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Protocol: Conflict Of Interest Issues When Engaging Stakeholders In Health And Healthcare Guideline Development: A Systematic Review, Joanne Khabsa, Jennifer Petkovic, Alison Riddle, Lyubov Lytvyn, Olivia Magwood, Pearl Atwere, Pauline Campbell, Srinivasa V. Katikireddi, Bronwen Merner, Mona Nasser, Stephanie Chang, Garcia A Jaramillo, Heather Limburg, Jeanne Marie Guise, Peter Tugwell, Elie A. Akl

More Faculty of Health Research

AbstractThis is the protocol for a Campbell systematic review. The overall objective of this study is to gather and summarize the existing literature on conflict of interest issues when engaging stakeholders in guideline development.

‘A Platform For Goodness, Not For Badness’: The Heuristics Of Hope In Patients' Evaluations Of Online Health Information, Alan Petersen, Allegra Schermuly, Alison Anderson

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

Patient advocates and activists are increasingly relying on online health information that can assist them to manage their health condition. Yet once online, they will confront diverse information whose veracity and utility are difficult to determine. This article offers a sociological analysis of the practical methods, or heuristics, that patient advocates and activists use when making judgements about the credibility and utility of online information. Drawing on the findings from interviews with fifty Australian patient advocates and activists, it is argued that these individuals' use of these heuristics reflects their hopes that information can help them manage their condition which …

Sense And The City: An Emotion Data Framework For Smart City Governance, Katharine S. Willis, Christian Nold

School of Art, Design and Architecture

In the smart city agenda, data plays a key role in shaping governance and participation around urban planning, and this data is increasingly derived from sensors of all kinds. These sensors increasingly include physiological and sentiment analysis to gauge the emotional states of urban citizens. In urban planning, emotional data has so far been conceptualised as ‘people as sensors’ where data is used to create an aggregated emotion layer for real-time urban planning. This paper argues this approach does not enable citizens any meaningful participation in urban planning. In contrast, this paper demonstrates what emotion can ‘do’ when citizen actively …

Microplastics In The School Classrooms Of Shiraz, Iran, Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner, Reza Sharifi, Mohammad Javad Nematollahi, Mehrzad Keshavarzifard, Tahereh Moghtaderi

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Microplastics (MPs) are a pervasive and ubiquitous environmental contaminant. However, very little information exists on the quantities or characteristics of MPs in the indoor setting. In the present study, MPs have been isolated from settled classroom dust samples collected from 50 schools in the city of Shiraz, Iran. Concentrations of MPs on a number basis ranged from about 80 to over 56,000 MP per g of dry dust and there was an increase in concentration towards the centre and southeast of the city. The geographical distribution is attributed to a larger population and student density, higher traffic loading and greater …

Geophagy And Microplastic Ingestion, Hoda Amiri, Mohammad Hoseini, Sajjad Abbasi, Mohammad Malakootian, Majid Hashemi, Neamatollah Jaafarzadeh, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Hypertension Alters The Function And Expression Profile Of The Peptide Cotransporters Pept1 And Pept2 In The Rodent Renal Proximal Tubule, Othman A. Alghamdi, Nicola King, Nicholas M. Andronicos, Graham L. Jones, Belal Chami, Paul K. Witting, Pierre D.J. Moens

School of Biomedical Sciences

Hypertension is a major risk factor for kidney and cardiovascular disease. The treatment of hypertensive individuals by selected ACE inhibitors and certain di-and tripeptides halts the progression of renal deterioration and extends life-span. Renal reabsorption of these low molecular weight substrates are mediated by the PEPT1 and PEPT2 cotransporters. This study aims to investigate whether hypertension and ageing affects renal PEPT cotransporters at gene, protein expression and distribution as well as function in the superficial cortex and the outer medulla of the kidney. Membrane vesicles from the brush border (BBMV) and outer medulla (OMMV) were isolated from the kidneys of …

Trauma In Transition - Lived Experiences Of Trauma Informed Approaches, Emma Taylor, Katie Mcbride

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

Increasing numbers of organisations are seeking the contributions of people who haveexperienced trauma in order to develop their services and support. The aims of this piece ofresearch were to understand the lived experiences of trauma. In particular, how policy anddecision makers can best learn from people with lived experiences of trauma to improvetheir service design and delivery. The overall ambitions of the research team in relation tothis piece of work are to produce accessible knowledge that can be used to inform futureresearch, and the way in which trauma can be better accounted for and supported in boththe design and delivery …

Marjon Connect Conversation Partner Scheme: Fourteen Years, Three Thousand Conversations And Quite A Few Cups Of Tea, Esther Pettit

School of Health Professions

No abstract provided.

Preferences Of Newly Qualified Healthcare Professionals For Working With People With Dementia: A Qualitative Study, M Hebditch, S Banerjee, J Wright, S Daley

School of Health Professions

Background there is little research on preferences in students and newly qualified healthcare professionals for working with people with dementia. Understanding the development of these preferences can help inform strategies to increase workforce capacity in response to current suboptimal dementia care and the increasing numbers of people with dementia. Objective to explore the factors that influence career preferences in relation to working with people with dementia. Specifically, to understand how these factors relate to early career doctors’ and nurses’ preferences and how they influence decisions and perspectives on their careers. Methods qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 27 newly qualified …

Exploring The Effect Of Implementing Affordable Socially Assistive Pet Robots In Eight Care Homes Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Stratified Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial And Mixed-Method Study., Hannah Bradwell, Katie Edwards, Rhona Winnington, Serge Thill, Victoria Allgar, Ray Jones

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Abstract Background Robot pets may assist towards challenges of supporting an aging population with growing dementia prevalence. Prior work focused on impacts of robot seal Paro on older adult wellbeing, but recent studies suggest good acceptability and implementation feasibility of more affordable devices (Joy for All (JfA) cats and dogs), yet effectiveness research was limited. Methods We conducted an eight-month, stratified, cluster randomised controlled trial, in eight care homes in Cornwall, UK. Over four months, four care homes each received two JfA devices (one cat and dog), and four homes received care as usual (intervention and control group). Psychometrics were …

One-Year Post-Operative Comparison Of Visual Function And Patient Satisfaction With Trifocal And Extended Depth Of Focus Intraocular Lenses, Elizabeth M. Law, Rajesh K. Aggarwal, Hetal Buckhurst, Hosam E. Kasaby, Jonathan Marsden, Gary Shum, Phillip J. Buckhust

School of Health Professions

PURPOSE: To evaluate visual performance with trifocal and extended depth of focus IOL at 1 year post-operatively.

SETTING: BMI Southend Hospital.

DESIGN: Cohort study.

METHODS: An age-matched cohort of forty subjects bilaterally implanted with the AT LISA 839MP trifocal IOL (20 patients, 40 eyes) and the Tecnis Symfony extended depth of focus IOL (20 patients, 40 eyes) were assessed at 3-6 months and 12-18 months post-operatively. Primary outcome measures were distance (6 m), intermediate (70 cm), near visual acuity (40 cm), and analysis of defocus profiles. Secondary outcomes included contrast sensitivity, Radner reading performance, quality of vision and assessment of …

The Fluency Trust Residential Course For Young People Who Stutter: A Pragmatic Feasibility Study., Anna Prince, Jonathan Marsden, Yvonne Wren, Rosemarie Hayhow, Sam Harding

School of Health Professions

Introduction A feasibility study of The Fluency Trust Residential Course (FTRC) for adolescents who stutter was conducted. The study aimed to measure key areas of a feasibility trial, for example, recruitment and retention, outcome measure completion, outcome measure reliability, and acceptability of the intervention to inform future research into the FTRC. Methods Quantitative and qualitative methods were used. Participants were 23 adolescents (12–17 years), 23 parents and 2 Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) from the FTRC. Data collection included: outcome measure collection via a pre-test post-test quasi-experimental design (including two baseline measures), intervention fidelity checklists, semi-structured interviews with adolescents to explore acceptability …

Community Campus As Threshold: A Space Of Dialogue For Academia And The Community, R Brown, P Warwick, Zoe Latham, Rachel Manning, Sebastian Stevens

School of Art, Design and Architecture

This paper explores an argument for community-situated spaces of encounter – acting as thresholds – between community and academia, through which: learning can be enhanced; a greater sense of identity and efficacy can be fostered; and a defined agency can be enabled. This proposition prioritises a dialogic relationship in a shared ground of agency and discourse, whose potential is reinforced through a rediscovery of the local arising from the Covid pandemic. The rediscovery of the local has pushed civic-minded universities pre-existing interrogation of their community-based learning practice in the context of marginalised communities; a key challenge is how to foster …

Messages In A Time Of Crisis Graphic Communication Design A Change Of Tack?, V Squire

School of Art, Design and Architecture

No abstract provided.

A Cross Sectional Study Investigating Dynamic Balance When Stepping In Children With Cerebral Palsy, R Rapson, J Marsden, Jm Latour, B Carter, V Pitsouni

School of Health Professions

No abstract provided.

A 15-Year Partnership Between Uk Coastal Scientists And The International Beach Lifeguard Community, Tim Scott, Gerd Masselink, Christopher Stokes, Tim Poate, Adam Wooler, Steve Instance

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Drowning is a leading cause of unintentional fatalities around the world, yet on beaches is often preventable through public education campaigns and intervention activities from lifeguards. In 2006, the UK beach lifeguarding community approached the Coastal Processes Research Group (CPRG) at University of Plymouth, UK, with a need to better understand the key hazards on UK beaches and how to foresee and manage the associated risks. In some cases there simply was not sufficient scientifically-robust understanding of certain hazards (for example rip currents) available for lifeguard managers to make objective, data-driven decisions on how to manage them. This paper documents …

Deoxyribose Phosphate Aldolase Is Required For Development Of Hematopoietic Stem Cells In The Zebrafish Embryo, Anubhav Thapaliya, Sanyam Patel, Teerth Y. Patel, Sivam J. Bhatt, Erich W. Damm

UROP Posters

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are an integral part of modern biomedical research because they are precursors to all blood cell lineages in vertebrates. Further understanding of hematopoietic development will allow for improvements in the success of therapeutic bone marrow transplantation; which is a crucial treatment in management of both malignant and non-malignant blood disorders. Although HSC transplantation is curative for many blood disorders, finding compatible donors is difficult due to a need for immunologic compatibility. Consequently, recent research efforts have been directed towards generating HSCs for the patient, from the patient themselves through the directed differentiation of induced pluripotent stem …

A Highly Conductive, Flexible, And 3d-Printable Carbon Nanotube-Elastomer Ink For Additive Bio-Manufacturing, Andy Shar, Phillip Glass, Daeha Joung Ph.D.

UROP Posters

The synthesis of a highly conductive, flexible, 3D-printable, and biocompatible ink has been of great interest in the field of bio-based additive manufacturing. Various applications include ultra-sensitive, microscale tactile sensors, patient-customizable scaffolds for cardiac and nerve tissue regeneration, and flexible electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes. Here, a novel elastomeric carbon nanocomposite is presented consisting of amino-functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNT-NH₂) homogenously dispersed in a one-part room-temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone matrix. The use of acetone as a swelling solvent aids in electrical percolation through the elastomer matrix. CNT-NH₂ ratios can be tuned to fit various needs; higher tensile strength is favored …

Introduction Of Plasmid Dna Into Sneathia Vaginalis; The First Step To Genetic Manipulation, Rea Mansukhani, Cathyrn O'Brien, Zion Mccoy, Kimberly K. Jefferson

UROP Posters

Many bacterial pathogens are capable of secreting one or more toxins, all of which can be categorized based on their function, target, or mechanism of action. Pore-forming toxins, for instance, are characterized based on their ability to perforate the host membrane. This may result in the delivery of bacterial substances into the host cell, release of compounds from the host cell, and/or death of the host cell. Research from our lab has demonstrated that Sneathia vaginalis, a gram-negative anaerobic bacterial species that is associated with bacterial vaginosis and preterm birth, produces a pore-forming toxin referred to as cytopathogenic toxin …

Health Disparities In Afro-Latinx Populations: Chronic Health Diseases, Linguistic And Cultural Competency, And Inequities And Barriers In Richmond, Virginia, Roma A. Kankaria, Avani Hariprashad, Henzee Machado, Teerth Patel, Anubhav Thapaliya

UROP Posters

Afro-Latinx individuals face health disparities that differ from those faced by white Latinx individuals. This literature review was conducted by the Collective Corazón—a VCU student organization, mentored by Dr. Indira Sultanić, that addresses Latinx health equity through service and advocacy—in order to examine the underlying causes of Afro-Latinx health disparities. Skin color is a predictor of health, life expectancy, and quality of life for many Latinx individuals. On average, Afro-Latinx individuals in particular have less access to education, fewer financial freedoms, and poorer health outcomes. The Afro-Latinx community also describes higher rates of discrimination compared to white Latinx individuals. As …

The Water Solubility Of Ursolic Acid Complexes At Different Choline Concentrations, Sera Lim, Renjie Zhan, Phillip M. Gerk

UROP Posters

No abstract provided.

Review Of The Effects Of Asphalt Fume Emission (Vocs And Pahs) In Vitro, In Vivo And Human Studies, Omran Taqi, Nastassja Lewinski, Elham Fini, Eran Rozewski, Judith Klein-Seetharaman

UROP Posters

Review of the effects of Asphalt fume emission (VOCs and PAHs) in vitro, in vivo and human studies

Omran Taqi, Nastassja Lewinski¹

1) Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA

Background

Asphalt is abundantly available around human operations including road paving and roofing sites. However, their emissions and fumes (specifically volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)) have been found to have adverse effects on health. Asphalt fumes are a class 2A carcinogen and exposure can increase the risk of lung cancer, asthma, headache, fatigue, and other cardiovascular diseases.

Methods

We used …

Astrocyte Elevated Gene-1 (Aeg-1) Deletion Selectively Enhances The Antinociceptive Effects Of Morphine, Apurva Puli, Shivani Patel, Bryan Mckiver, Eda Köseli, Devanand Sarkar Ph.D., M. Imad Damaj Ph.D.

UROP Posters

Background: Opioids are a class of drugs that are utilized in clinical settings to alleviate acute and chronic pain, but can often lead to development of tolerance, addiction and overdose following prolonged usage. Opioids such as morphine function by activating endogenous µ opioid receptors, which are located in various tissues throughout the body. Astrocyte Elevated Gene-1 (AEG-1) is a multifunctional protein that regulates inflammation, myeloid cell activity and lipid metabolism. Studies have shown interactions and overlaps in cellular signaling between the inflammatory/immune responses and the endogenous opioid system which could suggest a role for AEG-1 in opioids effects. Our goal …

A Participatory Group Process To Collect And Disseminate Covid-19 Needs Assessment Data, Areebah Ahmed

UROP Posters

The Richmond, VA COVID-19 Needs Assessment Survey (RVA CoNA) was created in March 2020 to identify behaviors and needs related to COVID-19 in Richmond area adults ages 18 and over. Results are being used to inform support, strategic efforts, and educational outreach of local community organizations. The purpose of this study is to (1) summarize the process used to develop the RVA CoNA, (2) summarize preliminary survey results from a second phase of data collection as well as initial feedback from community partners, and (3) summarize initial conclusions and results dissemination strategies.Community partners and researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University jointly …

Dental Safety Net Patients’ Reflections On Their Dental Problems And Opportunities For Care, Jenifer Euceda Nunez

UROP Posters

Introduction: Low-income and underserved populations have disproportionately more unmet oral health needs. This may reflect factors across the lifetime as well as current home hygiene and access to care. These experiences lead to dental care having personal impacts on their lives that oftentimes can lead to personal opinions and stories. Their opinions and stories can provide insight to new themes that are not found within the existing limited literature. Steering away from a technical view on oral health research, personal perspectives can provide a new approach to oral health utilization that can further expand the limited existing literature. Objective: To …

Modified Ysk12-Mend-Sirna In Dendritic Cells For Cancer Immunotherapy, Syed S. Alam

UROP Posters

Tumors may induce tolerogenesis through signaling dendritic cells to produce tolerogenic molecules, such as indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1). Tumor-associated immunosuppression is associated with higher mortality in patients. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) has been shown to silence specific target genes in the target cell. The siRNA associated with these genes could support a gene knockdown of these immunosuppressors and reduce mortality. Delivery of these therapeutic nucleic acids is difficult in vivo because siRNA is easily broken down inside the cell and the bloodstream through present nucleases. Use of liposome polymers has been reviewed extensively in literature. YSK12-C4, a lipid nanoparticle …

Highest Densities Of Mountain Hares ( Lepus Timidus ) Associated With Ecologically Restored Bog But Not Grouse Moorland Management, Carlos P.E. Bedson, Philip M. Wheeler, Neil Reid, Wilson Edwin Harris, David Mallon, Simon Caporn, Richard Preziosi

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Identifying Conservation Priorities For Gorgonian Forests In Italian Coastal Waters With Multiple Methods Including Citizen Science And Social Media Content Analysis, Arianna Liconti, Simon J. Pittman, Sian E. Rees, Nova Mieszkowska

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of The Seagrass Walk, An Immersive Living Arts Piece Installed At The National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth, Uk. A Report Funded By The Green Minds Project, S Rees, A Morgan, C Parrott

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Conflict Positioning In Crisis Communication: Impact Of Antecedent Conditions On Negotiation, Pang, A., Glen T. Cameron

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Organizations need to position themselves favorably in times of crisis. The conflict positioning conceptualization offers a framework for organizations to do so by integrating insights of crisis communication with negotiation through the following steps. First, understanding the factors that will affect an organization's ability to handle the crisis. Second, based on the influence of these factors, examine the stance the organization will adopt. Third, examine the strategies the organization will embrace. Four, the strategies adopted will impact the conflict property it aims to resolve which will in turn influence the negotiation approach and the relationship dynamics between the organization and …