Digital Commons Network^™

Nebulizer-Based Systems To Improve Pharmaceutical Aerosol Delivery To The Lungs, Benjamin M. Spence

Theses and Dissertations

Combining vibrating mesh nebulizers with additional new technologies leads to substantial improvements in pharmaceutical aerosol delivery to the lungs across therapeutic administration methods. In this dissertation, streamlined components, aerosol administration synchronization, and/or Excipient Enhanced Growth (EEG) technologies were utilized to develop and test several novel devices and aerosol delivery systems. The first focus of this work was to improve the poor delivery efficiency, e.g., 3.6% of nominal dose (Dugernier et al. 2017), of aerosolized medication administration to adult human subjects concurrent with high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy, a form of continuous-flow non-invasive ventilation (NIV). The developed Low-Volume Mixer-Heater (LVMH) …

Effect Of Kcc2-Enhancing Prodrug Clp290 On Tat ± Morphine Treated Female Mice At The Behavioral And Molecular Levels, Michael Marone

Theses and Dissertations

HIV-1 infection is highly comorbid with opioid use disorder. Prescription and illicit use of opioids are particularly risky for HIV-1 infected individuals due to potential synergistic neurotoxic effects mediated by viral proteins and opioids. Additionally, opiate drug abuse has been shown to exacerbate neuropathogenesis of HIV-1⁺ individuals. Development of combination antiretroviral therapies (cART) has drastically improved the life expectancy of these patients. Unfortunately, although the severity of neurological and neurocognitive complications has declined, the incidence of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) remains 30-50% in the post-cART era and is worsened by opioid use disorder. HIV-1 proteins, inflammatory mediators, and excitotoxins …

The Importance Of Connection: Contributions Of Relationships With Fathers And Connections To School To Delinquent Behavior And Positive Youth Development, Colleen S. Walsh

Theses and Dissertations

Risk-taking and boundary pushing are hallmarks of adolescent behavior, making the identification of promotive and protective factors related to both delinquent behavior and positive adolescent functioning essential. Previous studies have provided compelling evidence that suggests aspects of familial relationships may successfully attenuate delinquent behavior and support positive functioning outcomes. Despite these findings, the father-adolescent relationship is understudied in association with these outcomes. The current study examined relations between adolescents’ perception of school connectedness and father-adolescent relationship quality and delinquent behavior and positive adolescent functioning outcomes. This study used data collected when youth were nine and fifteen years old from the …

Development And Evaluation Of A Combinatorial Rt-Qpcr Multiplex For Forensic Body Fluid Identification, Carolyn A. Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

Body fluid identification is essential in the forensic biology workflow that assists DNA analysts in determining where to collect DNA evidence. Current presumptive tests lack the sensitivity and specificity molecular techniques can achieve; therefore, molecular methods, such as microRNA and microbial signatures, have been extensively researched in the forensic community. Limitations of each method suggest combining molecular markers to increase discrimination efficiency of multiple body fluids from a single assay. While microbial signatures have been successful in identifying fluids with high bacterial abundances, microRNAs have shown promise in fluids with low microbial abundance. A disadvantage of RNA analysis in forensic …

Comparing The Sensitivity And Specificity Of Cbct And Mri In Detecting Osteoarthritis Of The Tmj: A Systematic Review, Gabriel R. Saavedra

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this systematic review was to compare the sensitivity and specificity of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting osteoarthritis (OA) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). This was done by using computed tomography (CT) and the research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (RDC/TMD) as reference methods and using CBCT and MRI as index methods. A specific search strategy was developed and applied to these electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, DOSS, and Cochrane. The search results returned 802 articles, which were then narrowed down using the inclusion/exclusion criteria, to four final articles that were included in …

The Organizational Commitment Of Sonographers In The Mid-Atlantic Region Of The United States, Yonella Demars

Theses and Dissertations

Sonographers are skilled medical professionals who operate specialized equipment that utilizes sound waves to create images of the body. Radiologist and physicians depend on sonographers to summarize their findings by creating a preliminary report that is sent, along with images, to them for diagnosis and treatment purposes.

Organizational commitment is described by John Meyer and Natalie Allen, through their organizational commitment three component model, as a mindset reflecting a desire, a need, or obligation to maintain membership in an organization. Specifically, affective organizational commitment is the desire an employee demonstrates that allows them to remain with their employer because of …

An Examination Of The Impacts Of Childhood Trauma On Healthy Intimate Relationships In College-Aged African Americans, Broquelynn D. Shepard

Theses and Dissertations

For African Americans, the dynamics of relationships are rooted in childhood experiences of unconditional love, restraint, and respect. These experiences help individuals form their understanding of how relationships function. Experiencing healthy relationships has an enduring impact on social development and interpersonal relationships. However, regarding studies on childhood trauma and intimate relationships, there is insufficient literature that includes African American samples as the primary foci of the research. Due to gaps in extant literature, the present study aims to explore whether experiences of healthy intimate relationship in African Americans are associated with childhood trauma (neglect, emotional, sexual, and physical abuse). Using …

Courts Beyond Judging, Michael C. Pollack

Articles

Across all fifty states, a woefully understudied institution of government is responsible for a broad range of administrative, legislative, law enforcement, and judicial functions. That important institution is the state courts. While the literature has examined the federal courts and federal judges from innumerable angles, study of the state courts as institutions of state government — and not merely as sources of doctrine and resolvers of disputes — has languished. This Article remedies that oversight by drawing attention for the first time to the wide array of roles state courts serve, and by evaluating the suitability of both the allocation …

Defining Who Is An Employee After A.B.5: Trading Uniformity And Simplicity For Expanded Coverage, Edward A. Zelinsky

Articles

My assessment of California’s A.B.5 differs from the evaluation advanced by the advocates and opponents of that legislation: I conclude that A.B.5 made a significant but limited expansion of the coverage of California labor law but at a notable cost. Even as A.B.5 broadened the reach of the Golden State’s labor protections, A.B.5 also made the definition of "employee” more complex and less uniform. Those seeking federal or state legislation like A.B.5 confront the same trade-off under which greater coverage is achieved at the expense of more complexity and less uniformity in the definition of who is an employee. The …

Blockchain Neutrality, Samuel N. Weinstein

Articles

Blockchain technology is transforming how markets work. Blockchains eliminate the need for trusted gatekeepers like banks to execute, verify, and record transactions. In the financial markets, their disruptive potential threatens both Wall Street banks and Silicon Valley venture capitalists. How blockchain technology is regulated will determine whether it encourages or inhibits competition. Some blockchain applications present serious fraud and systemic risks, complicating regulation. This Article explores the antitrust and competition policy challenges blockchain presents and proposes a regulatory strategy, modeled on Internet regulation and net neutrality principles, to unlock blockchain’s competitive potential. It contends that financial regulators should promote blockchain …

Antecedents And Consequences Of Rape Myth Acceptance: College Date Rape Attitudes, Bystander Attitudes, Readiness To Change, Bystander Efficacy And Decisional Balance, Denisa Adanma Okolie

Master's Theses and Capstones

Over four decades, researchers have continued to find that sexual violence is highly predicted by rape myth acceptance and that those individuals who have higher rape myth acceptance are more likely to become perpetrators of sexual assault and rape. While researchers found that gender, athletic participation, Greek affiliation, and attitudes towards women were valid predictors of rape myth acceptance scores, the evidence was mixed for other factors such as race, age, and religiosity. However, few researchers examined the effects of readiness to change and bystander efficacy on rape myth acceptance. This study used data from a larger study to examine …

Radon Removal Using A Venturi Injector-Based Household Aeration System, Jordan Meaney

Master's Theses and Capstones

Radon-222 is a naturally occurring radioactive noble gas that is colorless, tasteless, and odorless and has been a known carcinogenic since the early 1920’s. Radon in groundwater can lead to inhalation of radon through off gassing caused by water-use processes such as showering, flushing toilets, and washing machines. The objective of this study is to develop a simple ground water aeration system to remove radon at the individual household level. The aeration system studied in this research utilized a venturi injector, which is considered a passive method of aeration unlike the aeration systems currently available in the market. With enough …

The Covid-19 Pandemic And The Impact On Educational Institutions, Linsay Demartino

Faculty Publications - College of Education

The COVID-19 crisis continues to impact everyone across the globe. It is apparent no one is spared by the devastation caused by this virus. Previously, global citizens never considered a pandemic affecting every facet of our lives. Our social, health, economic, and political spheres are forever changed. In the field of education, adjustments were made swiftly, if not overnight. Everyone felt the pressures brought on by the pandemic and were drowning in the imperative need to radically shift their practices and provide an array of supports to their students, faculty, staff, and communities.

The Desert Flowers Always Bloom Following The Monsoon: Activism, School Boards, And Covid-19, Linsay Demartino, S. Gavin Weiser

Faculty Publications - College of Education

No abstract provided.

Empowering Teachers To Use Physical Activity Throughout The Day, Dante Britten

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

It is recommended that children get 60 minutes of physical activity everyday. For most of the year, children are in school. Students are able to participate in physical activity through recess and physical education. Due to the increased demand on academic performance, more time is being spent on learning and direct instruction in the classroom. This can often come at the expense of recess and physical education. This does not mean that teachers can’t still provide their students with the opportunity to move and be physically active. There are several ways teachers can allow students to move without it disrupting …

Using Dialogue To Contextualize Culture, Ecosystem Services, And Cultural Ecosystem Services, Karen Allen, Celia Castellano, Sophia Pessagno

Open Access Fund Publications

We propose an alternative methodology for engaging with multifaceted cultural ecosystem services (CES) in the Global South. We explore the use of dialogue as a tool for understanding CES in situ, while developing shared action steps toward CES conservation among stakeholders. We held six dialogue workshops in the rural Central Pacific region of Costa Rica that were designed to foster understanding of shared community values for ecosystem services and associated conservation challenges. In two of the workshops, we employed model-based reasoning through which we used maps as boundary negotiating objects to nurture dialogue on CES values, observations, and concerns. In …

Trade Secrets And Personal Secrets, Lital Helman

University of Richmond Law Review

This Article aims to examine the different ways in which the law protects commercial and private secrets. The most fundamental difference is that the trade secrets regime forbids the unauthorized use of a business’s confidential information, while privacy law does not forbid the unauthorized use of a person’s confidential information. If a firm takes measures to protect information of value, the law forbids the use of this information. Yet, as to personal secrets, the mere fact that someone has taken measures to protect their privacy does not create an obligation to avoid misappropriation of their in- formation.

This asymmetry of …

Almond Beverage, Oat Water, And Soaked Soybean Juice: How The Dairy Pride Act Attempts To Remedy Consumer Confusion About Plant-Based Milks, Michelle E. Hoffer

University of Richmond Law Review

With sales of plant-based milks, such as almond and soy milk, on the rise and dairy industry sales declining, dairy industry supporters are taking issue with plant-based milk products calling themselves “milk.”10 In an effort to combat the “mislabeling” of non-dairy products, a few Senators banded together in an attempt to save the dairy industry by creating the DAIRY PRIDE Act.11 The Act was introduced in an effort to prohibit plant-based milk producers from using the term “milk” on their products and instead use a less misleading name, such as “almond imitation milk” or “soy beverage.”12 This Comment argues that, …

Antibiotic Stewardship In Skin And Soft Tissue Infections, Shah Z. Ali, Jose Campo Maldonado

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Antibiotic use during inpatient hospitalizations have a significant impact on both patient care and healthcare costs. Using data collected over a one month period in 2019 from inpatient hospitalizations, we aim to determine the most common indicated uses for vancomycin and piperacillin-tazobactam, along with the average days of therapy for their use in treating skin and soft tissue infections.

Mortality Outcomes In Therapeutic Versus Prophylactic Anticoagulation In Obese Patients In Predominantly Hispanic Population, Dave Patel, Moktar Ahmed Sheikh-Salah, Raul Garcia, Jewel Udenwagu, Jose Campo Maldonado, Christopher Romero

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Introduction: As of January 26, 2021, there have been 1,988,063 confirmed cases with 34,701 fatalities from COVID-19 in the state of Texas. As the fatalities increased in Rio Grande Valley, there was overwhelming evidence that showed that obesity, an already hypercoagulable state, was a risk factor that contributed to the severity of COVID-19 infection (Sanchis-Gomar, et. Al. 2020). The prevalence of obesity amongst the population in in the RGV presents an opportunity to correlate trends in outcomes with the obese population that are admitted for inpatient management of COVID-19.

Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study looks at patient’s electronic …

Heritability Of Ocular Traits In Hispanics, Aaron T. Gomez, Gladys E. Maestre, Jesus D. Melgarejo, Vincent P. Diego, Nicholas B. Blackburn, Juan B. Yepez, Michele Petitto, Felipe A. Murati, Rosa V. Pirela, Carlos A. Chavez, Winston Lee, Lama A. Al-Aswad, Matthew P. Johnson, Joseph H. Lee, John Blangero

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Purpose: The burden of glaucoma disease among Hispanics is significantly higher than in their white counterparts. It remains unclear to what extent these differences are determined by genetic factors in Hispanics. We therefore examined a highly inbred family population-based cohort in Venezuela to estimate the proportion of genetic contribution of ocular traits relevant to glaucoma disease.

Methods: A subset of 67 participants ≥40y from the Maracaibo Aging Study (MAS) with family pedigree were randomly included. The papillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and macular thickness were measured with Spectralis Domain-OCT. Heritability analyses (h², expressed as %) …

Association Between Race/Ethnicity And Covid-19 Disease Outcomes In The United States: A Qualitative Systematic Review Of The Literature, Jacob Smith

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Background/Objective: As studies have shown disparities in coronavirus disease-19 prevalence and severity, we sought to evaluate differences in outcomes of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection by race/ethnicity.

Design: Systematic review

Data Source: Studies from PubMed were included.

Review methods: Articles published in English language from January 1, 2019 through March 22, 2020. Studies included were observational studies that examined racial or ethnic disparities in SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes in the United States. One reviewer performed data extraction.

Results: Out of a possible 1,944 articles, 99 observational studies (82 individual-level and 17 population-level) were included. Differential rates of hospitalization or otherwise severe illness …

Spinal Cord Mri Analysis Techniques In Post-Stroke Patients, Sarvani Uppati, Sravani Mannuru, Kelsey Baker

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Stroke, also termed cerebral infarction, results in neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation in the brain at area of the infarct and peri-infarct regions. Recent research has shown involvement of alternate motor pathways of the spinal cord in disease progression. Creating optimal techniques to study spinal cord MRI can give way to higher prognostic methods and enhanced treatment modalities in post-stroke patients. Here, we will review current research proposing various spinal cord MRI analysis techniques in different neurological conditions that can be applied to analyzing post-stroke spinal cord.

Retinoblastoma Transfection For Vegf Synthesis By Malat 1 (Preliminary Study), Ronkino T. Mccoy, Laura Valdez, Kyle Doxtater, Andrew Tsin

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Metastasis associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT 1) is a long non-coding RNA that has been implicated as a promotor of neovascularization in patients with diabetic retinopathy. The upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy by increasing angiogenesis, vasculogenesis, and vascular permeability. The purpose of this experiment is to investigate the relationship between MALAT 1 and VEGF in high and low glucose conditioned environment. Based on previous studies, MALAT 1 has been determined to be a possible target for treatment in patients with diabetic retinopathy. Further examination needs to be …

Improving Ob Trauma Care Using A Standardized Protocol, Johanna Renee Ridley, Madeline Elaine Huff, Abaigeal Thompson

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Introduction

Timely evaluation of a pregnant woman experiencing trauma has significant implications. To optimize trauma care for obstetrical patients, our Level I Trauma Center at Doctors Hospital at Renaissance initiated a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which puts an OBGYN at bedside within 15 minutes of arrival. This involves calling an ‘OB Trauma Alert’ and arranging expedited travel to the center. We performed a quality improvement initiative to evaluate operational compliance.

Methods

The IRB deemed this project non-regulated research. Therefore, we reviewed obstetrical trauma admissions and subsequent deliveries of pregnant women >20 weeks presenting within 2 years before SOP implementation through …

The Effect Of Implementing Ob Trauma Activation Standards On Maternal & Fetal Outcomes, Johanna Renee Ridley, Abaigeal Thompson

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

The risk of trauma during pregnancy is not well established in the United States but is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The overall goal of this study is to to initiate a formal ongoing process by which DHR can utilize objective measures to monitor and evaluate the quality of OB trauma services. We will use a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) approach to evaluate the effect of implementing an OB Trauma Activation Procedure, which places an OB team (obstetrician and labor RN) at the bedside within 15 minutes on maternal and fetal outcomes. 1,285 subjects were initially filtered to remove …

A Comparison Of The Prevalence Of Cirrhosis In A Hispanic And Non-Hispanic Population Based On Body Mass Index, Alexa Perlick, Abaigeal Thompson, Colton Wayne, Jose Campo Maldonado, Angel Rendon

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Background and Significance

The obesity epidemic is a growing public health concern. In addition to the already known complications and comorbidities associated with obesity, data suggest that obesity is an independent risk factor for the development of liver disease. ^1,2 However, there is a paucity of data regarding the clinical correlation of obesity and cirrhosis in a predominantly Hispanic population. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of cirrhosis stratified by BMI in a predominately Hispanic population.

Materials and Methods

This retrospective single-centered study was approved by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley institutional ethics …

Symptoms Of Depression And Anxiety Are Associated With Substances Used In Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (Ends): A Longitudinal Analysis From The Texas Adolescent Tobacco And Marketing Surveillance System (Tatams), Jacob Smith, Stephanie Clendennen, Anna V. Wilkinson, Melissa B. Harrell

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Introduction

Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use with nicotine or THC among adolescents and young adults is increasing. The goal of our research was to examine relationships between symptoms of anxiety or depression and ENDS use, whether with nicotine or THC, among young people in four major metropolitan areas of Texas.

Methods

The sample was 57.6% female and 37.6% Hispanic. Data were derived from Wave 9 (Spring, 2019) and Wave 10 (Fall, 2019) of the Texas Adolescent Tobacco and Marketing Surveillance system. Logistic regression analyses examined associations between symptoms of depression, anxiety, or comorbid depression and anxiety in the Spring, …

Flourishing After Sexual Assault: An Examination Of Self-Compassion In Women, Jessica E. Rick

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Sexual assault is a serious and increasing public health concern, which has spurred recent development of the #metoo movement (Miller, 2017; Sigurdsson, 2018). Much of the current literature and treatment emphasis focuses on how to bring survivors of sexual assault back to baseline functioning. This exclusive focus on stability models often neglects pathways by which survivors thrive and flourish following experiences with sexual violence. It is important to consider how sexual assault experiences relate to flourishing efforts. Self-compassion, or the ability to be open and non-judgmental about one’s own suffering and treat oneself with kindness in the face of pain, …

Effects Of An Educational Intervention On Students’ Knowledge And Attitude Towards Working With Older Adults, Johnna L. Kelley

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Many individuals report reservations about working with an older adult population. A potential factor that may influence this is openness to experience. Additionally, research shows that educational interventions are effective in increasing individuals’ level of knowledge on various topics including older adults and aging. This increased level of knowledge contributes to a higher level of willingness to work with an older adult population. In order to support and extend the existing literature on this topic, we examined the effect of a short-term education session on undergraduate students’ willingness to work with older adults in a variety of positions and settings. …