Digital Commons Network^™

Electroconvulsive Therapy Safety Biomarkers, Jeremy Duvall Miller

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Objective: The two studies presented utilize neuroimaging data to evaluate potential therapeutic and safety biomarkers in depressed patients receiving Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT).

Method: The first study enrolled 41 depressed subjects receiving ECT from two independent sites and evaluated gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA+) in the anterior cingulate cortex with proton-spectroscopy contrasted with healthy controls and therapeutic and cognitive outcomes. The second study investigated 17 subjects receiving ECT and evaluated ictal theta power during ECT to electric dose measured by E-field modeling, therapeutic and cognitive outcomes.

Results: No significant difference was seen in GABA+ in depressed subjects receiving ECT compared to healthy …

Risk Factors For Severe Covid-19 Differ By Age For Hospitalized Adults, Sevda Molani, Patricia V Hernandez, Ryan T Roper, Venkata R Duvvuri, Andrew M Baumgartner, Jason D Goldman, Nilüfer Ertekin-Taner, Cory C Funk, Nathan D Price, Noa Rappaport, Jennifer J Hadlock

Open Access Publications

Risk stratification for hospitalized adults with COVID-19 is essential to inform decisions about individual patients and allocation of resources. So far, risk models for severe COVID outcomes have included age but have not been optimized to best serve the needs of either older or younger adults. Models also need to be updated to reflect improvements in COVID-19 treatments. This retrospective study analyzed data from 6906 hospitalized adults with COVID-19 from a community health system across five states in the western United States. Risk models were developed to predict mechanical ventilation illness or death across one to 56 days of hospitalization, …

Patient Knowledge Of Family History Of Cardiac Events And Risk Factors: Potential For Increase In Preventative Care Of Cardiovascular Diseases, Joseph Marentette

Honors Theses

The following literature review regards the preventative care of cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients with the knowledge of familial cardiac events and personal cardiac risk factors, particularly in younger populations ranging from ages 18 to 39, and develop potential preventative care measures. CVD is preventable with early reduction of risk factors. People can lower the impact of cardiac risk factors through the modification of their current lifestyle and behavioral habits. However, this is limited to the education and motivation of the person. Primary emphasis must be placed on community education and physician-patient interactions regarding CVD and cardiac risk factors. Physicians need …

Evaluating The Potential Impact Of Ototoxicant Exposure On Worker Health, Cody Beaver

Theses

Occupational exposure to ototoxicants, substances that can cause hearing loss or exacerbate the impact of noise exposure, is a workplace hazard that is not well understood. Existing research generally agrees that some solvents and heavy metals may be ototoxic, but few studies have attempted to establish the impact of exposure to ototoxicants in the workplace. This study examined trends in workplace exposure to ototoxicants among workers in the United States by comparing exposure data collected by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration against worker hearing loss data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2012 through 2019. The study …

Identification Of The Putative Binding Site Of A Novel Benzimidazole (Etazene) And Its Metabolites On Μ-Opioid Receptor: A Systematic Computational Study And Detection Using Human Liver Microsomes, Isuru Nipun Hewamanna

Honors Theses

The abuse of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) has risen dramatically worldwide, especially among recreational users and regular abusers. The absence of pharmacological and toxicological data on new, illicitly used, and abused opioids, results in serious adverse effects, including death. The synthetic benzimidazole opioid, Etazene (70 times higher analgesic activity than morphine), gained popularity as a recreational drug on the illegal/darknet market; however, no experimental information is available at the

molecular level on the binding mechanism and putative binding site of Etazene and its metabolites at the µ-opioid receptor (MOR). In the present study, we investigated the possibilities of MOR activation …

Targeting Cd123 In Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm Using Allogeneic Anti-Cd123 Car T Cells, Tianyu Cai, Agnès Gouble, Kathryn L Black, Anna Skwarska, Ammar S Naqvi, Deanne Taylor, Ming Zhao, Qi Yuan, Mayumi Sugita, Qi Zhang, Roman Galetto, Stéphanie Filipe, Antonio Cavazos, Lina Han, Vinitha Kuruvilla, Helen Ma, Connie Weng, Chang-Gong Liu, Xiuping Liu, Sergej Konoplev, Jun Gu, Guilin Tang, Xiaoping Su, Gheath Al-Atrash, Stefan Ciurea, Sattva S Neelapu, Andrew A Lane, Hagop Kantarjian, Monica L Guzman, Naveen Pemmaraju, Julianne Smith, Andrei Thomas-Tikhonenko, Marina Konopleva

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare hematologic malignancy with poor outcomes with conventional therapy. Nearly 100% of BPDCNs overexpress interleukin 3 receptor subunit alpha (CD123). Given that CD123 is differentially expressed on the surface of BPDCN cells, it has emerged as an attractive therapeutic target. UCART123 is an investigational product consisting of allogeneic T cells expressing an anti-CD123 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), edited with TALEN

The Dual Pandemic Of 2020: Rhetorical Analysis Of How American Covid-19 Elite Messaging, Enabled By The Monster Trope, Justifies Cultural Violence Against A/Aapi., Haley A. Hom

Honors Theses

On March 16th, 2020, President Donald J. Trump posted a Tweet: “The United States will be powerfully supporting those industries, like Airline and others, that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus. We will be stronger than ever before!” (Yam). This Tweet marked the first public and recorded instance of the term “Chinese virus”, heralding the emergence of similar referents such as “China virus,” “Wuhan virus,” and “kung flu” for COVID-19. With a single, seemingly innocuous post, Trump opened the floodgates for an outpouring of hatred and blame pointed towards anyone perceived as an A/AAPI.

What Does “Avoidance Mode” Feel Like? The Association Between Avoidance Awareness And Negative Affect In The Moment, Mamie Ziegler

Honors Theses

For students in an academic setting, task avoidance is a common behavioral strategy used to cope with the unpleasant emotions associated with schoolwork and completing assignments. However, when this form of behavioral avoidance becomes a pattern, it has the potential to lead to negative long-term consequences–such as worse academic outcomes and increased stress. To counteract maladaptive behaviors such as task avoidance, a certain level of self-awareness of such behaviors may be necessary–even if this awareness leads to more negative emotions at first. To analyze the relationship between student task avoidance and emotions, the following study utilizes ecological momentary assessment (EMA) …

Commencement To Honor Class Of 2022 On May 1, Julia Perez

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

Dance Of The Golgi: Understanding Golgi Dynamics In Cancer Metastasis, Rakhee Bajaj, Amanda N Warner, Jared F Fradette, Don L Gibbons

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The Golgi apparatus is at the center of protein processing and trafficking in normal cells. Under pathological conditions, such as in cancer, aberrant Golgi dynamics alter the tumor microenvironment and the immune landscape, which enhances the invasive and metastatic potential of cancer cells. Among these changes in the Golgi in cancer include altered Golgi orientation and morphology that contribute to atypical Golgi function in protein trafficking, post-translational modification, and exocytosis. Golgi-associated gene mutations are ubiquitous across most cancers and are responsible for modifying Golgi function to become pro-metastatic. The pharmacological targeting of the Golgi or its associated genes has been …

Agricultural Intensification Can Help Protect The Amazon Forest And Reduce Global Warming / Protecting The Amazon Forest And Reducing Global Warming Via Agricultural Intensification, Fabio R. Marin, Alencar J. Zanon, Juan P. Monzon, José F. Andrade, Evandro H.F.M. Silva, Gean L. Richter, Luis A.S. Antolin, Bruna S.M.R. Ribeiro, Giovanna G. Ribas, Rafael Battisti, Alexandre B. Heinemann, Patricio Grassini

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The Amazon basin includes 550 M ha covered with rainforests, with 60% of this area being in Brazil. Conversion of rainforest for soybean production raises concerns about the degree to which Brazil can reconcile production and environmental goals. Here we investigated the degree to which intensification could help Brazil produce more soybean without further encroachment of the Amazon Forest. Our analysis shows that continuation of current trends in soybean yield and area would lead to conversion of additional 5.7 M ha of forests and savannas during the next 15 years, with an associated 2550 Mt of CO2eq released into the …

Synaptic Composition Of Glutamate Receptors In A Mouse Model For Autism Spectrum Disorder, Skylar A. Anthony

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

TBR1 is a high-confidence risk gene for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Haploinsufficient (Tbr1+/-) mice exhibit ASD-characteristic behavioral changes that are often associated with amygdala circuit dysfunction. We investigated excitatory synaptic transmission in the thalamic-lateral amygdala pathway of these mice. Preliminary data showed increased AMPA receptor-mediated synaptic current in 4-week-old Tbr1+/- mice. To examine the molecular basis for this change, we measured the quantity, proportion, and density of synaptic AMPARs and NMDARs in both Tbr1+/- and wild type mice using freeze-fracture replica immunogold labeling. Receptor quantification and synaptic area demarcation were performed using supervised deep-learning networks. Our results showed no significant …

Nominal Incorporation In Shiwilu (Kawapanan): Nouns, Classifiers And The Deceased Marker =Ku’, Pilar Valenzuela

World Languages and Cultures Faculty Books and Book Chapters

"Shiwilu is a good representative of the Andes-Amazonia transitional zone, in that it exhibits a mixture of phonological and grammatical traits that are typical of the languages of these two regions (Valenzuela 2015, 2018). The present article addresses a phenomenon that is common in Amazonian languages but absent in the Central Andean families Quechuan and Aymaran: nominal incorporation (Dixon and Aikhenvald 1999: 10; Adelaar with Muysken 2004; Aikhen- vald 2017: 296). In this work, ‘nominal incorporation’ is a cover term to designate the process of inserting into the verb a noun, a classifier, or the deceased marker =ku’."

Characterization Of Large-Scale Functional Network Organization In The Human Hippocampus, Annie Zheng

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The hippocampus is critically important for a diverse range of neural processes, such as episodic memory, prospective memory, affective processing, and spatial navigation. Using both individual-specific precision functional mapping and large-sample group-averaged approaches of characterizing large-scale functional network organization in the human hippocampus, we uncovered general principles of and behaviorally-associated individual differences in hippocampal organization across development in children and adults. We found the hippocampus to be modularly organized along the anterior-posterior axis with the anterior hippocampus being preferentially connected to the default mode network (DMN), as expected. However, the posterior hippocampus was strongly connected to the parietal memory network …

Dnp Final Report: Using Standardized Surgical Bundles To Reduce Post Cesarean Section Infection: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Amy L. Wagner

DNP Final Reports

A new mother has so many stressors and a post cesarean section infection should never have to be one of them. The infection rate at MHTW is double the national average at 1.85. This evidence-based practice project looks at the implementation of a pre-surgical bundle in women undergoing cesarean section to reduce overall risk of developing a post cesarean section infection. This evidence shows that the combination of a standardized bundle including infection specific education for the patient and family, pre- and post-surgical bathing, elimination of jewelry worn by patients and staff, antibiotic timing, Chlorhexidine skin prep, and a vaginal …

April 28, 2022, James Madison University

The Breeze, 2020-

The Breeze is the student newspaper of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

April 28, 2022, The Daily Mississippian

Daily Mississippian (all digitized issues)

No abstract provided.

Isolation And Characterization Of Potential Lactic Acid Producing Bacteria From Fermented Fruit Juice, Than Wah Wah, Maw Saw Sandar, Htun Reemon

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Lactobacillus species are used as probiotics to inhibit human pathogens because of their ability to produce antimicrobial substances. However, when different kinds of antibiotics are used, the antibiotic resistance of drug-resistant bacteria increases. In this study, lactic acid-producing bacteria with antimicrobial activity were isolated and used as probiotics to inhibit six human pathogens, namely Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella typhi, and Shigella boydii. Nine bacterial isolates were obtained from the crude juice of sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum), strawberry (Fragaria ananassa), and fruit pulp of palm (Borassus flabellifer). Among them, three bacterial isolates (S1, SC, and PP) …

Deepening Knowledge Of Nutrient Dynamics In Coastal Waters, Meirinawati Hanny, Wahyudi A'An Johan

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Nutrients are important compounds in waterbodies that regulate primary productivity and phytoplankton growth, the basis of food webs. Increased nutrient concentration has become a serious concern because it causes eutrophication and threatens the sustainability of ecosystems. Eutrophication is the process of nutrient enrichment in water bodies that affects their productivity and decreases water quality. Although information about nutrient distribution, limiting nutrients, and nutrient budgets is important for coastal water management, studies of wide-scale nutrient dynamics in Indonesian waters remain limited. To provide comprehensive data on nutrients, this review summarized the concentrations and compositions of nutrients in coastal waters, compared the …

Enpp1 Variants In Patients With Gaci And Pxe Expand The Clinical And Genetic Heterogeneity Of Heritable Disorders Of Ectopic Calcification., Douglas Ralph, Yvonne Nitschke, Michael A Levine, Matthew Caffet, Tamara Wurst, Amir Hossein Saeidian, Leila Youssefian, Hassan Vahidnezhad, Sharon F Terry, Frank Rutsch, Jouni Uitto, Qiaoli Li

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) and generalized arterial calcification of infancy (GACI) are clinically distinct genetic entities of ectopic calcification associated with differentially reduced circulating levels of inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi), a potent endogenous inhibitor of calcification. Variants in ENPP1, the gene mutated in GACI, have not been associated with classic PXE. Here we report the clinical, laboratory, and molecular evaluations of ten GACI and two PXE patients from five and two unrelated families registered in GACI Global and PXE International databases, respectively. All patients were found to carry biallelic variants in ENPP1. Among ten ENPP1 variants, one homozygous variant demonstrated uniparental disomy …

Thermodynamically Coupled Biosensors For Detecting Neutralizing Antibodies Against Sars-Cov-2 Variants, Jason Z Zhang, Laura A Vanblargan, Michael S Diamond, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

We designed a protein biosensor that uses thermodynamic coupling for sensitive and rapid detection of neutralizing antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants in serum. The biosensor is a switchable, caged luciferase-receptor-binding domain (RBD) construct that detects serum-antibody interference with the binding of virus RBD to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) as a proxy for neutralization. Our coupling approach does not require target modification and can better distinguish sample-to-sample differences in analyte binding affinity and abundance than traditional competition-based assays.

Peripheral Storytelling: Cinematic Structures And Audience Agency, Carlos Tkacz

Far West Popular Culture Association Annual Conference

A cultural phenomenon we are all unfortunately familiar with is terrible movies. By terrible movies I mean the kind that lack any semblance of structure, movies in which the characters are flatly drawn, the storylines are predictable, and the writing is especially bad. More specifically, I am interested in why these movies seem to be breeding without end and are no longer relegated to (maybe they never were) the low budget genre films some of us love to hate. I am talking here about the relatively new phenomena of the high-budget, popular-yet-terrible film.

Specifically, I am interested in applying Structuralism, …

Feasibility, Necessity, And Rebellion Of Collective Authenticity As Understood Through Heidegger And Fanon, Victor Hernandez

Undergraduate Library Research Awards

No abstract provided.

Medication-Induced Oculomotor Dysfunction: A Report Of Two Cases, Eric Lee Od

Optometric Clinical Practice

Background: Consideration of current medications and their interactions as a source of new onset oculomotor dysfunction is imperative for providing good eye care. Medication etiology should be particularly suspected when the symptoms begin with the initiation of a new medication and resolved with discontinuation of the same medication.

Case Reports: Presented are two cases demonstrating that it is prudent to be aware of medications capable of inducing oculomotor dysfunction. Each case reveals instances of acute oculomotor dysfunction after the initiation of a central nervous system affecting medication. Case 1 details a partial pupil sparing third nerve palsy after initiating the …

Longstanding Crystalline Retinopathy Secondary To Intravitreal Triamcinolone Injection, Katherine Thomas Od, Jeffery Curry Od

Optometric Clinical Practice

Background: Crystalline retinopathy has many disparate etiologies with varying potentials in visual outcome. Due to the potential severity of these outcomes, differentiation of etiology is critical to guide both follow up and treatment regimen. Diagnosis can be facilitated with a thorough medical history, clinical presentation, and imaging such as optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Case Report: This case demonstrates a rare incidence of crystalline retinopathy in a 65-year-old male attributed to a single intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) injection with 8 year follow up data, followed by a review of other types of crystalline retinopathy secondary to pharmaceutical agents.

Conclusion: A complete …

Light Dependent Feeding And Photogrammetric Determination Of Movement Speed Of Pterois Volitans And Pterois Miles In The Florida Keys, Neal Kolonay

LSU Master's Theses

Invasive species are known to cause economic and ecological damage worldwide, with many aquatic and terrestrial species extending outside their range. Invasive lionfish, Pterois volitans and Pterois miles, are currently some of the most destructive marine species, being released into non-native Atlantic waters, gaining a foothold, and expanding at explosive rates. While attempts have been made to cull their populations through various methods, primarily spearfishing, their populations continue to grow and their ranges expand showing a need for a deeper understanding of their ecology to more effectively model and target them. In this work, two avenues of lionfish ecology which …

Adoption Communication In The Media, Samantha Schaffer

Far West Popular Culture Association Annual Conference

Adoption communication is a vital part of developing healthy family relationships in families formed through adoption. The media has recently begun depicting more of the difficulties that adoptees experience. Three key television shows are Charmed, A Million Little Things, and This Is Us, which depict communication about adoption. These television shows offer the opportunity to analyze master narratives, family communication patterns, and information regulation through popular culture. By illustrating the difficulties experienced by adoptees, these shows provide adoptive families with the occasion to begin difficult yet necessary conversations. These television shows not only exemplify adoption communication they also …

Can Green Tea Extract Promote Weight Loss?, Kelly Jehle

Undergraduate Library Research Awards

No abstract provided.

Sleepless In College Town: Causes And Effects Of Poor Sleep In College Students, Isabella E. Pandolfo

The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research

This article is an examination of the various causes and effects of sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality in college students. Using various studies and articles as evidence, this review explores the causes of sleep deprivation in college students, and addresses the ways in which other parts of one's well-being may suffer as a result of sleep deprivation. The nature of life as a college student is not conducive to good quality sleep or sufficient amount of sleep, and the various detrimental factors to sleep quality, such as napping, technology, and social factors contribute to problems in other areas. According …

Covid Susceptibility And Severity Correlation With The Ace2 Gene, Natalie Taylor

Thinking Matters Student Research Symposium

A wide spectrum of susceptibility and severity of infection has been observed among COVID-19 patients. While some individuals remain unaffected by the Sars-Cov-2 virus, others have contracted the virus multiple times with varying levels of severity. This poster reviews some of the research demonstrating a link between the susceptibility of the Sars-Cov- 2 virus and the severity of infection, and a specific gene called ACE2. The ACE2 gene encodes an angiotensin-converting enzyme that acts as a functional receptor for the spike glycoprotein receptor binding domain of the coronavirus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses. ACE2 presents numerous amino acid variants …