Digital Commons Network^™

A Template Analysis Of Intimate Partner Violence Survivors’ Experiences Of Animal Maltreatment: Implications For Safety Planning And Intervention, Elizabeth A. Collins, Anna M. Cody, Shelby Elaine Mcdonald, Nicole Nicotera, Frank R. Ascione, James Herbert Williams

Social Work Publications

This study explores the intersection of intimate partner violence (IPV) and animal cruelty in an ethnically diverse sample of 103 pet-owning IPV survivors recruited from community-based domestic violence programs. Template analysis revealed five themes: (a) Animal Maltreatment by Partner as a Tactic of Coercive Power and Control, (b) Animal Maltreatment by Partner as Discipline or Punishment of Pet, (c) Animal Maltreatment by Children, (d) Emotional and Psychological Impact of Animal Maltreatment Exposure, and (e) Pets as an Obstacle to Effective Safety Planning. Results demonstrate the potential impact of animal maltreatment exposure on women and child IPV survivors’ health and safety.

Sharing Extended Summary Data From Contemporary Genetics Studies Is Unlikely To Threaten Subject Privacy, Silviu-Alin Bacanu

Psychiatry Publications

Background

Starting from a forensic problem, Homer et al. showed that it was possible to detect if an individual contributes only 0.5% of the DNA in a pool. The finding was extended to prove the possibility of detecting whether a subject participated in a small homogeneous GWAS. We denote this as the detection of a subject belonging to a certain cohort (SBCC). Subsequently, Visscher and Hill showed that the power to detect SBCC signal for an ethnically homogeneous cohort depends roughly on the ratio of the number of independent markers and total sample size. However, it …

Ramerican Political Science Review (Vol. 2, 2017)

Ramerican Political Science Review

Letter from the Department of Political Science -- Diversity and Tolerance: The Intergroup Contact Theory in Practice / Margaret Hemenway -- Identity and Social Movements: Analyzing Social Movement Participation through Identity Theory / Mariah Hines -- Representative Deviance in the Media: Pre‐Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Through a Queer Lens) / Matthew Helton -- International Legal Recognition after Unilateral Secession: The Case of Somaliland / Trevor Davis -- Beyond the Axis of Convenience: Re‐examining Russian‐Chinese Relations and the Search for Multipolarity / David Hayter -- How the Tsetse Left Africa and Why the Rwandan Nightmare put the World to Sleep / Savannah‐Zhané …

Virginia Commonwealth University Professional Bulletin [2017], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Professional programs bulletin for Virginia Commonwealth University for the academic year 2017-2018. It includes information on academic regulations, degree requirements, course offerings, faculty, academic calendar, and tuition and expenses for graduate programs.

Virginia Commonwealth University Courses [2017], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Listing of courses for the 2017-2018 year.

Chronic Health Conditions As A Risk Factor For Falls Among The Community-Dwelling Us Older Adults: A Zero-Inflated Regression Modeling Approach, Yoshita Paliwal, Patricia W. Slattum, Scott M. Ratliff

Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science Publications

Falls are an important health concern among older adults due to age-related changes in the body. Having a medical history of chronic health condition may pose even higher risk of falling. Only few studies have assessed a number of chronic health conditions as risk factor for falls over a large nationally representative sample of US older adults. In this study, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2014 participants aged 65 years and older (n = 159,336) were evaluated. It was found that 29.7% (n = 44,550) of the sample experienced at least one fall and 16.3% (n = 20,444) …

The Rhetoric Of Mass Incarceration, David Coogan, Kevin Farley

English Publications

Professor David Coogan teaches rhetorical theory and criticism and composition, as well as service learning, for the VCU Department of English. For the last ten years, he has also taught and collaborated with writers in the Richmond City Jail, in a program called Open Minds. In his published and forthcoming work on the importance of writing for social and personal transformation – Electronic Writing Centers: Computing the Field of Composition, The Public Work of Rhetoric: Citizen Scholars and Community Engagement (co-edited with John Ackerman), Writing Our Way Out: Memoirs from Jail, and Memoirs of Mass Incarceration: The Rhetoric …

Application Of Incident Command Structure To Clinical Trial Management In The Academic Setting: Principles And Lessons Learned, Penny S. Reynolds, Mary J. Michael, Bruce D. Spiess

Anesthesiology Publications

Background

Clinical trial success depends on appropriate management, but practical guidance to trial organisation and planning is lacking. The Incident Command System (ICS) is the ‘gold standard’ management system developed for managing diverse operations in major incident and public health arenas. It enables effective and flexible management through integration of personnel, procedures, resources, and communications within a common hierarchical organisational structure. Conventional ICS organisation consists of five function modules: Command, Planning, Operations, Logistics, and Finance/Administration. Large clinical trials will require a separate Regulatory Administrative arm, and an Information arm, consisting of dedicated data management and information technology staff. We applied …

Aldh2*2 And Peer Drinking In East Asian College Students, Karen G. Chartier, Taryl O'Shea, Nathaniel Thomas, Bradley Todd Webb, Danielle M. Dick, Kenneth S. Kendler

Social Work Publications

Background: The ALDH2*2 allele (A-allele) at rs671 is more commonly carried by Asians and is associated with alcohol-related flushing, a strong adverse reaction to alcohol that is protective against drinking. Social factors, such as having friends who binge drink, also contribute to drinking in Asian youth. Objectives: This study examined the interplay between ALDH2*2, peer drinking, and alcohol consumption in college students. We hypothesized that the relationship between ALDH2*2 and standard grams of ethanol per month would vary based on the level of peer drinking. Methods: Subjects (N = 318, 63.25% female) were East Asian …

Economic Impact Of The James River Park System, Victoria A. Shivy, I-Shian Suen

Psychology Publications

The James River Park System (JRPS), “a Little Bit of Wilderness in the Heart of the City,” is a unique part of Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities. With 550 acres of shoreline and islands in the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the JRPS extends in 14 sections from the Huguenot Bridge (West) to a half mile beyond the I-95 Bridge (East). It includes most of the fall line of the James River, and features rocks, rapids, meadows, and forests that make for an area of unspoiled natural beauty.

Large cities around the United States routinely engage …

Rape And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd): Examining The Mediating Role Of Explicit Sex-Power Beliefs For Men Versus Women, Daniel J. Snipes, Jenna M. Calton, Brooke A. Green, Paul B. Perrin, Eric G. Benotsch

Psychology Publications

Many rape survivors exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and recent literature suggests survivors' beliefs about sex and control may affect PTSD symptoms. The present study examined beliefs about sex and power as potential mediators of the relationship between rape and PTSD symptoms for men versus women. Participants (N = 782) reported lifetime history of rape, current PTSD symptoms, and beliefs about sex and power. Women reported higher levels of lifetime history of rape than men (19.7% for women; 9.7% for men). While rape history predicted PTSD symptoms for both genders, beliefs about sex and power were shown to …

Knowledge And Understanding Of Health Insurance: Challenges And Remedies, Andrew J. Barnes, Yaniv Hanoch

Psychology Publications

As coverage is expanded in health systems that rely on consumers to choose health insurance plans that best meet their needs, interest in whether consumers possess sufficient understanding of health insurance to make good coverage decisions is growing. The recent IJHPR article by Green and colleagues—examining understanding of supplementary health insurance (SHI) among Israeli consumers—provides an important and timely answer to the above question. Indeed, their study addresses similar problems to the ones identified in the US health care market, with two notable findings. First, they show that overall—regardless of demographic variables—there are low levels of knowledge about SHI, which …

A Comparison Of Parameter Covariance Estimation Methods For Item Response Models In An Expectation-Maximization Framework, Joshua N. Pritikin

Psychiatry Publications

The Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm is a method for finding the maximum likelihood estimate of a model in the presence of missing data. Unfortunately, EM does not produce a parameter covariance matrix for standard errors. Both Oakes and Supplemented EM are methods for obtaining the parameter covariance matrix. SEM was discovered in 1991 and is implemented in both opensource and commercial item response model estimation software. Oakes, a more recent method discovered in 1999, had not been implemented in item response model software until now. Convergence properties, accuracy, and elapsed time of Oakes and Supplemental EM family algorithms are compared for …

Symptom Domain Groups Of The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Tools Independently Predict Hospitalizations And Re-Hospitalizations In Cirrhosis, Kavish R. Patidar, Leroy R. Thacker, James B. Wade, Melanie B. White, Edith A. Gavis, Andrew Fagan, Richard K. Sterling, Michael Fuchs, Mohammad S. Siddiqui, Scott Matherly, Richard T. Stravitz, Arun J. Sanyal, Puneet Puri, Velimir A. Luketic, Jasmohan S. Bajaj

Psychiatry Publications

Background

Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) tools can identify health-related quality of life (HRQOL) domains that could differentially affect disease progression. Cirrhotics are highly prone to hospitalizations and re-hospitalizations, but the current clinical prognostic models may be insufficient, and thus studying the contribution of individual HRQOL domains could improve prognostication.

Aim

Analyze the impact of individual HRQOL PROMIS domains in predicting time to all non-elective hospitalizations and re-hospitalizations in cirrhosis.

Methods

Outpatient cirrhotics were administered PROMIS computerized tools. The first non-elective hospitalization and subsequent re-hospitalizations after enrollment were recorded. Individual PROMIS domains significantly contributing toward these outcomes were generated …

A Power Calculator For The Classical Twin Design, Brad Verhulst

Psychiatry Publications

Power is a ubiquitous, though often overlooked, component of any statistical analyses. Almost every funding agency and institutional review board requires that some sort of power analysis is conducted prior to data collection. While there are several excellent on line power calculators for independent observations, twin studies pose unique challenges that are not incorporated into these algorithms. The goal of the current manuscript is to outline a general method for calculating power in twin studies, and to provide functions to allow researchers to easily conduct power analyses for a range of common twin models. Several scenarios are discussed to demonstrate …

Somatic Symptom Disorder In Dermatology, James L. Levenson, Aditi A. Sharma, Alex G. Ortega-Loayza

Psychiatry Publications

Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is defined by the prominence of somatic symptoms associated with abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to the symptoms, resulting in significant distress and impairment. Individuals with these disorders are more commonly encountered in primary care and other medical settings, including dermatology practice, than in psychiatric and other mental health settings. What defines the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors as abnormal is that they are excessive, that is, out of proportion to other patients with similar somatic symptoms, and that they result in significant distress and impairment. SSD may occur with or without the presence of a …

Molecular Genetic Influences On Normative And Problematic Alcohol Use In A Population-Based Sample Of College Students, Bradley T. Webb, Alexis C. Edwards, Aaron R. Wolen, Jessica E. Salvatore, Fazil Aliev, Brien P. Riley, Cuie Sun, Vernell S. Williamson, James N. Kitchens, Kimberly Pedersen, Amy Adkins, Megan E. Cooke, Jeanne E. Savage, Zoe Neale, Seung B. Cho, Danielle M. Dick, Kenneth S. Kendler

Psychiatry Publications

Background: Genetic factors impact alcohol use behaviors and these factors may become increasingly evident during emerging adulthood. Examination of the effects of individual variants as well as aggregate genetic variation can clarify mechanisms underlying risk.

Methods: We conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in an ethnically diverse sample of college students for three quantitative outcomes including typical monthly alcohol consumption, alcohol problems, and maximum number of drinks in 24 h. Heritability based on common genetic variants (h2SNP) was assessed. We also evaluated whether risk variants in aggregate were associated with alcohol use outcomes in an independent sample of young …

Electroconvulsive Therapy In Geriatric Patients: A Literature Review And Program Report From Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, Usa, Andrew D. Snyder, Vasu Venkatachalam, Ananda Pandurangi

Psychiatry Publications

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective therapeutic intervention in the elderly patients with major depression, especially those with psychosis, suicidality, catatonia, nutritional compromise, and resistance to medications. Response rates can be as high as 80%. We present an extensive review of the relevant literature, provide a description of the ECT program at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, USA, and present results of our experience with ECT in fifty elderly patients. The treatments were safe, well tolerated, and produced high response rates, variably between 68% and 84%. Patients in the long‑term maintenance ECT program continue to show sustained benefits from …

Service-Learning Community Partner Impact Assessment Report, Jennifer Jettner, Lynn Pelco, Katie Elliott

Division of Community Engagement Resources

In the summer of 2017, VCU’s Office of Service-Learning conducted an evaluation of the impact of service-learning on community partner organizations. This assessment aimed to collect actionable feedback from partners and to inform improvements to service-learning courses at VCU that successfully address partners’ concerns. An external researcher conducted phone interviews with a representative sample of 22 community partners. Partners were asked how a specific service-learning course impacted their organization in three areas: organizational capacity, economically, and socially. Partners were also asked about faculty interactions and the likelihood of recommending the service-learning course to other organizations like their own. This report …

Comorbidity, Pain, Utilization, And Psychosocial Outcomes In Older Versus Younger Sickle Cell Adults: The Pisces Project, Donna K. Mcclish, Wally R. Smith, James L. Levenson, Imoigele P. Aisiku, John D. Roberts, Susan D. Roseff, Viktor E. Bovbjerg

Biostatistics Publications

Background. Patients with SCD now usually live well into adulthood. Whereas transitions into adulthood are now often studied, little is published about aging beyond the transition period. We therefore studied age-associated SCD differences in utilization, pain, and psychosocial variables. Methods. Subjects were 232 adults in the Pain in Sickle Cell Epidemiology Study (PiSCES). Data included demographics, comorbidity, and psychosocial measures. SCD-related pain and health care utilization were recorded in diaries. We compared 3 age groups: 16–25 (transition), 26–36 (younger adults), and 37–64 (older adults) years. Results. Compared to the 2 adult groups, the transition group reported fewer …

Tobacco Use And Health Insurance Literacy Among Vulnerable Populations: Implications For Health Reform, Robert T. Braun, Yaniv Hanoch, Andrew J. Barnes

Health Policy Publications

Background: Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), millions of Americans have been enrolling in the health insurance marketplaces. Nearly 20% of them are tobacco users. As part of the ACA, tobacco users may face up to 50% higher premiums that are not eligible for tax credits. Tobacco users, along with the uninsured and racial/ethnic minorities targeted by ACA coverage expansions, are among those most likely to suffer from low health literacy – a key ingredient in the ability to understand, compare, choose, and use coverage, referred to as health insurance literacy. Whether tobacco users choose enough coverage in the marketplaces …

Factors Distinguishing Positive Deviance Among Low-Income African American Women: A Qualitative Study On Infant Feeding, Cecilia E. Barbosa, Saba W. Masho, Kellie E. Carlyle, Maghboeba Mosavel

School of Nursing Publications

Background: Positive deviant individuals practice beneficial behaviors in spite of having qualities characterizing them as high risk for unhealthy behaviors.

Objective: This study aimed to identify and understand factors distinguishing low-income African American women who breastfeed the longest (positive deviants) from those who breastfeed for a shorter duration or do not breastfeed.

Methods: Seven mini-focus groups on infant-feeding attitudes and experiences were conducted with 25 low-income African American women, grouped by infant-feeding practice. Positive deviants, who had breastfed for 4 months or more, were compared with formula-feeding participants who had only formula fed their babies and short-term breastfeeding participants who …

The Scope, The Scope

The Scope

Collection of all 2016 articles from The Scope.

About The Scope

This magazine was produced by students in Science Journalism (MASC 491-005), which was taught during the Fall 2016 semester by Jeff South, an associate professor in the Robertson School of Media and Culture at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Sara Williams, head of academic outreach for VCU Libraries.

The course, VCU’s first focusing exclusively on science reporting, was supported by a grant that funds projects aligned with VCU’s strategic plan, called Quest for Distinction. VCU selected the Science Journalism course as a “disruptively innovative idea” and as a way …

Emphasizing Common Childhood Anxieties In Children’S Fantasy: An Analysis Of The Illustrations In Matilda And Charlotte’S Web, Ellie Erhart

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

In children’s literature, illustrations are just as important to story as a book’s text; illustrations contribute to the overall tone of the story and to the way readers interpret its events.

Colonialism's Role In The Success Of The Filipino Skin Whitening Industry, Francine Singson

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

In the Philippines and other developing countries, the skin whitening industry is prolific and expanding among native populations. However, this desire for white skin has dire health repercussions, both physical and psychological. Many researchers in the field of Filipino-American psychology attribute this desire for whiter skin to the American colonial rule of the Philippines, which began in 1898 and lasted for nearly fifty years. Historians often characterize the American occupation as cruel and demeaning, leading to colonial mentality that has continued into the post-colonial era. As a result, in order to ameliorate this dilemma, one must explore how the internalized …

Analysis Of The Progression Of The Representation Of Female Protagonists In The Sci-Fi/Fantasy Tv Shows Orphan Black And Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Girl Power, Appropriated “Masculinity” In Conjunction With Femininity, Empowered Sexuality, And The Heterosexual Script, Dakota Becker

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Buffy Summers goes from urban Los Angeles to Sunnydale, California after she is expelled from her previous high school on the grounds of an assortment of Slayer-related incidents. Chosen as the Slayer, Buffy is fated to fight against the forces of darkness, although this responsibility is not always conducive to leading the life of an average teenage girl. Upon moving to Sunnydale, Buffy quickly learns that Sunnydale High School sits directly above a “Hellmouth,” a hub for demon activity. Specifically, the entrance to the Hellmouth is located directly beneath the Sunnydale High School library, home to a curious collection of …

Pornography And Committed Relationships: How Pre-Existing Factors Within A Dyad Change The Effect Of Pornography On Heterosexual And Homosexual Couples, Rachel Gingrich

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Pornography and its effects have been the topic of debate for decades now. Much of the pornography debate centers on whether or not male pornography consumption is detrimental to men’s perception of, communication with, and treatment of women. As Charlotte Witt claims, “feminist debates over pornography originate in fundamental philosophical disagreement” (165). Many feminists and feminist groups critique pornography for its degradation of and violence towards women. Andrea Dworkin, a feminist against pornography, states that “the fact that pornography is widely believed to be ‘sexual representation’ or ‘depictions of sex’ emphasizes only that the valuation of women as low whores …

Depression In Low-Income Adolescents: Guidelines For School-Based Depression Intervention Programs, Gopika Hari

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Adolescent depression is growing in interest to clinicians. In addition to the estimated 2 million cases of adolescent major depressive episodes each year, depressive symptoms in youth have become indicators of mental health complications later in life. Studies indicate that being low-income is a risk factor for depression and that socioeconomically disadvantaged teenagers are more than twice as likely to develop mental illnesses. Only an estimated 1 in 4 children with mental illnesses receive adequate help and 80% of these resources come through schools. Thus, this study focuses on establishing the importance of depression intervention programs in low-income high schools …

Women’S Decisions About Mental Health Treatment In The Perinatal Period, Marina G. Green

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

This study examined a mother’s decision-making process in regards to mental health treatment for emotional difficulties during pregnancy and/or in the postpartum period. The literature shows that different factors influence a woman’s ability and willingness to seek services, including demographic factors, cultural factors, and interactions with healthcare providers and acquaintances. A sample of women who experienced emotional difficulties in the perinatal period was recruited through social media. Participants answered an anonymous electronic survey; the quantitative data was analyzed through SPSS, and the qualitative data was aggregated by themes. Quantitative findings indicate that age might be an influencing factor for women …

The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, Colleen Arthur

UROP Posters

The aim of this paper is to look into the human rights violations committed by the United States against the black men during the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment as well as touch on the broader concept of racial medicine. In addition, my goal is to dismantle the pretense society may hold about the United States and the moral high ground it claims to stand on. In order to accomplish this goal, I will make parallels about atrocities committed by the United States on the African-American population to those committed by the Nazis on the Jewish population in Germany. I will first …