC Publications

English learners (ELs) are disproportionately impacted by the health and economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. These students often traverse virtual learning with fewer resources, limited access, additional responsibilities, and increased needs. In addition to this, they represent a significant percentage of the student population in school divisions across the Commonwealth. This policy and practice brief provides additional research and resources on this topic.

Effects Of Violent And Nonviolent Life Stressors Among Urban Early Adolescents: Testing Competing Models Of Comorbid Distress And Externalizing Symptoms, Erin Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

The strong association between stressful life events and the wide-ranging spectrum of psychopathology has led some to advocate for the reconceptualization of traumatic stress. There has been a longstanding debate on whether these symptoms are best represented by using dimensional versus categorical approaches. Moreover, further understanding of the risk factors associated with various dimensions or patterns of comorbid emotional and behavioral problems could inform future research and intervention efforts. The current study tested competing variable- and person-centered approaches and examined how stressful life events are associated with different patterns of distress and externalizing symptoms among a predominantly African American and …

Communication Strategies For Connecting Onevcu, The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute At Virginia Commonwealth University, Jason Jacobus, Amy Lutero, Mary Peace Mcrae, Shravan Renapurkar, Kristin Richardson, Christian Wernz, Tonka Williams

The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute Publications

This project analyzes and makes improvement suggestions for communication to VCU faculty and staff. The COVID-19 crisis has brought to light a variety of communication needs. Faculty and staff are feeling overwhelmed by a flood of emails, while at the same time are missing key information. We have assessed the current communication infrastructure, and together with the key VCU communicators have identified improved processes and policies.

Protect & Disinfect: Covid Upcycling, The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute At Virginia Commonwealth University, Ilvy Cotterell, Collin Cox, Parthenia Dinora, Zachary Hilpert, Veronica King, Carmen Rodriguez, Alexis Shockley

The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute Publications

Students returning to campus will be responsible for the frequent cleaning and disinfecting of their living spaces to help limit and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Sterile, unused towels are thrown away every day in operating rooms at the VCU Health System. These towels will be collected and distributed to VCU residential halls, providing students with a free and accessible resource for the daily cleaning and disinfecting needed to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

College Students’ Perceptions Of Popular Diets And Orthorexia Nervosa, Madison W. Weinstock

Theses and Dissertations

Data suggest that individuals’ purported dietary patterns influence others’ perceptions of them. However, few studies have investigated how adherence to specific popular diets might influence these perceptions. This study investigated female undergraduates’ (n = 463) perceptions of vignette characters described as adhering to specific dietary practices perceptions of a vignette character in a sample of 463 female undergraduates. Characters described as adhering to a Clean Eating diet were viewed most positively, followed by individuals on the Ketogenic diet or nondieters. Characters following an Intermittent Fasting diet, and those with Orthorexia Nervosa were viewed most negatively. These findings support the …

Virginia Dental Journal (Vol. 97, No. 2, 2020)

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

The Compass, Summer 2020

The Compass, 2018-

The Compass is an annual orientation guide for VCU students produced by the Student Media Collective in the VCU Student Media Centered. The guide is distributed physically during summer orientation sessions for new and transfer students. The publication includes short articles, illustrations, letters of welcome from students and administrators, comics, and advertisements from VCU and Richmond organizations.

Virginia Dental Journal (Vol. 97, No. 4, 2020)

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Virginia Dental Journal (Vol. 97, No. 3, 2020)

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Plant-Pollinator Associations In An Eastern Serpentine Savannah And The Effects Of Overbrowsing, Allyson Richins

Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1: Native plant response to deer overbrowsing in a serpentine savannah

Plants are particularly vulnerable to physical disturbance in low productivity areas, due to a high cost of replacing lost plant tissue. In the eastern United States, serpentine grasslands are fragmented ecosystems with high concentrations of rare endemic plant species, low concentrations of soil nutrients, and uncontrolled deer overpopulation. This study assessed functional responses of native angiosperms in a rare eastern serpentine savannah to selective deer browsing. Plant count, flower count, floral area, vegetative area, and plant height of 10 serpentine plant species were compared inside and outside of …

The Lived Experiences Of Division I Student-Athletes Coping With A Season-Ending Injury, Michael E. Deitz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the qualitative studywas to examine the lived experiences of Division I collegiate student-athletes who coped with a season-ending injury. The researcher used a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to understand how injury impacts identity development, mental health, and coping among student-athletes. As one of the only studies to examine all of these factors, the present study aimed to enhance counselor educators’ understanding of the specific needs of this population to provide developmentally appropriate support for injured student-athletes. The researcher collected data through 14 interviews with present or recently retired NCAA Division I student-athletes. Data analysis showcased diverse experiences with …

Community Reentry And Juvenile Justice: The Role Of Developmental Science In Legislative Decision-Making, Kristina A. Mcguire

Theses and Dissertations

The goals of the present study were to examine federal and selected state legislation for reentry initiatives within the juvenile justice system using content analysis, including determining if bill language utilized terminology reflecting research or developmental science. Thematic analysis was used to examine publicly available federal documents focused on juvenile justice reentry to understand how policymakers were promoting reentry initiatives. Federal bills and documents from April 1, 2008 to December 31, 2019 and state bills from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2019 for Virginia, North Carolina, Iowa, Missouri, Maryland, New Jersey, Kansas, and Georgia that referenced juvenile justice and …

The Effects Of Gspt1 Degradation On Serum Calcium, Parathyroid Hormone, And Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 Concentrations In Human Cereblon Knock-In Mice, Kamran Ghoreishi

Theses and Dissertations

Test article CC-325 is a potent oral cereblon (CRBN) modulator that has shown potent G1 to S phase transition 1 (GSPT1) degradation and anti-tumor activity in pre-clinical models. One of the adverse effects associated with CC-325 was dose dependent hypocalcemia, which was determined to be an on-target toxicity.

To investigate the mechanism of hypocalcemia, we conducted a toxicity study in human cereblon (huCRBN) knock-in (KI) mice with CC-325. The huCRBN KI mice are transgenic mice engineered to express human cereblon that is capable of binding to CRBN and degrading GSPT1. Four groups of mice were treated with vehicle (0 mg/kg), …

Augmenting Guadecitabine To Promote Anticancer Immunity In Murine Breast Cancer, Timothy M. Smith Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

In immune-competent individuals, tumor growth occurs due to a failure of the immune system to recognize and destroy malignant cells. Immune surveillance can be curtailed by the presence of immunosuppressive cells such as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and T-regulatory cells (Tregs) which both serve to dampen antitumor immunity. These studies utilize a metronomic low-dose therapeutic approach to examine the effects of anticancer drugs against murine breast cancer and the effects on the immune cell compartments. The focus of these studies revolve around the drug guadecitabine (guad), a second-generation DNA methyl-transferase inhibitor (DNMTi). DNMTi’s have been shown to dysregulate the methylation …

Acute Stress Disorder In Neonatal Intensiver Care Unit Mothers: Modeling Risk Factors And Trauma Appraisals Modeling, Allison Baylor 5435882

Theses and Dissertations

Postpartum mental health is a public health priority, particularly for mothers with infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), who may have experienced a precipitous birth, followed by a traumatic NICU hospitalization. However, little research has focused on NICUrelated posttraumatic stress (PTSS), despite its presumed prevalence and ripple effects on infant development, family functioning, and provider burnout during the critical early bonding period. In particular, little research has evaluated: early posttraumatic stress (Acute Stress Disorder symptoms, ASD), index and sequential traumas related to NICU/birth, and relations among preexisting risk factors, and trauma appraisals/ objective trauma characteristics (related to infant …

Developmental Trajectories In Cannabis Use: Predispositions, Peers, And Activity Participation, Nathaniel S. Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the overall and conditional influences of a polygenic score for cannabis initiation, various forms of activity participation, peer deviance, and time on recent cannabis use. Data came from a longitudinal sample of undergraduate college students and was stratified into European American (N_EA=3010) and African American (N_AA=1308) subsamples for genetic analyses. Engagement with church activities predicted lower probability of cannabis use. Peer deviance predicted higher probability of cannabis use Engagement with community activities moderated in the influence of the polygenic risk score in the EA subsample, such that any level of engagement with community …

Kcc2: A Novel Therapeutic Target To Rescue Gabaergic Dysfunction And Behavioral Deficits Induced By Hiv And Opiate Use, Aaron J. Barbour

Theses and Dissertations

With adherence to combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), HIV infection can be considered a controllable chronic condition, but quality of life issues remain. The preeminent of which, HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), encompasses an array of neurological complications and has persisted despite cART implementation. The symptoms of HAND can be exacerbated by opiate use, a common comorbidity for people infected with HIV (PWH). While neurons are not infected by HIV, they incur sublethal damage, with γ-amino butyric acid- (GABA)ergic function being particularly vulnerable to viral and inflammatory factors released by infected/affected glia. This dissertation presents studies on novel organoid and dissociated primary …

Relationships Among Parkinson’S Disease Symptoms, Stigma, And Mental Health: A Strengths-Based Perspective, Richard S. Henry

Theses and Dissertations

As rates of Parkinson’s disease (PD) increase, so does the need to examine some of the negative social consequences experienced by people with PD. Symptoms of PD have been linked to greater experiences of stigma, and the more visible symptoms of PD increase an individual’s likelihood for experiencing stigmatization and social rejection. Individuals who experience high levels of stigma generally have poorer mental health outcomes. While these relationships are well documented, little is known about whether stigma mediates the relationship between PD symptoms and mental health outcomes. Additionally, some past research suggests that the personal strengths of social support and …

A Comparison Of Three-Dimensional Printing Technologies On The Precision, Trueness, And Accuracy Of Printed Retainers, Owais A. Naeem

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in the precision, trueness, and accuracy of 3D printed orthodontic clear retainers produced using printer systems with various printing technologies.

Methods: Retainers (n=15) were printed using four different 3D printers: a stereolithography (SLA) printer, two different digital light processing (DLP and cDLP) printers, and a polyjet photopolymer (PPP) printer. The 3D printed retainers were transformed into a digital file through a cone-beam computed tomography scan that was compared to the original image using a 3D superimposition analysis software. At previously chosen landmarks (R6, L6, R3, L3, R1, L1) retainers …

A Critical Multiple Case Study Analysis Examining The Implementation Of The Every Student Succeeds Act (Essa) To Promote Positive School Climate, Weade W. James

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the role of federal policy in improving school climate, and examined how federal policy, specifically the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is being implemented at the state-level to address school climate issues. A qualitative multiple-case study design with content analysis was used as the leading approach to understanding how states are implementing ESSA’s school climate measure for accountability. ESSA is the nation’s federal education law that was enacted in 2015 and replaced No Child Left Behind (NCLB). I compared states’ implementation of ESSA’s school climate and safety (SCS) measure, including how states are measuring SCS and whether …

Bidirectional Associations Between Passive And Active Technology Use And Sleep: A Longitudinal Examination In Young Adolescents With And Without Adhd, Elizaveta Bourchtein

Theses and Dissertations

Many adolescents do not receive recommended amounts of sleep, and prevalence rates of sleep problems are particularly high among adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). One factor that may contribute to these sleep difficulties is technology use, and there is some evidence that the association between technology use and sleep may be bi-directional. Further, type of technology use (i.e., passive versus active) may be differentially associated with sleep. To date, most studies have evaluated these associations cross-sectionally and relied upon global and subjective ratings of technology use and sleep, which masks important day-to-day variability. The present study evaluated bi-directional associations between …

The Effect Of Virtual Reality Glasses On The Behavior Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In The Dental Setting, Robert Lunka

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The study investigated if viewing a simulated dental exam on virtual reality glasses between two visits would desensitize participants with autism spectrum disorder to the dental environment and improve their anxiety and behavior.

Methods: This randomized prospective cohort study compared behavior between a Control Group and Experimental Group who wore the glasses between visits. Blinded raters watched video recordings of participants and assessed behavior using the Venham scale. Heart rate and post-visit questionnaires completed by guardians were also analyzed.

Results: Five subjects were enrolled (two in the Control and three in the Experimental groups). The median heart rate at …

Sleep Behaviors And Thoughts As Links Between Social Rhythmicity And Mental Health Outcomes, Sahar Sabet

Theses and Dissertations

Social rhythmicity refers to the regularity with which one engages in social and lifestyle activities. Considerable research has recognized that social rhythms have important implications for health and well-being. For example, disturbances in social rhythms are one potential factor that may contribute to the development of anxiety and depressive disorders. Existing research on social rhythm irregularity has heavily focused on its link with bipolar disorder and, to a lesser extent, with depression. Less is known about the association of social rhythms with anxiety or with subclinical levels of depression. Furthermore, it is unclear how social rhythms are tied to mental …

Validation Of Ninein As An Ethanol-Related Quantitative Trait Gene: Reassessment, Design, And Functional Validation Of Reference Genes For Qpcr Analysis Of Brain Tissue In Mice, Jessica L. Jurmain

Theses and Dissertations

The increasing use of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) as a method for quantifying gene expression has led to an increased demand for standardization of data analysis methods to ensure accurate reporting and robust, reproducible results. The exponential nature of qPCR amplification results in the potential magnification of what are usually very small sources of error. Relative gene expression calculations circumvent this issue by normalizing target gene expression data to within-sample expression of a previously validated, stably expressed reference gene or genes. Multiple studies discussed herein have found that qPCR data are more reliable and reproducible when multiple reference …

The Functional Importance Of Methyl Cpg Binding Domain Proteins 2 And 3 In Regulating Fetal Hemoglobin Expression In Human Adult Erythroid Cells, Alexander Azzo

Theses and Dissertations

Humans undergo two developmental switches in the predominantly expressed β-like globin chain during embryogenesis and fetal development. The first switch from embryonic (ε) to fetal (γ) occurs around week 5 of embryonic development, while the second switch from fetal to adult (β) globin occurs shortly after birth. By adulthood, fetal hemoglobin represents only 1-2% of total hemoglobin in the blood. As sufficiently elevated levels of fetal hemoglobin are beneficial for improving clinical outcomes in sickle cell disease and β-thalassemia, the mechanisms that enforce silencing of fetal hemoglobin expression postnatally are of great clinical significance. The methyl-CpG binding domain protein MBD2 …

Quantification And Modeling Of Bladder Biomechanics Mechanisms Linking Spontaneous Rhythmic Contractions And Dynamic Elasticity To Detrusor Overactivity, Zachary E. Cullingsworth

Theses and Dissertations

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a chronic condition affecting approximately 20% of adults in the United States. Detrusor overactivity (DO) is the presence of non-voiding contractions in the detrusor (bladder) muscle during filling and is present in some individuals with OAB. DO is currently identified visually during a urodynamics (UD) study involving pressure catheters and filling and voiding of the bladder to evaluate function. UD provides limited subtyping of DO, and an incomplete understanding of mechanisms contributing to OAB.

Aim 1 of this study was to develop objective tools to quantify, subgroup and better understand …