Digital Commons Network^™

Amixicile, A Novel Antimicrobial Agent, And Its Effect On The Salivary And Subgingival Microbiome In Rhesus Macaque Monkeys, Erin E. Block

Theses and Dissertations

Background/Purpose: Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease with a bacterial etiology in a susceptible host. A selective antibiotic with minimal systemic side effects could be a useful adjunct to traditional periodontal therapy. Amixicile is a novel antimicrobial agent that targets pyruvate: ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR), an enzyme that is critical for anaerobic bacterial metabolism and has been found to have little-to-no side-effects in animal models. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the effect of amixicile on clinical periodontal parameters and the composition of the oral microbiome in rhesus macaque monkeys. It was hypothesized that the amixicile would reduce growth …

Socio-Ecological Predictors Of Social Connection Among Older Adults, Georganna Amateau

Theses and Dissertations

Decades of research has established an unequivocal link between states of social connection and health status. Lack of social connection, whether construed as social isolation or loneliness, negatively influences health and is highly associated with cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, fall risk, and premature death. Despite extensive research on social isolation and loneliness, evidence relative to the broader construct of social connection suffers. Few studies inform practice standards for community-based organizations. This study aimed to develop a multidimensional, continuous composite variable of social connection and use the composite variable to examine predictors with a socio-ecological lens.

A secondary data analysis …

Systematic Structure-Activity Relationship Studies Of Nalfurafine, Mengchu Li

Theses and Dissertations

Today’s opioid crisis is one of the most challenging public health emergency. Two million Americans suffer opioid addiction. Over 20 million adults are affected by daily pain without non-addictive analgesics.

Kappa opioid receptor (KOR) is one of the most studied new pain targets void of abuse liability. KOR agonists have shown potent analgesia and also potential in alleviating opioid addiction. The only approved KOR agonist in clinic is nalfurafine (NFU). Though not leading to addiction, the analgesic effects of NFU are accompanied by sedative side effects. Therefore, we designed a systematical structure-activity relationship study of NFU for developing non-addictive analgesics. …

Treatment Outcome Of Perforation Repair With Bio-Ceramic Based Materials: A Retrospective Study, Lolwa Alyahya

Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION:

The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to assess the treatment outcome of orthograde perforation repair using bio-ceramic based materials.

METHODs:

Data from the VCU graduate endodontic practice were analyzed retrospectively. Treatment had been conducted by VCU endodontic residents under the supervision of qualified endodontists during the period from August 2014-December 2020. All cases in which a bio-ceramic based material had been used as a perforation repair material were included. Bio-ceramic based materials included MTA, EndoSequence Root Repair Material Putty and Paste (ERRM), and iRoot BP Plus Root Repair Material (BP-RRM). Perforation repair was performed using a dental …

Detrimental Role Of Irf1 In Myeloid Cells During Influenza Infection, Bianca L. Baum

Theses and Dissertations

The influenza virus is constantly evolving new ways to overcome both innate and vaccine-induced host defenses, making the innate immune response a critical therapeutic target for minimizing morbidity and mortality caused by infection. Here we examined the role that interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) plays in regulating host innate immune responses in myeloid cells. We found that knocking out IRF1 from myeloid cells in mice (IRF1^DMy) led to a partial protection during IAV infection. Interestingly, recruitment of bone marrow derived myeloid cells as well as NLRP3 inflammasome expression were decreased in the lungs of IRF1^DMy mice, whereas …

Il-36g Cytokine Induction In Oral Epithelial Cells Triggered By Treponema Denticola And Their Role In Chronic Periodontitis, Christopher Blake

Theses and Dissertations

Periodontal disease is a polymicrobial disease affecting 10-15% of the population. Periodontal disease affects the quality of life by reducing mastication and potentially causing tooth loss. Periodontal disease is also linked to more severe, systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Development of the diseased state occurs when the plaque biofilm shifts from healthy to dysbiotic. The shift to a dysbiotic biome brings with it a shift in bacterial presence, specifically an increase in gram-negative bacteria, such as T. denticola. T. denticola is a gram-negative, anaerobic spirochete whose relationship with oral epithelial cells is poorly understood. Preliminary data …

Hamburger Helper Recipes, John Alex Goss

Theses and Dissertations

Hamburger Helper Recipes is a collection of essays and public addresses that aim to recuperate castoff and misfit material surrounding industries and tools which produce science-fiction fantasies, specifically videogames and television shows. The following essays confront the normative violence of capitalism, whiteness, and hetero-patriarchy that socially and technologically haunt these imaginary worlds and build hegemonic idealogy into their audiences. This collection takes industrial materials and software from their intended commercial purposes of production and “success” into places of abjection and quiet breakdown. The author’s own proximity to masculine and often toxic "work cultures'' within industrial spaces of coding and manufacturing …

Virtual Reality Tool For Visualizing The Oral Microbiome, Alexus M. Harris

Theses and Dissertations

There are limited teaching tools for helping both students and patients understand the oral microbiome. It is important to understand the oral microbiome as it heavily influences the health of your oral cavity and the dysbiosis of disease. The oral microbiome influences other aspects of health and serves as an indicator for health. With a greater understanding of the oral microbiome, patients can make healthier lifestyle changes and dentists can better educate their patients. For that reason, the goal of this project was to create a virtual reality tool for visualizing the oral microbiome. The assets for the VR tool …

The Effect Of Local Anesthesia When Used In Dental Restorative Cases Under General Anesthesia On Control Of Intraoperative Physiologic Parameters And Post-Operative Comfort, Kathryn S. Skarda

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose:

To determine the effect of local anesthesia on post-operative pain and physiologic parameters intraoperatively in patients undergoing dental care under general anesthesia.

Methods:

This study was modeled as a double-blinded randomized control trial. Patients included healthy children under the age of six scheduled for restorative dental treatment under general anesthesia. Patient behavior was evaluated pre and post-operatively using the FLACC score and post-operatively using the Parental Pain Score Measure. Intraoperatively, all participants followed a standardized general anesthesia protocol and were given either local anesthetic infiltration by the dental surgeon performing the surgery or no anesthesia was utilized. Intraoperatively physiologic …

Pushing The Limits: Increasing The Speed And Specificity Of Sars-Cov-2 Testing, Grayson Way

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence and spread of the current COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the importance of continual improvements upon current microbiological testing methods. Rapid and accurate testing can help mitigate spread by improving on the time to quarantine and quarantine duration required. As of the writing of this thesis, COVID-19 has been responsible for more than 500,000 deaths in the United States of America, and greater than 2 million deaths globally. The work done in this thesis has shown improvements in the current SARS-CoV-2 testing methodology by reducing the time it takes for patient testing while maintaining accuracy and the sensitivity required …

The Role Of Glt-1 Signaling In Oligodendrocytes During Development And Myelin Repair, Elizabeth Thomason

Theses and Dissertations

The differentiation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) into myelinating oligodendrocytes (OLGs) requires an increase in the complexity of process morphology, alterations in membrane trafficking, and the production of myelin proteins. Branching and process extension have already been shown to follow glutamate signaling through OLG-expressed excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs), mostly via GLT-1. It is of note that glutamate homeostasis often goes awry in multiple sclerosis (MS), the main demyelinating disease in humans. Thus, we have sought to gain an understanding of the role that GLT-1 plays under the myelination and remyelination conditions that arise during natural development of OLGs and …

An Audience Analysis Of The Effectiveness Of A Speech: A Blueprint For Planning Successful Motivational Speeches, Robert Gerald Lawrie

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide specific information as to how a person can become a better motivational speaker. The current literature on the topic of effective public speaking, especially in light of this growing trend in the nation and around the world is outdated, cumbersome, or inadequate. Even though there is an abundance of material on the topic of public speaking, most of it has not included empirical evidence concerning what characteristics of the speaker might affect an audience’s perceptions about the effectiveness of the speech.

The researcher adopted an audience analysis framework to examine the variables that …

Using Literacy-Based Behavioral Intervention As A Strategy To Prevent Expulsion And Suspension In Preschool Classrooms, Karina Soto

Theses and Dissertations

Using Literacy-Based Behavioral Intervention as a Strategy to Prevent Expulsion and Suspension in Preschool Classrooms. Karina Soto, 2021: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Keywords: expulsion, suspension, behavior problems, interventionExpulsion and suspension are exclusionary practices that were previously reserved for students in kindergarten to 12th grade. They have now become commonplace in preschool. Though researchers have been unable to identify the reasons why this is occurring, many have studied the classroom climate and other elements surrounding the child; however, to this date, no research exists that supports effective strategies implemented …

The Role Of Social Media In Human Trafficking Victimization, Alicia Marie Terwilliger

Theses and Dissertations

Human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, and receipt of people. Humans are one of the only global commodities that can be sold and used repeatedly (Jones et al., 2007), helping to make trafficking a multi-billion-dollar industry worldwide. There are several types of trafficking, including forced labor, debt bondage, organ harvesting, and sexual exploitation. Often, trafficking includes threats, the use of force, coercion, abduction, and fraud for exploitation, labor, harvested organs, or sex. Human trafficking occurs domestically and across international borders, with over 45 million victims globally (Bonilla & Mo, 2019). Every state in the United States is affected …

Characerization, Depolymerization And Fractionation Of Alkali Lignin, Audrey Lynn Lavallie

Theses and Dissertations

Lignin may serve as a potential source of renewable chemicals and as a possible wealth of materials for replacement of petroleum-based fuel and petrochemicals. Lignin is a plant component that constitutes the second most common natural polymer on earth, behind only cellulose, and is the most common natural polymer with an aromatic network. Technical lignins (isolated from chemical processing of raw lignin) are produced as waste in the papermaking and biorefinery industries; an estimation of U.S. waste lignin is about 24 million tons yearly, more than the estimated 10.5 million tons of plastics discarded annually. The exact structures of natural …

Endolysosome Involvement In The Protective Effects Of 17Ơ-Estradiol Against Hiv-1 Protein-Induced Neuronal Injury, Nicole Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Although combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) effectively suppresses HIV-1 infection and increases the lifespan of people living with HIV, up to 50% of HIVinfected individuals are experiencing HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND), with clinical symptoms ranging from mild cognitive impairment to severe dementia, for which no effective treatment is currently available. Synaptodendritic impairments, such as decreased dendritic spines and synaptic loss, that occur in various brain regions including the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus are key pathological features of HAND that correlates closely with neurocognitive impairments. The development of synaptodendritic impairment in HAND in the post-cART era is complicated and not fully understood; …

Transcriptomic And Pharmacological Characterization Of A Murine Line Harboring An Antidepressant-Insensitive Serotonin Transporter, Meghan Alicia Rodriquez

Theses and Dissertations

Perinatal depression is a complex mood disorder often treated with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants, which block the serotonin transporter (SERT) and alter synaptic serotonin concentrations. The serotonergic system is highly plastic and serotonin regulates the growth and maturation of neurons and signaling systems from conception through end of life. Notably, interference with serotonin levels during an SSRI sensitive window (SSW) of development in humans and rodents has been linked to neurovegetative effects which increase susceptibility for the manifestation of anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors and can be persistent throughout life. We hypothesize the persistent behavioral perturbations resulting from acute …

Riparian Vegetation Changes Along The Red River Of The North: 1997-2018, Laura Akindo

Theses and Dissertations

Riparian zones are areas along waterways that are typically covered by woody vegetation, herbaceous plants, and grasses. Flooding is an important process in riparian habitats as it continuously causes net gains and losses of substrates in riparian communities that determine the productivity of the riparian area. Most notably by providing new areas on the floodplain to be colonized by riparian plant species. Sometimes extreme flooding events can temporarily devastate riparian communities, as in most cases the area recovers quickly. This study evaluated the effects of the 1997 Red River flood on the woody cover in the riparian area cover along …

The Effect Of Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 1 Gene Ablation On Brain And Liver Lipid Metabolism, Regan Clarice Lawrence

Theses and Dissertations

Although studies in animal and cell culture systems have demonstrated the importance of liver fatty acid-binding protein (FABP1) in liver lipid metabolism, the impact of Fabp1 gene ablation on brain fatty acid uptake and lipid metabolism in intact animals is unknown. To address this, we assessed the effect of Fabp1 gene ablation on uptake and esterification of [1-14C]20:4n-6 into liver and brain lipids in vivo using a steady-state kinetic model. Plasma radioactivity was increased in Fabp1 gene-ablated mice, suggesting that loss of FABP1 impairs hepatic uptake of 20:4n-6. Indeed, liver uptake of [1-14C]20:4n-6 into aqueous and organic fractions was reduced. …

Virginal Apprehensions Within The Liminal Monastic Space Of The Nun Of Watton, Aimee Alicia Melicher

Theses and Dissertations

The Nun of Watton is a treatise by Ælred of Rievaulx focusing on the scandalous affair of a nun becoming pregnant by a lay brother, and through a series of events is miraculously transformed back into a virgin like state. In my thesis, I will be examining the properties of the space that the nuns of Watton inhabit and how the functions of the space affected the events that occurred by applying Henri Lefebvre’s spatial theory. Additionally, I will be arguing that the Nun received a miraculous abortive churching. Those actions protected the purity of the monastery and the people …

Enzymatic Approach To Improve Tensile, Freeness And Brightness, Yao Ntifafa

Theses and Dissertations

Weak tensile strength is usually source of web breaks on paper machines and converting machines. Web break, in general, is due to poor hydrogen bonding between the fibers. Web break which is ultimately a downtime and a waste can be reduced through enzymatic approach. In order to increase the tensile strength of the paper, it necessary to determine the amount and the conditions in which the enzymes yield a better sheet strength.A central composite design approach, using dosage, time and temperature as factors, was used to study the effects of the enzymes on the sheet strength; the pulp used is …

An Exploratory Factor Analysis Of The Collectivist Coping Styles Inventory Using An Adult American Indian Sample, Micah Louis Prairie Chicken

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the factors that emerged from the Collectivist Coping Styles (CCS) inventory using an exploratory factor analysis with an adult American Indian sample. The CCS inventory was originally developed using a sample of Taiwanese college students by an American-led research team and published in 2006. The CCS consists of 30 collectivist culture-specific coping items, among other indices (e.g., trauma resolution index). Coping has largely been theorized, and subsequently measured, from a White American individualist perspective. In response, a number of researchers with interests in non-White ways of being have begun broadening this area by examining coping from …

Dimensions Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder And Sluggish Cognitive Tempo As Predictors Of Executive Functioning, Depression, Anxiety, Substance Use, And Convergence Insufficiency, Danielle Beyer

Theses and Dissertations

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. In addition to the well-known ADHD symptom clusters, a fourth dimension has been identified as sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) and describes symptoms of sluggishness, drowsiness, and daydreaming. SCT represents a unique symptom domain than cannot be accounted for by the other ADHD dimensions. The current study sought to replicate and expand upon the extant literature, hypothesizing that ADHD/SCT symptoms would significantly predict: 1a) impairment in executive functioning on a self-report measure; 1b) impairment on laboratory measures of executive functioning; 2) symptoms of depression and anxiety; …

Vnir Spectral Properties Of Five G-Class Asteroids: Implications For Mineralogy And Geologic Evolution, Justin Todd Germann

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the visible and near-infrared (VNIR) spectral properties (0.4-2.5-μm) of five Tholen G-class asteroids. Spectral features relating to hydrated Fe- or Mg-rich minerals have been identified at 0.7-μm, 0.95-μm, 1.4-μm, 1.9-μm, and 2.3-μm, while spectral features that may be related to CH or NH compounds were identified at 1.14-μm and 1.25-μm. (1) Ceres lacks features related to hydrated minerals and is spectrally disparate from the other four investigated asteroids. (13) Egeria, (19) Fortuna, (84) Klio, and (130) Elektra all exhibit at least two measurable features that may be related to hydrated minerals. (19) Fortuna, (84) Klio, and (130) …

Systemic Veterinary Parasitcides For Residual Malaria Vector Control In Central America, Staci Michele Dreyer

Theses and Dissertations

Malaria continues to be one of the most severe public health concerns worldwide. The malaria parasite, Plasmodium, is transmitted from person to person through the mosquito vector Anopheles. Vector control is a crucial element of anti-malarial campaigns and works best when there is thorough knowledge about an Anopheles vector’s biology and behavior in a given region. To fully eradicate malaria, new vector control strategies must be developed that exploit the behaviors of different vector species. One promising strategy to target vectors that primarily bite outdoors and display generalist feeding behaviors (zoophagic) is the use of veterinary systemic parasiticides. Veterinary parasiticides …

Sensitization To A Milk Allergen Induces Differential Behavioral And Neurological Responses In Allergic C57bl/6j And Balb/Cj Mice, Nicholas Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Studies have highlighted an association between food allergies and neuropsychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Though the precise mechanism behind this relationship is unknown, it marks a potential novel therapeutic strategy outside of traditional neuropharmacological intervention. Food allergy is a heterogeneous disorder of the immune system characterized by an immune response that occurs reproducibly to a given food. Chronic allergen exposure in patients with mild or non-anaphylactic food allergies may cause or exacerbate psychiatric conditions. However, the variability in food allergies due to factors like genetic background introduces selection bias for individuals with overt anaphylactic …

Closing The Loop In Life Support Systems For Spaceflight And Habitation: Reutilization Of Human Excrement Through Recovery Of Potable Water And Reclamation Of Waste Materials For In-Space Additive Manufacturing, Brittany Zimmerman

Theses and Dissertations

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) solicited a need for a simplified, low-temperature, and robust method for recovery of water from human solid metabolic waste. A solution is investigated, and benchtop testing is performed to prove developmental feasibility utilizing an ionomer-membrane based dehydration approach for potable water recovery. Testing is implemented with synthetic fecal matter, wet wipes, dry wipes, and nitrite gloves to inform system design. The benchtop, closed-system, dehydration testing pulls together a trade space of materials to compare efficacy of designs.

The system aims to recover upwards of 80% of the water content in the human excrement. …

Targeting Transferrin Binding Protein A For Vaccine Development In Neisseria Gonorrhoeae, Ashley Greenawalt

Theses and Dissertations

Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of the sexually-transmitted infection gonorrhea, has recently been labeled a superbug. With dwindling treatment options, there is urgent need for a gonococcal vaccine. TonB-dependent transporters (TDTs) are important gonococcal virulence factors that allow the gonococcus to pirate metals directly from host proteins. The TDTs, TbpA and TbpB, are promising vaccine targets because both proteins are expressed and highly conserved in gonococcal strains, and they are not subject to high-frequency antigenic variation. Because the Tbps bind to host protein as their natural function, our immune system does not recognize them as foreign antigens; thus, immunogenicity is …

Modulation In Nmda Receptor Function Alleviates Safety Learning Deficit In Females Who Experienced Chronic Stress During Adolescence, Zuby C. Okafor

Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety disorders disproportionately impact women and are more prevalent in people with a history of chronic stress. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a type of stress and trauma-related disorder that is largely characterized by hyperarousal to fear-based cues. The inability to dissociate the fear-response from a non-threatening cue is known as impaired safety learning. Given that N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are key mediators of learning behaviors, we examined the role of NMDAr function in deficient safety learning. Previous studies have shown that female rats with a history of stress have altered NMDAr gene expression and altered glutamatergic signaling; therefore, we hypothesized …

Role Of P53 Deficient Clonogenic Endothelial Cells In The Pathogenesis Of Pulmonary Hypertension, Aneel Roy Bhagwani

Theses and Dissertations

Pulmonary Artery Hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disorder of the small vessels of the pulmonary vasculature. It is characterized by occlusive vascular remodeling leading to right heart failure and ultimately death. PAH pathogenesis involves a multifactorial etiology leading to formation of occlusive lesions in small (preacinary) pulmonary arteries. These lesions contain hyper-proliferative, apoptosis resistant endothelial cells (ECs), smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts. ECs play a major role in the development of PAH. These ECs in vascular lesions are primitive and express progenitor cell markers, including CD117 (c-kit).

We have isolated clonally expanded, c-kit+ ECs from the lungs of Green Fluorescent …