Digital Commons Network^™

Metabolism And Metabolic Inhibition Of Xanthotoxol In Human Liver Microsomes, Zhongnv Ma, Xianbao Shi, Gang Zhang, Feng Guo, Lina Shan, Jiqun Cai

Medicinal Chemistry Publications

Cytochrome p450 (CYP450) enzymes are predominantly involved in Phase I metabolism of xenobiotics. In this study, the CYP450 isoforms involved in xanthotoxol metabolism were identified using recombinant CYP450s. In addition, the inhibitory effects of xanthotoxol on eight CYP450 isoforms and its pharmacokinetic parameters were determined using human liver microsomes. CYP1A2, one of CYP450s, played a key role in the metabolism of xanthotoxol compared to other CYP450s. Xanthotoxol showed stronger inhibition on CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 compared to other isoenzymes with the IC50 of 7.43 μM for CYP3A4 and 27.82 μM for CYP1A2. The values of inhibition kinetic parameters (Ki) were 21.15 …

Cadherin-2 Is Required Cell Autonomously For Collective Migration Of Facial Branchiomotor Neurons, Jane K. Rebman, Kathryn E. Kirchoff, Gregory S. Walsh

Biology Publications

Collective migration depends on cell-cell interactions between neighbors that contribute to their overall directionality, yet the mechanisms that control the coordinated migration of neurons remains to be elucidated. During hindbrain development, facial branchiomotor neurons (FBMNs) undergo a stereotypic tangential caudal migration from their place of birth in rhombomere (r)4 to their final location in r6/7. FBMNs engage in collective cell migration that depends on neuron-to-neuron interactions to facilitate caudal directionality. Here, we demonstrate that Cadherin-2-mediated neuron-to-neuron adhesion is necessary for directional and collective migration of FBMNs. We generated stable transgenic zebrafish expressing dominant-negative Cadherin-2 (Cdh2ΔEC) driven by the islet1 promoter. …

Ram$Mart Financial Wellness For Health Profession Students, Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University, Marquita Aguilar, Cheryle Caplinger, Dave Dixon, Micol Hutchison, Jenifer Murphy, Ashlie Tseng, Christiana Lafazani

L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Publications

College students today are graduating with more debt than ever before. As such, it is critical that our graduates are equipped with the right skills and frame of mind to manage their finances. This includes understanding their income, taxes, and expenses; managing debt; budgeting; saving; and retirement planning. Money management can be intimidating for anyone, regardless of background or education. While online resources are made available to our students, these resources are often overlooked, and do not necessarily set out to engage students or address the issues they may face in a convincing or compelling way. Most of the financial …

Rampantry: A Model For Sustainability, Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University, Carrie Connolly, Tyruben Ellingson, Nathan Hanger, Quamrun Masuda, Kasey Mattison, Laura Napky, Stephanie Nickerson

L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Publications

The VCU RamPantry: Sustainability project’s mission is to develop a comprehensive system to foster a sustainable food pantry model which will reduce food insecurity among VCU students. Food insecurity can affect anyone, whether they are an on-campus student who has run out of meal swipes or an off-campus student who is facing a financially challenging time. Food insecurity may cause anxiety, depression, poor judgement, and may lead to larger problems related to physical health due to lack of nutrition. All of these factors can negatively impact student retention. A sustainable food pantry can mitigate these risks by providing basic food …

Ramstrong: An Employee Wellness Initiative, Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University, Teraya Donaldson, Tina Hamlet, Lucy Hudson, Will Martin, Anjum Shah, Mark Wood, Lynanne Yndestad

L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Publications

The RAMSTRONG project’s mission is to create a mobile website accessible online and through the VCU Mobile app that provides VCU employees with user-friendly, accessible resources to support their holistic well-being. The RAMSTRONG project seeks to meet three basic needs. First, while VCU and the Greater Richmond area offer a plethora of resources to promote health, information about these resources is not readily accessible, and especially not accessible from one website or mobile app. RAMSTRONG aims to provide an accessible means for employees to learn about and take advantage of these resources. Second, while a growing body of scientific literature …

Real Voices, Real Questions, Real Engagement: Vcu Speaker Series, Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University, Nital Appelbaum, Suzanne Fairman, Emily Hurst, Danielle Parker-Mangum, Ravi Perry, Juliana Rasnic, Daniel Woodward

L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Publications

You come here for something more than schooling. You come here for deep education and deep education is about learning how to die so that you learn how to live because when you examine certain assumptions that you have, certain presuppositions that you’re holding on to, when you let them go, that’s a form of death. And there’s no growth, there’s no development, there’s no maturation without learning how to die and giving up certain dogma, giving up certain doctrine. - Cornel West, Ph.D., VCU Siegel Center, Fall 2015

VCU is a large, public, urban research university situated in …

Hb 828: Tanf Eligibility; Drug-Related Felonies, Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University, Greg Hopkins, Carla Jackson, Rana Wilson, Ramunda Young

L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Publications

House Bill 828 (HB828) was proposed in 2016 to remove the ban on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) for individuals with felony-related drug convictions who are otherwise eligible to receive benefits. The TANF program is designed to help low income families achieve self-sufficiency. States receive block grants to design and operate programs that accomplish one of the purposes of the TANF program: 1) Provide assistance to needy families so children can be cared for in their own homes; 2) Reduce the dependency of parents by promoting job preparation, work, and marriage; 3) Prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock …

Establishment Of Charter Schools In The Commonwealth Of Virginia, Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University, Shermese Epps, Germika Pegram, Edward Reed, Brenda Sampe, Courtney Warren

L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Publications

Virginia is facing significant challenges related to public education such as decreased funding for public education, decreased teacher salaries, and overcrowded classrooms. Senate Joint Resolution 6 was a bill proposed in 2016 that sought to grant the Board of Education authority, subject to criteria and conditions prescribed by the General Assembly, to establish charter schools within the school divisions of the Commonwealth. There are racial implications related to the creation and authorization of charter schools and this report details those impacts and creates a set of recommendations to eliminate racial implementations when determining who authorizes charter schools in the Commonwealth …

Valuing Adjuncts As Liaisons For University Excellence (Value) Program, Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University, Erin Brown, Alaina Campbell, Christal Holmes, Deborah Mcguire, Miki Skinner, Paula Spencer

L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Publications

Adjuncts are increasingly becoming more important in higher education and make up nearly onethird of VCU’s teaching faculty. While VCU has made strides in increasing the number of tenuretrack and term professors, the size and needs of certain departments will always make adjunct instructors necessary. A number of schools on both the Monroe Park and MCV campuses utilize professionals from the Richmond community to enhance experiential learning, thereby making a university investment in adjunct faculty a means by which to elevate VCU’s strategic mission. Adjuncts often provide a community perspective that comes from the professional work they do outside of …

Aspire Partner Report: Assessing The Impact Of Aspire From The Perspective Of Sustained Partners, Jennifer Jettner, Tessa Mckenzie

Division of Community Engagement Resources

The purpose of this evaluation was to assess the quality of ASPiRE's partnerships from the perspective of partners. In addition, this effort also gathered preliminary information about partners' perspectives on VCU as a whole and functioned as a pilot test to inform future efforts for collecting partner voice about VCU's partnerships across the university.

Data Management Roles For Librarians, Margaret E. Henderson

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

In this Chapter:
● Looking at data through different lenses
● Exploring the range of data use and data support
● Using data as the basis for informed decision making
● Treating data as a legitimate scholarly research product

Sustainability: Reusing Data Center Waste Heat, John Boushra, Kyle Duncan, Aleksandr Kogan, Giang Pham

Capstone Design Expo Posters

Data Centers are facilities used to house a large number of computer systems and their associated components, such as telecommunications and data storage systems. Nowadays many organizations depend on the reliable operation of their data centers for their day to day business operations. Data centers are designed with redundant and backup power supplies, redundant data communications connections, robust cybersecurity protocols and very strict environmental controls. The many computer systems held in a typical data center generate large heat loads that need to be continuously removed with high grade air conditioning systems. Anthem currently owns a large corporate data center in …

Virginia Dental Journal (Vol. 93, No. 2, 2016)

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Annual Higher Ground Women's Leadership Conference 2016, The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute At Virginia Commonwealth University

The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute Publications

No abstract provided.

Virginia Commonwealth University Fall Commencement Program [2016], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Pharmacological Blockade Of The Calcium Plateau Provides Neuroprotection Following Organophosphate Paraoxon Induced Status Epilepticus In Rats, Laxmikant S. Deshpande, Robert E. Blair, Beverly A. Huang, Kristin F. Phillips, Robert J. Delorenzo

Neurology Publications

Organophosphate (OP) compounds which include nerve agents and pesticides are considered chemical threat agents. Currently approved antidotes are crucial in limiting OP mediated acute mortality. However, survivors of lethal OP exposure exhibit delayed neuronal injury and chronic behavioral morbidities. In this study, we investigated neuroprotective capabilities of dantrolene and carisbamate in a rat survival model of paraoxon (POX) induced status epilepticus (SE). Significant elevations in hippocampal calcium levels were observed 48-h post POX SE survival, and treatment with dantrolene (10 mg/kg, i.m.) and carisbamate (90 mg/kg, i.m.) lowered these protracted calcium elevations. POX SE induced delayed neuronal injury …

Impaired Immunological Synapse In Sperm Associated Antigen 6 (Spag6) Deficient Mice, Lauren Folgosa Cooley, Mohey Eldin El Shikh, Wei Li, Rebecca C. Keim, Zhengang Zhang, Jerome F. Strauss, Zhibing Zhang, Daniel H. Conrad

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Sperm associated antigen 6 (SPAG6), a component of the central apparatus of the “9 + 2” axoneme, plays a central role in ciliary and flagellar motility; but, its contribution to adaptive immunity and immune system development is completely unknown. While immune cells lack a cilium, the immunological synapse is a surrogate cilium as it utilizes the same machinery as ciliogenesis including the nucleation of microtubules at the centrosome. This prompted our hypothesis that SPAG6 critically regulates the formation and function of immunological synapses. Using bone marrow reconstitution studies of adult WT mice, we demonstrate that SPAG6 is expressed in primary …

The Prostaglandin E2-Ep3 Receptor Axis Regulates Anaplasma Phagocytophilum-Mediated Nlrc4 Inflammasome Activation, Xiaowei Wang, Dana K. Shaw, Holly L. Hammond, Fayyaz S. Sutterwala, Manira Rayamajhi, Kari Ann Shirey, Darren J. Perkins, Joseph V. Bonventre, Thangam S. Velayutham, Sean M. Evans, Kyle G. Rodino, Lauren Viebrock, Karen M. Scanlon, Nicholas H. Carbonetti, Jason A. Carlyon, Edward A. Miao, Jere W. Mcbride, Michail Kotsyfakis, Joao H. F. Pedra

Microbiology and Immunology Publications

Rickettsial agents are sensed by pattern recognition receptors but lack pathogen-associated molecular patterns commonly observed in facultative intracellular bacteria. Due to these molecular features, the order Rickettsiales can be used to uncover broader principles of bacterial immunity. Here, we used the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis, to reveal a novel microbial surveillance system. Mechanistically, we discovered that upon A. phagocytophilum infection, cytosolic phospholipase A2 cleaves arachidonic acid from phospholipids, which is converted to the eicosanoid prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) via cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) and the membrane associated prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1). PGE2-EP3 receptor signaling leads …

Does The Addition Of Standard Systematic Biopsies To Targeted Prostate Biopsies Influence Treatment Choices For Patients And Clinicians?, William Behl, Jinxing Yu Md

MD Student Summer Research Fellowship Program Posters

Addition of standard systematic prostate biopsy to targeted biopsy in patients with elevated PSA and no prior systematic prostate biopsy within the preceding 3 years detected PCa GS ≥ 7 on the opposite side of the prostate from the target lesions (with no significant abnormalities on mp-MRI) in 13% of patients. This result may influence treatment choices, particularly for those patients considering focal therapy for PCa.

First Trimester Vaginal Microbiome As Pregnancy Outcome Predictor, Sarah K. Rozycki, Jennifer M. Fettwis

MD Student Summer Research Fellowship Program Posters

• We have developed clinical definiKons of healthy and complicated pregnancies based on pathologies that will be used in future VaHMP studies.

• Although one study7 found dysbioKc vagitypes in all three semesters of women who had PPROM, none of our PPROM subjects had a BVAB1 vagitype, and there were equal Gardnerella vaginalis vagitypes in both the controls and subjects who had PPROM (Fig. 2).

• While there were more PPROM subjects with Lactobacillus iners vagitypes, this Lactobacillus is less protecKve as it can coexist with pathogenic anaerobic bacteria.

• “Candidatus Mycoplasma girerdii”, Lactobacillus jensenii, and Ureaplasma were significantly associated …

Tumor-Reactive Immune Cells Protect Against Metastatic Tumor And Induce Immunoediting Of Indolent But Not Quiescent Tumor Cells, Kyle K. Payne, Rebecca Keim, Laura Graham, Michael O. Idowu, Wen Wan, Xiang-Yang Wang, Amir A. Toor, Harry D. Bear, Masoud H. Manjili

Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Publications

Two major barriers to cancer immunotherapy include tumor-induced immune suppression mediated by myeloid-derived suppressor cells and poor immunogenicity of the tumor-expressing self-antigens. To overcome these barriers, we reprogrammed tumor-immune cell cross-talk by combined use of decitabine and adoptive immunotherapy, containing tumor-sensitized T cells and CD25⁺ NKT cells. Decitabine functioned to induce the expression of highly immunogenic cancer testis antigens in the tumor, while also reducing the frequency of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and the presence of CD25⁺ NKT cells rendered T cells, resistant to remaining myeloid-derived suppressor cells. This combinatorial therapy significantly prolonged survival of animals bearing metastatic tumor …

A Fluffy Friend Can Chase Stress Away, Jessica Mayfield

The Scope

With final exams looming, VCU students could play with friendly dogs at “Paws for Stress” events held by the Center for Human-Animal Interaction and University Counseling services. CHAI is studying whether interacting with therapy dogs really can lower your stress levels.

Children Exposed To Intimate Partner Violence: Identifying Differential Effects Of Family Environment On Children's Trauma And Psychopathology Symptoms Through Regression Mixture Models, Shelby Elaine Mcdonald, Sunny Shin, Rosalie Corona, Anna Maternick, Sandra A. Graham-Bermann, Frank R. Ascione, James Herbert Williams

Social Work Publications

The majority of analytic approaches aimed at understanding the influence of environmental context on children's socioemotional adjustment assume comparable effects of contextual risk and protective factors for all children. Using self-reported data from 289 maternal caregiver-child dyads, we examined the degree to which there are differential effects of severity of intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure, yearly household income, and number of children in the family on posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS) and psychopathology symptoms (i.e., internalizing and externalizing problems) among school-age children between the ages of 7–12 years. A regression mixture model identified three latent classes that were primarily distinguished by …

Day 2 - Developing Research Collaborations With Virginia State Agencies, Tera Yoder, Deana Mcguire Buck, Dana V. Yarbrough

Ready, Set, Grant! Presentations

State agencies are oft-overlooked research collaboration and funding opportunities. This session will feature researchers from VCU and their state agency partners who have established collaborations that have developed into funded research projects. Learn how these relationships started, how the partners work together to affect public health, and how these relationships develop into fundable work. A representative from the state will also be available to discuss the process through which funds are procured.

Development Of A Translational Model To Screen Medications For Cocaine Use Disorder I: Choice Between Cocaine And Food In Rhesus Monkeys, Amy R. Johnson

Pharmacology and Toxicology Publications

Background

Homologous cocaine self-administration procedures in laboratory animals and humans may facilitate translational research for medications development to treat cocaine dependence. This study, therefore, sought to establish choice between cocaine and an alternative reinforcer in rhesus monkeys responding under a procedure back-translated from previous human studies and homologous to a human laboratory procedure described in a companion paper.

Methods

Four rhesus monkeys with chronic indwelling intravenous catheters had access to cocaine injections (0, 0.043, 0.14, or 0.43 mg/kg/injection) and food (0, 1, 3, or 10 1 g banana-flavored food pellets). During daily 5 h sessions, a single cocaine dose and …

Personality Traits In College Students And Caregiving For A Relative With A Chronic Health Condition, Michael A. Trujillo, Paul B. Perrin, Aaliah Elnasseh, Bradford S. Pierce, Melody Mickens

Psychology Publications

The purpose of this study was to investigate among college students the relationship between personality traits and willingness to care for a relative with a chronic health condition. 329 undergraduate students completed an online questionnaire. Hierarchical multiple regressions found that after controlling for demographics personality traits explained 10% of the variance in willingness to provide emotional care, 7% in instrumental care, and 7% in nursing care. Within these models, greater empathy was uniquely associated with willingness to provide emotional, instrumental, and nursing care for a family member in the future. Similarly, participants with high agreeableness were more willing to provide …

Substance Use And Depression Symptomatology: Measurement Invariance Of The Beck Depression Inventory (Bdi-Ii) Among Non-Users And Frequent-Users Of Alcohol, Nicotine And Cannabis, Ashlee A. Moore, Michael C. Neale, Judy L. Silberg, Brad Verhulst

Psychiatry Publications

Depression is a highly heterogeneous condition, and identifying how symptoms present in various groups may greatly increase our understanding of its etiology. Importantly, Major Depressive Disorder is strongly linked with Substance Use Disorders, which may ameliorate or exacerbate specific depression symptoms. It is therefore quite plausible that depression may present with different symptom profiles depending on an individual’s substance use status. Given these observations, it is important to examine the underlying construct of depression in groups of substance users compared to non-users. In this study we use a non-clinical sample to examine the measurement structure of the Beck Depression Inventory …

Empathy Activators: Teaching Tools For Enhancing Empathy Development In Service-Learning Classes, Robin Everhart, Katie Elliott, Lynn E. Pelco, Deborah Westin, Rowena Briones, Emily Peron

Division of Community Engagement Resources

On February 5, 2016, 25 educators from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and the University of Richmond (UR) gathered in Richmond, Virginia, for an annual service-learning workshop. This year’s workshop featured Robin Everhart, PhD, VCU assistant professor of psychology, as keynote speaker. Jumpstarted by Everhart’s research on student empathy, workshop participants explored the concept of empathy and collaboratively developed strategies for integrating empathy into the service-learning experience. This document grows out of Everhart’s presentation and group discussions during that workshop and represents a collection of ideas generated.

Build It And They Will Come: Infrastructure To Support And Advance Community Engagement And Regional Impact, Valerie Holton

Division of Community Engagement Resources

This presentation was facilitated by Dr. Valerie Holton on April 16, 2016 at Florida Atlantic University.

Community Engagement And Regional Impact: A Review Of Systematic Data Collection Mechanisms, Valerie Holton, Jennifer Jettner

Division of Community Engagement Resources

This report provides a summary of existing and developing enterprise data mechanisms that track and assess VCU's engagement with and impact on our communities.