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A Mathematical System For Human Implantable Wound Model Studies, Salomonsky Paul-Michael Aug 2013

A Mathematical System For Human Implantable Wound Model Studies, Salomonsky Paul-Michael

Theses and Dissertations

Dermal wound healing involves a myriad of highly regulated and sophisticated mechanisms, which are coordinated and carried out via several specialized cell types. The dominant players involved in this process include platelets, neutrophils, macrophages and fibroblasts. These cells play a vital role in the repair of the wound by orchestrating tasks such as forming a fibrin clot to stanch blood flow, removing foreign organisms and cellular debris, depositing new collagen matrix and establishing the contractile forces which eventually bridge the void caused by the initial infraction.\\[5pt] \indent Our current understanding of these mechanisms has been primarily based upon animal models. …

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Development Of Pectoral Apparatus In Ictalurid Catfish, Shweta Lahiri Aug 2013

Development Of Pectoral Apparatus In Ictalurid Catfish, Shweta Lahiri

Theses and Dissertations

The thesis contains two manuscripts- 1) Developmental changes in pectoral muscle fiber diameter and number in the Blue Catfish, Ictalurus furcatus and 2) Reduction in pectoral spine and girdle in domesticated Channel Catfish, Ictalurus punctatus is likely caused by the absence of fish predators. The first study showed that fiber diameter increased linearly with fish size, whereas fiber number increases non linearly with fish size in the Blue Catfish correlated with dietary shift. The second study showed shorter spines in domesticated Channel Catfish as compared to wild Channel Catfish was a result of reduction in selection pressure during domestication in …

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Environmental Influences On Sex Ratio And Spatial Distribution Of Dioecious Morella Cerifera L. On A Virginia Barrier Island., Molly Hokkanen Aug 2013

Environmental Influences On Sex Ratio And Spatial Distribution Of Dioecious Morella Cerifera L. On A Virginia Barrier Island., Molly Hokkanen

Theses and Dissertations

For dioecious plant species, sex ratios within a population depend on multiple environmental and life history characteristics. Sex ratio is an indicator of population health and can be a predictor for genetic bottlenecking. My study established the previously unknown sex ratio for the shrub, Morella cerifera, on a Virginia barrier island. The ratio was compared with multiple environmental and reproductive traits to determine their potential influence on sex determination and/or distribution of male and female plants. Multivariate analyses were used to identify relationships between sex, sex ratio and environmental drivers. The sex ratio for M. cerifera changed depending on scale. …

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Smart Superhydrophobic Materials, Adetoun Taiwo Aug 2013

Smart Superhydrophobic Materials, Adetoun Taiwo

Theses and Dissertations

Superhydrophobicity refers to surfaces with extremely large water droplet contact angles (usually greater than 150°). This phenomenon requires a hydrophobic material with micro or nano-scale roughness. Superhydrophobic surfaces exist in nature (e.g. the lotus leaf) and can be produced synthetically. This project focuses on the development and characterization of superhydrophobic materials with tunable wettability (i.e. smart superhydrophobic materials). In this study, surfaces were prepared by electrospinning thin, aligned polystyrene fibers onto a piezoelectric unimorph substrate. Results showed electric field induced changes in substrate curvature, which produced corresponding changes in surface wettability. From experiments, an average change in water contact angle …

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Interactive Empathy And Leader Effectiveness: An Evaluation Of How Sensing Emotion And Responding With Empathy Influence Corporate Leader Effectiveness, Gerald Burch Jul 2013

Interactive Empathy And Leader Effectiveness: An Evaluation Of How Sensing Emotion And Responding With Empathy Influence Corporate Leader Effectiveness, Gerald Burch

Theses and Dissertations

Empathy has been shown to be a very powerful social and work ability. This study surveyed 754 employees of a privately held eastern United States company, and incorporated annual performance evaluations to empirically link interactive empathy to leader performance of 102 leaders. Data was collected from the leader’s followers, peers, and supervisors and from self-report personality evaluations. The results of this study show that leaders that are willing to engage their followers with empathic displays are seen as better leaders from their supervisors and have more engaged employees. Other contributions of this study include validation of the interactive empathy scale …

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The Relation Between Patterns Of Beliefs About Fighting And Social Information-Processing: Differences In Cognitions, Goals, And The Response-Decision Process In Adolescents, Denicia Titchner Jul 2013

The Relation Between Patterns Of Beliefs About Fighting And Social Information-Processing: Differences In Cognitions, Goals, And The Response-Decision Process In Adolescents, Denicia Titchner

Theses and Dissertations

Beliefs about aggression play a key role in how youth interpret and respond to social situations and are related to aggressive behavior. Adolescents may report beliefs supporting aggression and engage in aggression due to reinforcement within their environment, rather than due to maladaptive social information-processing (SIP) biases. The purpose of this study was to examine adolescents’ patterns of beliefs about aggression and how these patterns relate to SIP. This study used latent class analysis (LCA), the Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations paradigm, and a Problem Solving Interview to examine differences in SIP between adolescents with varying patterns of beliefs about …

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A Novel Biorelevant In Vitro System To Predict The In Vivo Performance Of Oral Transmucosal Products, Poonam Delvadia Jul 2013

A Novel Biorelevant In Vitro System To Predict The In Vivo Performance Of Oral Transmucosal Products, Poonam Delvadia

Theses and Dissertations

In vitro dissolution, release and permeation testing is a common practice during drug product research and development. These in vitro tests, if predictive, are referred to as biorelevant tests and can play diverse roles to facilitate and expedite product development in a cost effective manner. Oral transmucosal products (OTPs) are currently tested using compendial and modified in vitro tests which may or may not be good predictors of in vivo performance due to a lack of biorelevance. A critical need for a broadly applicable and biorelevant in vitro system for OTPs has been expressed in the literature and the goal …

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Paired Interactions Between Kir Channels And Tertiapin-Q, Chul Ho Yang Jul 2013

Paired Interactions Between Kir Channels And Tertiapin-Q, Chul Ho Yang

Theses and Dissertations

Kir channels serve diverse and important roles throughout the human body and malfunctions of these channels are implicated in various channelopathies. Specific inhibitors for different subtypes of Kir channels are not available. However, Tertiapin-Q (TPNQ), a polypeptide isolated from honey bee venom, differentially inhibits certain subtypes of Kir channels with nanomolar affinity: ROMK1 (Kir1.1) and GIRK1/GIRK4 (Kir3.1/Kir3.4). Modification of TPNQ to increase selectivity for target channels bears great therapeutic potential. The in silico studies based on TPNQ-docked channel models, ROMK1_IRK2 (Kir1.1_Kir2.2) and GIRK2 (Kir3.2), predicted specific paired residue interactions and were experimentally validated here. In ROMK1 E123A mutant, the TPNQ …

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Anti-Cytomegalovirus Activity Of Atanyl Blue Prl, An Anthraquinone Derivative, Zohaib Alam Jul 2013

Anti-Cytomegalovirus Activity Of Atanyl Blue Prl, An Anthraquinone Derivative, Zohaib Alam

Theses and Dissertations

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a significant cause of mortality and morbidity in immunocompromised patients and an important cause of birth defects if acquired in utero. The licensed CMV antivirals, ganciclovir, cidofovir and foscarnet, all target the viral DNA polymerase. For each drug prolonged use is associated with significant toxicities and development of drug resistance. None are approved for use during pregnancy. Therefore, development of new anti-CMV drugs that target different pathways would be beneficial. All herpesviruses encode an alkaline nuclease. That genetic disruption of the CMV alkaline nuclease, UL98, reduces CMV replication by 1,000-fold suggests that UL98 may be a useful …

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Spatial And Temporal Estimation Of Nanomechanical Properties Via Atomic Force Microscopy, Eric Mccullough Jul 2013

Spatial And Temporal Estimation Of Nanomechanical Properties Via Atomic Force Microscopy, Eric Mccullough

Theses and Dissertations

Engineering the next generation of smart materials will require new methods of surface characterization, analysis and identification that can be performed not only in three dimensional space but also in the temporal dimension. Of particular interest is the understanding of mechanical properties of complex systems at the micro and nanoscales. Current techniques for such measurements are hampered by challenges including their inability to probe systems in complex microenvironments, non-destructively, or at nanometer resolution. This thesis outlines work in the development of techniques to study diverse systems and determine their mechanical properties using the Atomic Force Microscope as the primary tool. …

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Strategies To Improve Oral Health Systems In Rural Vietnam, Dylan Vu Jul 2013

Strategies To Improve Oral Health Systems In Rural Vietnam, Dylan Vu

UROP Posters

Oral health care systems seek to prevent and treat problems related to the mouth as well as restore teeth and the tissues that support the teeth. Oral health is important because it is closely related to general health and affects quality of life, food consumption, and physical appearance (Uetani et al., 2006). Poor, rural areas of the world especially do not have the oral health care system to keep up with the worsening oral health statuses of their people due to a lack of resources and/or infrastructure (Kandelman et al., 2012). Such is the case of Vietnam, where according to …

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Semi-Interpenetrating Network Gelatin Fiber Sca Old For Oral Mucosal Delivery Of Insulin, Leyuan Xu Jul 2013

Semi-Interpenetrating Network Gelatin Fiber Sca Old For Oral Mucosal Delivery Of Insulin, Leyuan Xu

Theses and Dissertations

Common therapy for diabetes mellitus is subcutaneous administration of insulin that is subject to serious disadvantages, such as patient noncompliance and occasional hypoglycemia. Hence, oral administration of insulin could be more convenient and serve as a desired route. However, oral administration of insulin is severely limited by the low bioavailability of insulin through the gastrointestinal tract. In this study, a semi-interpenetrating network gelatin fiber scaffold (sIPN GF) was fabricated for oral mucosal delivery of insulin as an alternative route. This sIPN GF was engineered from an electrospun gelatin fiber scaffold (GF), which was further crosslinked with polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEG-DA) …

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The Effects Of Saltwater Intrusion On Methanogen Community Abundance, Structure, And Activity, Jaimie Gillespie Jul 2013

The Effects Of Saltwater Intrusion On Methanogen Community Abundance, Structure, And Activity, Jaimie Gillespie

Theses and Dissertations

Tidal freshwater wetlands (TFW) are at significant risk of loss or alteration due to global climate change, and saltwater intrusion from sea level rise is of particular concern for these habitats due to their proximity to coastal areas. A space-for-time model was used to investigate the effects of saltwater intrusion on soil methanogen communities along naturally occurring salinity gradients on the Waccamaw, James, and Hudson Rivers. Amplification of the methyl coenzyme-M reductase (mcrA) functional gene was used in qPCR, reverse transcription qPCR, and T-RFLP to measure the abundance, activity, and community composition of soil methanogens. Both the abundance and activity …

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Exploring Electric Field-Induced Changes In Astrocyte Behavior, Doel Dhar Jul 2013

Exploring Electric Field-Induced Changes In Astrocyte Behavior, Doel Dhar

Theses and Dissertations

Electric fields, which are generated by the movement of charged ions across membranes, are found in all biological systems and can influence cellular components ranging from amino acids to biological macromolecules. Physiological field strengths range from 1 – 200 mV/mm, and these electric fields are especially elevated at sites of cellular growth during development and regeneration. It has previously been demonstrated that elevated electric fields induce alignment of astrocyte processes in vitro, enhancing the rate of neurite outgrowth. It is believed that electric fields of varying physiological strength affect other astrocytic responses associated with regeneration. To characterize the duration over …

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Characterization Of Cyclic Di-Gmp Binding By The Sole Borrelia Burgdorferi And Borrelia Hermsii Pilz Domain-Containing Proteins, Katherine Louise Mallory Jul 2013

Characterization Of Cyclic Di-Gmp Binding By The Sole Borrelia Burgdorferi And Borrelia Hermsii Pilz Domain-Containing Proteins, Katherine Louise Mallory

Theses and Dissertations

Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia hermsii cause Lyme disease and relapsing fever, respectively. These spirochetes are maintained in an enzootic cycle, involving tick vectors and mammalian hosts. Differential gene expression is central in their survival in various environmental conditions. C-di-GMP has been demonstrated to be important in bacterial adaptation. Borrelia deletion mutant phenotypes have shown that c-di-GMP regulates motility, infectivity, and enzootic cycle progression. As the only known receptors encoded by Borrelia, PlzA and PlzC characterization is necessary in delineating c-di-GMP roles within the cell. In this study, biochemical, biophysical, and FRET methods demonstrated that these proteins exhibit a structural rearrangement …

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The Relationship Between Deviant High School Behavior And The Frequencies Of Alcohol And Nicotine Use, Flora Achiko Jul 2013

The Relationship Between Deviant High School Behavior And The Frequencies Of Alcohol And Nicotine Use, Flora Achiko

UROP Posters

The study examined the relationship between deviant high school behavior as defined by symptoms of conduct disorder and the frequencies of alcohol and nicotine use among freshmen at VCU. The sample sizes for items corresponding to alcohol and nicotine use were n=1184 and n=689 freshmen, respectively. Correlation analyses revealed significant statistical evidence for a positive relationship between deviant high school behavior and frequency of alcohol use (r= .231, significant at p=0.01 level) and deviant high school behavior and the frequency of nicotine use (r=.219, significant at p=0.01 level). There was also a significant correlation between the frequencies of alcohol and …

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Fabrication Of Surface Amine Gradients By Controlled-Rate Infusion For Chromatographic Applications, Balamurali Kannan Jul 2013

Fabrication Of Surface Amine Gradients By Controlled-Rate Infusion For Chromatographic Applications, Balamurali Kannan

Theses and Dissertations

Surface gradients are materials that exhibit a variation in properties such as chemical composition, topography etc., in a continuous and/or discrete fashion. They are broadly classified as chemical and physical gradients depending upon the properties that gradient exhibits. Among those, chemical gradients on various surfaces have been a great interest in materials research for the last two decades. This is due to the applications of gradients in various fields such as biological sciences, separation science, etc. There have been several different approaches developed for the preparation of chemical gradients. Silane-based approaches are among those that are widely used because of …

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Phylogeography And Species Status Of Ramphogordius Sanguineus, Cora Runnels Jul 2013

Phylogeography And Species Status Of Ramphogordius Sanguineus, Cora Runnels

Theses and Dissertations

Ramphogordius sanguineus (Rathke 1799) is a gregarious nemertean with a worldwide distribution and found mainly on hard substrates associated with mussels, oysters and other organisms of the fouling community. Asexual reproduction occurs by spontaneous fragmentation and only anecdotal accounts of sexual reproduction exist. This is the first phylogeographic study of R. sanguineus as well as the first species delimitation analyses employing DNA markers. Analysis of the mitochondrial gene nad6 and nuclear ISSR markers showed little diversity among geographically widespread populations, but AMOVA analyses of both markers revealed moderate to high genetic differentiation. Populations from Maine and Massachusetts exhibited the highest …

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Ex Vivo Reprogramming Of Tumor-Reactive Immune Cells From Fvbn202 Mice Bearing Lung Metastatic Mammary Carcinoma: An Immunotherapeutic Opportunity Revealed Against Recurrence, Charles Hall Jul 2013

Ex Vivo Reprogramming Of Tumor-Reactive Immune Cells From Fvbn202 Mice Bearing Lung Metastatic Mammary Carcinoma: An Immunotherapeutic Opportunity Revealed Against Recurrence, Charles Hall

Theses and Dissertations

Metastatic breast cancer treatment has seen few advances in recent years, yet treatment resistance continues to rise, causing disease recurrence. A pilot study was performed to determine the efficacy of ex vivo expansion and reprogramming of tumor-reactive immune cells from experimental metastatic tumor-sensitized mice. Also, phenotypic changes in tumors due to metastasis or tumor microenvironment influences were characterized. Metastatic neu+ mouse mammary carcinoma (mMMC) and its distant relapsing neu-antigen-negative variant (mANV) were investigated in FVBN202 mice. Tumor-reactive central memory CD8+ T cells and activated NK/NKT cells were successfully reprogrammed and expanded during 6-day expansion from mMMC- and/or mANV-sensitized mice, resulting …

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Role Of Tyk2 In Regulating Energy Expenditure And Preventing Obesity, Vidisha Raje Jul 2013

Role Of Tyk2 In Regulating Energy Expenditure And Preventing Obesity, Vidisha Raje

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity develops when energy intake exceeds energy expenditure. Defect in the function of brown fat and skeletal muscle, two of the major tissues that contribute towards energy expenditure, lead to the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Our previous findings suggest that Tyk2 deficient mice become obese and develop the metabolic syndrome. Tyk2, which is a tyrosine kinase of the JAK-STAT signaling family, is important for optimal brown development and function. Since brown fat and skeletal muscle, both are derived from the Myf5+ lineage of mesenchymal stem cells, we also characterized the role of Tyk2 in the development and function …

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Genetic Dissection Of Quantitative Trait Loci For Substances Of Abuse, Jo Lynne Harenza Jul 2013

Genetic Dissection Of Quantitative Trait Loci For Substances Of Abuse, Jo Lynne Harenza

Theses and Dissertations

It has been reported that an individual’s initial level of response to a drug might be predictive of his or her future risk of becoming dependent, thus basal gene expression profiles underlying those drug responses may be informative for both predicting addiction susceptibility and determining targets for intervention. This dissertation research aims to elucidate genetic risk factors underlying acute alcohol and nicotine dependence phenotypes using mouse genetic models of addiction. Phenotyping, brain region-specific mRNA expression profiling, and genetic mapping of a recombinant inbred panel of over 25 mouse strains were performed in order to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) harboring …

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Identification And Characterization Of Ethanol Responsive Genes In Acute Ethanol Behaviors In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Joseph Alaimo Jul 2013

Identification And Characterization Of Ethanol Responsive Genes In Acute Ethanol Behaviors In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Joseph Alaimo

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol abuse and dependence are complex disorders that are influenced by many genetic and environmental factors. Acute behavioral responses to ethanol have predictive value for determining an individual’s long-term susceptibility to alcohol abuse and dependence. These behavioral responses are strongly influenced by genetics. Here, we have explored the role of genetic influences on acute behavioral responses to ethanol using the nematode worm, Caenorhabditis elegans. First, we explored the role of ethanol metabolism in acute behavior responses to ethanol. Natural variation in human ethanol metabolism machinery is one of the most reported and reproducible associations found to alter drinking behavior. Ethanol …

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Completing College: A Longitudinal Examination Of Potential Antecedents Of Success In Post-Secondary Education For Students With Disabilities, Edwin Achola Jul 2013

Completing College: A Longitudinal Examination Of Potential Antecedents Of Success In Post-Secondary Education For Students With Disabilities, Edwin Achola

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the antecedent conditions that contribute to post-secondary education (PSE) completion for students with disabilities, taking into account institutional experiences associated with social integration. A prospective longitudinal design was used to analyze data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2. The study sample consisted of youth who were currently enrolled in vocational schools, two-year community colleges, and four-year universities six years after high school exit. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationships between pre-entry variables and PSE completion. To test the hypothesis of mediation, the causal step approach (Baron & Kenny, 1986) was …

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Physiological Mechanisms Of Shrub Encroachment: Linking Enhanced Hydraulic Capacity To Efficient Light Capture And Processing, Sheri Shiflett Jul 2013

Physiological Mechanisms Of Shrub Encroachment: Linking Enhanced Hydraulic Capacity To Efficient Light Capture And Processing, Sheri Shiflett

Theses and Dissertations

Woody plant expansion has been documented for decades in many different ecosystems, often due to anthropogenic disturbances to the environment and yielding vast changes in ecosystem functioning. While causes and consequences of woody expansion have been well documented, few studies have investigated functional traits of woody species that promote rapid expansion in range. My objective was to determine if hydraulic efficiency confers enhanced photosynthetic efficiency so that functional traits representing light and water use may be possible mechanisms facilitating woody encroachment into grasslands and forest understories. I quantified leaf-level light environment, photosynthetic activity, and hydraulic characteristics of three sympatric broadleaf …

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Characterization Of Hiv-1 Integrase Reactions With Viral Dna, Joanna Kettlewell Jul 2013

Characterization Of Hiv-1 Integrase Reactions With Viral Dna, Joanna Kettlewell

UROP Posters

HIV-1 integrase (integrase) catalyzes the insertion of viral DNA into human chromosomes and is a focus for development of anti-integrase inhibitors to combat HIV infection. Integrase catalyzes two steps, a DNA-end cleavage reaction (3’-processing), and a DNA-end joining reaction (strand transfer). Together, these steps result in viral DNA integration into the genome of the host cell, resulting in persistent infection. Better understanding of the mechanism of integration and interactions of the viral and host DNA with integrase are required for optimal inhibitor development. Recombinant integrase protein was purified and activity was evaluated in a biochemistry assay under bulk conditions to …

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Don’T Be A Drag, Just Be A Queen! Assessing The Popularity Of Drag Queens As Opposed To Levels Of Anti-Transgender Prejudice In Modern American Society, Neha Jadhav Jul 2013

Don’T Be A Drag, Just Be A Queen! Assessing The Popularity Of Drag Queens As Opposed To Levels Of Anti-Transgender Prejudice In Modern American Society, Neha Jadhav

UROP Posters

Over the past few decades, drag queen shows have become a popular sensation among men and women, homosexuals and heterosexuals alike. On the other hand, transgender individuals are confronted with more prejudice than gays, lesbians, or bisexuals are. What about drag queens sets them apart from the stigma directed toward transgenders? For this study, I attended a drag brunch in a gay bar and observed how each performance compelled audience members to question perceptions of gender and sexuality. In addition, I analyzed several scholarly journal articles for research on the practices of drag queens during their performances and their appeal, …

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Longitudinal Predictors Of Quality Of Life In Adolescent Survivors Of Childhood Cancer: A Report From The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, Claire C. Russell Jul 2013

Longitudinal Predictors Of Quality Of Life In Adolescent Survivors Of Childhood Cancer: A Report From The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, Claire C. Russell

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The impact of childhood cancer on future quality of life (QoL) in survivors is unclear. Current studies focus on comparing outcomes to healthy peers and identifying related treatment and demographic variables, but a shift in our approach is necessary. This study is guided by the Wilson and Cleary Model (WMC) and seeks to identify longitudinal predictors of QoL in adolescent survivors of cancer that explain variance in QoL beyond the impact of treatment and demographic variables. Methods: The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) is a multi-institutional longitudinal study following a cohort of childhood cancer survivors. This study focuses on …

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Analysis Of Humira, Electro-Acupuncture, And Pulsatile Dry Cupping On Reducing Joint Inflammation In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Natalie Noll Jul 2013

Analysis Of Humira, Electro-Acupuncture, And Pulsatile Dry Cupping On Reducing Joint Inflammation In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Natalie Noll

UROP Posters

Humira, an anti-TNF drug aimed at decreasing inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis patients, can cause skin diseases from a rash to skin cancer. Humira works by blocking the chemical receptor RANKL, which therefore halts the production of osteoclasts, which attack and eat bone and cartilage, causing inflammation in arthritis patient’s joints. By analyzing Humira’s effect on the human body, it can be compared against other treatments such as electro-acupuncture and pulsatile dry cupping to see if these alternative treatments can decrease inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis patients through blocking RANKL, and if they are safer methods for carrying out this treatment. Under …

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Validation Of Copy Number Variants Associated With Schizophrenia Risk In An Irish Population And Implications To Clinical Practice, Rachel L. Elves Jul 2013

Validation Of Copy Number Variants Associated With Schizophrenia Risk In An Irish Population And Implications To Clinical Practice, Rachel L. Elves

Theses and Dissertations

Schizophrenia is a complex disorder affecting 1% of the population and is highly heritable, but the majority of contributing genetic factors has remained elusive. Current risk estimates for clinical practice are primarily determined by family history and associated empirical risk. Copy number variants (CNVs) may hold the key to explaining the missing heritability in schizophrenia research; schizophrenia risk estimates as high as 30% have been found for the most-studied CNV associated with schizophrenia, 22q11. Currently, there are methods to identify CNVs though previously collected data from SNP microarrays that would facilitate these types of studies. To determine if algorithms that …

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Visual Attention Bias And Body Dissatisfaction In Eating Disorders, Janet Lydecker Jul 2013

Visual Attention Bias And Body Dissatisfaction In Eating Disorders, Janet Lydecker

Theses and Dissertations

Eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa, have profound negative effects on the quality of life of both affected individuals and their families. Behavioral approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are commonly used for the treatment of these disorders. CBT teaches skills to restructure maladaptive thought patterns as a method of altering feelings and behaviors. However, even after CBT, 50-70% of women with bulimia and 67-87% of women with anorexia report continued eating disordered thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Measuring underlying cognitive processes such as orienting, maintaining, and executive attention in individuals with eating disorder symptomatology might be an important …

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