Digital Commons Network^™

The Mcgill Face Database: Validation And Insights Into The Recognition Of Facial Expressions Of Complex Mental States, Gunnar Schmidtmann, Ben J. Jennings, Dasha A. Sandra, Jordan Pollock, Ian Gold

School of Health Professions

Current databases of facial expressions represent only a small subset of expressions, usually the basic emotions (fear, disgust, surprise, happiness, sadness, and anger). To overcome these limitations, we introduce a database of pictures of facial expressions reflecting the richness of mental states. A total of 93 expressions of mental states were interpreted by two professional actors, and high-quality pictures were taken under controlled conditions in front and side view. The database was validated in two experiments. First, a four-alternative forced-choice paradigm was employed to test the ability to select a term associated with each expression. Second, the task was to …

Visual Function And Subjective Perception Of Vision Following Bilateral Implantation Of Monofocal And Multifocal Intraocular Lenses: A Randomised Controlled Trial, Elizabeth M. Law, Rajesh K. Aggarwal, H Buckhurst, Hosam E. Kasaby, Jonathan Marsden, Gary Shum, P Buckhurst

School of Health Professions

No abstract provided.

Adherence And Drop-Out In Randomized Controlled Trials Of Exercise Interventions In People With Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analyses, Rachel Dennett, Laurits T. Madsen, Luke Connolly, Joanne Hosking, Ulrik Dalgas, Jennifer Freeman

School of Health Professions

No abstract provided.

In Vivo Measures Of Anterior Scleral Resistance In Humans With Rebound Tonometry, Hetal D. Buckhurst, Bernard Gilmartin, Andrew Lam, Robert P. Cubbidge, Nicola S. Logan

School of Health Professions

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Fullerene C60 In Blue Mussels: Role Of Mtor In Autophagy Related Cellular/Tissue Alterations, Susanna Sforzini, Caterina Oliveri, Audrey Barranger, Awadhesh N. Jha, Mohamed Banni, Michael N. Moore, Aldo Viarengo

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Repeatability Of Plantar Pressure Assessment During Barefoot Walking In People With Stroke, A. Rogers, S. C. Morrison, T. Gorst, J. Paton, J. Freeman, J. Marsden, M. C. Cramp

School of Health Professions

No abstract provided.

Unboxing The Black Box: Reflections On Making With Ai And Automation, Polly Macpherson, Rachel Smith, Mike Phillips, Robert Dooley, Birgitte Aga, Patrick Crogan

School of Art, Design and Architecture

This collection presents thoughts, provocations and reflections onAI and automation in the arena of creative making from some of the SouthWest Creative Technologies Network’s Automation Fellows. The AutomationFellowship gathered together researchers, established creative producersand new talent to explore the challenges and opportunities of automationand AI for (re)making our personal and shared future.

Veteran Spinal Cord Injury: An Investigation Of The Mediating Role Of Pain Interference On The Relationship Between Pain And Emotional Distress., Carly Blaine, Jack Watson, Richard Henry

UROP Posters

Veteran Spinal Cord Injury: An Investigation of the Mediating Role of Pain Interference on the Relationship between Pain and Emotional Distress

Carly Blaine, Dept. of Psychology, Jack Watson, and Richard Henry, Dept. of Psychology Graduate Student, with Dr. Scott McDonald, VCU School of Medicine

Background: Pain commonly co-occurs with spinal cord injury (SCI) and has been linked to poorer psychological function. SCI patients who experience chronic pain report great levels of interference with daily life.Pain interference with daily life may lead to emotional distress and depression.Objective: Using the PROCESS macro (model 4; Hayes, 2017), this study examines whether pain interference …

The Role Of Gendered Racial Microaggressions On African American Women's Sleep Quality, Shanya Chandel, Ashlynn Bell, Chelsie Dunn

UROP Posters

The Role of Gendered Racial Microaggressions on African American Women's Sleep Quality

Shanya Chandel, Depts. of Psychology and Human Resource Management, and Ashlynn Bell and Chelsie Dunn, Dept. of Psychology Graduate Students, with Dr. Kristina Hood, Dept. of Psychology

African American women are often subjected to oppressive and marginalizing commentary directed toward various facet of their being. This subtle yet harmful oppressive commentary is commonly referred to as silencing and marginalizing gendered racial microaggressions (Lewis & Neville, 2015). These types of microaggressions can be expressed by silencing, meaning taking away the voices of others. Microaggressions can also be used to …

How The Diversity Of Curriculum Prepares Future Physician Assistants (Pa's) To Provide Healthcare For Underserved Populations, Jessica Lim-Wilson

UROP Posters

How the Diversity of Curriculum Prepares Future Physician Assistants (PA's) to Provide Healthcare for Underserved Populations

Jessica Lim-Wilson, Depts. of Health, Physical Education & Exercise Science and Psychology, with Dr. Christine Booker, Dept. of Kinesiology and Health Sciences

This research project was conducted to explore the availability of the diverse curriculum in Physician Assistant programs by region as well as the scope of PA responsibility across the United States. Using the information collected, the association between Physician Assistant curriculum and underserved population health outcomes by region was examined. In conclusion, this research has assisted in understanding the relationship between PA …

To Read Or Not To Read; That Is The Question, Christopher Latourrette, Morgan Haas

UROP Posters

To Read or Not to Read; That is the Question

Christopher Latourrette, Depts. of Psychology and Sociology, and Morgan Haas, with Dr. Jeffrey Green, Dept. of Psychology

Do regular leisure readers have a different psychological profile from non-readers? We investigated whether particular positive psychological traits (i.e., greater subjective well-being, self-esteem, meaning in life, and lower loneliness) and leisure motivational variables (i.e., intellectual pursuits or distraction source) would distinguish undergraduate readers from non-readers. In support of a larger ongoing research study exploring the psychological benefits of reading and re-reading novels, we conducted a k-means cluster analysis followed by an analysis of …

The Moderating Role Of Body Appreciation On Ethnic Identity And Condom Use Intentions, Breanna Jones, Noelle Manfredi, Calvin Hall

UROP Posters

The Moderating Role of Body Appreciation on Ethnic Identity and Condom Use Intentions

Breanna Jones, Depts. of Psychology and Sociology, Noelle Manfredi, and Calvin Hall, Dept. of Psychology Graduate Student, with Dr. Kristina Hood, Dept. of Psychology

Scholars have long explored the influence of ethnic identity affirmation, or feelings of belonging to one’s ethnic group (Phinney, 1990), on sexual health outcomes (e.g., condom use intentions; Beadnell et al., 2003). Higher ethnic identity safeguards against risky sexual behaviors (Townsend et al., 2010), such that those with higher ethnic identity affirmation reported less risky sexual behaviors. However, limited research has explored how …

Mental Health Comorbidities In Adolescents With Asd: Indirect Effects Of Family Functioning Through Youth Social Competence, Marie Johnson, Jessica Greenlee, Cathryn Richmond

UROP Posters

Mental Health Comorbidities in Adolescents with ASD: Indirect Effects of Family Functioning through Youth Social Competence

Marie Johnson, Depts. of Psychology and Product Innovation, and Jessica Greenlee and Cathryn Richmond, Dept. of Psychology Graduate Students, with Dr. Marcia Winter, Dept. of Psychology

Recent research has established the high comorbidities of mental health problems in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD; see Strang, et al., 2012), prompting researchers to examine factors that may contribute to elevated anxiety and depression. Given the centrality during adolescence of both the family and peer contexts (Greenlee, Winter, & Diehl, 2018) as well as the stage …

Mapping New Olfactory Bulb Neurons At The Single-Cell Level Using Iron Oxide- Assisted Mri, Sarah Izabel

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Mapping New Olfactory Bulb Neurons at the Single-Cell Level Using Iron Oxide- Assisted MRI

Sarah Izabel, Dept. of Biology, with Dr. Jeffrey Dupree, Dept. of Anatomy and Neurobiology

Neurogenesis in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of adult mammalian brains persists throughout life. Precursor cells that are continuously born in the SVZ migrate long-distance to the olfactory bulb (OB), where they differentiate into specific neurons. The distribution of new neurons in the OB has been studied via histological and intravital techniques, which are limited longitudinally and in depth of imaging. In the past decade, in vivo studies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) …

A Comparison Of Ptsd, Aud, And Mdd Symptom Patterns In Different Trauma Types, Elizabeth Crump

UROP Posters

A Comparison of PTSD, AUD, and MDD Symptom Patterns in Different Trauma Types

Elizabeth Crump, Depts. of Biology and Sociology, with Dr. Kaitlin Bountress, Virginia Institute of Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics

About 66% of college students have been exposed to a traumatic event (Read et al., 2011). Research thus far suggests that interpersonal trauma (IPT; e.g., physical or sexual abuse or assault) is linked to higher risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), variability in PTSD symptom cluster presentation, and comorbidities with substance use compared to accidental trauma (e.g., natural disaster, motor vehicle accident; Kessler et al. 1995; Kelley et …

Sex Differences In Skin Tone Predicting Depressive Symptoms Among College Students Of Color, Jenifer Rodriguez, Jenna Minter, Eryn Delaney, Chloe Walker

UROP Posters

Sex Differences in Skin Tone Predicting Depressive Symptoms among College Students of Color

Jenifer Rodriguez, Jenna Minter, Depts. of Psychology and Political Science, Eryn DeLaney, Dept. of Psychology Graduate Student, & Chloe Walker, Dept. of Psychology Graduate Student, with Dr. Chelsea D. Williams, Dr. Amy Adkins, Dr. Tricia Smith, & Dr. Danielle Dick, Dept. of Psychology

Skin tone, or more specifically the meaning and treatment that society attaches to skin tone, has been found to impact individuals’ outcomes, with those with darker skin tones (who experience more colorism) experiencing more negative outcomes (e.g., Norwood, 2014). However, less research has tested …

Effect Of Political Ideology, Femininity, And Gender On Abortion Stigma, Rym Yousfi, Emily Beatty, Allison Patev, Chelsie Dunn

UROP Posters

Effect of Political Ideology, Femininity, and Gender on Abortion Stigma

Rym Yousfi, Dept. of Psychology, Emily Beatty, and Allison Patev and Chelsie Dunn, Dept. of Psychology Graduate Students, with Dr. Kristina Hood, Dept. of Psychology

Abortion stigma is a negative characteristic attributed to individuals who terminate a pregnancy that marks them as inferior to social ideals of womanhood (Kumar et al, 2009). One factor influencing abortion stigma is political ideology. Conservative individuals display more opposition to abortion and hold more abortion stigmatizing attitudes, when compared to their liberal counterparts (Bessett et al, 2015). Further, individuals’ gender may impact endorsement of …

A Narrative Review Of Interpersonal Trauma, Mental Health, And Substance Use Among Lgbq College Students, Meagan Nguyen, Mar'quelle Winfield, Eryn Delaney

UROP Posters

A Narrative Review of Interpersonal Trauma, Mental Health, and Substance Use Among LGBQ College Students

Meagan Nguyen, Dept. of Psychology, Mar’Quelle Winfield, & Eryn DeLaney, Dept. of Psychology Graduate Student, with Dr. Chelsea D. Williams, Dept. of Psychology

College is a critical time for LGBQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer) individuals due to sexual identity formation and trauma exposure (e.g. Arnett, 2000; Acierno et al,. 2001). Studies have shown that heterosexism is manifested on college campuses through discriminaition and cultural norms that devalue LGBQ individuals and perpetuate heterosexuality as normative and superior (Rankin et al., 2010). Additionally, there is a drastic …

Health Disparities Among Latinx Communities: Issues Of Access To Information, Interpreters, And Bilingual Providers, Shea Wenzler, Roma Kankaria, Sydney Welles, Anubhav Thapaliya

UROP Posters

Health Disparities among Latinx Communities: Issues of Access to Information, Interpreters, and Bilingual Providers

Shea Wenzler, Depts. of Psychology and Political Science, Roma Kankaria, Sydney Welles, and Anubhav Thapaliya, with Dr. Indira Sultanić, School of World Studies

Members of the Latinx community in Richmond and the United States face challenges in obtaining equitable health care access because of socioeconomic and systematic barriers within the healthcare system. This analysis conducted by the Collective Corazón—a VCU student organization that addresses Latinx healthy equity through service and advocacy—examines the underlying causes of Latinx health disparities. Special emphasis is placed on access to just, …

The Use Of Physician Assistants For Health And Wellness In Aging Populations, Desiree Longmire

UROP Posters

The Use of Physician Assistants for Health and Wellness in Aging Populations

Desiree Longmire, Depts. of Kinesiology and Health Science, Biology, & Chemistry, with Dr. Christine Booker, Dept. of Kinesiology and Health Science

I conducted a study to expand my research on the demographics of Physician Assistant (PA) programs and how the programs can benefit from having Gerontology in their curriculum. I was able to record data on an excel spreadsheet on the demographics and pass rate scores of PA program graduates. This data was used to assess if PA programs have Gerontology in their curriculum as separate courses. Also, …

Gender And Ethnic Differences In Sound Tolerance, Nicole Concepcion, Rachel Wallace

UROP Posters

Gender and Ethnic Differences in Sound Tolerance

Nicole Concepcion, Depts. of Psychology, Social Work, and Human Resource Management, and Rachel Wallace, M.S., Dept. of Psychology Graduate Student, with Dr. Scott Vrana, Dept. of Psychology

Misophonia, hyperacusis, and tinnitus are related to decreased sound tolerance (DST). Misophonia is characterized as strong aversive reactions to specific sounds. Hyperacusis is a heightened sensitivity to certain sounds below the loudness sensitivity levels. Tinnitus is a condition that includes continuous ringing or buzzing in the ears. Current research has shown that misophonia symptoms have many commonalities with psychiatric diagnoses and these symptoms result in substantial …

There's More To Sleep Than Counting Sheep: A Cross Sectional Analysis Of Sleep Health, Elizabeth Torres, Sanika Lawate, Hali Russell, Emily Donovan, Pablo Soto

UROP Posters

There's More to Sleep than Counting Sheep: A Cross Sectional Analysis of Sleep Health

Elizabeth Torres, Depts. of Psychology, Biology, and Chemistry, Sanika Lawate, Hali Russell, and Emily Donovan, M.S., and Pablo Soto, Dept. of Psychology Graduate Students, with Dr. Joseph Dzierzewski, Dept. of Psychology

Background: Studies have supported the claim that good physical health and positive affect have a lasting positive impact on the body and the brain across all age groups. High levels of activity and positive affect can boost immunity, increase life expectancy, and promote resiliency. Studies have also shown that poor physical health and low affect …

The Socioeconomic And Policy Barriers To Refugee Health, Matt Tessema

UROP Posters

The Socioeconomic Barriers and Policy Barriers to Refugee Health

Matt Tessema, Dept. of Journalism, with Dr. Dina Garcia, Dept. of Health Behavior and Policy

There are multiple barriers that make it difficult for refugees to get adequate healthcare and among their largest barriers is meeting their oral health needs. The goal of this study is to figure out what those barriers are, whether it is financial or educational, and how to address it. This will be determined through the use of qualitative data from our semi-structured interview questionnaire. Those that will be interviewed include the health liaisons of refugee camps …

Benefits Of A Daily Personal Growth Activity: An Autoethnographic Study, Maria Ribera Sites, Carolyn Henao

UROP Posters

Benefits of a Daily Personal Growth Activity: An Autoethnographic Study

Maria Ribera Sites, Dept. of Psychology, and Carolyn Renao, with Dr. Richard Bargdill, Dept. of Psychology

The aim of this poster will be to describe autoethnographic research evaluating the benefits of a daily personal growth practice. For the past four years Dr. Richard Bargdill has taken a reading from one of the 81 chapters of the Tao de Ching as well as a reading from one of the 64 I-Ching excerpts daily. In addition, he writes his own commentary for each chapter of the Tao and a comparative American idiom …

Fenofibrate-Loaded Biodegradable Nanoparticles For The Treatment Of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Russell Simmers, Tuo Meng, Fangfang Qiu, Vineet Kulkarni, Jianxing Ma

UROP Posters

Fenofibrate-Loaded Biodegradable Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Russell Simmers, Depts. of Physics and Chemistry, with Dr. Qingguo Xu, VCU School of Pharmacy

Background: Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of visual impairment in the elderly population in the industrialized world. The current treatment for neovascular AMD is anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy; however, nearly 40-50% of patients do not fully respond to anti-VEGF therapy. Therefore, non-VEGF therapeutics are required for neovascular AMD treatment. Fenofibrate is a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) agonist and has demonstrated robust therapeutic effects on neovascular AMD in …

Oral Health Prevention Interventions Targeting The Latinx Population In United States: A Scoping Review, Anyi Rodriguez, Sara Debab, Jay Lawson

UROP Posters

Oral Health Prevention Interventions Targeting the Latinx Population in United States: A Scoping Review

Anyi A. Rodriguez, Dept. of Forensic Science, with Dr. Dina Tamar Garcia, VCU Health Behavior and Policy

The Latinx population is the second-largest ethnic group in the United States (U.S.). This large and growing population is disproportionately impacted by oral diseases, including Early Childhood Caries (ECC) and periodontitis. They also face several barriers accessing dental care such as lacking a regular source of care, being uninsured/underinsured, and language barriers. Despite the high oral health needs and barriers to dental care present within this population, little has …

Stakeholder Perceptions Of Health Needs In Refugee Populations In The Greater Richmond Area, Ashley Koo, Matt Tessama, Tatiana Brown, Jay Lawson

UROP Posters

Stakeholder Perceptions of Health Needs in Refugee Populations in the Greater Richmond Area

Ashley Koo, Depts. of Medical Anthropology and Chemistry, Matt Tessama, and Tatiana Brown, with Dr. Dina Garcia, Dept. of Health Behavior and Policy

A refugee is a person outside of the country of his or her nationality who is unable or unwilling to return to that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution based on her race, religion, nationality, or membership in a certain social group. The United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees estimates that in 2018, approximately 22,500 refugees were resettled in the …

Drugs And The Music Industry: How The Neurological And Visual Effects Of Lsd And Psilocybin Impact Creativity And Songwriting Abilities, Ammar Jawad

UROP Posters

Drugs and the Music Industry: How the Neurological and Visual Effects of LSD and Psilocybin Impact Creativity and Songwriting Abilities

Ammar Jawad, Depts. of Biology and Chemistry, with Prof. Mary Boyes, VCU Honors College

The 5-hydroxy-tryptamine 2A receptor, 5-HT2A, is a G protein-coupled receptor that belongs to a subtype of receptors known as serotonergic receptors. The 5-HT2A receptor plays a wide variety of roles that are pivotal in the optimal functionality of the brain, such as mediating the neurological, visual, and auditory pathways of the central nervous system. Typical agonists of the 5-HT2A receptor include psychedelic or hallucinogenic drugs such …

The Effect Of Amitriptyline On Biomarkers Associated With Brain Health And Drug Metabolism, Ashana Jackson, Bukola Odeniyi, Omar Hassan

UROP Posters

The Effect of Amitriptyline on Biomarkers Associated with Brain Health and Drug Metabolism

Ashana Jackson, Dept. of Psychology, Bukola Odeniyi, and Omar Hassan, with Dr. Elvin T. Price, VCU School of Pharmacy

High anticholinergic drugs, like amitriptyline have been linked to dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. Chronic use of high doses of amitriptyline can lead to a decrease in brain capabilities and even negative effects on short-term memory. Expression of different brain biomarkers are also linked to various cognitive decline: Decreased expressions of PPARG and CREB1 have been correlated with a decrease in the brain’s ability to protect against aging, …

Storytelling Through Play, Allison Heerwagen

UROP Posters

Storytelling Through Play

Allison Heerwagen, Depts. of Graphic Design and Anthropology, with Dr. Bernard K. Means, Dept. of Anthropology

As children interpret and build on narratives with their own imagination, storytelling as a cultural practice involves even the youngest of a community. Children raised with folktales, myths, legends, and more can bring the stories to life through play inspired by the characters, setting, and stories shared with them. The most accessible tools for children to share and build stories are toys that can be used to interpret the beliefs, practices, and imagination of their culture. In addition, many children’s toys …