Digital Commons Network^™

Seasonal Variation Of Fish And Macroinvertebrate Biomass Spectra In Southern West Virginia Streams, Andrew J. Kirk

Theses and Dissertations

The biomass size spectrum - the power-law scaling relationship between average individual size and total biomass - has often been studied in lake and marine ecosystems, but rarely in lotic systems. The objective of this study was to test for characteristic biomass spectra in small temperate streams. Seasonal fish and macroinvertebrate data, including population abundance and biomass estimates, were collected in three wadeable, southern West Virginia streams from October 2013 to May 2015. Fish abundances were estimated with 3-pass electrofishing (depletion) surveys and individuals were weighed in the field. Macroinvertebrates were collected with a Hess sampler and returned to the …

Urban Stressors And Child Asthma: An Examination Of Child And Caregiver Models, Gillian G. Leibach

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to examine how low-income, racial and ethnic minority, urban families experience and manage their child’s asthma. The rationale for this study stems from existing literature on asthma disparities and documented predictors of increased asthma morbidity and mortality. In particular, this study considered how specific types of stress may disproportionately impact low-income, racial and ethnic minority, urban families that have a child with asthma. This study aimed to determine associations between urban stressors (stressful life events, perceived discrimination, subjective socioeconomic status) and child asthma outcomes (emergency department visits, school days missed, asthma control), and …

Journal Of Hip Hop Studies

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

No abstract provided.

Cover, Editors And Editorial Board, Sponsors, Table Of Contents

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

No abstract provided.

Representations And Discourses Of Black Motherhood In Hip Hop And R&B Over Time, Cassandra Chaney, Arielle Brown

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

This study will examine how representations and discourses regarding Black motherhood have changed in the Hip Hop and R&B genres over time. Specifically, this scholarly work will contextualize the lyrics of 79 songs (57 Hip Hop songs; 18 R&B songs; 2 songs represented the Hip Hop and R&B genre; 2 songs represented artists who produce music in 5 or 6 genres) from 1961-2015 to identify the ways that Black male and Black female artists described motherhood. Through the use of Black Feminist Theory, and by placing the production of these songs within a sociohistorical context, we provide an in-depth qualitative …

Characterization And Economic Burden Associated With Pediatric Opioid Exposures And Poisonings, Anisha M. Patel

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction

The main objectives of this study were: 1) to examine the prevalence and characteristics of opioid exposures, 2) to estimate the economic costs associated with opioid poisonings, and 3) to examine the characteristics associated with opioid poisoning-related health care resource use (HCRU) and costs in children.

Methods

Data from the National Poison Data System from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2014 were utilized to examine the prevalence and characteristics of opioid exposures and poisonings in children <18 years. Economic costs were estimated using the 2012 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, Kids’ Inpatient Database, Multiple Cause-of-Death file and other published sources, applying a societal perspective. Direct costs included costs associated with ED visits, hospitalizations and ambulance transports. Indirect cost included productivity costs due to caregivers’ absenteeism and premature mortality among children.

Results

There were a total of 83,418 pediatric opioid exposures and nearly half of them resulted in poisoning. The epidemiology of opioid …

System Genetic Analysis Of Mechanisms Underlying Excessive Alcohol Consumption, Maren L. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Increased alcohol consumption over time is one of the characteristic symptoms of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). The molecular mechanisms underlying this escalation in intake is still the subject of study. However, the mesocortical and mesolimbic dopamine pathways, and the extended amygdala, because of their involvement in reward and reinforcement are believed to play key roles in these behavioral changes. Multiple gene expression studies have shown that alcohol affects the expression of thousands of genes in the brain. The studies discussed in this document use the systems biology technique of co-expression network analysis to attempt to find

patterns within genome-wide expression …

Prevalence, Incremental Cost And Resource Utilization Associated With Opioid Overdoses, Batul Electricwala

Theses and Dissertations

Background –

An increase in opioid prescribing has led to an increase in opioid overdoses.^1,2 No study has estimated the incremental costs subsequent to an opioid overdose event in prescription opioid users, or the prevalence and costs of overdose events in family members of prescription opioid users and in overdose victims with no identifiable source of prescription opioid. The latter group will be referred to as “others”.

Objectives –

The first objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of opioid overdoses in aforementioned groups. The second objective was to estimate the incremental costs and resource utilization associated …

Emerging Pathogens In Cystic Fibrosis Patients At Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center (Vcumc), Emily M. Hill

Theses and Dissertations

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disorder affecting 70,000 individuals worldwide. This disease is characterized by the buildup of mucus in the airways leading to chronic lung infections resulting in pulmonary failure and death in 95% of CF patients. Routine surveillance of CF pathogens using traditional microbiology culture guides management and treatment of CF patients. Molecular profiling studies have revealed emerging pathogens that may play a role in CF lung disease by either directly causing infection or upregulating the virulence factors of classic CF pathogens, such as P. aeruginosa; however, routine CF culture protocols have not been modified …

Electronic Cigarette User Plasma Nicotine Concentration And Puff Topography: Influence Of Liquid Nicotine Concentration And User Experience, Marzena M. Hiler

Theses and Dissertations

Electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) aerosolize an often nicotine-containing solution for user inhalation. ECIG nicotine delivery may depend on liquid nicotine concentration and user puffing behavior (topography). This study examined the relationship among liquid nicotine concentration, puff topography, and plasma nicotine concentration. Thirty-three ECIG-experienced and 31 ECIG-naïve individuals completed four laboratory sessions that differed by ECIG liquid nicotine concentration (0, 8, 18, or 36 mg/ml). A 3.3 volt “eGo” ECIG battery attached to a 1.5 Ohm dual coil “cartomizer” filled with 1 ml of 70% propylene glycol/30% vegetable glycerin nicotine liquid was used in two ECIG-bouts (10 puffs; 30 s IPI). Plasma …

Net Energy Metering And Community Shared Solar Deployment In The U.S.: Policy Perspectives, Barriers, And Opportunities, Gilbert L. Michaud

Theses and Dissertations

Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy has become a topic of intense policy debate at the state level in the United States (U.S.). Solar supporters have pointed to the economic development, environmental, and public health benefits this technology can provide. However, electric utilities and other interests have fought to scale back or cut favorable state PV policies as grid-connected solar PV installations have increased, due to decreased profits, grid complications, and customer fairness, among other reasons. This research first uses a hierarchical regression analysis with cross-sectional data from the years 2012–2013 to examine the suite of state-level policies used to encourage state …

A Pipeline For Creation Of Genome-Scale Metabolic Reconstructions, Shaun W. Norris

Theses and Dissertations

The decreasing costs of next generation sequencing technologies and the increasing speeds at which they work have lead to an abundance of 'omic datasets. The need for tools and methods to analyze, annotate, and model these datasets to better understand biological systems is growing. Here we present a novel software pipeline to reconstruct the metabolic model of an organism in silico starting from its genome sequence and a novel compilation of biological databases to better serve the generation of metabolic models. We validate these methods using five Gardnerella vaginalis strains and compare the gene annotation results to NCBI and the …

Chronic Pain Causal Attributions In An Interdisciplinary Primary Care Clinic: Patient-Provider And Provider-Provider Discrepancies, Bryan Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of pain causal attributions on patient pain-related functioning, treatment engagement, and clinical outcomes. Additionally, the impact of discordant pain causal attributions between patients and their providers as well as between interdisciplinary providers was examined. Patients rated their pain functioning and causal pain attributions during a regular clinic visit. Following the patient’s visit both the behavioral medicine provider and internal medicine resident provided ratings of similar pain-related functioning domains and causal attributions. Follow-up data were collected from the electronic medical record three months following that clinic visit. Overall, results revealed …

Autotaxin In Central Nervous System Development And Disease, Natalie A. Wheeler

Theses and Dissertations

During development, oligodendrocytes (OLGs), the myelinating cells of the central nervous system (CNS), undergo a stepwise progression during which OLG progenitors, specified from neural stem/progenitor cells, differentiate into fully mature myelinating OLGs. This progression along the OLG lineage is characterized by well-synchronized changes in morphology and gene expression patterns. The studies presented in this dissertation identified the extracellular factor Autotaxin (ATX) as a novel upstream signal modulating HDAC1/2 activity and gene expression in cells of the OLG lineage. Using the zebrafish as an in vivo model system, as well as rodent primary OLG cultures, this functional property of ATX was …

Nest - Caring For The Caregiver, Ashley Whitehead

Theses and Dissertations

Today, more than ever, there exists an overlap between hospitality and healthcare industries; with the impact being felt in the way hospital interiors are designed. This influence impacts the patient’s experience but focuses very little on the experience of the caregiver. Caring for a sick child takes an emotional, mental, and physical toll on a family. It is especially challenging to care for a sick family member when away from the comfort and security of the family’s private home. This project explores that challenge through the interior design of a space that, for both patient and family, is restorative, healing, …

The Small Area Fair Market Rent System In The Richmond Region: An Evaluation Of Current Voucher Concentration, Move To Opportunity Counseling, And Value Capture Planning, Catherine L. Bray

Theses and Dissertations

In June of 2015, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to establish a more effective Fair Market Rent System using Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs) in the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) instead of the current 50^th Percentile FMRs. The 50^th Percentile FMR is currently in use in the Richmond, Virginia region, and the region is likely to be among early adopters of the new SAFMR System. This thesis assesses existing conditions that will affect implementation of the Small Area Fair Market Rent (SAFMR) System. First, it evaluates …

Identifying Misconceptions Associated With Inaccurate Survey Reporting In The Combined Use Of Caffeine And Alcohol, Kathryn Polak

Theses and Dissertations

Research on college student use of caffeine combined with alcohol (CAC) and public health concern over such use has been hampered by the absence of psychometrically sound measures of caffeine and CAC use. The present study examined agreement between survey (CAS) and interview (TLFB) methods for collecting data on caffeine, alcohol and CAC use. Participants were N=50 college students randomized to complete CAS followed by TLFB or the reverse. Qualitative follow-up interviews with N=15 participants were used to identify factors contributing to CAS-TLFB discrepancies. Responses varied by method of administration, with largest discrepancy magnitudes found for CAC, followed …

Factors Predicting African American Renal Patients’ Completion Of The Medical Evaluation Process For Kidney Transplantation, Camilla W. Nonterah

Theses and Dissertations

African Americans (AA) are more susceptible to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) for several reasons. Treatment options for patients with ESRD include dialysis therapy and transplantation, with the latter typically producing better outcomes. AA are less likely to complete the medical evaluation process, which requires patients to consult with doctors and undergo a series of tests and examinations. This study sought to determine the factors that predict completion of the medical evaluation for AA ESRD patients using a mixed methods design. Participants consisted of transplant professionals (N=23) recruited from nine transplant centers in the Mid-Atlantic, Mid-Western and Southeastern parts …

Influence Of Public Insurance On Healthcare Access And Cancer Care, Wafa W. Tarazi

Theses and Dissertations

Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) facilitates access to care among vulnerable populations, but 21 states have not yet expanded the program. Tennessee’s Medicaid program experienced a dramatic Medicaid contraction when the program disenrolled approximately 170,000 nonelderly adults in 2005. Pre-ACA expansions were associated with better access to and utilization of healthcare services. However, little is known about the effect of these policy changes on improvement in health outcomes for women diagnosed with breast cancer, access to care for cancer survivors, and the effect of generosity and duration of expansion on access to care.

This dissertation has three …

Development And Evaluation Of A Peer-To-Peer Intervention To Increase Self-Management Among Adult In-Center Hemodialysis Patients, Jennifer J. St Clair Russell

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Peer-to-peer (P2P) support programs have the potential to assist ESRD patients in managing their disease and improve outcomes. Yet, there is little research examining P2P programs’ impact on psychosocial outcomes and disease management behaviors.

Methods: A 4-month P2P mentoring intervention was designed and piloted in a facility serving 249 in-center hemodialysis patients in Lynchburg, Virginia. Preceded by a social marketing effort, which included a program naming contest and participant recruitment, the intervention included: (1) mentor training, (2) pairing of mentees and mentors, (3) kick-off social mixers, (4) ongoing meetings between mentees and mentors, (5) mentor training booster, and (6) …

Cancer Health Literacy And Hospitalization In The First Five Years Following A Cancer Diagnosis, Laura A. Cartwright

Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: The field of health literacy research has been focused recently on developing more accurate measurement tools and understanding the relationship between health literacy and health outcomes. Individuals with lower levels of health literacy have worse health outcomes, including hospitalization rates, compared to those with adequate health literacy. This relationship has yet to be examined in the cancer patient population, although significant relationships between health literacy and cancer knowledge, screening behavior and quality of life have been found. This study is the first to examine the relationship between health literacy and hospitalization rates in a cancer patient population, and the …

Finding The Cutpoint Of A Continuous Covariate In A Parametric Survival Analysis Model, Kabita Joshi

Theses and Dissertations

In many clinical studies, continuous variables such as age, blood pressure and cholesterol are measured and analyzed. Often clinicians prefer to categorize these continuous variables into different groups, such as low and high risk groups. The goal of this work is to find the cutpoint of a continuous variable where the transition occurs from low to high risk group. Different methods have been published in literature to find such a cutpoint. We extended the methods of Contal and O’Quigley (1999) which was based on the log-rank test and the methods of Klein and Wu (2004) which was based on the …

Investigating The Effects Of A Parent-Mediated Intervention On Latino Parent-Child Verbal Interaction And Children's Receptive Vocabulary, Patricia G. Onorato

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to investigate parent-child verbal interactions in Spanish in a group of Latino preschoolers growing up in the United States through a parent-mediated program at home, and the effects of the program on their receptive vocabulary in Spanish. A single subject multiple baseline across participants design was used in the study. The participants were 3 Latino mothers and their sons, with low family income, living in the United States. The intervention taught the mothers strategies to enhance their children’s language through a sharing-book activity. The study lasted for 6 weeks during which baseline and intervention conditions data were …

An Examination Of The Technical And Relational Hypotheses Of Motivational Interviewing In A Sample Of African American Adolescent Girls Seeking Obesity Treatment, Rachel L. Boutte

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent obesity has increased exponentially over the past three decades in the United States. In response, behavioral interventions have been developed and implemented to address this epidemic; however, treatment adherence is often suboptimal. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a directive, person centered approach to reducing patient ambivalence about change, which has been shown to increase engagement in obesity interventions. The current study investigated the underlying process of MI by exploring two different, but related pathways that explain how change happens (e.g., the technical and relational hypotheses) in the context of a multidisciplinary obesity intervention with African American adolescent girls (N …

Surface Modification Techniques For Increased Corrosion Tolerance Of Zirconium Fuel Cladding, James Carr

Theses and Dissertations

Corrosion is a major issue in applications involving materials in normal and severe environments, especially when it involves corrosive fluids, high temperatures, and radiation. Left unaddressed, corrosion can lead to catastrophic failures, resulting in economic and environmental liabilities. In nuclear applications, where metals and alloys, such as steel and zirconium, are extensively em- ployed inside and outside of the nuclear reactor, corrosion accelerated by high temperatures, neu- tron radiation, and corrosive atmospheres, corrosion becomes even more concerning. The objec- tives of this research are to study and develop surface modification techniques to protect zirconium cladding by the incorporation of a …

The Incidence Of Root Dentinal Micro-Cracks Caused By Reciprocating And Continuous Rotary Instrumentation, Stephen N. Schroeder

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to compare the incidence of root canal dentinal micro-cracks after canal instrumentation using reciprocating files (WaveOne Gold® and Twisted Adaptive®) and continuous rotation files (Edge Evolve® and EndoSequence®) in an ex-vivo benchtop study. This project used a novel methodology of finding dentinal defects using the “K-cube”, which allows evaluators to visualize sectioned root surfaces before instrumentation and after instrumentation. Mesial roots from 40 human mandibular first molars were divided into 4 groups of 10 for each file type. Root section pictures were taken with a Zeiss Discovery V20 stereomicroscope before and after canal instrumentation. …

Crystallographic Study Of Mutant Influenza Matrix (M1) Protein And Affinity Study Of Small Molecule Inhibitors Toward M1 And Growth Factors, Bashayer Althufairi

Theses and Dissertations

Influenza A virus (IAV) is a seasonal infectious agent that could cause a major worldwide catastrophe. Due to its genetic properties, IAV generates new viral particles that resist the body’s immune defense and antiviral drug therapy. This occurs when a host cell has been co-infected by different IAV strains leading to the generation of hybrid viruses. This process is called reassortment. The majority of these new IAVs contain genetically altered hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Unfortunately, all current IAV drug therapies target the highly mutated proteins, HA and NA, which is not very useful. Influenza matrix protein 1 (M1) is …

A Theoretical Simulation Of The Settling Of Proppants In A Hydraulic Fracturing Process, Nisreen Alseamr

Theses and Dissertations

Hydraulic fracturing is a process for the extraction of hydrocarbons from underground formations. It involves pumping a specialized fluid into the wellbore under high pressures to form and support fractures in the rock. Fracturing stimulates the well to increase the production of oil and the natural gas which are the pillars of the energy economy. Key to this process is the use of proppants, which are solid materials used to keep the fractures open. Understanding the transport of proppant particles through a fluid is important to improve the efficiency and reduce environmental impact of fracturing. An increase of the settling …

Motives For Participation In Triathlons Among Midlife To Older Black Women: A Mixed Method Study, Candace Brown

Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Research has established the positive link between physical activity and its impact on health among adults. Generally, as people get older, they are less likely to be active. Black women comprise 13% of the women in the US but constitute 52% of women who are inactive. Existing articles on exercise motivation among Black women have generally assessed sedentary individuals. Little research has examined the motivations to exercise among physically active Black women. METHODS: Guided by the regulators of the Self Determination Theory, the 56 item Motivations of Marathoners Scales for Triathletes (MOMS-T) was used to assess the motives of …

Modeling Spatially Varying Effects Of Chemical Mixtures, Jenna Czarnota

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer incidence is associated with exposures to multiple environmental chemicals, and geographic variation in cancer rates suggests the importance of accommodating spatially varying effects in the analysis of environmental chemical mixtures and disease risk. Traditional regression methods are challenged by the complex correlation patterns inherent among co-occurring chemicals, and the applicability of geographically weighted regression models is limited in the setting of environmental chemical risk analysis. In comparison to traditional methods, weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression performs well in the identification of important environmental exposures, but is limited by the assumption that effects are fixed over space. We present an …