Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of Serum Glycoprotein Biomarker Candidates For Detection Of Esophageal Adenocarcinoma And Surveillance Of Barrett’S Esophagus, Alok K. Shah, Gunter Hartel, Ian Brown, Clay Winterford, Renhua Na, Kim-Anh Le Cao, Bradley A. Spicer, Michelle Dunstone, Wayne A. Phillips, Reginald V. Lord, Andrew P. Barbour, David I. Watson, Virendra Joshi, David C. Whiteman, Michelle M. Hill

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is thought to develop from asymptomatic Barrett’s esophagus (BE) with a low annual rate of conversion. Current endoscopy surveillance for BE patients is probably not cost-effective. Previously, we discovered serum glycoprotein biomarker candidates which could discriminate BE patients from EAC. Here, we aimed to validate candidate serum glycoprotein biomarkers in independent cohorts, and to develop a biomarker candidate panel for BE surveillance. Serum glycoprotein biomarker candidates were measured in 301 serum samples collected from Australia (4 states) and USA (1 clinic) using previously established lectin magnetic bead array (LeMBA) coupled multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (MRM-MS) tier …

Atrial Fibrillation Screen, Management And Guideline Recommended Therapy (Af Smart Ii) In The Rural Primary Care Setting: An Implementation Study Protocol, Jessica J. Orchard, Lis Neubeck, Ben Freedman, Ruth Webster, Anushka Patel, Robyn Gallagher, Jialin Li, Charlotte Hespe, Caleb Ferguson, Nicholas Zwar, Nicole Lowres

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Introduction: Screening for atrial fibrillation (AF) in people ≥65 years is now recommended by guidelines and expert consensus. While AF is often asymptomatic, it is the most common heart arrhythmia and is associated with increased risk of stroke. Early identification and treatment with oral anticoagulants can substantially reduce stroke risk. The general practice setting is ideal for opportunistic screening and provides a natural pathway for treatment for those identified. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of implementing screening for AF in rural general practice using novel electronic tools. It will assess whether screening will fit within an existing workflow …

Primary Goals, Information-Giving And Men's Understanding: A Qualitative Study Of Australian And Uk Doctors' Varied Communication About Psa Screening, Kristen Pickles, Stacy M. Carter, Lucie Rychetnik, Kirsten Mccaffery, Vikki A. Entwistle

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Objectives: (1) To characterise variation in general practitioners’ (GPs’) accounts of communicating with men about prostate cancer screening using the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, (2) to characterise GPs’ reasons for communicating as they do and (3) to explain why and under what conditions GP communication approaches vary.

Study design and setting: A grounded theory study. We interviewed 69 GPs consulting in primary care practices in Australia (n=40) and the UK (n=29).

Results: GPs explained their communication practices in relation to their primary goals. In Australia, three different communication goals were reported: to encourage asymptomatic men to either have a PSA …

Poly-Arginine R18 And R18d (D-Enantiomer) Peptides Reduce Infarct Volume And Improves Behavioural Outcomes Following Perinatal Hypoxic-Ischaemic Encephalopathy In The P7 Rat, Adam B. Edwards, Jane L. Cross, Ryan S. Anderton, Neville W. Knuckey, Bruno P. Meloni

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

We examined the neuroprotective efficacy of the poly-arginine peptide R18 and its D-enantiomer R18D in a perinatal hypoxic-ischaemic (HI) model in P7 Sprague-Dawley rats. R18 and R18D peptides were administered intraperitoneally at doses of 30, 100, 300 or 1000 nmol/kg immediately after HI (8% O2/92%N2 for 2.5 h). The previously characterised neuroprotective JNKI-1-TATD peptide at a dose of 1000 nmol/kg was used as a control. Infarct volume and behavioural outcomes were measured 48 h after HI. For the R18 and R18D doses examined, total infarct volume was reduced by 25.93% to 43.80% (P = 0.038 to < 0.001). By comparison, the JNKI-1-TATD reduced lesion volume by 25.27% (P = 0.073). Moreover, R18 and R18D treatment resulted in significant improvements in behavioural outcomes, while with JNKI-1-TATD there was a trend towards improvement. As an insight into the likely mechanism underlying the effects of R18, R18D and JNKI-1-TATD, the peptides were added to cortical neuronal cultures exposed to glutamic acid excitotoxicity, resulting in up to 89, 100 and 71% neuroprotection, respectively, and a dose dependent inhibition of neuronal calcium influx. The study further confirms the neuroprotective properties of polyarginine peptides, and suggests a potential therapeutic role for R18 and R18D in the treatment of HIE.

Morphological Re-Description And Molecular Identification Of Tabanidae (Diptera) In East Africa, Claire M. Mugasa, Jandouwe Villinger, Joseph Gitau, Nelly Ndungu, Marc Ciosi, Daniel Masiga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Biting flies of the family Tabanidae are important vectors of human and animal diseases across continents. However, records of Africa tabanids are fragmentary and mostly cursory. To improve identification, documentation and description of Tabanidae in East Africa, a baseline survey for the identification and description of Tabanidae in three eastern African countries was conducted. Tabanids from various locations in Uganda (Wakiso District), Tanzania (Tarangire National Park) and Kenya (Shimba Hills National Reserve, Muhaka, Nguruman) were collected. In Uganda, octenol baited F-traps were used to target tabanids, while NG2G traps baited with cow urine and acetone were employed in Kenya and …

Characterizing Curiosity-Related Behavior In Bottlenose (Tursiops Truncatus) And Roughtoothed (Steno Bredanensis) Dolphins, Malin Lilley, Amber J. De Vere, Deirdre Yeater, Stan A. Kuczaj Ii

Psychology Faculty Publications

Dolphins are frequently described as curious animals; however, there have been few systematic investigations of how dolphins behave when they are curious and the extent to which individual differences in curiosity exist in dolphins. Previous research has described individual differences in dolphins’ frequency of interactions with environmental enrichment as well as quantifying curiosity-related traits of dolphins via personality assessments, though behavioral observation and trait rating components have not been part of the same study. The present study describes two different experiments designed to elicit curiosity in 15 bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) and 6 rough-toothed (Steno bredanensis) dolphins. …

Evaluation And Adaptation Of Live-Cell Interferometry For Applications In Basic, Translational, And Clinical Research, Kevin A. Leslie

Theses and Dissertations

Cell mass is an important indicator of cell health and status. A diverse set of techniques have been developed to precisely measure the masses of single cells, with varying degrees of technical complexity and throughput. Here, the development of a non-invasive, label-free optical technique, termed Live-Cell Interferometry (LCI), is described. Several applications are presented, including an evaluation of LCI’s utility for assessing drug response heterogeneity in patient-derived melanoma lines and the measurement of CD3+ T cell kinetics during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The characterization of mast cells during degranulation, the measurement of viral reactivation kinetics in Kaposi’s Sarcoma, and drug …

Outcomes Associated With The Utilization Of Antidepressants And Psychotherapy Amongst Cancer Patients With Depression, Purva N. Parab

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To determine patterns of use, prescription medicine costs, office-based visit costs and quality of life (QOL) across classes of antidepressants/psychotherapy in elderly cancer patients. Methods: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data files from 2005-2015 for cancer patients with depression aged 18 years or older were used for the study. Frequencies of patients under specific classes of antidepressants/psychotherapy were identified. Costs and QOL scores were compared using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Generalized linear models, linear/multinomial logistic regression were used for analyses adjusted for demographics, overall health status, number and type of comorbidities. Results: The study sample consisted of 17,671 cancer patients …

Colloidal Synthesis And Photophysical Characterization Of Group Iv Alloy And Group Iv-V Semiconductors: Ge1-Xsnx And Sn-P Quantum Dots, Venkatesham Tallapally

Theses and Dissertations

Nanomaterials, typically less than 100 nm size in any direction have gained noteworthy interest from scientific community owing to their significantly different and often improved physical properties compared to their bulk counterparts. Semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs) are of great interest to study their tunable optical properties, primarily as a function of size and shape. Accordingly, there has been a lot of attention paid to synthesize discrete semiconducting nanoparticles, of where Group III-V and II-VI materials have been studied extensively. In contrast, Group IV and Group IV-V based nanocrystals as earth abundant and less-non-toxic semiconductors have not been studied thoroughly. From the …

In Vitro Genetic Code Expansion And Selected Applications, Emil S. Iqbal

Theses and Dissertations

The ability of incorporation non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) using translation offers researchers the ability of extend the functionality of proteins and peptides for many applications including synthetic biology, biophysical and structural studies, and discovery of novel ligands. Here we describe the three projects where the addition of ncAAs to in vitro translation systems creates useful chemical biology techniques. In the first, a fluorinated histidine derivative is used to create a novel affinity tag that allows for the selective purification of peptides from a complex mixture of proteins. In the second, the high promiscuity of an editing-deficient valine-tRNA synthetase (ValRS T222P) …

An Investigation Of Electronic Cigarette Aerosol Mixture On Craniofacial Development In Mouse Embryos, Suraj Kandalam

Theses and Dissertations

E-cigarette (e-cig) use has increased in recent years among teenagers and young adults. E-cigs are battery-powered nicotine delivery systems that vaporize e-liquids, a solution composed of propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), nicotine, flavoring, and coloring agents. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of exposure to e-cig aerosol mixtures (e-cigAMs) on proliferation, migration, and differentiation of NCCs in vitro and craniofacial development in mouse embryos in vivo. E-cigAM was produced by bubbling e-cig aerosol into saline. E-cigAMs were generated for unflavored e-liquid of increasing PG: VG ratio. Metabolic activity (MA), gene expression, migration, and proliferation …

Heteroatom Doped Porous Carbon For Alternative Energy Conversion And Storage Systems, Fatema A. Choudhury

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The electrocatalysis of oxygen plays a significant role in several electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems including metal−air batteries, fuel cells, electrocatalytic and photocatalytic water splitting. The sluggish kinetics and complex reaction mechanism of this cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) affect the performance and practical application of such renewable energy technologies. To address this limiting factor, a suitable electrocatalyst is required for ORR. In general, platinum or highly dispersed Pt-based nanoparticles on carbon black are considered as the best ORR catalyst. But platinum being very scarce and expensive tends to increase the cost. Moreover, platinum-based catalysts are prone to …

International Student Participation In Postsecondary U.S. English Language Programs, Valeriana Colon

Theses and Dissertations

Postsecondary English language education is a growing industry in the United States. While there has been considerable research on international student mobility in higher education, there is limited research on the population’s participation in U.S. English language programs (ELPs). The purpose of the study was to apply existing theories and data analysis to understand postsecondary English language program participation and create a foundation for future studies. This exploratory study examined the characteristics of international students enrolled in U.S. postsecondary ELPs. The researcher investigated the relationship between ELP enrollment with U.S. higher education enrollment as well as the relationship between ELP …

The Interaction Between Ceramide-1-Phosphate And Group Iva Cytosolic Phospholipase A2 And Its Role In Wound Healing, Patrick Macknight

Theses and Dissertations

The sphingolipid, ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P), directly binds and activates Group IVA cytosolic phospholipase A₂ (cPLA₂a) to generate eicosanoids. Due to the role of eicosanoids in wound healing, we choose to use our novel genetic mouse model expressing cPLA₂a with an ablated C1P interaction site (KI) to examine the cPLA₂a/C1P interaction in wound healing. Wound closure rate was not affected, but wound maturation was dramatically enhanced by loss of the C1P/cPLA₂α interaction based on the following findings. Wounds in KI mice displayed: i) increased infiltration of dermal fibroblasts into the wound environment; ii …

Glycosaminoglycan Lyases In The Preparation Of Oligosaccharides, Alhumaidi B. Alabbas

Theses and Dissertations

Glycosaminoglycans are heterogeneous polysaccharides that mediate important biological functions. There has been considerable interest in deciphering the precise GAG sequences that are responsible for protein interactions. In fact, several GAG oligosaccharides have been discovered to date as targeting proteins with higher level of specificity. Yet, it has been difficult to develop GAG oligosaccharides as drugs. One of the key reasons for this state of art is that GAG synthesis is extremely challenging and is highly structure-specific. Thus, much of the biology and pharmacology of GAG remains unknown and unexploited to date.

An alternative approach is to prepare GAG oligosaccharides using …

Counterregulatory Effects Of Ptx3 On Inflammation And Cellular Aging, Aaron L. Slusher

Theses and Dissertations

Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a vital regulator of innate immune function that has been shown to counterregulate pro-inflammatory signaling and protect against the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Less is known about how PTX3 may mitigate against CVD risk by regulating the pro-inflammatory response at the cellular level. Therefore, this dissertation details four manuscripts which aimed to examine the capacity of PTX3 to regulate the innate immune response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from healthy adults. Manuscript 1 examined the capacity of PTX3 to alter the inflammatory milieu following in vitro stimulation of isolated PBMCs with the pro-inflammatory …

The Periodontal Specialty: A Survey Regarding Our Future, John H. White

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To determine the characteristics influencing periodontal practices in Virginia and report on the anticipated changes in practice.

Methods: A REDCap survey was emailed to Virginia based American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) members assessing personal and practice demographics, trends in dental treatment and practice models, and how periodontists will adjust to account for these trends.

Results: The response rate was 31% (n=46). Respondents report greater referrals from more experienced general practitioners (GPs). Student debt was associated with age. Respondents ranked biologic advances, treatment of peri-implantitis, digital dentistry, development of corporate and group practice models, and GPs incorporating more periodontal …

Investigating The Presence And Correlates Of Anti-Thin Bias In Adults, Alexandria Davies

Theses and Dissertations

Weight stigma is associated with negative health outcomes across the BMI continuum. However, few studies have examined weight discrimination targeting people with low body weights. This investigation explored the presence of anti-thin bias, defined as the belief that people with low BMIs have undesirable personality characteristics. Participants were randomly assigned to read one of six vignettes about women that differed by race (White and Black) and weight status (slightly underweight, normal weight, and slightly overweight). Negative personality characteristics were more likely to be ascribed to both underweight and overweight women, compared with normal weight women. Furthermore, participants were significantly more …

Loyalty Program Effectiveness: An Examination Of Mainstream And Niche Sport Fan-Team Relationships, Lisa S. Rufer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of using loyalty programs on sport fans’ relationship quality and fan engagement toward sport organizations. This study also sought to explore which relationship quality and fan engagement factors potentially differed as a result of using loyalty programs. Since there are two major defined sport levels, differences were explored across niche and mainstream sport organizations. Using relationship marketing as the theoretical framework, participants (n = 678) were administered a 55-item instrument that included revised relationship quality and fan engagement scales. Quantitative data were used to run confirmatory factor analyses, analyses of …

A Laboratory Study Of Stress Reactions To Witnessing A Police Killing Of An Unarmed Black Man: Discrimination, Distress Tolerance, Ethnic Identity, And Risk-Taking, Michael A. Trujillo

Theses and Dissertations

Black individuals have been disproportionately targeted by law enforcement, most notably in shooting deaths at the hands of police, and has contributed to a general distrust of law enforcement. A rise in citizen journalism has helped document excessive use of force by police on video; however, little is known how individuals respond to viewing this type of media. A history of race-based stress is likely to contribute to an expectation of racism and may impact how individuals respond to videos of the treatment of unarmed Black men at the hands of police, with some evidence suggesting ethnic identity may moderate …

Biochemical Analysis Of Putative Rna-Binding Proteins In Porphyromonas Gingivalis, Jacob Mirpanah

Theses and Dissertations

BIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF PUTATIVE RNA-BINDING PROTEINS IN PORPHYROMONAS GINGIVALIS

By Jacob Mirpanah

Bachelor of Arts in Biology, University of Virginia, 2015

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Physiology and Biophysics at Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2018

Major Director: Janina P. Lewis, Ph.D., Philips Institute for Oral Health Research

RNA-Binding Proteins (RBPs) play important regulatory roles in countless cellular processes. Often via the induction of a structural change in RNA’s secondary structure, RBPs are known to modulate protein expression through post-transcriptional regulation. In Escherichia coli, such RBPs have …

Good Game, Greyory Blake

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis and its corresponding art installation, Lessons from Ziggy, attempts to deconstruct the variables prevalent within several complex systems, analyze their transformations, and propose a methodology for reasserting the soap box within the display pedestal. In this text, there are several key and specific examples of the transformation of various signifiers (i.e. media-bred fear’s transformation into a political tactic of surveillance, contemporary freneticism’s transformation into complacency, and community’s transformation into nationalism as a state weapon). In this essay, all of these concepts are contextualized within the exponential growth of new technologies. That is to say, all of these semiotic …

Glycolytic Atp Production Is Required For Innate Mast Cell Activation And Is Limited By Lactic Acid, Which Effectively Reduces Lps-Induced Cytokine Production In Mast Cells And In Vivo, Heather Caslin

Theses and Dissertations

The metabolic pathways required for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production within the cell are well understood, however recent publications suggest that metabolic pathways are closely linked to immune cell activation and inflammatory diseases. There has been little examination of the metabolic pathways that modulate mast cell activation and the feedback regulator lactic acid. Here we examine metabolic pathways and regulation within mast cells in the context of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interleukin (IL-33) activation, for which there has been little to no reported studies. First, we examine the effects of lactic acid, previously considered only a by-product of glycolysis and now understood …

Evolution And Niche Specialization Of Microbial Taxa In Vaginal Infection And Pregnancy, Abigail L. Glascock

Theses and Dissertations

The vaginal microbiome plays an important role in reproductive health and pregnancy. It has coevolved with humans and has direct effects on reproductive success, rendering selective pressure more pronounced at this site. Herein, we probe coevolution of the vaginal microbiome using a systems-level approach. In Chapter 2, we examine the evolutionary trajectory of two vaginal Veillonellaceae phylotypes evolved from an ancestral gastrointestinal lineage to inhabit the vaginal niche. We present evidence of their divergence and subniche specification and describe their differential associations with vaginal infection and pregnancy. In Chapter 3, we identify ten bacterial taxa, predicted to contribute to the …

On Being A Good Neighbor, Kathren M. Cutshall

Theses and Dissertations

This research supports the design of a museum dedicated to reconciliation on the issue of human slavery. Throughout the museum guests will be ushered through contemplation to prepare for the context of the museum, gallery exhibitions chronicling the slavery and corporate apologia. The aim of the museum is to aid guests toward taking ownership of the history of slavery while simultaneously offering up forgiveness for it. Platforms for spoken word art, lecture halls and spaces dedicated to dialogue will be included. The chronological progression through the museum will move guests from introspection to education, personal acceptance to forgiveness. Guests will …

Small Town Capital In Community, Christin Hardy

Theses and Dissertations

Rural towns often do not see community developments geared towards creating public spaces for multi-cultural experiences, the arts and recreation. Instead small towns are more exposed to commercial properties coming in and out the area. Introducing public spaces that offer various community activities and events will benefit people’s human and social capital. Human capital meaning skills and knowledge. Social capital meaning advantages and skills that come from interpersonal engagements (Anderson, 2004). Community centers designed for the unique needs of small towns can house programming to introduce new and rewarding opportunities for community engagement and personal development. Existing buildings within the …

Nam June Paik As A Pioneer Of Interactive Art, Byeongwon Ha

Theses and Dissertations

Nam June Paik (1932-2006) is well known as the father of video art. However, this study demonstrates the importance of his earlier interactive art (1961-63), which historically has been overshadowed by his video art. At the climax of his career in interactive art, Paik introduced his two-way art to the public at his first solo exhibition in Wuppertal, West Germany, in 1963. Interactive art itself has been a peripheral area in the history of art, and it has plural pioneers across disciplinary boundaries. Among the several origins of interactive art, Nam June Paik utilized music as a fundamental approach to …

The Mall: A World-Building Speculation On The Future Of Privacy, Hazem Asif

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a science fiction exploration of a future dystopian world where privacy becomes a dominant currency that is distributed according to social class and ranking mechanisms. It utilizes speculative world-building to study the unanticipated implications of technology on personal privacy, surveillance and social inequality on future societies. The project introduces The Mall, as a highly efficient and hyper-connected world, but also exposes its downfall as a society with heightened cultural and socio-political disparities. Inspired by past civilizations, the development of the modern nation-state as well as contemporary society, the design adapts, appropriates and reformulates existing cultures into new …

Redox Reactions At Oil-Water Interface By Particle Collision Electroanalysis, Dilip K. Paul

Theses and Dissertations

Particle Collision Electrochemistry (PCE) has gained considerable attention in heterogeneous catalysis, petroleum chemistry and pharmaceutical fields. The PCE refers to a phenomenon in which a particle strikes on an inert electrode surface as a consequence of its Brownian motion and produces a spike of current for the direct oxidation/reduction of the individual particle. This method allows us characterization of individual particles and in-situ study of electrochemical reactions coupled to the particle.

Herein, emulsion droplets were studied by PCE where toluene droplets contained hydrophobic tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone (Q). This was investigated as a model system to study the molecular effects that arise due …

Ultrasound—Re:Viewing Bodies, Minjee Jeon

Theses and Dissertations

A medical evaluation of physical impairment imposes the additional burden of “labeling” the patient with the condition. The binary nature of the normal versus abnormal label emphasizes difference and can lead to trauma. Understanding differences, however, can lead to the generation of new forms and thus, more sensitive differentiation and representation. Tension is created by exploring different bodily forms—a dialectic between form and essence. I am designing a space that visualizes and illuminates difference as a source of trauma and amplifying the tension by comparing figures that represent varying degrees of normalcy. This forms a critique of idealized form and …