Digital Commons Network^™

Demonstrated Sensitivity, Kate Crankshaw

Theses and Dissertations

Flameworking is a tedious process that demands all of your attention and focus. Making multiples of a shape in this process allows my body and mind to fall into a rhythm. During these times, it allows my anxious mind to be quieted and helps me dive into processing past memories, trauma, and grief. It is commonly suggested in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy practices to find an activity to do that is both physical and repetitive to work through grief. This stimulates the physical and mental parts of the body, both areas where the effects of grief and trauma are held. Relaxing …

Characterization Of Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Receptor Expression And Functionality In Niemann-Pick Type C Disease, Nathaniel-David I. Dizon

Theses and Dissertations

Niemann Pick Type C (NPC) is a recessively inherited lysosomal storage disorder for which there is currently no major treatment. It is widely acknowledged that the pathology of NPC is caused by a trafficking defect which leads to an accumulation of cholesterol in the late endosome/lysosome compartment (LE/L). In addition to cholesterol, multiple species of sphingolipids are observed to accumulate as well in the LE/L. Specifically, an accumulation of sphingosine is observed in NPC disease and is likely attributed to the decreased activity of an enzyme, sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1), which is responsible for phosphorylating sphingosine into an important pro-survival …

Cone Beam Computed Tomographic Analysis Of Outcomes In Ridge Augmentation Using Titanium Mesh And Titanium Reinforced Ptfe Membranes, Lina Elnakka

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The primary goal of this study is to evaluate and compare the average vertical and horizontal bone gain between titanium reinforced polytetrafluoroethylene (Ti-PTFE) and titanium mesh (Ti-mesh) using superimposition of preoperative and postoperative (CBCT). The secondary goal is to evaluate and compare the surgical outcomes between the two techniques.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was completed to assess the clinical and radiographic outcomes of patients who underwent ridge augmentation therapy using either Ti-PTFE or Ti-mesh. Preoperative and postoperative CBCT scans were superimposed using InVivo 3D imaging software. Vertical component of the augmented site (L1) was assessed along a vertical …

Plant Trait Effects On Tidal Wetland Methane Emission, Adam M. Dunn

Theses and Dissertations

High rates of carbon (C) sequestration exhibited by coastal wetlands is an important natural climate solution to global environmental change. At the same time, however, wetlands are the largest natural source of methane (CH₄) to Earth’s atmosphere, a potent greenhouse gas that influences the global climate. Wetland CH₄ emissions display high degrees of uncertainty in accounting for spatial and temporal variations in emissions due to the complex interactions between biotic and abiotic factors that influence methane production and transport, in addition to simultaneous influences from climate-driven effects on wetlands such as rapid sea level rise and increased …

Innovations In Drop Shape Analysis Using Deep Learning And Solving The Young-Laplace Equation For An Axisymmetric Pendant Drop, Andres P. Hyer

Theses and Dissertations

Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis (ADSA) is a technique commonly used to determine surface or interfacial tension. Applications of traditional ASDA methods to process analytical technologies are limited by computational speed and image quality. Here, we address these limitations using a novel machine learning approach to analysis. With a convolutional neural network (CNN), we were able to achieve an experimental fit precision of (+/-) 0.122 mN/m in predicting the surface tension of drop images at a rate of 1.5 ms^-1 versus 7.7 s^-1, which is more than 5,000 times faster than the traditional method. The results are validated on real images …

The Hepatic Immunological Pattern Shaped By Dominant-Subdominant Cellular Interactions Creates A Collective Function Beyond The Function Of Each Cellular Constituent To Orchestrate Progression Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Nicholas J. Koelsch

Theses and Dissertations

Abundance of data on the role of inflammatory immune responses in the progression or inhibition of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has failed to offer a curative immunotherapy for HCC. This is largely because of taking reductionist approaches and missing the collective function of the hepatic immune system by focusing on specific immune cell types. To this end, we propose that focusing on the dominant-subdominant patterns of the immune cells would allow understanding of the mechanism by which a collective immune function emerges. To identify the collective immune function through a systems immunology perspective, we performed high-throughput analysis of snRNAseq data collected …

Food Deserts And Pediatric Oral Health Status In An Under-Resourced Urban Community, Jessica T. Mcauliffe

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The aim of this analysis of survey data was to assess the influence of living within a food desert as a predictor of oral health problems among children of East Henrico County, Virginia.

Methods: Survey participants were recruited and questionnaires applied online. Residing in a food desert, using access to affordable produce as a proxy value, was the independent variable, while self- reported assessment of the child’s oral health status was the primary outcome variable. Analyses controlled for other indirect factors of pediatric oral health. Logistic regression was used to model the association between the self-reported access to healthy …

Salinization Impacts On Heterotrophic Respiration, Ecosystem Respiration, And Plant Productivity In Tidal Freshwater Marshes, Kelsie J. Moses

Theses and Dissertations

Tidal freshwater marshes have preserved substantial stocks of soil carbon, which represents carbon dioxide that is no longer in the atmosphere. There is conflicting evidence in the literature about how disturbances such as sea level rise and associated wetland salinization impact the accumulation and long-term stability of this stored carbon. The goal of this experiment was to quantify how salinization impacts total ecosystem respiration and its component parts, autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration. This was a microcosm experiment using a C4 plant (Spartina cynosuroides) grown in soil derived from C3 plant matter and exposed to different salinities (0 to …

Treponema Denticola Synthesizes C-Di-Amp And Encodes The Cdaa-Type Diadenylate Cyclase Cdaa, Claire R. O'Brien

Theses and Dissertations

Periodontitis is a form of oral disease characterized by dysbiosis of the oral microbiome, leading to inflammation, bone resorption, and in severe cases, entire tooth loss, affecting 42% of adults in the US. One of the bacteria most associated with periodontal disease progression is Treponema denticola (Td), an oral spirochete which inhabits the mouth in small quantities during health but which can dominate the biofilms that form during periodontal disease. The ability of Td to survive in a disease environment and contribute to the progression of disease requires the use of robust signaling networks. Analysis of Td cultures …

Role Of Histone Deacetylase (Hdac) In Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition (Emt) In A Human Cholangiocyte Model Of Ischemic Cholangiopathy, Priyanshi Pragnesh Parikh

Theses and Dissertations

Organ transplants are a vital intervention for many diseases that result in end stage organ failure. Currently, the donation pool is not meeting the demands of the transplant list. Expanding this pool to include donation after cardiac death (DCD) is highly sought-after. However, the use of DCD livers can lead to increased odds of graft failure and ischemic cholangiopathy. The loss of epithelialization and fibrosis that occurs during ischemic cholangiopathy is characteristic of these cells undergoing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The biological changes the cell experiences enhance migratory capacity, invasiveness, and increased resistance to apoptosis. Our earlier studies have shown differential …

Formal And Full Of Feeling, Kaitlyn Paston

Theses and Dissertations

Formal and Full of Feeling presents research and artistic work leading up to the thesis exhibition Come as you are, expanded in the Anderson Gallery May 2023. My research investigates the relationship between body and images. The research is presented as a journey guided by prompts, in pursuance of an aesthetic language to represent my experience of being a body. I discuss the animation process, research trajectories, installation of the exhibition and artworks that influenced the concepts.

Motivations Of Adult Patients Seeking Orthodontic Retreatment, Scott V. Philips

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The aims of this study were (1) to compare the reasons adult patients seek orthodontic first-time treatment to the reasons adult patients seek orthodontic retreatment, and (2) to compare the concerns, motivations, and satisfaction levels of adult patients seeking orthodontic retreatment across the different previous treatment provider types of orthodontist, general dentist, and Direct-to-Consumer company.

Methods: At their initial orthodontic visit, adult patients (N=108) were invited to participate in the digital survey (REDCap) study. Subjects were recruited from the graduate orthodontics clinic at Virginia Commonwealth University and seven private orthodontic practices across the United States. Visual Analogue Scales were …

Characterization And Investigation Of Cold Atmospheric Plasma And Its Effects On Cancer Cell Biology, Thomas M. Ritrosky

Theses and Dissertations

Modern cancer treatment uses radiation therapy in over 50% of patient cases. It is an e↵ective way of treating tumors because the mechanisms of cell killing are well known through the damage that ionizing radiation does to DNA. The amount of radiation can be tracked through measuring the dose of the clinical photon or electron beam used. However, there are limitations in the usage of radiation therapy, for example, a tumor can create hypoxic areas that become radioresistant leading to complete ine↵ectiveness of further radiation treatment. This project looks into the application of cold atmospheric plasma as an adjuvant therapy …

The Impact Of A Parent-Only Pediatric Obesity Intervention Program On Quality Of Life In Racially Diverse Children, Taylor Vashro

Theses and Dissertations

Pediatric obesity has been associated with significant decrements in pediatric quality of life (QOL) comparable with severe pediatric diseases such as cancer. Parenting interventions have yielded health benefits for children with obesity; however, few studies have investigated the impact of parent-focused interventions on QOL in children with overweight and obesity. This study investigated the impact of a 6-week intensive parenting intervention program on the QOL of 5-12 year old, predominantly Black children with overweight and obesity. Parents were randomized into either the parenting intervention (NOURISH+) or a control group, and QOL, as well as variables related to child and parenting …

Epithelial Membrane Protein 3 (Emp3b) Is A Novel Regulator Of Sympathetic Nervous System Development In Zebrafish., Jessica M. White

Theses and Dissertations

Notable progress has been made in understanding the development of the neural crest (NC). Neural crest cells (NCCs) can be divided into 4-5 subpopulations. A major lineage among trunk NC derivatives are sympathoadrenal (SA) cells, which give rise to the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Trunk NCCs follow a ventromedial migration pathway where signals derived from the dorsal aorta instruct migrating NCCs to a SA cell fate. Defects in NC development can result in syndromes known as neurocristopathies. Neuroblastoma is one of the most common forms of pediatric cancer affecting nearly 800 infants each year in the United States (Takita et …

Attitudes And Beliefs Of Cannabis Use During Pregnancy: Hashing Out The Impact Of Location And Legality, Anna Wiese

Theses and Dissertations

As more states authorize the use of cannabis for medical and recreational purposes, rates of prenatal cannabis use are on the rise. Yet research on perceptions of prenatal cannabis use has been limited, and the existing research lacks reliable, quantitative measures. In response, researchers in Denver developed the Perceptions of Prenatal Cannabis Use (PPCU) survey, a 16-item measure designed to assess perceived risks and benefits of prenatal cannabis use. The present study analyzed PPCU survey data administered at three different recruitment sites (Denver, CO; Pittsburgh, PA; and Richmond, VA). The present study examined women’s perceptions of the risks and benefits …

Profiles Of Family Functioning In Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Patients: Longitudinal Associations With Child Well-Being, Sydney Sumrall

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to assess 1) patterns of family functioning and 2) longitudinal associations between family functioning patterns and well-being in a vulnerable cohort of children with chronic illness. Caregivers of hematology (16.4%) and oncology (83.6%) patients ages 7-20 (N=55; M_age = 13.3 [SD = 2.7]; 52.7% female; 45.5% non-Latinx White, 38.2% Black or African American, 12.7% Latinx, 1.8% Asian, and 1.8% multi-racial,) reported on family functioning via the Family Assessment Device. Cluster analyses identified three mutually exclusive clusters: one high adaptive group, one moderate adaptive group, and one maladaptive group. Group membership was not significantly …

Random Acts Of Stem: A Systematic Review Of Local K-12 School Division Stem Experiences In Virginia, Caro H. Medawar

Theses and Dissertations

The initial purpose of the study was to determine whether the school divisions in Virginia have definitions of STEM education. For the divisions that have described STEM education, the following valuation was based on the precise STEM education definition each has implemented. The population for the study included all 132 school divisions in This mixed-methods study investigated the implementation of STEM programs in Virginia K-12 schools. Data were collected through two avenues: publicly available online resources from school divisions and interviews with STEM leaders in the Virginia educational system. Data analysis on these two sources yielded five themes: (a) existence …

Physical Activity In Adolescents With And Without Adhd: Longitudinal Associations With Sleep, Adhd, And Internalizing Symptoms, Caroline N. Cusick Lowman

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are at risk for developing clinically significant sleep problems and comorbid internalizing symptoms. Physical activity (PA) has significant positive associations with a variety of health outcomes, including sleep and aspects of mental health. As such, the US Department of Health and Human Services recommends adolescents receive at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) per day. However, it is unknown whether adolescents with ADHD have different patterns of physical activity compared to their peers. Importantly, it may be that PA can serve as a buffer between ADHD symptoms and development of comorbid difficulties with sleep …

Effects Of Slip On Highly Viscous Thin-Film Flows Inside Vertical Tubes (Constant Radius, Constricted And Flexible), Mark S. Schwitzerlett

Theses and Dissertations

Viscous liquid film flows in a tube arise in numerous industrial and biological applications, including the transport of mucus in human airways. Previous modeling studies have typically used no-slip boundary conditions, but in some applications the effects of slip at the boundary may not be negligible. We derive a long-wave model based on lubrication theory which allows for slippage along the boundary. Linear stability analysis verifies the impact of slip-length on the speed, growth rate, and wavelength of the most unstable mode. Nonlinear simulations demonstrate the impact of slip-length on plug formation and wave dynamics. These simulations are conducted for …

The Impact Of Hiv-1 Tat And Morphine On Spatial Distribution Of Drugs In The Brain., Austin M. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Despite combination antiretroviral therapy effectively suppressing HIV within the periphery, the central nervous system (CNS) remains affected by the virus. Approximately half of people living with HIV will experience HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) or neuroHIV. Concurrent opioid use exacerbates neuroHIV by promoting neuroinflammation, viral replication, and potentially altering the antiretroviral concentrations within the brain.

Using a transgenic mouse that expresses the HIV-1 Tat protein, we examined the effects of Tat and morphine on antiretroviral accumulation and distribution and the effects of Tat on morphine accumulation within the brain using infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization with mass spectrometry imaging (IR-MALDESI-MSI). …

Reassessing Replication: Addressing The Replication Crisis From A Statistical Perspective, Alicia Richards Phd

Theses and Dissertations

In 2015, Open Science Framework directly replicated 100 psychology studies and found astonishingly low replication rates. Since, researchers have suggested factors that may have influenced the low rates, including the metrics used to assess replications. The definitions used to decide whether a replication study was successful all suffer from flaws. Therefore, we propose a new metric for assessing replication that can estimate the likelihood a study successfully replicated rather than forcing a binary choice and accounts for study design limitations.

Using equivalence study techniques, we first propose a new metric to assess replication, defining a successful replication as one where …

Witnessing Community Violence And Its Consequences: Changes Across Middle School, Sarah Pittman

Theses and Dissertations

Community violence exposure is prevalent among youth residing in economically marginalized communities that have high rates of violence. Witnessing community violence has been concurrently associated with persistent adverse consequences. However, few studies have applied a developmental psychopathology framework and examined dynamic developmental processes between witnessing community violence and outcomes over time. Moreover, most prior studies have used analyses that assume that associations between witnessing violence and outcomes are the same for all adolescents, which is inconsistent with both developmental theories and theories specific to community violence exposure. The goal of this study was to apply a developmental psychopathological framework to …

Studying Gene Function In Streptococcus Sanguinis Using Rna-Sequencing Analysis, Ahmed Ismail

Theses and Dissertations

The oral cavity hosts hundreds of bacterial species, amongst them are the Streptococci family. More specifically, S. sanguinis is a benign bacteria in the oral cavity to protect the tooth surface from S. mutans. which is a pathogen causing dental caries. While S. sanguinis is harmless in the oral cavity, it becomes pathogenic once entering the bloodstream and causing Infective Endocarditis (IE). To further study S. sanguinis and eventually develop an effective drug to treat IE caused by S. sanguinis, a gene expression study was conducted. In order to study gene expression, RNA-sequencing was conducted, and appropriate methods to remove …

Investigating Tgf-Β1 And Fibronectin Signaling In Low Oxygen Environments, Caitlin E. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women, second to lung cancer. It’s one of the most well-known cancers, with almost 300,000 new cases estimated to be diagnosed in 2023. Breast cancer often begins in ductal epithelial cells, and these cells will typically undergo a cellular transformation process known as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in early stages. Breast cancer becomes deadly when it reaches a metastatic stage. As a part of the metastatic process, transformed cells will conduct remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) to allow for migration of an otherwise non-migratory cell type.

As dense tumors form, …

Transcriptional Coregulation Among Diabetes-Associated Pathways By Genome Organization, Musaddiq K. Lodi

Theses and Dissertations

There are currently 96 million individuals affected by diabetes in the United States alone. Crucial information such as biomarkers, regulatory networks, and metabolic pathways in diabetes still remain an active area of research. The primary focus of this study is on a phenomena known as transcription factor co-regulation. Transcription factors (TFs) are DNA-binding proteins that can control the rate of transcription of genetic information from DNA to mRNA, hence misregulation of one of them can lead to misregulation of many of its target genes and associated pathways. In this study I propose a framework to quantify transcriptional coherence in co-regulated …

Effectiveness Of Financial Incentives In Improving Breast Cancer Screening Among Medicaid Recipients, James B. Sherwood

Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of death among women. Roughly 2.4 million women are diagnosed annually with breast cancer throughout the world. Although breast cancer survival rates are favorable for the United States compared to other nations (90% 5-year survival for non-metastatic disease), it comes at a high cost. The United States spends an estimated $30 billion annually on breast cancer treatment. In addition, disparities in breast cancer survival rates also exist in the United States. Women Medicaid recipients, who are predominately minorities (60%), are more likely to die of breast cancer due to their high rates …

Genomic Comparison Of Dba/2j And C57bl/6j Strains Of Mus Musculus And Best Practice Of Genome Alignment For Bioinformatics Analyses, Dustin J. Zeliff

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use disorder is known to have significant genetic components that contribute to an individual’s susceptibility to the disease. Mouse models are commonly used to study the mechanisms underlying alcohol use disorder, with C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2) being two of the more prominently used inbred strains. Research in the Miles Laboratory has used these two strains, and genetic panels of mice derived from them, to identify potential genes associated with variance in ethanol-related behaviors using quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis. For example, Ninein (Nin) was identified as a potential candidate gene for the anxiolytic effects of ethanol, discovered because …

Protacs – A Novel And Rapidly Developing Field Of Targeted Protein Degradation, Hannah R. Gatley

Theses and Dissertations

There is a continued need for new technology and strategies for tackling cancer and other diseases, and within the current century a novel therapeutic strategy has emerged in the realm of targeted protein degradation called Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs). This technology specifically targets and degrades disease-causing proteins via the ubiquitin-proteasome system, and has seen an explosion of research and intrigue in both academia and industry over the past two decades. The diversity of PROTAC classes based on the E3 ligase recruiting ligand and the target protein allows for a universal molecular structure that can be customized for a specific target and …

Examining Genetically-Informed Etiologic Models Of Co-Occurring Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And Recreational Cannabis Use Among College Students, Terrell A. Hicks

Theses and Dissertations

The college years encompass a period of increased risk recreational cannabis use (RCU), as well as a time of increased risk for trauma exposure and developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Given the high co-occurrence between RCU and PTSD, and the potentially negative consequences of the two (e.g., worse academic outcomes), there is a need to understand the etiologic mechanisms of these commonly co-occurring conditions. Two primary phenotypic models exist: self-medication model (i.e., PTSD to RCU) and the high-risk model (i.e., RCU to PTSD). To date, there are two existing studies longitudinally examining the etiologic models proposed to explain co-occurring RCU …