Digital Commons Network^™

Trends, Challenges, And Evidence-Based Strategies For School Dropout Prevention In Virginia, David B. Naff, Thea Racelis, Regina Frazier, Meleah Ellison, Christina Tillery, Andy Bristow, Audra P. Lancaster, Sabrina Evans, Leah Wiedenhoft, Dina Abdul Rahman, Sharrie Merritte, Karli Johansen, Sooyeon Moon, Jean Samuel, Tara Davison

MERC Publications

This MERC research and policy brief explores school dropout prevention by focusing on recent trends and research. It addresses the following questions:

1) What are recent trends in school dropout?
2) What factors contribute to school dropout?
3) What are the consequences and implications of school dropout?
4) What are evidence-based strategies for school dropout prevention?
5) What are federal, state, and division-level policies related to school dropout prevention in the MERC region?

It concludes with a series of key takeaways and recommendations.

Assessment Of Clinical Performance Of Universal Adhesives Versus Other Adhesive Systems: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Clinical Trials, Rim Bourgi, Naji Kharouf, Carlos Enrique Cuevas-Suárez, Cynthia Kassis, Ana Josefina Monjaras-Avila, Mohammad Qaddomi, Sophie Abi Raad, Mohammed Al Hasani, Youssef Haikel, Louis Hardan

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Universal adhesives (UAs) often exhibit comparable or even superior bond strength to traditional adhesive systems, ensuring reliable and long-lasting adhesion between the resin composite and the tooth structure. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the clinical performance of UAs compared to other adhesive systems in direct resin composite restorations through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Two reviewers executed a literature search in five electronic databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Scielo. Clinical trials comparing the clinical evaluation of resin composite restorations in Class I, Class II, or Class V cavities placed with an universal adhesive (UA) system against …

Caries Risk Prediction In Pediatric Patients Using Machine Learning Techniques: A Retrospective Study, Nagarathna P J, Vishnu Priya Veeraraghavan, Aysha Jebin A, Shikar Daniel, Kaladhar Reddy Aileni, Santosh R Patil

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Introduction: Dental caries is a multifactorial disease prevalent in children and is often influenced by behavioral, environmental, and genetic factors. Traditional caries risk assessment methods have a limited accuracy and objectivity. Machine learning (ML) models provide a data-driven approach for predicting caries risk, thereby enabling targeted interventions.

Objectives: The main objective of this study is to develop and validate ML models for predicting caries risk in pediatric patients aged 6–12 years by incorporating clinical, behavioral, dietary, and socioeconomic factors.

Methods: This retrospective observational study included 148 children aged 6–12 years. Data, including demographic details, Decayed Missing Filling …

Front Matter

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Chasing Soot Across The Sea: The Fate And Transport Of Particulate Black Carbon In The Equatorial Atlantic, Samuel D. Katz

Open Access Dissertations

This study investigated BC in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean and Congo River outflow, aiming to elucidate its origins, distribution, fluxes and understand methodological differences in BC quantification. Sediment and atmospheric samples were collected from the Equatorial Atlantic and Congo River outflow. For the sedimentary analysis, the chemothermal oxidation at 375°C method was primally used, while different BC quantification methods were employed with the Congo core, together with stable and radiogenic carbon isotope measurements, to trace BC sources and age. BC air samples were quantified using the thermal optical transmission method, air mass back trajectories, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) diagnostic …

Sms : A Smartwatch Application Suite For Mobility Assessment, Suresh Avula

Theses

Regular assessment of mobility can detect changes in physical health over time and discover underlying health issues. Some of these changes in mobility may indicate an increased risk of falls, which can lead to serious injuries. Identifying mobility changes can help prevent these incidents. Wearable technology can facilitate mobility tests at home and alert caregivers or medical professionals to any irregularities and promote proactive healthcare. Adoption of smartwatches with various built-in sensors like accelerometer and gyroscope creates new opportunities for wearable health monitoring. We developed the Smartwatch Application Suite to evaluate functional mobility using standard mobility tests: Timed Up and …

Interactions Of Caffeine With Anticancer Drugs Studied By Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Baylee Parish

Theses

Caffeine can form stacking through pi-pi interactions with aromatic anticancer drugs. While caffeine can reduce the toxicity of the anticancer drugs, caffeine can also reduce the efficacy of the anticancer drugs. Aromatic anticancer drugs, such as daunorubicin and irinotecan, work by intercalating into DNA. When caffeine binds to an anticancer drug, the new complex formed cannot easily intercalate into DNA strands. Through Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, chemical shift values for pure caffeine, daunorubicin, and irinotecan, as well as, caffeine mixed with daunorubicin and irinotecan were analyzed. Different concentrations for the pure compounds and the mixtures were analyzed by NMR. …

Small Molecule Modulation Of The P75 Neurotrophin Receptor Attenuates Neurodegeneration In An In Vitro Model Of Parkinson’S Disease, Poshan Pokharel

Theses

The p75 Neurotrophin Receptor (p75NTR) is a multifunctional transmembrane protein expressed in distinct regions of the adult nervous system. p75NTR regulates various functions, including neuronal survival or apoptosis interacting with coreceptors Trk receptors or sortilin. Activation of p75NTR occurs through proteolytic processing, and we previously demonstrated that oxidative stress induces activation of p75NTR in LUHMES cells, a neuronal cell line derived from the human ventral mesencephalon. Dopaminergic neurons of the ventral mesencephalon are vulnerable to oxidative stress and neurodegeneration associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Thus, we evaluated the mechanisms behind p75NTR activation and its physiological implications in a PD model. …

Functionalizing Silicon Oxide Like Surfaces With Fatty Acids, Maman Sani Maman Brah Maman

Theses

The goal of this project was to make flat hydrophilic, silicon oxide-like surfaces hydrophobic. Using fatty acids in a wet chemistry approach. Glass, mica, and silicon wafer surfaces were cleaned with standard methods from the literature. The substrates were functionalized with oleic acid and stearic acid in ethyl alcohol. The solution concentration was held constant at 100 times a theoretical minimum concentration. The substrates were immersed at various functionalization times and various solution temperatures. Contact angle goniometer was used to measure the contact angle for water on the functionalized surfaces. The results confirmed that glass and oxidized silicon wafer surfaces …

Isolation, Purification, Crystallization And Preliminary X-Ray Data Analysis Of The B Family Dna Polymerase From Thermococcus Thioreducens, Emika Miyamoto

Theses

Family B DNA polymerases are the core polymerizing enzymes that carry out the essential process of DNA replication in many Archaeal organisms. Archaea depend on the unique properties of their DNA polymerases to faithfully replicate DNA within extreme environments. Variation in the catalytic properties of DNA polymerases from different organisms can be elucidated through detailed structural analysis by means of macromolecular X-ray crystallography. Crystallization is the crucial and bottleneck step in the process of determining the protein’s three-dimensional structure by X-ray diffraction—essentially no crystal, no structure. This study optimizes the isolation and purification of recombinant DNA polymerase B from Thermococcus …

The Effects Of Reducing Carbon Content In The Processing Of Superalloy Inconel 718, Glenn "Joey" Scott

Theses

The properties of Inconel 718 (IN718) are dependent on the elemental composition and microstructure. Applications using IN718 include rocket and jet engine parts. These parts are often complex and difficult to machine, making IN718 ideal for additive manufacturing processes such as laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF). The various phases that form in IN718 rely on the niobium (Nb) content including the carbides. The precipitates also include Nb in the strengthening phases of gamma prime and gamma double prime. Overaging of gamma double prime transforms the metastable phase into the stable delta phase, which also controls grain size. This study evaluates the …

Spectropolarimetric Properties Of Vortex Retarders, Ella Elizabeth James

Theses

Vortex retarders are unique optical elements that create a uniform electric field phase retardance, but the traditional fast axis varies azimuthally over the area of the optic. This affects the radial and azimuthal polarization components of the incoming beam. The vortex retarders discussed here generate TEM10 and TEM20 Laguerre-Gaussian beams. While several varieties of these TEM10 and TEM20 vortex retarders exist, designed to function at specific wavelengths–and a few studies have reported their use at those wavelengths–almost no data exists detailing their polarimetric properties outside those wavelengths. Using a Mueller matrix spectropolarimeter with dual-rotating retarders, the polarization properties of four …

Physiological Effects Of Facial Expressions During Cognitive And Social Stress, Emily X. Sorrells

Theses

This study explored the dynamics of facial expressions during stress. This 2 X 2 (Facial Expression by Task) mixed design evaluated how smiling and grimacing affected physiological and self-report measures of cognitive and social stress. The study implemented continuous monitoring of electrodermal activity (EDA). Facial expression was manipulated between-subjects as a genuine smile or grimace using chopsticks in the mouth. Task was manipulated as a counterbalanced within-subjects as a cognitive stressor using the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task (PASAT) and a social stressor using Cyberball. Time was analyzed as repeated measures of change from baseline of EDA. Participants provided ratings …

Legacy Of Labour: The Impact Of Parental Occupations On Children’S Careers Choices And Income Inequality, Swapnil Landge

Publications and Research

This paper investigates how intergenerational occupational mobility and self-selection into occupations are influenced by the occupations of parents. The results demonstrate that children who pursue their parents’ occupations, particularly those in the lowest earnings percentiles, are more negatively self-selected compared to those whose parents are in the highest earning deciles. In particular, 65% of the children who pursue their parents’ occupation in Decile 1, 49% in Decile 2, 32% in Decile 3 and 26% in Decile 4 would have achieved higher productivity and earned higher earnings in high-income occupations (specifically in Decile 10 occupations). In contrast, children from high-income backgrounds …

Drosophila Parasitoids Go To Space: Unexpected Effects Of Spaceflight On Hosts And Their Parasitoids, Jennifer Chou, Johnny R. Ramroop, Amanda M. Saravia-Butler, Brian Wey, Matthew P. Lera, Medaya L. Torres, Mary Ellen Heavner, Janani Iyer, Siddhita D. Mhatre, Sharmila Bhattacharya, Shubha Govind

Publications and Research

While fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) and humans exhibit immune system dysfunction in space, studies examining their immune systems’ interactions with natural parasites in space are lacking. Drosophila parasitoid wasps modify blood cell function to suppress host immunity. In this study, naive and parasitized ground and space flies from a tumor-free control and a blood tumor-bearing mutant strain were examined. Inflammation-related genes were activated in space in both fly strains. Whereas control flies did not develop tumors, tumor burden increased in the space-returned tumor-bearing mutants. Surprisingly, control flies were more sensitive to spaceflight than mutant flies; many of their …

Alopecia As An Early Clinical Marker For Azathioprine Induced Myelosuppression: A Case Report, Nilanjana Dutta , Final Year Mbbs, Dr. M Suresh Babu , Professor, Dr. Subramanian Ramaswamy , Professor, Dr. Mahabaleshwar Mamadapur , Assistant Professor

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Azathioprine is a pro-drug and is metabolized by the TPMT enzyme in the body. In South Asians, Azathioprine is known to cause alopecia and bone marrow suppression in patients with TPMT enzyme deficiency. In India, the prevalence of TPMT mutation varies from 1.2- 10%. A new mutation was detected in 2014, NUDT15 whose incidence varies from 8.5-16%. Patients with mutation in both TPMT and NUDT15 develop myelosuppression faster. In our case, alopecia manifested as the first clinical feature of Azathioprine myelosuppression. Physicians need to recognize early clinical clues (alopecia) to avoid the impending development of myelosuppression and to look for …

Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Among Health Care Professionals In A Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital, Mysuru, Rakesh M, Dr Sunil Kumar D, Dr Shwethashree M, Kodeeswaran M, Aradhya M. Gowda

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

ABSTRACT

Background: Biomedical waste (BMW) refers to waste generated during the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of humans or animals, posing risks to health and the environment if not managed properly. Proper knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among healthcare professionals are essential for effective BMW management. This study assessed the KAP of healthcare workers regarding BMW in a tertiary care teaching hospital.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 149 healthcare professionals at a private medical college from April 10 to May 10, 2023. Participants were selected using simple random sampling, including consultants, postgraduates, interns, nursing staff, laboratory technicians, and housekeeping …

Psychiatric Morbidity In Perinatal Women And Its Outcome In A Tertiary Care Hospital, Lakshmi Velayudam, Prathap Talwar, Kishor M, Harshitha Padmanabha

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Background: Pregnancy and postpartum are a period of vulnerability in a women’s life for developing mental health problems. Perinatal psychiatric illness has various adverse outcome on maternal, neonatal and child health.

Objective: To study the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and its outcome among women in the perinatal period.

Method: It is a prospective study conducted at a tertiary care hospital where antenatal and postnatal women were screened for psychiatric disorder using patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Edinburgh Post Natal Depression Scale (EPDS) respectively. Total of 140 women diagnosed with psychiatric disorder were followed up for a year and outcome …

Clozapine And Modified Electroconvulsive Therapy (M-Ect) In Treatment Resistant Schizophrenia (Trs) – A Case Report, Kareena Arora, Kishor M, Murali M R, Suhas K Mr

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Schizophrenia is psychiatric disorder affecting less than 1% of population that can be devastating, characterized by positive, negative and cognitive symptoms. This can lead to significant functional impairment. Despite intensive and ongoing research, outcomes from best-practice treatment are often suboptimal. Unfortunately, not all the patients respond to antipsychotic medications. Overall estimates suggest that one-fifth to one-half of patients have treatment resistant schizophrenia (TRS).

TRS include failure sequential trial of two different antipsychotics with sufficient dose, duration and adherence as a minimum criterion. TRS represents major clinical challenge.

Clozapine is the only drug approved for TRS as it is the drug …

High Stakes And Hidden Risks: A Case Series On Pathological Gambling In Context With Affective Disorders And Substance Abuse, Avni Gupta, Namita Deka, Mahesh Kumar

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Background: Pathological gambling is a non–substance-related addictive disorder, characterized by persistent preoccupation with gambling, impaired control, and continuation despite negative consequences. It is associated with financial losses, social and occupational dysfunction, and psychiatric comorbidities, including affective and substance use disorders. Although international prevalence estimates range from 1–2%, research in India remains limited, particularly with the rise of online gambling.

Methods: We report a case series of three individuals presenting to a tertiary-care psychiatry outpatient department with pathological gambling. Clinical assessments included detailed psychiatric evaluation, mental status examination, and psychometric assessments using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Beck Depression Inventory …

Frozen By Worry And Fatigue? A Mixed Methods Approach To Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Freezing Of Gait, Sarah M. Ghose

Theses and Dissertations

This study utilized a mixed methods emergent, phenomenological approach to (1) understanding the lived experience of freezing of gait for individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and (2) determining the role of anxiety and sleep in freezing of gait outcomes. Participants included 13 adults diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease (N=14 for qualitative data, N=13 for quantitative data; 23.1% female-identifying, 76.9% male-identifying) who were predominantly white (92.3%) with an average age of 69 years (SD = 6.73 years). Data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews, self-report measures, actigraphic sleep data, and salivary alpha amylase biomarker collection. Results are organized into …

The Role Of Sleep And Social-Ecological Supports In The Association Between Racial Discrimination And Cardiometabolic Risk In Black Youth, Jelaina R. Shipman-Lacewell

Theses and Dissertations

Black youth are at an increased risk for poor short and long-term cardiometabolic health, including obesity, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. Racial discrimination and poor sleep are theorized as key factors contributing to cardiometabolic health. While adult studies support sleep as a pathway through which discrimination is associated with health, there is a critical gap in our knowledge of this pathway in youth. Socio-ecological supports may protect Black youth against stressors, including racism. However, studies of the protective nature of these factors in Black youth have primarily focused on psychological and behavioral outcomes. Thus, the current study built upon previous …

From Suicidal Ideation To Suicide Attempt: Clarifying The Role Of Painful And Provocative Events, Mallory Stephenson

Theses and Dissertations

The Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide hypothesizes that capability for suicide is acquired in part through exposure to physically painful and/or fear-inducing experiences, referred to as painful and provocative events (PPEs). Studies of PPE exposure offer an opportunity to characterize potential targets for suicide prevention and inform efforts to identify individuals at elevated suicide risk. However, the literature on PPE exposure and risk for suicidality has been limited by a reliance on cross-sectional designs, lack of genetically informed research, inclusion of risk-taking behaviors as potential PPEs, and focus on risk over resilience. In this dissertation, we aimed to address these knowledge …

The Influence Of Flavor On The Abuse Liability Of A Heated Tobacco Product And Its Feasibility As A Menthol Cigarette Substitute, Augustus White

Theses and Dissertations

Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) purport to expose people that use cigarettes to fewer of the harmful or potentially harmful constituents of tobacco while still delivering reinforcing amounts of nicotine (Auer, Concha-Lozano et al., 2017). An exemplar of the HTP class, IQOS, and its three varieties of “HeatSticks” have been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as “Modified Risk Tobacco Products” (MRTP). However, as the FDA is planning to ban menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes, questions remain regarding whether characterizing flavors should be permitted in HTPs (FDA, 2022e). New evidence regarding HTP abuse liability (i.e., the likelihood …

A Radiographic Analysis Of Teeth With Carrier-Based Obturation Requiring Retreatment, Robert W. Rudnicki

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine observer accuracy and agreement in detecting carriers using preoperative radiographs, as well as to identify potential radiographic indicators for the presence of carriers.

Methods: A chart review was conducted for patients seen at the VCU graduate endodontic clinic. Eligible cases included previously treated teeth that were nonsurgically retreated, with and without identified carriers. 100 cases were identified, including 61 carrier and 39 non-carrier cases. Preoperative radiographs were randomized, and evaluators assessed each case for the presence of carrier-based obturation. Evaluators included three endodontists, one general dentist, and four endodontic residents. Statistical …

Using Natural Language Processing To Understand The Lived Experiences Of People Identifying With Adhd: What Themes Emerge In Social Media Posts?, Gabby C. Scalzo

Theses and Dissertations

Compared to the amount of research conducted on how to identify and understand children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), there has been relatively little work done to understand the lived experiences of adults with ADHD. Increased understanding of how adults with ADHD conceptualize themselves in the context of their diagnosis would help clinical experts tailor research and treatments to better serve these communities. However, there are several barriers towards conducting high-quality qualitative research, including time- and labor-intensity. This study, informed by qualitative research traditions, used innovative data sources (i.e., social media) and analytic techniques (i.e., machine learning) to reduce these …

Characteristics Of Permanent Teeth Diagnosed With Pulpal Necrosis: A Retrospective Study, William Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To determine associations of pulpally necrotic teeth with demographics, clinical findings, radiographic presentation, and periapical status.

Methods: Virginia Commonwealth University uses AxiUm software to record dental treatment and treatment notes. The current study involves a keyword search using the term “pulpal necrosis”. Factors compiled and evaluated included but not limited to patient demographics, location in the dental arch, clinical findings, radiographic presentation, and periapical status.

Results: Data has revealed that teeth with pulpal necrosis can present with a variety of different clinical findings. All of the following were observations of teeth with pulpal necrosis. A total of 325 teeth …

Chronobiology Of Meal Timing In Early-Stage Hypertension: Effects On Renal And Vascular Function, Natalie J. Bohmke

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Previous research determined that a Western-style meal acts as a stressor to the kidney and contributed to impaired blood pressure and vascular function. Despite an understanding of acute postprandial physiology in humans, studies have not investigated the impact of the time of day of meal consumption on physiology. Methods: Ten participants with elevated or stage-one hypertension underwent a randomized crossover trial with a controlled feeding intervention of a Western-style meal in the morning or the evening. Participants completed a run-in day to standardize diet followed by the experimental day. On day 2, participants completed ambulatory blood pressure, core temperature, …

Preexisting Conditionings: Painting, Gaming And Narrative Play, Pia Bakala

Theses and Dissertations

My work incorporates play, fantasy, and self-actualization through painting, sculpture, and video. In this essay, I will explore the ways in which my studio practice intersects with topics across fields of visual arts and in conjunction their theoretical frameworks. I will discuss the culminating body of work, tentatively titled Preexisting Conditionings, that my academic experience at VCU has fostered and trace its development across specific precursive works, as well as the cultural and intellectual touchstones influencing its creative impetus. In Preexisting Conditionings, I work primarily use oil painting, creating mostly representational figurative tableaus that correspond to narratives and characters I’m …

On The Rebound: Resilience And Subjective Cognitive Symptoms In Cancer, Giuliana V. Zarrella

Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies have shown a strong connection between resilience and subjective cognitive symptoms in clinical populations. However, there is limited understanding of this relationship in cancer survivors, and no studies examine whether resilience training could alleviate subjective cognitive symptoms in these patients. This study examined the relationship between subjective cognitive function and resilience in non-CNS cancer survivors who participated in a resiliency training intervention, at baseline and from pre- to post-intervention, as well as investigated potential influences of change in subjective cognition. Adult cancer survivors (N=275) participated in the Stress Management and Resilience Training-Relaxation Response Resilience Program (SMART-3RP) …