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Mitochondrial Biogenesis And Electrical Properties Of Hpsc-Derived Motor Neurons, Laura O'Brien

Theses and Dissertations

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), including human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) hold great promise in the fields of drug development and regenerative medicine. If iPSCs reprogrammed from patient cells replicate what is seen in vivo they may be used as a model of disease. A process that is disrupted in many neurodegenerative diseases is mitochondrial biogenesis. One of these diseases is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is characterized by loss of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Differentiation of hPSCs into motor neurons offers a way to study a previous unavailable cell …

A Measure Of Social Behavior In Team-Based, Multiplayer Online Games: The Sociality In Multiplayer Online Games Scale (Smog), Chelsea M. Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

Video games have become a new platform for social interaction. I review the sociality of video games and the relationship between virtual- and real-world behaviors. I review and address the pros and cons of methods of measuring social behavior. Finally, I present two studies drawn from internet populations. In Study 1 (N = 250), I develop a scale, The Sociality in Multiplayer Online Games Scale (SMOG), which measures the frequency of social gaming behaviors in team-based, multiplayer online games. I hypothesized these to align on dominance and affiliation dimensions of social interaction (Kiesler, 1982). In Study 2 (N …

Individual Traits And Entrepreneurial Intentions: The Mediating Role Of Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy And Need For Cognition, Chao Miao

Theses and Dissertations

The field of entrepreneurship is rapidly advancing and matures as a discipline that receives substantial amount of attention. One popular area of research in the discipline of entrepreneurship is to investigate one’s intent to start a business, which is entrepreneurial intention. This is an important construct that warrants ongoing research because entrepreneurial intention is not only a great predictor of entrepreneurial behavior but also an important step in the process of becoming an entrepreneur. The present study, based on a sample of 321 subjects along with 264 observers, makes five contributions to the entrepreneurship literature. First, I examined the psychometric …

Response To Intervention To Educate The Diverse Needs Of Elementary Students, James H. Mcmillan, Valerie J. Robnolt, Amy C. Hutton

MERC Publications

Much research has been done regarding how to implement RTI, effective strategies for RTI, and outcomes of RTI, which is not the focus of the current study. This investigation will focus on assessing the current perceptions of elementary school educators and staff on thier current understanding of and needs for more effective implementation of RTI.

Rethinking School Improvement: The Case For Networked Improvement Communities, Jesse Senechal

MERC Publications

The question of why school improvement efforts have not been as effective as we would hope is a complicated one that could be addressed from a number of perspectives. The purpose of this paper is to explore some of the underlying problems that prevent current school reform effort from achieving sustained impact, and to describe a promising model of school improvement, called the Networked Improvement Community (NIC). The NIC model – which has just started gaining traction in the world of K-12 school reform – establishes small inquiry groups within organizations to engage in cycles of improvement that involve implementing …

The Relationship Between Stressful Life Events And Risky Sexual Behavior, Hassan Khuram

UROP Posters

This study seeks to examine the relationship between stressful life events and risky sexual behavior in Spit for Science: the VCU Student Survey. Research has shown that when facing a stressful life event, an individual can experience negative and lasting consequences long after the event is over. All subjects used in this study were VCU juniors who entered VCU in the fall of 2011 (n=970). Participants were asked about exposure to different types of traumatic life events (natural disaster, transportation accident or assault). Stressful life events were also measured by creating a sum score based on the total number of …

A National Scan Of Psychiatric Involuntary Hold Policies, Evan D. Peters

UROP Posters

Psychiatric involuntary holds are initiated when an individual suffering from mental illness is deemed a danger to themselves or others. Each state and the District of Columbia has its own legislation outlining the process for involuntary holds and the assessments that take place during a hold. A variety of individuals, professional and non-professional, can be involved in the process. Each state also sets a time limit during which a person can be held, and specific language that details the behavior of individuals that are eligible for psychiatric involuntary holds. This information was gathered by examining each states' codes involving psychiatric …

Combination Of Music And Aromatherapy To Improve The Efficiency Of Motor Functions And Speech In Patients Paralyzed From Stroke., Mounica Bevara

UROP Posters

With the rapid development of medical technology, millions of dollars are being spent on discovering innovative methods of treating fatal diseases such as stroke that may also result in temporary paralysis. Physiotherapy treatments aimed at restoring brain function in patients paralyzed following a stroke is subjective to the patient and does not guarantee complete rehabilitation. While many practitioners have attempted to employ complementary and alternative methods of treatment such as massage therapy, acupuncture therapy, siddha, and marma therapy, none of them proved to be equally as effective as physiotherapy. However, prior studies support the notion that aromatherapy used in combination …

Physician Role In Enhancing Patient Communication, Tamanna Sahni

UROP Posters

Communication in the in-patient environment is crucial, and the relationship between a patient and physician enhances patient health and wellness. Patients should feel confident with their abilities to feel comfortable conversing with physicians, which would thus treat symptoms more effectively. This communication has decreased over time, hence patients are often are unable to obtain medical information from their healthcare providers. What is the relationship between psychological factors, such as self-esteem, and quality of patient-physician communication? And can physicians ensure increased patient comfort in the medical environment?

Various factors can affect the patients’ comfort with their physicians, and when addressed, these …

Asthma-Related Anxiety And Quick-Relief Medication Use In Urban Children With Asthma, Sarah E. Astrab, Robin Everhart

UROP Posters

Among children, asthma is the most common chronic illness. Although not curable, asthma is manageable with the use of both daily controller medication and quick relief or rescue medication. Anxiety has been found to increase asthma symptoms in children. Caregivers who are anxious about their child’s asthma symptoms may perceive their child’s asthma as more severe or doubt their ability to manage their child’s asthma, which can result in the misuse of asthma medication. This study focused on the association between asthma-related anxiety and the use of quick-relief asthma medications in a low-income, urban sample in Richmond, Virginia. Child participants …

Queer-Baiting On The Bbc’S Sherlock: Addressing The Invalidation Of Queer Experience Through Online Fan Fiction Communities, Cassidy Sheehan

UROP Posters

Fans of a particular media source often write fan fiction to build on, deviate from, and transform original source material. The BBC’s Sherlock is not exempt from this common practice; in fact, the homoerotic subtext which persistently endures within the show lends itself to the production of slash fan fiction. Many perceive this subtext as a method of queer-baiting, or an ultimately harmful tactic used by writers and producers to lure in queer viewers. In this paper, dialogue and scenes from the show itself are compared to excerpts from works of fan fiction in order to explore reactions to queer-baiting …

Effect Of Maternal Sensitivity On Language Acquisition Of Multiples, Madhuri Prayaga

UROP Posters

The purpose of this study was to examine language acquisition and development in multiple birth children compared to singleton children in order to examine how decreased maternal sensitivity amongst mothers of multiple compared to mothers of singletons affects language acquisition skills in children.. The first phase of research for this study started with research on maternal sensitivity, specifically differing levels of it amongst mothers of different types of children, either by singletons of multiples, and potential causes for these differing levels of maternal sensitivity. The second phase focused on language skills of multiple and singletons at a young age and …

Stand-Up Comedy And Self-Deprecating Humor, Amelia M. Bell

UROP Posters

Stand-up comedy has been around for centuries, making people laugh for generations. Through the years the forms and techniques stand-up comedians use have shifted back and forth. Self-deprecation humor is one of these forms of humor, where the comedian pokes fun at his or herself, and it has recently become more incredibly popular in today’s society. Stand-up comedians like Louis C.K. have risen to newfound popularity by using self-deprecating humor almost completely in their sets. This paper attempts to answer the question of why audiences respond so positively to stand-up comedians who use self-deprecating humor. It does so by arguing …

Don't Walk Alone, Sarah Hughes

UROP Posters

Dont walk alone: The effect of the widely accepted behavior of street harassment on women’s mobility

Sarah Hughes, School of Humanities and Life Sciences. Mentor: Bonnie Boaz

ABSTRACT

Women are continuously exposed to street harassment in their daily lives, however this issue lacks the recognition that it deserves as a societal problem. This paper explores to what extent men control public space and the effect that street harassment has on women both psychologically and physically. Data has been collected from scholarly articles as well as published studies. Unfortunately the research finds that society accepts the mistreatment of women through street …

How Breastfeeding Affects Postpartum Depression, Elisabeth Lamas

UROP Posters

According to the 2008 CDC report, nearly one out of every eight women are affected by postpartum depression at one point or another in their lives. The purpose of my research was to study the potential effects of breastfeeding on postpartum depression. The objective was to study how breastfeeding affects the occurrence of postpartum depression in mothers in the United States. To understand the relationship between postpartum depression and breastfeeding, I read science journal articles describing the biological background behind breastfeeding and postpartum depression. I read psychology and biology journal articles dealing with possible forms of treatment for postpartum depression …

Anxiety Reactivity In Monozygotic Twins Discordant For Major Depression, Sravya Uppalapati

UROP Posters

Transient anxiety is a healthy response to stress. However, constant anxiety elicits negative responses and threatens an individual’s day-to-day living. The onset of anxiety disorders excluding specific phobias is often childhood to late adolescence or early adulthood. Though depression is characterized as a low-energy state unlike anxiety, there is a high concordance between anxiety and depression. “Nearly one-half of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder” (“Facts and Statistics”). There are two goals of the study:

1. To compare the individual response levels between monozygotic (MZ) twins discordant for major depressive disorder (MDD) during an anxiety-provoking …

Greek Involvement And Personality, Sara Lee, Nikita Amin, Sabbu Bajimaya, Brandon Love

UROP Posters

Many young college students participate in Greek life to involve themselves with a group of people similar to themselves and to engage in life on campus. The intent of this research is to measure the relationship between Greek membership and/or involvement and personality. Data from Spit for Science: the VCU Student Survey will be examined to analyze this relationship. The participants included freshman fall and sophomore spring survey participants from the 2012 Spit for Science cohort. The measures for the study were the Big Five Inventory (BFI) and the UPPS impulsive behavior scales.

The BFI includes the personality traits of …

Queer Mysticism In The High Middle Ages: Pain, Love, Earth, And The Female Body In The Illustrations Of Hildegard Of Bingen’S Scivias, Becky Bushnell

UROP Posters

Many view Hildegard of Bingen as one of the most important female theologians of the 12th century, and her writing and sphere of influence is remarkable considering her gender. Many scholars, like Barbara Newman, Caroline Walker Bynum, and Carolyn Worman Sur, agree that Hildegard’s portrayals of God in Scivias are distinctly feminine. Scholars like Karma Lochrie, Sheryl Chen, and Flora Lewis have written on Christ’s wound as a metaphor for the womb or vulva. Yet what scholars don’t seem to focus on, as Lochrie writes in “Mystical Acts, Queer Tendencies,” is the ways that the work of many female mystics …

Smoking Patterns Among Vcu Students, Jasmine Saini

UROP Posters

For some individuals, college can be a high risk time for the development of problems associated with alcohol use and other substances. The purpose of this study is to examine these initiation and use patterns as they relate to nicotine use among college students 18 years of age and older enrolled in Spit for Science: The VCU Student Survey. The Spit for Science research project evaluates how genetic and environmental factors contribute to substance use and emotional health among college students at VCU. This study uses data from the Spit for Science 2011 cohort (n=2007) to investigate smoking patterns among …

Assessment Of The Neighborhood Environment And Its Association With Gestational Age At Birth, Brittaney A. Castro

UROP Posters

Preterm birth is one of the most persistent of health disparities and accounts for five times more African American versus European American infant death. The preterm birth rate in African American is nearly twice as high compared to European Americans. Recent studies have shown that a major contributor to this disparity is accounted for by the greater environmental heterogeneity seen in African American populations. The purpose of this study is to examine how the measured neighborhood environment influences race-specific preterm birth rates by: 1) assessing the degree of neighborhood heterogeneity that exists between self-identified race; 2) estimate the extent these …

Scoring And Validation Of The Cystic Fibrosis Disclosure Questionnaire, Adrienne P. Borschuk

Theses and Dissertations

As more patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are living into adulthood, patients may need to disclose their CF status to others, such as in romantic or professional settings. Patients who choose not to disclose their CF status may be limited in their closeness with others, which may negatively affect their psychological functioning and health-related quality of life. Few studies, however, have examined disclosure in CF, and currently no validated measures of CF disclosure exist. The purpose of this study was to explore CF disclosure in adults and validate a new assessment of CF disclosure, the Cystic Fibrosis Disclosure Scale (CFDS). …

Motivation, Mindfulness, And Metabolic Factors Predicting Adolescent Adherence And Attrition In A Multidisciplinary Weight Management Program, Stephen Trapp

Theses and Dissertations

Estimated rates of obesity are notably high in the United States and pose a significant public health concern. A number of deleterious physical and psychosocial conditions are associated with pediatric obesity and the cost of its treatment is considerable. Accordingly, the number of weight management treatments has increased to meet this growing public health challenge. Unfortunately, insufficient participation in weight management treatment, namely low adherence and high attrition, often impede the effectiveness of these programs. Although the barriers associated with inadequate adherence and elevated rates of attrition are documented, there is a dearth of research on the predictors of the …

Nourish-C: Implementing A Family Based Weight Loss Intervention In A Church Community, Jacqueline Woods

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing rates of obesity across all race, ethnic, gender, and age groups over the past thirty years have generated significant public health concern. Black children face disproportionately higher risk for overweight and obesity compared with their White peers. Substantial evidence suggests that parent involvement improves pediatric obesity treatment outcomes. Moreover, churches are feasible and culturally congruent places to host health promotion interventions within the Black community. The current study examined the feasibility of disseminating an existing pediatric obesity intervention, NOURISH, in Black church communities. Twenty-five families participated in baseline assessment of the NOURISH-C. Five churches hosted the intervention and eight …

Interaction Between Atm Kinase And P53 In Determining Glioma Radiosensitivity, Syed F. Ahmad

Theses and Dissertations

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumor. Studies have shown that targeting the DNA damage response can sensitize cancer cells to DNA damaging agents. Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) is involved in signaling DNA double strand breaks. Our group has previously shown that ATM inhibitors (ATMi) sensitize GBM cells and tumors to ionizing radiation. This effect is greater when the tumor suppressor p53 is mutated.

The goals of this work include validation of a new ATM inhibitor, AZ32, and elucidation of how ATMi and p53 status interact to promote cell death after radiation. We propose that ATMi and …

Individuals With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Predictive Factors For Successful Occupational Performance, Mary Culshaw

Theses and Dissertations

As awareness and diagnoses of FASD grow in Canada, there is increased need to support these individuals across their lifespan. One study suggested the prevalence of FASD may be as high as 10 per 1000 births (May & Gossage, 2001). The impact to society is growing as well, since this population requires support across their lifespan due to cognitive and sometimes physical impairments. It was estimated that the annual cost to Canadians was $53 billion (in 2007 dollar value) to support individuals aged 0-53 years (Stade et al., 2009). There is mounting evidence identifying the cognitive and physical impairments that …

Therapist Adherence To Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Anxious Youth Across A Case, Julia R. Cox

Theses and Dissertations

The field has developed many evidence-based treatments (EBTs); the integrity of EBTs being delivered, however, has been studied less than rigorously. Because many treatment manuals are developed to be delivered session-by-session, one way to assess treatment adherence, specifically, is across the course of the case: do therapists deliver treatment components in the order prescribed? The goals of this study were to characterize how therapists deviate from prescribed order and how adherence to order relates to child characteristics. Therapy process data were collected from a subsample of children (N = 33, aged 7-15) that received cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to address …

Intrinsic Motivation And Information Systems Security Policy Compliance In Organizations, Yurita Yakimin Abdul Talib

Theses and Dissertations

Incidents of computer abuse, proprietary information leaks and other security lapses have been on the increase. Most often, such security lapses are attributed to internal employees in organizations subverting established organizational IS security policy. As employee compliance with IS security policy is the key to escalating IS security breaches, understanding employee motivation for following IS security policy is critical. In addition to several types of extrinsic motives noted in prior studies, including sanctions, rewards, and social pressures, this study adds that an important contributing intrinsic factor is empowerment. Per Thomas and Velthouse’s (1990) intrinsic motivation model, empowerment is the positive …

Improving Understanding Of Colorectal Cancer Screening Decisional Conflict And Breast Cancer Survivorship Care, Kara P. Wiseman

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Behavioral interventions and evidence based guidelines along the cancer control continuum can reduce the burden of cancer.

Objectives: This dissertation aims to increase our understanding of colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) decisional conflict and breast cancer survivorship care. This project: 1) assesses CRCS decisional conflict in a general population, 2) uses the Theory of Triadic Influence to model and evaluate direct and indirect associations between CRCS decisional conflict and colonoscopy adherence, 3) assesses post-treatment breast cancer care.

Methods: Data from a questionnaire administered to randomly selected adults, 50-75 years, living in six MN communities (N=1,268) and the 2010 Behavioral Risk …

Social Performance And Reticence: Mental Negotiations In Austen, Brontë, And Eliot, Meredith L. Spencer

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how three nineteenth-century British novels purvey and critique contemporary standards regarding social performance and reticence and the strains such standards place on those whose dispositions disincline them to conform to the regulations for decorum articulated in conduct books of the time. Utilizing the psychological lens of introversion and extroversion alongside the cognitive narrative theories of Alan Palmer and Lisa Zunshine, this thesis investigates the construction of individual character identities through the reading of interactions among multiple fictional minds in Charlotte Brontë’s Villette (1853), Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (1813), and George Eliot’s The Mill on the Floss …

Determinants Of Stress And Effects On Performance In Internal Medicine Residents, Sarah Braun

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to assess: a) perceived stress, burnout, depression, and empathy at three time points in internal medicine residents, b) the role of gender and trait mindfulness in stress response during residency and c) to evaluate the impact these variables have on performance evaluations. Additionally, specific tasks of the residency that may contribute to the experience of stress and burnout were evaluated to test a model of job strain. Stress predicted subsequent burnout and depression. Burnout predicted subsequent depression, and stress mediated this relationship. Women reported higher mean levels of empathy and burnout than men. …