Digital Commons Network^™

Canine-Assisted Cognitive Processing Therapy: Promoting Healing For Veterans Diagnosed With Ptsd Through Canine "Battle Buddies", Shelby L. Meadows

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Trauma related symptoms and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have long been recognized for their connection to military and veteran populations and has become a significant barrier to the provision of mental healthcare. This original contribution to practice explores the significance of Canine Assisted Therapy as a novel approach to treating trauma in veteran and military populations. An extensive literature review examines the current research and discussion on trauma-informed care. It begins with a discussion on evidence-based practices for the treatment of PTSD, including Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. This is followed by a comprehensive …

A Domain-Agnostic Neurosymbolic Approach For Big Social Data Analysis: Evaluating Mental Health Sentiment On Social Media During Covid-19, Vedant Khandelwal, Manas Gaur, Ugur Kursuncu, Valerie L. Shalin, Amit P. Sheth

Psychology Faculty Publications

Monitoring public sentiment via social media is potentially helpful during health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. However, traditional frequency-based, data-driven neural network-based approaches can miss newly relevant content due to the evolving nature of language in a dynamically evolving environment. Human-curated symbolic knowledge sources, such as lexicons for standard language and slang terms, can potentially elevate social media signals in evolving language. We introduce a neurosymbolic method that integrates neural networks with symbolic knowledge sources, enhancing the detection and interpretation of mental health-related tweets relevant to COVID-19. Our method was evaluated using a corpus of large datasets (approximately 12 …

Developing A Novel Gold Nanoparticle-Based Colorimetric Assay For The Detection Of Cytomegalovirus (Cmv) In Pediatric-Derived Urine Specimens, Sonam Gupta

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a member of the Herpesviridae family and is known to infect people of all ages. In most cases, CMV infection is asymptomatic, and the virus is cleared from the host without showing any significant symptoms. However, 1 out of 200 babies are born with congenital CMV infection, which affects multiple organs, including the brain, liver, spleen, lung, and inner ear. One long-term health problem in 1 out 5 babies born with congenital CMV infection is hearing loss. The progression of CMV-associated hearing loss in the first two years of life may lead to developmental delays in language, …

Issue 39

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Biological Puppets: The Neuroscience Of Free Will And Determinism, Kate Martin

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Black And Blue All Over: Whose Lives Matter?, Bella Purvis

Honors Theses

This study investigated the influence of beliefs about race on support for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Blue Lives Matter (BluLM) movements, mediated by attitudes towards police and beliefs about white privilege. Utilizing a sample of undergraduate university students, data were obtained through a survey measuring beliefs in the biological and social constructs of race, support for police, belief in white privilege, and attitudes toward BLM and BluLM. Results indicated that individuals who perceive race as a biological construct are less likely to support BLM and more likely to support BluLM, while beliefs in white privilege and attitudes towards …

The Effects Of Parasitoid Wasps On The Intra- And Interspecific Competition Of Zaprionus Indianus, Camille R. Walsh-Antzak

Honors Theses

Understanding the mechanisms underlying the success of biological invasions is essential to employ effective prediction and management strategies. The release of natural enemies in invaded regions (enemy release hypothesis) and increased competitive ability are major hallmarks of invasive species, however, these two processes are rarely studied within the same context. Here, we examined the role of ERH in influencing the competitive outcomes of an invasive insect pest, the African fig fly (Zaprionus indianus). In Virginia orchards, Z. indianus repeatedly outcompetes co-occurring drosophilid species. However, the mechanisms underlying the success of Z. indianus are poorly understood. Parasitoid wasps specializing in Camill …

Cd46 Interaction With Adenovirus Type 64, A Causative Agent For Viral Pink Eye, Hanglin (Henry) Zhu

Honors Theses

Human adenovirus type 64 (Ad64) is a causative agent of contagious viral pink eye. We do not understand why Ad64 causes eye infections. One likely reason is the presence of a receptor molecule on the exposed surface of eye cells, but not other cells. Ad64 binds to a protein called CD46 on the cell surface. We aim to visualize how CD46 binds to the surface of Ad64. I mixed the extracellular portion of CD46 with purified Ad64 virus, then visualized it using negative stain transmission electron microscopy. In order to gain insight into how the virus binds CD46, we used …

Cd46 Isoforms And Viral Receptor For Adenovirus Type 64d, Corina Stasiak

Honors Theses

Adenovirus Type 64 (Ad.64) belongs to the adenovirus subgroup D, which causes epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC), otherwise known as viral pink eye. There is currently no known effective treatment for EKC. Membrane Cofactor Protein (CD46) is an integral membrane glycoprotein that, in previous studies, has been identified as a protein receptor for the closely related Ad.37. It has been determined that Ad.64 uses CD46 as a receptor on the cell surface in HeLa cells. CD46 is alternatively spliced when expressed to have different isoforms of interest, including the BC and C isoforms. Certain cell types, like A549 lung carcinoma cells, express …

Cd46 Is A Protein Receptor For Human Adenovirus Type 64, Alexander Michael Robertson

Honors Theses

Adenoviruses are important gene delivery vectors and causative agents for a variety of human diseases such as the common cold and gastrointestinal infections. Human adenovirus type 64 (Ad64; formerly 19c) and type 37 are associated with epidemic keratoconjunctivitis. Based upon its high homology and similar disease tropism to Ad37, we hypothesized that Ad64 would have the same protein receptor, CD46 (membrane cofactor protein), as Ad37. We show that a recombinant Ad64 containing an enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein transgene (Ad64.eGFP) enters Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing human CD46 (CHO-CD46) on the surface. Entry into human cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cells is increased …

Exploration Of Sulfonamides And Benzothiazoles As Peptide-Based Cleavable Linkers, Abigail Dalton

Honors Theses

Cleavable linkers have demonstrated great potential in various applications of medicinal organic chemistry, such as in modern therapeutic development. Linkers are stable compounds that cleave in specific conditions to release molecular cargo. We have developed cleavable linkers based on nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions on sulfonamide and benzothiazole substrates in small molecule and in peptide studies. Sulfonamides, commonly with an electron-withdrawing group, reacted in high conversion of starting material to the sulfide product in small molecule studies, but was unable to successfully cleave the sulfonamide linker on peptide in mild conditions. Next, a benzothiazole sulfone substrate was analyzed and optimized in …

Unpredictable Positive Experience Response (Uper) Training In Male And Female Rats: Effects On Cognition, Emotional Resilience, And Neuroplasticity Markers, Eve M. Barringer

Honors Theses

This study investigated the effects of positive anticipation on depression-like symptoms in Long Evans male and female rats, using Unpredictable Positive Experience Response (UPER) training. Rats that received UPER training (UPER group) were exposed to cues followed by a positive reward at random times, fostering anticipation of three different positive experiences. Along with the UPER rats, there was a group of rats that received positive rewards without anticipation (ENR group) and a group that received no positive reward or anticipation (CTRL group). After 7 weeks of behavioral… training, we examined how training impacted the animal’s cognition, emotional resilience, and neurobiological …

(Re)Constructing Race: How Essentialist Beliefs Shape Social Justice Support, Abbey Alvarado

Honors Theses

The political climate and social discourse around social justice has grown increasingly tense and hostile in recent years. The current study investigated potential predictors of the opposition to support for racial equity and social justice reforms. Research illustrates that a biological conceptualization of race (“essentialism”) has powerful implications on information processing and social-psychological outcomes regarding issues of race and racism. In the current study, we conducted a survey of 164 University of Richmond undergraduate students. The survey examined the interplay of essentialism and beliefs about systemic racism and white privilege on social justice support. The results showed that essentialist beliefs …

Structural Phylogenetics Of A Family Dna Polymerases, Yagmur Bingul

Honors Theses

The transition from the RNA to the DNA world stands as an important event, demanding the emergence of enzymatic activities for DNA precursor synthesis, retro-transcription of RNA templates, and replication of single and double-stranded DNA molecules. The distribution of protein families associated with these activities across the three domains of life—Archaea, Eukarya, and Bacteria—adds layers of complexity to the narrative. While Archaea and Eukarya often share similar protein structures, structural biology shows homologous, but distinct, structures in Bacteria. On the other hand, viral polymerases emerge as a crucial part of genome replication and transcription. Their versatility, including RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, …

Taylor, Genealogy, History, Peter Hawes

Honors Theses

In this paper I compare two different genealogies of the idea of the ‘self’: Charles Taylor’s and Michel Foucault’s. I begin by arguing that Taylor’s focus on combating what he calls “subtraction stories” places him in the genealogical tradition with Foucault. I then engage with Foucault's genealogy of the self, which illuminates how the notion of the ‘self’ was constructed as a means of control, which leads him to say we should do away with trying to understand it outside of relations of power. This call for the rejection of the self, I suggest, presents a problem for us, who …

Assessing Evolution Of Reproduction Traits Along Seasonal Transitions And Latitudinal Gradients In An Invasive Species Of Fruit Fly, Zaprionus Indianus, Ansleigh Gunter

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the reproductive traits of Zaprionus indianus, an invasive species to the United States, to assess the possibility of rapid evolution. Significant differences in fecundity and diapause incidence have been seen in other Drosophilid fly species across the seasonal transition, from early to late season, and across the latitudinal gradient, from north to south. For this reason, fecundity, the reproductive ability of a female fly, and diapause incidence, a stress-induced reproductive arrest, were selected as variables of choice. Field collections and experiments revealed unexpected patterns in fecundity and diapause incidence, challenging initial hypotheses. While no significant differences in …

Heterocycles As Peptide-Based Cleavable Linkers, John Blobe

Honors Theses

As cancer cases continue to rise, the need for advancing the treatment options for cancer is ever increasing. Current cancer therapeutics, while effective at treating localized cancers and a fraction of advanced cancers, generally lack the specificity needed to target more advanced cancers. Recent advancements in cancer treatments have leveraged antibodies to target certain cancers. A class of drugs that utilize antibodies to deliver anti-cancer therapy preferentially to cancer cells, termed antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), have been quite effective in treating certain advanced forms of certain cancers. These ADCs could be more effective if they could allow for the facile release …

Annual Report 2023-2024, Tennessee. Bureau Of Investigation

Annual Report

No abstract provided.

Annual Report 2023-2024, Tennessee. Bureau Of Investigation

Annual Report

No abstract provided.

Environmental Monitoring Plan For Work To Be Perormed July 1, 2024, Through June 30, 2025, Tennessee. Department Of Environment And Conservation.

Environmental Monitoring Report

No abstract provided.

Gender Roles In Natural Resource Use In Madagascar, Sarahana Shrestha, Cortni Borgerson, Be Jean Rodolph Rasolofoniaina

Department of Anthropology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Understanding gender roles in natural resource use is essential for culturally-tailored effective conservation. Despite its conservation priority, little is known about the gender roles of forest product use in Madagascar. This study used over seven years of data from 1,255 interviews on the extraction, use, and sale of forest, freshwater, and marine resources, to examine gender roles. We found that gender significantly affects natural resource use in Madagascar. While men were primarily responsible for natural resource collection, women collected nearly all resources in at least one household. Both genders collected resources, with subsistence use as the primary incentive for resource …

State Politics And Stress Amongst Lgbtq+ Students At Florida’S Private Colleges: A Psychological And Normative Analysis, Alise Fortune

Honors Program Theses

The recent wave of anti-LGBTQ+ politics and policies in Florida pose potential risks to the mental health and well-being of Florida’s LGBTQ+ students. The present study surveyed LGBTQ+ students attending private colleges in Florida to measure their self-reported stress levels in comparison to non-LGBTQ+ students, the level at which they believed specific sources of stress contributed to their stress levels, their level of distress upon experiencing discrimination, their sense of sexual identity distress, and their awareness of and involvement in advocacy against Florida’s anti-LGBTQ+ bills. Survey results suggested that anti-LGBTQ+ politics in Florida and the personal lives (social and family …

Perception, Attention, And Action! A New Perspective On The Associations Found In Educational Expertise And Visual Search, Ashley Sawyer

Honors Program Theses

Expertise as defined in literature is the peak or otherwise exceptionally high levels of performance on a particular task or within a given domain (Papesh et al., 2021). In this study, expertise is defined as the time length the individual has spent in their field. For the purpose of this research, an expert can exist in a plethora of fields ranging from history and music to mathematics or science. Becoming an expert requires for the individual to not only have the mental and cognitive concepts that come with acquiring this type of knowledge, but it also incorporates skills they know …

Emotional Throwing: Decision Making And Emotion In The Dual-Process Theory, Eve Wasil

Honors Program Theses

The dual process theory of decision-making describes system 1 as automatic and system 2 as controlled (Frankish & Evans, 2009). While much research has been conducted on system 2 and emotional arousal, little is known about how arousal affects the more automatic, gut-feeling processes of system 1. Through galvanic skin response (GSR), a system 1 ball throwing task, and a system 2 trolley problem survey, this study measured emotional arousal’s effect on both systems in conjunction with one another. Results revealed minimal effects of emotion on system 1 and system 2, leaving room for speculation as to the robustness of …

Treatment With The Immunocontraceptive Vaccine, Gonacon, Induces Temporary Fertility Control In Free-Ranging Prairie Dog Populations In Colorado, Usa, Aaron B. Shiels, Jackson Runte, Emily W. Ruell, Douglas C. Eckery, Gary W. Witmer, Daniel J. Salkeld

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Context

Prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) are rodents enjoyed by some humans; yet, they cause crop and property damage, and carry zoonotic disease. Non-lethal control of prairie dogs is of interest in urban/suburban settings. The injectable immunocontraceptive vaccine GonaCon (active ingredient is gonadotropin-releasing hormone [GnRH]) has been shown to be effective at reducing fertility in equine and deer, and is a US EPA-registered vaccine for use in these ungulate species.

Aims

To conduct a replicated field study to test efficacy of GonaCon in black-tailed prairie dogs (C. ludovicianus), and if found to be efficacious, to help facilitate …

Comparison Of Ketamine-Xylazine, Butorphanol-Azaperone-Medetomidine, And Nalbuphine-Medetomidine-Azaperone For Raccoon (Procyon Lotor) Immobilization, Shylo R. Johnson, Christine K. Ellis, Chad Wickham, Molly R. Selleck, Amy T. Gilbert

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are frequently handled using chemical immobilization in North America for management and research. In a controlled environment, we compared three drug combinations: ketamine-xylazine (KX), butorphanol-azaperone-medetomidine (BAM), and nalbuphinemedetomidine- azaperone (NalMed-A) for raccoon immobilization. In crossover comparisons, raccoons received a mean of the following: 8.66 mg/kg ketamine and 1.74 mg/kg xylazine (0.104 mL/kg KX); 0.464 mg/kg butorphanol, 0.155 mg/kg azaperone, and 0.185 mg/kg medetomidine (0.017 mL/kg BAM); and 0.800 mg/kg nalbuphine, 0.200 mg/kg azaperone, and 0.200 mg/kg medetomidine (0.020 mL/kg NalMed-A). Induction time was shortest with KX (mean6SE, 10.060.7 min) and longest with NalMed-A (13.061.3 min). …

Seroprevalence, Blood Chemistry, And Patterns Of Canine Parvovirus, Distemper Virus, Plague, And Tularemia In Free-Ranging Coyotes (Canis Latrans) In Northern New Mexico, Usa, Leah M. White, Suzanne J. Gifford, Gail Kaufman, Eric M. Gese, Mark A. Peyton, Robert R. Parmenter, James W. Cain Iii

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife diseases have implications for ecology, conservation, human health, and health of domestic animals. They may impact wildlife health and population dynamics. Exposure rates of coyotes (Canis latrans) to pathogens such as Yersinia pestis, the cause of plague, may reflect prevalence rates in both rodent prey and human populations. We captured coyotes in north-central New Mexico during 2005–2008 and collected blood samples for serologic surveys. We tested for antibodies against canine distemper virus (CDV, Canine morbillivirus), canine parvovirus (CPV, Carnivore protoparvovirus), plague, tularemia (Francisella tularensis), and for canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) antigen. Serum …

Wildlife Vaccination Strategies For Eliminating Bovine Tuberculosis In White-Tailed Deer Populations, Aakash Pandey, Abigail B. Feuka, Melinda Cosgrove, Megan Moriarty, Anthony Duffiney, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Henry Campa Iii, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Biodistribution Analysis Of Peptide-Coated Magnetic Iron Nanoparticles: A Simple And Quantitative Method, Pavithra Natarajan, Katherine Horak, Jennifer Rowe, Sungmin Yoon, Joshua Lingo, John M. Tomich, Sherry D. Fleming

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Biodistribution tracks compounds or molecules of interest in vivo to understand a compound’s anticipated efficacy and safety. Nanoparticles deliver nucleic acid and drug payloads and enhance tumor permeability due to multiple properties such as high surface area to volume ratio, surface functionalization, and modifications. Studying the in vivo biodistribution of nanoparticles documents the effectiveness and safety of nanoparticles and facilitates a more application-driven approach for nanoparticle development that allows for more successful translation into clinical use. In this study, we present a relatively simple method to determine the biodistribution of magnetic iron nanoparticles in mice. In vitro, cells take up …