Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Clinical And Biological Factors Determine Spinal Cord Injury Outcomes: Liquor To Lipids, Ethan Glaser

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) are debilitating and life altering events that can lead to permanent motor and sensory loss. SCI outcomes are impacted by both clinical factors such as blood alcohol content (BAC) at the time of injury as well as biological factors like the lipid-rich myelin debris that accumulates in the injury site. Both clinical and biological factors contribute to SCI recovery, impacting neuroinflammation, locomotor recovery, and histopathology. The purpose of the studies described here is to investigate the role of acute alcohol intoxication and intracellular lipid processing pathways on SCI outcomes in a rodent model.

An elevated BAC …

Efficacy And Safety Of Vibegron For The Treatment Of Overactive Bladder In Women: A Subgroup Analysis From The Double-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Empowur Trial, Diane K. Newman Dnp, Elizabeth Thomas Ms, Heather Greene Mph, Cornelia Haag-Molkenteller Md, Susann Varano Md

Physician Associate Studies Faculty Publications

Importance The international phase 3 EMPOWUR trial demonstrated efficacy and safety of vibegron, a newer b3-adrenergic receptor agonist, in adults with overactive bladder (OAB). Women are disproportionately affected by OAB, especially those with bothersome symptoms, such as urge urinary incontinence (UUI). Objective This subgroup analysis from EMPOWUR assessed efficacy and safety of vibegron in women. Study Design In EMPOWUR, patients with OAB were randomized 5:5:4 to 12 weeks of treatment with once-daily vibegron 75 mg, placebo, or tolterodine 4-mg extended release. Efficacy end points included change from baseline at week 12 in mean daily number of micturitions, UUI episodes, and …

Modeling The Spread Of Covid-19 In Spatio-Temporal Context, S.H. Sathish Indika, Norou Diawara, Hueiwang Anna Jeng, Bridget D. Giles, Dilini S.K. Gamage

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

This study aims to use data provided by the Virginia Department of Public Health to illustrate the changes in trends of the total cases in COVID-19 since they were first recorded in the state. Each of the 93 counties in the state has its COVID-19 dashboard to help inform decision makers and the public of spatial and temporal counts of total cases. Our analysis shows the differences in the relative spread between the counties and compares the evolution in time using Bayesian conditional autoregressive framework. The models are built under the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method and Moran spatial correlations. …

Covid-19 Vaccination And Alcohol Consumption: Justification Of Risks, Pavel A. Solopov

Bioelectrics Publications

Since the beginning of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, pharmaceutical companies and research institutions have been actively working to develop vaccines, and the mass roll-out of vaccinations against COVID-19 began in January 2021. At the same time, during lockdowns, the consumption of alcoholic beverages increased. During the peak of vaccination, consumption remained at high levels around the world, despite the gradual relaxation of quarantine restrictions. Two of the popular queries on search engines were whether it is safe to drink alcohol after vaccination and whether this will affect the effectiveness of vaccines. Over the past two …

Evaluation Of Cold Atmospheric Plasma For The Decontamination Of Flexible Endoscopes, R. C. Hervé, Michael G. Kong, Sudhir Bhatt, Hai-Lan Chen, E. E. Comoy, J-P. Deslys, T. J. Secker, C. W. Keevil

Bioelectrics Publications

Background: Despite adherence to standard protocols, residues including live microorganisms may remain on the various surfaces of reprocessed flexible endoscopes. Prions are infectious proteins notoriously difficult to eliminate.

Aim: We tested the potential of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) for the decontamination of flexible endoscope various surfaces, measuring total proteins and prion-residual infectivity as an indicator of efficacy.

Methods: New PTFE endoscope channels and metal test surfaces spiked with test soil or prion-infected tissues were treated using different CAP-generating prototypes. Surfaces were then examined for the presence of residues using very sensitive fluorescence epi-microscopy. Prion residual infectivity was determined using the …

Location Of The Fibronectin Binding Domain On The Fibronectin Attachment Protein Of Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis, Chrissy Rose Hattery

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) is an acid-fast bacillus that causes a fatal granulomatous ileocolitis called Johne’s Disease that affects primarily ruminants. The impact of MAP infection in the US dairy industry is particularly severe, with up to 70.4% of the herds being infected and annual losses as high as $1.5 billion. MAP is capable of persisting for months in the livestock environment and surviving the pasteurization process. While several vaccines are available, none can prevent infection and treatment with antimycobacterial chemotherapy does not result in a cure. Management and control of MAP infection requires characterization of host-pathogen interaction at the …

Modifiable Health Disparities And Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors In Latino Migrant Seasonal Farmworkers: A Meta-Analysis, Cindy Mendez

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States (U.S.). Existing literature concluded that Latino migrant seasonal farmworkers endure higher rates of adverse health disparities and chronic diseases than the general U.S. population. However, research on the Latino migrant seasonal farmworkers’ modifiable health disparities (i.e., alcohol use and smoking) and cardiovascular disease risk factors (i.e., high cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and overweight/obesity) is scarce, particularly studies comparing male and female Latino migrant seasonal farmworkers. PURPOSE: This meta-analysis had two aims. First, examine whether male or female Latino migrant seasonal farmworkers in the U.S. have …

Accelerated Forgetting In People With Epilepsy: Pathologic Memory Loss, Its Neural Basis, And Potential Therapies, Sarah Ashley Steimel Phd

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

While forgetting is vital to human functioning, delineating between normative and disordered forgetting can become incredibly complex. This thesis characterizes a pathologic form of forgetting in epilepsy, identifies a neural basis, and investigates the potential of stimulation as a therapeutic tool. Chapter 2 presents a behavioral characterization of the time course of Accelerated Long-Term Forgetting (ALF) in people with epilepsy (PWE). This chapter shows evidence of ALF on a shorter time scale than previous studies, with a differential impact on recall and recognition. Chapter 3 builds upon the work in Chapter 2 by extending ALF time points and investigating the …

Elafibranor Modulates Ileal Macrophage Polarization To Restore Intestinal Integrity In Nash: Potential Crosstalk Between Ileal Il-10/Stat3 And Hepatic Tlr4/Nf-Κb Axes, Andrew Hakeem, Mohamed M. Kamal, Rasha A. Radwan, Basma A. Abdelrahman, Olfat A. Hammam, Mohey M. Elmazar, Aiman S. El-Khatib, Yasmeen M. Attia

Pharmacy

Experimental and clinical evidence implicate disrupted gut barrier integrity in provoking innate immune responses, specifically macrophages, towards the progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), a subset of the nuclear receptor superfamily, act to fine-tune several metabolic and inflammatory processes implicated in NASH. As such, the current study was carried out to decipher the potential role of dual PPAR α/δ activation using elafibranor (ELA) on ileal macrophage polarization (MP) and its likely impact on the liver in a NASH setting. To achieve this aim, an in vitro NASH model using fat-laden HepG2 cells was first used to validate …

Does The Cdc Covid-19 Exposure Assessment Criteria For Healthcare Personnel Work In A Healthcare Setting In Pakistan?, Imran Hassan, Unab Khan, Shehreen Ali, Asif Hakim, Asad Ali

Department of Family Medicine

Objective: To evaluate the real-world performance of the CDC's "Interim US guidance for risk assessment and work restriction for healthcare personnel with exposure to COVID-19" at a private healthcare system in Pakistan.
Study design: Retrospective observational study.
Place and duration of study: The Aga khan University Hospital, Karachi, and its associated healthcare facilities in all four provinces of Pakistan, from February to September 2020.
Methodology: Healthcare personnel (HCPs) assessed and tested for exposures to COVID-19 were included in the study. An exposure category was assigned to each HCP presenting with exposure to COVID-19 based on the CDC criteria. Percentage positivity …

An Explainable Artificial Intelligence Framework For The Predictive Analysis Of Hypo And Hyper Thyroidism Using Machine Learning Algorithms, Md. Bipul Hossain, Anika Shama, Apurba Adhikary, Avi Deb Raha, K. M. Aslam Uddin, Mohammad Amzad Hossain, Imtia Islam, Saydul Akbar Murad, Md. Shirajum Munir, Anupam Kumur Bairagi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The thyroid gland is the crucial organ in the human body, secreting two hormones that help to regulate the human body's metabolism. Thyroid disease is a severe medical complaint that could be developed by high Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) levels or an infection in the thyroid tissues. Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are two critical conditions caused by insufficient thyroid hormone production and excessive thyroid hormone production, respectively. Machine learning models can be used to precisely process the data generated from different medical sectors and to build a model to predict several diseases. In this paper, we use different machine-learning algorithms to …

The Shortfalls Of Vulnerability Indexes For Public Health Decision-Making In The Face Of Emergent Crises: The Case Of Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake In Virginia, Lydia Cleveland Sa, Erika Frydenlund

VMASC Publications

Equitable and effective vaccine uptake is a key issue in addressing COVID-19. To achieve this, we must comprehensively characterize the context-specific socio-behavioral and structural determinants of vaccine uptake. However, to quickly focus public health interventions, state agencies and planners often rely on already existing indexes of "vulnerability." Many such "vulnerability indexes" exist and become benchmarks for targeting interventions in wide ranging scenarios, but they vary considerably in the factors and themes that they cover. Some are even uncritical of the use of the word "vulnerable," which should take on different meanings in different contexts. The objective of this study is …

First Bovine Vaccine To Prevent Human Schistosomiasis - A Cluster Randomised Phase 3 Clinical Trial, Allen G. Ross, Donald A. Harn, Delia Chy, Marianette Inobaya, Jerric R. Guevarra, Lisa Shollenberger, Yuesheng Li, Donald P. Mcmanus, Darren J. Gray, Gail M. Williams

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Objective

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical parasitic disease caused by blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma. Schistosoma japonicum is zoonotic in China, the Philippines, and Indonesia, with bovines acting as major reservoirs of human infection. The primary objective of the trial was to examine the impact of a combination of human mass chemotherapy, snail control through mollusciciding, and SjCTPI bovine vaccination on the rate of human infection.

Methods

A 5-year phase IIIa cluster randomized control trial was conducted among 18 schistosomiasis-endemic villages comprising 18,221 residents in Northern Samar, The Philippines.

Results

Overall, bovine vaccination resulted in a statistically significant decrease …

Expansion On The Use Of The Novel Compound, Elp-004, Using A Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Experimentation Model, Kendyl Marie Berry

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Osteoarticular tuberculosis (OAT) is a bone degenerative disease that results in bone erosion, joint effusion, joint swelling, and sometimes, nerve compression. OAT occurs from the hematogenous dissemination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) bacilli spreading from the primary site of infection to the bones and joints; the primary site of infection tends to be the lungs as pulmonary tuberculosis infections are the most common. OAT can occur as the result of an active or latent infection. Latent infections result in OAT when bacilli are able to escape granulomas. The incidence of OAT is not as high as pulmonary infections, making up about …

Sheprep: Examining The Influence Of The Messaging And The Messenger Associated With Prep Uptake Among African American Women, Christian C. Spears

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

African American Women (AAW) make up less than 15% of the female population in the United States but account for over 50% of new HIV diagnoses among females. This largely preventable health disparity can be mitigated by advocating and prescribing Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a preventive HIV medication, to persons at risk. Despite advances in medication options, there are less than 13% of Black people who could benefit from having been prescribed PrEP, and limited research and promotion on the effectiveness of PrEP for AAW. The “ShePrEP Study” aimed to assess awareness, perceptions, and receptivity toward PrEP among AAW. This study …

Development Of Sensors For Bacteria And Wound Environment Monitoring, Pannawich Thirabowonkitphithan

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a leading cause of death and reduces life expectancy. Complications from diabetes have wreaked havoc not only on patients' quality of life, but also on the global burdens of public health and socioeconomic development. The most frequent complication among patients with diabetes mellitus is diabetic wounds, particularly diabetic foot ulcers because of the damage to sensory nerves and blood vessel issues brought on by elevated blood glucose levels. As a result, chronic wounds eventually develop and are prone to infection. In this study, several novel analytical devices for the detection of wound infections and the wound …

The Telltale Of Left Atrial Thrombus Formation In Mitral Stenosis: Revisiting The Virchow’S Triad, Bayushi Eka Putra, Rina Ariani, Anwar Santoso, Prima Almazini, Estu Rudiktyo, Amiliana Mardiani Soesanto

Journal of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology

Aims: This study was conducted to assess the relationship of simple hematological parameters with the incidence of left atrial thrombus in rheumatic mitral stenosis in addition to conventional contributing factors. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in patients with significant rheumatic stenosis from 1 January 2018 to 31 July 2021. Thrombus evaluation was confirmed by transthoracic or transesophageal echocardiography. Lab tests were performed within 10 days prior to the echocardiographic evaluation. Subjects with significant mitral regurgitation will be excluded. Logistic regression analysis was done to evaluate the relationship between each variable to the presence of a thrombus. Results: Of …

Dermatologic Manifestations Of Rheumatic Disease: Malignant Cutaneous Tumors, Divya Shan, Julianna S. Kang, Allison Cinats, Julia R. Nunley, Beth Rubinstein

Open and Affordable Course Content at VCU

No abstract provided.

Distinctions Between Choroidal Neovascularization And Age Macular Degeneration In Ocular Disease Predictions Via Multi-Size Kernels Ξcho-Weighted Median Patterns, Alex Liew, Sos Agaian, Samir Benbelkacem

Publications and Research

Age-related macular degeneration is a visual disorder caused by abnormalities in a part of the eye’s retina and is a leading source of blindness. The correct detection, precise location, classification, and diagnosis of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) may be challenging if the lesion is small or if Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) images are degraded by projection and motion. This paper aims to develop an automated quantification and classification system for CNV in neovascular age-related macular degeneration using OCT angiography images. OCT angiography is a non-invasive imaging tool that visualizes retinal and choroidal physiological and pathological vascularization. The presented system is based …

Characterizing Cellular Injury And Inflammation With Aldob-/-Mouse Model Of Mafld, Andy Rashid

All Master's Theses

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) affects 1 in 3 people in the US and is a healthcare burden on the order of billions of dollars. MAFLD is characterized by pathological lipid accumulation in the liver, excess production of triglycerides and cholesterol, and export of LDL particles that raise serum lipid levels. These metabolic perturbations can lead to the development of liver fibrosis, chronic inflammation, and insulin resistance. Diagnosing MAFLD prior to fibrosis is crucial for successful intervention and prevention of advanced liver disease and other metabolic complications. Fructose-1Phospahte (F1P) accumulation from fructose overconsumption can drive hepatic lipogenesis and MAFLD progression. …

A Machine Learning Approach For Early Diagnosis Of Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy Among Heart Failure Patients, Tanjim Ahmed

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is a rare, progressive, and fatal disease. Prevalence of ATTR-CM ranges from 4 to 17 per 100000 cases where the mean survival time is less than 4 years. It has a history of being underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed. The diagnosis delay has a weighted mean of 6.1 years for wild-type ATTR-CM. Low awareness, the necessity of invasive procedures, and lack of treatment are the key reasons for delayed diagnosis. But, with the introduction of non-invasive tests like nuclear scintigraphy with ^99mTC-PYP and the disease modifying drug Tafamidis, the diagnosis delay signifies a missed opportunity to increase …

The Effects Of Dental Hygiene Instrument Handles On Muscle Activity Production, Jessica R. Suedbeck, Daniel Russell, Cortney Armitano Lago, Emily A. Ludwig

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose The objective of this study was to compare the effects of ten commercially available instrument handle designs’ mass and diameter on forearm muscle activity during a simulated periodontal scaling experience.

Methods A convenience sample of 25 registered dental hygienists were recruited for this IRB-approved study. Ten commercially available instruments were categorized into four groups based on their masses and diameters: large diameter/light mass, small diameter/light mass, large diameter/heavy mass, and small diameter/heavy mass. Participants were randomized to four instruments with one from each group. Participants scaled with each instrument in a simulated oral environment while muscle activity was collected …

Generation Of Chimeric Rhinoviruses Presenting Sars-Cov-2 Broadly Neutralizing Epitopes And Their Antigenicity Characterization, Danish Ansari

Biotechnology Theses

The global COVID pandemic is not yet fully under control as there were over 21 million new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections and over 50,000 deaths globally as of January of 2022. A heavily mutated variant of concern, Omicron is responsible for most of these cases which demands an urgency for a new vaccine. NIH reports over 180 vaccine candidates that use various strategies currently in development. However, a recurring concern with these vaccines is that the continuous viral mutations decrease the efficacy of vaccines. Therefore, we proposed to construct a human rhinovirus (HRV) based chimeric virus containing highly conserved, broadly …

Heart Disease Prediction Using Stacking Model With Balancing Techniques And Dimensionality Reduction, Ayesha Noor, Nadeem Javaid, Nabil Alrajeh, Babar Mansoor, Ali Khaqan, Safdar Hussain Bouk

School of Cybersecurity Faculty Publications

Heart disease is a serious worldwide health issue with wide-reaching effects. Since heart disease is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, early detection is crucial. Emerging technologies like Machine Learning (ML) are currently being actively used by the biomedical, healthcare, and health prediction industries. PaRSEL, a new stacking model is proposed in this research, that combines four classifiers, Passive Aggressive Classifier (PAC), Ridge Classifier (RC), Stochastic Gradient Descent Classifier (SGDC), and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), at the base layer, and LogitBoost is deployed for the final predictions at the meta layer. The imbalanced and irrelevant features in the …

Considerations In The Management Of Juvenile Absence Epilepsy In Pregnancy And In Females Of Childbearing Age, Casey Brew

Capstone Showcase

JAE is an epilepsy syndrome that typically requires lifelong AED treatment, and valproic acid or lamotrigine is considered first line to manage the spectrum of associated seizures. In females with JAE who become pregnant, there exist risks both from having uncontrolled seizures and from taking AEDs during the pregnancy. Valproic acid carries the highest risks to the fetus but is the most effective in controlling the seizure types seen with JAE. Folic acid supplementation has shown to mitigate some but not all of the fetal risks from valproic acid. Limited guidance from professional organizations exists for management of females of …

Non-Pharmaceutical Symptom Management In Patients With Pcos, Allison Stern

Capstone Showcase

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a relatively common diagnosis among biological females. There are many variations of presentations among patients with PCOS that require an individualized and tailored treatment plan for symptom management. Although there are pharmaceutical medications that can be used for PCOS symptoms, some patients’ symptoms might not be fully managed, or they might prefer to focus on non-pharmaceutical options for their symptoms instead. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to be familiar with alternatives to the mainstay of pharmaceutical treatment.

Acute Otitis Media: Management And Recurrence In The Pediatric Population, Sydney Klaiman

Capstone Showcase

Acute otitis media (AOM) is one the the most common condition that affects the pediatric population. AOM place burden on affected children, caregivers, the healthcare system, and also contributes to antibiotic resistance. In many cases, AOM is not just a one-time occurrence and is the most common reason that kids receive oral antibiotics and undergo surgery. Relative to the number of articles available, there is a large gap in the research that does not thoroughly address recurrent AOM (rAOM) and the importance of its management and prevention. Therefore, the goal of this poster is to discuss different modalities used to …

Vitamin D Enhanced Vitamin D Receptor (Vdr) Inhibition Of Nlrp3 Inflammasome Activation Can Attenuate The Development Of Autoimmune Thyroiditis, Alexzon Mandac

Capstone Showcase

Autoimmune Thyroiditis (AIT) is a prevalent autoimmune disease affecting approximately 2% of the population. Characterized by the gradual loss of thyroid function through an autoimmune attack on the thyroid gland, the disease manifests symptoms that negatively affect one’s quality of life. The mechanisms behind the disease’s pathophysiology are not fully understood; however, researchers are examining the involvement of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the disease. This thesis will address the question of whether Vitamin D can act as an inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome and attenuate the progression of AIT in mouse model. Current investigations explore the effects of NLRP3 inhibition …

High Energy Blue Light Induces Oxidative Stress And Retinal Cell Apoptosis, Jessica Malinsky

Capstone Showcase

Blue light (BL) is a high energy, short wavelength spanning 400 to 500 nm. Found in technological and environmental forms, BL has been shown to induce photochemical damage of the retina by reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Excess ROS leads to oxidative stress, which disrupts retinal mitochondrial structure and function. As mitochondria amply occupy photoreceptors, they also contribute to oxidative stress due to their selectively significant absorption of BL at 400 to 500 nm. ROS generation that induces oxidative stress subsequently promotes retinal mitochondrial apoptosis. BL filtering and preventative mechanisms have been suggested to improve or repair BL-induced retinal damage, …

Association Of Diabetes Prevalence With Labor Force Participation Rates In Kentucky Counties, Ryan Montgomery

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Compared to other states in the USA, Kentucky has one of the highest rates of diagnosed diabetes and one of the lowest levels of labor force participation. This project employs a multivariable linear regression model to estimate the correlation between county-level diabetes prevalence and county-level labor force participation rates in Kentucky counties from 2015-2019, using publicly available data from the Centers for Disease Control’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). Labor force participation rates serve as the dependent variable and diabetes prevalence rates serve as the primary independent variable, alongside nine …