Digital Commons Network^™

Inspiring A Ripple: A Case For Evidence-Based, Biophilic Design For Affordable Housing, Chelcey A. Dunham

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

RELEVANCE

Currently in the US, 4 million families in need of affordable housing are not housed in affordable units and are spending 30-50% of their monthly income toward rent (Aurand, 2023.) Due to this shortage of affordable housing and the trajectory of its growth, advocacy groups and policy makers are making a push to fund more affordable housing projects. What if the designs of these projects were informed in such a way that individual and community mental health and wellness could be addressed in addition to meeting the demand for affordable, safe shelter? In this way, the return on …

In Shame I Will Find Paradise, Taehee Whang

Theses and Dissertations

As a Korean American non-binary digital artist and designer, my recent explorations have focused on using voice as a medium to articulate nuanced feelings of displacement and the intricate relationships between language, identity, and expression. This journey expands beyond my personal experiences with gender dysphoria, delving into the lives of non-binary and transgender individuals undergoing gender-affirming voice therapy. Through my thesis research, I have developed interactive multimedia installations inspired by dialogues with individuals such as Umico Niwa, who traveled to Korea for voice feminization surgery, and Jeong Yoon Lee from Hyperlink Press, a four-year participant in Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). …

Sense Make Before Book, Bradley Sinanan

Theses and Dissertations

“Sense Make Before Book” is an Indo-Caribbean turn of phrase which refers to common sense being more important than book smarts. My sister sent me a post the other day on Instagram of an Trinidadian woman using this phrase, saying it was one of Indo-Caribbean origin. I was interested and asked my mom about it. My mom says that when she was younger my grandpa said it often around their house in Princes Town, Trinidad and Tobago. This adage feels charged thinking about the history of indenture and its effects on the Indo-Caribbean diaspora.

The written word of archival history …

Obesity Knowledge And Bmi In Caregiver-Adolescent Dyads: A Descriptive Comparative Pilot Study, John Sykes, John Sykes

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of obesity and associated health risks and costs continue to increase. The majority of these health and cost ramifications manifest in adulthood, making it imperative to intercept the problem during childhood. Unfortunately, an overwhelming majority of the research surrounding adolescents and obesity to date involves subjects that are already overweight or obese, and the focus of those interventions are on secondary and tertiary prevention. Focusing on primary prevention of childhood obesity could ultimately decrease the incidence, prevalence, and disease-related burden to society. It is posited that the 20% difference in obesity prevalence between adults and children …

Drugging The Histone Acetyltransferase Ep300 Modulates Alternative Splicing At Schizophrenia Risk Genes, Shravani Malay

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose. We will evaluate the effects of drugging the epigenetic histone acetyltransferase (HAT) enzyme p300, encoded by the schizophrenia risk gene EP300, on genome-wide gene expression in neural cells. We hypothesize that drugging p300 will affect gene expression and alternative splicing of other schizophrenia risk genes. Our motivation is to identify potential new epigenetic treatment avenues for schizophrenia.

Methods. Prior to my joining the lab, an experiment was conducted using the novel p300 HAT inhibitor, A-485, to modulate genomic regulation in a neural cell line (SH-SY5Y). SH-SY5Y cells were exposed to 10μM of A-485 or vehicle (DMSO) for 24 …

Dune Dynamics- A Nature-Based Preschool, Aseel Alhaidari

Theses and Dissertations

Sustainability is a global issue that requires collaborative efforts. Environmental values and attitudes are shaped in adults by early exposure to nature. During the COVID-19 pandemic, remote learning increased the attention to nature-based learning from families and the press (Prochner, 2021).

Although many early childhood education approaches for the age group of 3-5 years recognize the importance of holistic development and focus on tailoring the learning experience to the developmental stage of young children, few emphasize the importance of integrating nature as one of the learning tools. Nature-deficit disorder in children means that children spend less time outdoors and in …

Mathematical Modeling And Analysis Of Inflammation And Tissue Repair: Lung Inflammation And Wound Healing In Corals Under Stress, Quintessa Hay

Theses and Dissertations

A variety of insults, including tissue injury and/or exposure to pathogen, elicit an immune response in many organisms. An improperly regulated immune response can result in deleterious effects to the organism. Here we present models for lung injury in young and old mice and models for wound healing in coral reefs.

It is well known that the immune response becomes less effective in older individuals. This is of particular interest in pulmonary insults such as ventilator induced lung injury (VILI) or lung infection. We extended a mathematical model for the inflammatory response to VILI and used experimental data to select …

Dynamic Mathematical Approaches To Understanding Pain In Sickle Cell Disease, Quindel Jones

Theses and Dissertations

In the last 50 years, pain in Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) has become more widely studied thanks to advancements in technology and awareness. Clinical studies, population surveys, pharmaceutical trials, and computational models have been created and conducted to elucidate the mechanisms, treatments, and prediction of Sickle Cell disease pain episodes. Computational models have become quite useful in unraveling disease pathology with the rise in data collection accessibility and advanced computational power. In particular, dynamic mathematical models have been used to investigate Sickle Cell disease pathology and treatment. In this work we conduct a literature review of mathematical models used in …

African American Adolescents' Exposure To Community Firearm Violence And Associated Factors, Colleen S. Walsh

Theses and Dissertations

Firearm violence is a public health crisis in the United States that disproportionately impacts African American adolescents and families living in economically marginalized communities. The current firearm violence exposure literature includes a limited focus on the (a) the identification of risk and promotive factors that influence the likelihood of exposure to community firearm violence, (b) is cross-sectional, (c) focuses on outcomes of firearm violence exposure, and (d) does not examine bi-directional relations to determine if risk and promotive factors are causes and/or consequences of firearm violence exposure. This gap in research is further exacerbated by the limited focus on African …

Stereotypes Of A Black Man Misunderstood: The Experiences And Development Of Black Men With Bipolar Disorder On College Campuses, Gerron Scott

Theses and Dissertations

Black men graduate from universities at a lower rate compared to other groups. Students with disabilities also graduate at a lower rate. When the two groups intersect, the results can be disastrous. Black men with bipolar disorder face a host of problems on college campuses. From a lack of sense of belonging to trouble in class, they struggle to stay afloat in college. The purpose of this study was to document the experiences and development of Black men with bipolar disorder on college campuses. A grounded theory approach was used in this study. Grounded theory was chosen because it leads …

Revealing The Elusive Mechanism Of Action Of The Lipid Chaperone Fatty Acid Binding Protein 4, Abdul J. Castillo Ibanez

Theses and Dissertations

Fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) are pivotal in orchestrating lipid trafficking within cells. This dissertation aims to reveal the mechanism of action of adipocyte FABP (FABP4) by meticulously detailing steps for producing uniformly isotopically labeled protein, understanding dynamics and structural changes in aqueous conditions, analyzing protein-membrane interaction with membrane mimicking models, and revealing its membrane-bound state through novel NMR structural elucidation. Chapter 1 provides an overview of FABP4's indispensable role in lipid trafficking, emphasizing its significance in maintaining cellular homeostasis and metabolic regulation. Chapter 2 delves into the optimization of FABP4 protein expression and proposes a high yield recovery and …

Double Jointed: Gendered Flexibility And The Overextended Self, Grace A. Bromley

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores compulsory domesticity and the impulse to overextend oneself, both pressures often associated with the construct of femininity. Through diving into my personal history, which includes growing up in a three-generational home of women, I explore mimesis as it functions in both the replication of identity and in terms of pictorial representation; specifically I address its relationship to gender, manifestation within the body, and the search for subjectivity through the process of making and thinking. In various forms of material explorations, I play with ideas of malleability, mimicry and “embedded” behaviors that are passed down and embodied in …

The Neural Mechanisms Of Inter-Friend Aggression, Wyatt Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Decades of research concerns intimate partner aggression (IPA). While important to understand and prevent, investigations of IPA largely ignore another vital social relationship: close friendships. To investigate aggression between close friends – inter-friend aggression (IFA) – functional neuroimaging analyses enable to assessment of neural activity and mental representations of aggression in different social relationships. As such, 98 participants completed the well-validated Taylor Aggression Paradigm modified for a magnetic resonance environment against their current romantic partner, a close friend, and a stranger. Univariate analyses assessed the differences in the degree of neural activity and the role of Narcissism and negative urgency …

Associations Among Acculturative Stress, Body Ideal Internalization, Body Dissatisfaction And Disordered Eating Behaviors Among Cisgender Heterosexual And Lgbt People Of Color, Taryn Henning

Theses and Dissertations

Research supports the relation between acculturative stress and disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) across racially and ethnically diverse groups of men and women. However, there is minimal research examining factors that further explain the relation between acculturative stress and DEBs. Also, this relation has not been evaluated in racially and ethnically diverse LGBT individuals. The current study aimed to address these gaps by examining the role of thin-, muscular-, and hourglass-ideal internalization and body dissatisfaction as mediators of the relation between acculturative stress and disordered eating behaviors among cisgender heterosexual Black, Latine, Asian American, Multiracial men and women and LGBT men …

Reflection: Cultivating Creativity And Healing Through Art Therapy, Caroline Ciccone

Theses and Dissertations

I was first introduced to the healing powers of art after working in an orphanage in Jamaica with children who had a wide range of disabilities. Some children were mute or unable to communicate, but art was a form of communication that brought us all together. Within the City of Richmond public school system, 31.7% of students are economically challenged and 13.1% of students are disabled (Education, 2022). Giving more resources in the arts and mental health support to students outside of their school environments is the goal. Art therapy helps reduce the dropout rate and improve mental health (10 …

Age Of First Dental Visit And Early Childhood Oral Health Quality Of Life, Richard Greene

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: This project aims to examine the association between the age of a child's first dental visit and their Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) score.

Methods: A 22-item cross-sectional survey was distributed to caregivers of healthy children aged 5 years and younger with an American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) I and II status who presented for new patient exams.

Results: In total, 117 caregivers participated in the survey. The ECOHIS was assessed on a 5-point Likert scale and scores ranged from 0-52; higher values indicate poor oral health having a greater impact on the child and family. Those …

Particl Plant Medicine, Tommye Dean

Theses and Dissertations

In an era marked by a growing recognition of mental health as a critical component of overall well-being, unconventional approaches to therapeutic interventions have gained prominence. One such intervention coincides with the importance of setting the intersection of psychedelic therapy and interior design, creating a synergistic environment for emotional healing and self-discovery. This thesis ventures to delve into the uncharted territory where the realms of altered states of consciousness and thoughtful spatial design converge, seeking to discover the profound impact this collaboration may have on the therapeutic and design landscape.

Assessment Of Maxillary Sinus Pneumatization In Dentate And Edentulous Areas Using Cone Beam Computed Tomography, Catherine Ramundo

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: The primary goal of this retrospective analysis is to analyze the morphologic changes that occur following extraction in regards to sinus pneumatization.

Methods: The patient population was selected from the VCU School of Dentistry Graduate Periodontics Department. Cone Beam Computed Tomography scans (CBCT) was obtained from patients that had a posterior tooth extracted. A horizontal tangent line was drawn to the inferior border of the nasal cavity, acting as a constant reference point for measuring the extent of maxillary sinus pneumatization. Radiographic measurements were performed from a horizontal line at this fixed anatomical marker to the deepest level of …

The Value Of Educating Teachers, Coaches, And Athletic Trainers On The Management Of Dental Trauma., Darlene W. Jean

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To investigate the benefit of educating teachers, coaches, and athletic trainers about dental trauma to prevent incidents and improve the management of students/athletes with dental trauma.

Methods: Teachers, coaches, and athletic trainers throughout the greater Richmond metro area were recruited via email. Participants answered a pre-seminar survey to evaluate their baseline knowledge and determine whether they have experienced dental trauma with their students/athletes previously. The participants were given the option to attend an in-person or virtual seminar educating them on the basic management of traumatic dental injuries and how to guide affected students/athletes and their families to obtain optimal …

Zaytouna: Rooted Histories In Uprooted Memories, Naima M. Almajdobah

Theses and Dissertations

Palestinians, whether living under occupation or—like myself—in the diaspora, experience a complex journey of displacement and dispossession stemming from the Nakba of 1948. This reality shapes our collective identity, rooted in our connection to our homeland.

Zaytouna explores an under-researched topic: the relationship between the olive tree and uprooted Palestinians. It reveals a rich tapestry of narratives that encompass the quintessential and everlasting relationship between a land and its people. The resulting interactive archival installation consists of two parts: audio recordings from Palestinians in the diaspora, which capture their memories and voices; and visuals, which represent the storytellers’ places of …

Clinical Outcomes Of Primary Anterior Esthetic Crowns In Pediatric Dentistry, Jenan Alahmad

Theses and Dissertations

Clinical Outcomes of Primary Anterior Esthetic Crowns in Pediatric Dentistry - A Prospective Cohort Study

By: Jenan Alahmad, BDS

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2024

Thesis Advisor: Parthasarathy Madurantakam, DDS, MDS, PhD

Department of Pediatric Dentistry

BODY

Purpose: This prospective cohort study aimed to compare the effectiveness of restoring maxillary anterior teeth in children (aged 3-6 years) with three different materials: Zirconia Crowns (ZC), Resin Composite Crowns (RC), and Pre-veneered Stainless-Steel Crowns (PVSSC). The study aims to assess the Oral …

A Preliminary Report Of A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Comparing Ferric Sulfate With Zin Oxide Eugenol And Non-Eugenol Based Material For Pulpotomy In Primary Molar Teeth, Sarah Balal

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of eugenol and non-eugenol-based Zinc Oxide Eugenol (ZOE) cements on primary tooth pulpotomies where Ferric Sulfate (FS) is used as a medicament.

Methods: Children aged 3-7 years with dental caries in their primary molars that have clinical and radiographic diagnosis of reversible pulpitis and undergoing dental treatment under Oral Conscious Sedation (OCS) or General Anesthesia (GA) were recruited. Children were randomly assigned to receive either FS and ZOE (IRM) or FS and non-eugenol based (CAVIT). The outcomes were assessed based on failure rates of the materials separately for clinical or radiographic evidence …

Established Colonization Of Sneathia Vaginalis In A Mouse Model, Kailyn E. Turcios-Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

Sneathia vaginalis (Sv) is a gram-negative anaerobic bacterium associated with adverse reproductive outcomes. Sv can traverse the fetal membrane and damage epithelial cells in vitro by producing a pore-forming cytotoxin, cytopathogenic toxin A (CptA). To further understand the transition of Sv from normal flora to a pathogen, an animal in vivo model needs to be created to observe the preliminary ascending infection before we begin to study the effects on pregnancy. Experimentation was conducted to optimize mouse breed, bacteria administration methods, and other variables that arise when working in vivo. The C57BL/6 mouse strain displayed the most consistent …

Acute Effects Of An Oral Nicotine Pouch In People Who Use Smokeless Tobacco, Alisha Eversole

Theses and Dissertations

People who use smokeless tobacco (SLT) are exposed to a variety of carcinogenic toxicants, yet, despite health risks, nearly 6 million people in the US use SLT. SLT contains and delivers nicotine, a psychostimulant that causes dependence and hinders cessation efforts. An orally-administered nicotine pouch marketed as “tobacco-free” recently has become available for purchase in the US. However, there are very few non-industry-sponsored studies regarding the effects of these oral nicotine pouches.

The current study used clinical laboratory methods to determine the acute effects of an oral nicotine pouch in people who use SLT. Participants completed four sessions (within subjects, …

Mental Health Help-Seeking Behaviors And Service Utilization Of Black College Students, Troy J. Keys

Theses and Dissertations

Black college students are less likely to seek mental health services compared to other students. While previous research has identified barriers and facilitators contributing to Black college students’ help-seeking behaviors, the current political and social climate and pandemic have negatively impacted their mental health thus warranting the exploration of these factors again. This study aimed to identify the mental health help-seeking behaviors and attitudes of Black college students, the barriers and supports for help-seeking behaviors, their preferred service utilization providers, and their thoughts about promoting mental health help-seeking among their peers. Black college students (n = 21) enrolled at an …

Assessing Providers’ Readiness To Integrate Mat Services In A Primary Care Setting, Carmen Ingram-Thorpe

Theses and Dissertations

Opioid use disorder is a growing concern in the United States. Despite medication-assisted treatment (MAT) being a more effective treatment option than behavioral treatment alone, primary care providers’ rate of adoption and utilization of MAT has not matched the demand of the opioid crisis. The largest barrier facing our local community is the availability of organizations and providers that can and will actually provide MAT services. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that impact primary care providers’ readiness to treat individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) using MAT. This study used the ADKAR model as framework, which …

Mindfulness, Moral Outrage, And The Climate Crisis: A Novel Approach Toward Motivating Pro-Environmental Behaviors, Erika Blair

Theses and Dissertations

The consequences of anthropogenic climate change are severe, continuously accelerating, and pose serious threats to the human and natural world. It is imperative to address the climate crisis from a psychosocial perspective and incite lasting, individual-level behavioral change. Various theoretical models have been adapted or developed to explain pro-environmental behaviors. However, the predictive powers of the most commonly used models have proven to be limited, and the underlying psychological processes of pro-environmental behavior constitute a significant gap in the literature. The present study identifies two psychological processes that show significant promise in motivating pro-environmental behaviors: moral outrage and mindfulness. Moral …

Investigating The Impact Of Chronic Inflammatory Pain On Ethanol Consumption In Mouse Models., Joshua L. Hunt

Theses and Dissertations

Chronic pain affects nearly 20% of Americans annually and for many alcohol provides a convenient and legally acquired palliative. Population-based studies have suggested a link between increased alcohol use and reduced pain, but chronic or excessive alcohol use potentiates the risk to develop alcohol dependence and neuropathy. However, sex differences in chronic pain and alcohol abuse are still not well understood. In the present study, we investigated whether chronic inflammatory pain using the inflammatory agent Complete Freund’s Adjuvant (CFA) model could alter ethanol consumption in male and female C57BL/6J mice. We observed that only CFA-treated male mice increased their ethanol …

Memory Impairments Due To Binge Ethanol Are Impacted By Age And Sex, Maria Alexis M. Bent

Theses and Dissertations

Ethanol is the most consumed drug among adolescents, which can cause long-term effects on memory and changes in gene and protein expression. While both adolescents and adults engage in binge drinking, the neurological and behavioral effects differ, with adolescents showing fewer adverse physiological effects but greater memory deficits than adults. Sex differences related to ethanol occur with women showing higher BEC than men and similar cognitive deficits despite fewer years of ethanol consumption. During adolescence the mPFC and dHPC undergo maturation development with both brain regions playing a role in spatial and recognition memory. Proteins critically involved in memory and …

Exploring The Role Of Senescence In Disuse-Induced Bone Loss And Therapeutic Strategies For Prevention, Steven J. Meas

Theses and Dissertations

Both age-related and disuse-related bone loss result in decreases in bone mineral density, cortical thickness, and trabecular thickness and connectivity. Disuse induces physiological changes in bone similar to those seen with aging. This study compared age- and disuse-related bone loss using C57BL/6J mice of various ages that were hind-limb unloaded (HLU). In male and female mice, HLU induced a bone phenotype between those of 6-month-old and 22-month-old control mice. Gene analysis suggested that HLU leads to mitochondrial dysfunction, while aging primarily downregulates cell cycle processes. Although, the specific response to HLU appeared to be dependent on age. The study identified …