Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Modification Of The Tumor Microenvironment Enhances Anti-Pd-1 Immunotherapy In Metastatic Melanoma, Guilan Shi, Megan Scott, Cathryn G. Mangiamele, Richard Heller

Bioelectrics Publications

Resistance to checkpoint-blockade treatments is a challenge in the clinic. Both primary and acquired resistance have become major obstacles, greatly limiting the long-lasting effects and wide application of blockade therapy. Many patients with metastatic melanoma eventually require further therapy. The absence of T-cell infiltration to the tumor site is a well-accepted contributor limiting immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy. In this study, we combined intratumoral injection of plasmid IL-12 with electrotransfer and anti-PD-1 in metastatic B16F10 melanoma tumor model to increase tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and improve therapeutic efficacy. We showed that effective anti-tumor responses required a subset of tumor-infiltrating CD8⁺ and CD4 …

Participatory Mapping To Address Neighborhood Level Data Deficiencies For Food Security Assessment In Southeastern Virginia, Usa, Nicole S. Hutton, George Mcleod, Thomas R. Allen, Christopher Davis, Alexander Garnand, Heather Richter, Prachi P. Chaven, Leslie Hoglund, Jill Comess, Matthew Herman, Brian Martin, Cynthia Romero

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

Background: Food is not equitably available. Deficiencies and generalizations limit national datasets, food security assessments, and interventions. Additional neighborhood level studies are needed to develop a scalable and transferable process to complement national and internationally comparative data sets with timely, granular, nuanced data. Participatory geographic information systems (PGIS) offer a means to address these issues by digitizing local knowledge.

Methods: The objectives of this study were two-fold: (i) identify granular locations missing from food source and risk datasets and (ii) examine the relation between the spatial, socio-economic, and agency contributors to food security. Twenty-nine subject matter experts from three cities …

College Of Health Sciences Newsletter, College Of Health Sciences, Old Dominion University

Ellmer College of Health Sciences Newsletters

October 2022 issue of Old Dominion University's College of Health Sciences Newsletter.

Exploring The Experiences Of Runners With Visual Impairments And Sighted Guides, Lindsay E. Ball, Lauren J. Leiberman, Pamela Beach, Melanie Perreault, Jason Rich

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

: Running is a popular sport, and, with simple modifications, it can be accessible for individuals with visual impairments, particularly with a sighted running guide. The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of runners with visual impairments and sighted running guides. Adopting a descriptive qualitative approach to guide data collection analysis and interpretation, seven runners with visual impairments and four sighted running guides were recruited and interviewed. The analysis identified four major themes: (1) benefits, (2) barriers, (3) advocacy, and (4) communication. The identified themes illustrate the influence of participation in running on the health and relationships …

The History Of Air Quality In Utah: A Narrative Review, Logan E. Mitchell, Christopher Zajchowski

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Utah has a rich history related to air pollution; however, it is not widely known or documented. This is despite air quality being a top issue of public concern for the state’s urban residents and acute episodes that feature some of the world’s worst short-term particulate matter exposure. As we discuss in this narrative review, the relationship between air pollution and the state’s residents has changed over time, as fuel sources shifted from wood to coal to petroleum and natural gas. Air pollution rose in prominence as a public issue in the 1880s as Utah’s urban areas grew. Since then, …

Mental Health Counselors’ Perceptions Of Professional Identity As Correctional Counselors In An Integrated Behavioral Health Care Setting, Jeanel L. Franklin

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

This study explores the professional identity of clinical mental health counselors employed as correctional counselors in an integrated behavioral health (IBH) setting. Previous research has documented the attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of mental health counselors working in IBH as well as their experiences engaging in interprofessional collaboration. However, researchers have yet to explore how clinical mental health counselors in correctional settings perceive their professional identity and what aspects of their professional roles impact their identity development. This study utilized an interpretive phenomenological approach (IPA) to describe, understand, and interpret the meaning of four correctional counselors’ perceptions of their professional identities …

Utilization Of Finite Element Analysis Techniques For Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Surgical Planning, Michael A. Polanco

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis, a three-dimensional deformity of the thoracolumbar spine, affects approximately 1-3% of patients ages 10-18. Surgical correction and treatment of the spinal column is a costly and high-risk task that is consistently complicated by factors such as patient-specific spinal deformities, curve flexibility, and surgeon experience. The following dissertation utilizes finite element analysis to develop a cost-effective, building-block approach by which surgical procedures and kinematic evaluations may be investigated. All studies conducted are based off a volumetric, thoracolumbar finite element (FE) model developed from computer-aided design (CAD) anatomy whose components are kinematically validated with in-vitro data. Spinal ligament stiffness …

Estimating The Health Effects Of Adding Bicycle And Pedestrian Paths At The Census Tract Level: Multiple Model Comparison, Ross J. Gore, Christopher Lynch, Craig Jordan, Andrew Collins, R. Michael Robinson, Gabrielle Fuller, Pearson Ames, Prateek Keerthi, Yash Kandukuri

VMASC Publications

Background: Adding additional bicycle and pedestrian paths to an area can lead to improved health outcomes for residents over time. However, quantitatively determining which areas benefit more from bicycle and pedestrian paths, how many miles of bicycle and pedestrian paths are needed, and the health outcomes that may be most improved remain open questions.

Objective: Our work provides and evaluates a methodology that offers actionable insight for city-level planners, public health officials, and decision makers tasked with the question “To what extent will adding specified bicycle and pedestrian path mileage to a census tract improve residents’ health outcomes over time?” …

Racial Differences In Tobacco Use And Risk Factors Among Young Adults: Roles Of Expectancies And Emotion Regulation, Laurel Brockenberry

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

African Americans experience higher mortality from lung cancer and other smoking-related diseases than Caucasian Americans (Kochanek et al., 2016) despite engaging in cigarette and e-cigarette use significantly less or at comparable rates to other racial groups (CDC, 2015; Schoeborn, 2013). During adolescence, smoking prevalence is lower among African Americans than Caucasian Americans, but there is a “cross-over effect” whereby smoking rates become similar later in adulthood (Belgrave et al, 2010). The mechanisms driving this effect are poorly understood. Thus, examining motivating factors for tobacco use, such as outcome expectancies and emotion regulation, may be especially illuminating for young adult African …

An Investigation Of Healthcare Professionals’ Perspectives On The Tasks Of Mental Health Counselors In Hospital Settings, Suelle Micallef Marmara

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

With the global mental health implications reported by the spread of COVID 19 (Javed et al., 2020) and the amplified mental health illnesses reported by the State of Mental Health in America (Reinert et al., 2021), there is an increased need to address psychological and emotional health along with physical health. Mental Health Counselors (MHCs) can be the next professional body to support the multidisciplinary teams within hospital settings to complement holistic care focusing on physical and emotional well-being. Researchers have demonstrated addressing the psychological needs of patients from their first admissions to the hospital has significant positive implications on …

Examining The Roles Of Acculturative Stressors And Cultural Factors In Major Health And Safety Issues Among Hispanic/Latino Farmworkers, Brenda Berumen-Flucker

Health Services Research Dissertations

Statement of the problem: Hispanic/Latino farmworkers are at increased risk of adverse health and safety outcomes. Heightened levels of acculturative stress and the unique cultural characteristics and beliefs reported by this group increase workers’ vulnerability for adverse outcomes.

Method: The first project consisted of a systematic review examining threats to the health and safety of Hispanic/Latino agricultural workers attributable to climate change, focusing specifically on their risk for heat-related illnesses (HRI) and cultural factors and beliefs increasing workers’ vulnerability for HRI. The second project was a secondary data analysis focused on identifying potential relationships between acculturative stressors, cultural factors, and …

Cu And Ni Co-Sputtered Heteroatomic Thin Film For Enhanced Nonenzymatic Glucose Detection, Brianna Barbee, Baleeswaraiah Muchharla, Adetayo Adedeji, Abdennaceur Karoui, Kishor Kumar Sadasivuni, Mizaj Shabil Sha, Aboubakr M. Abdullah4, Gymama Slaughter, Bijandra Kumar

Bioelectrics Publications

In this work, we report a wafer-scale and chemical-free fabrication of nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu) heteroatomic Cu–Ni thin films using RF magnetron sputtering technique for non-enzymatic glucose sensing application. The as-prepared wafer-scale Cu–Ni thin films exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity toward glucose oxidation with a 1.86 μM detection limit in the range of 0.01 mM to 20 mM range. The Cu–Ni film shows 1.3- and 5.4-times higher glucose oxidation activity in comparison to the Cu and Ni electrodes, respectively. The improved electrocatalytic activity is attributed to the synergistic effect of the bimetallic catalyst and high density of grain boundaries. The …

Complex Thought For Complex Work: Preparing Cognitively Complex Counselors For Work In Diverse Settings, Alexandra C. Gantt

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Counselor education researchers have explored the need for high levels of cognitive complexity (CC) in mental health counselors due to its relationship with high quality counseling skills and counselor ways of being (e.g., Castillo, 2018; McAuliffe & Lovell, 2006; Ridley et al., 2011; Welfare & Borders, 2010b). In these studies, researchers have called for continued study of means of enhancing CC in counselors in training (CITs) through andragogical efforts (e.g., Castillo, 2018; Duys & Hedstrom, 2000; Welfare & Borders, 2010a). However, we do not have an understanding of minimally acceptable CC for graduating CITs. In this study, I explored counselor …

Faculty Perceptions Of Teaching Clinical Reasoning At The Patient Bedside, Rebecca Gale White

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Nurse educators meet frequently in conference settings and peer groups seeking an answer to “How do you do clinical?”. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore faculty perceptions of clinical teaching experiences at the patient bedside at a level one or two associate’s degree nursing program by faculty within the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) that teach a rural student population.

Rural students struggle with work-life barriers that complicate their educational journey. This was compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic that presented new challenges to the way nursing education could be delivered creating a need for on line …

Blood Lead Levels In Minority Children: A Case Of Environmental Racism, Erick Rivera

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Racial minorities in the United States have suffered from being disadvantaged. Among these disadvantages is environmental racism. This includes minority communities being ‘sacrifice zones’ for toxic waste and being exposed to lead poisoning. The purpose of this study is to examine differences in blood levels between white children and children of color. This research will follow a bivariate model for the first research question, “Do youth of color (under the age of 18) have higher BLLs than white children?” The bivariate model will look at the relationship between ethno-racial group and BLLs. Specifically, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) will be …

Foundations Of Plasmas For Medical Applications, T. Von Woedtke, Mounir Laroussi, M. Gherardi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Plasma medicine refers to the application of nonequilibrium plasmas at approximately body temperature, for therapeutic purposes. Nonequilibrium plasmas are weakly ionized gases which contain charged and neutral species and electric fields, and emit radiation, particularly in the visible and ultraviolet range. Medically-relevant cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAP) sources and devices are usually dielectric barrier discharges and nonequilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma jets. Plasma diagnostic methods and modelling approaches are used to characterize the densities and fluxes of active plasma species and their interaction with surrounding matter. In addition to the direct application of plasma onto living tissue, the treatment of liquids …

Disaster Victim Identification Competencies: A Comparison Of Dental Hygiene And Dental Assistant Students, Samantha Clara Vest

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess cognitive and affective learning outcomes of allied dental students following a disaster victim identification (DVI) multi-media learning experience. Methods: A convenience sample (n=41) of senior dental hygiene and dental assisting students from two institutions completed an IRB-exempt DVI learning experience which included a multimedia intervention with a pretest/posttest survey to assess cognitive and affective changes. The multimedia intervention was a PowerPoint presentation with educational text, audio/video recordings, and presented in a virtual synchronous format by one of the researchers. After completing the learning experience, participants were presented with 10 sets of …

Implementing An Online, Integrative, Multi-Component, Group-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy (Cbt) For The Reduction Of Caregiver Burden In Primary Familial Caregivers Of Persons With Dementia: A Preliminary Test Of Feasibility, Daniel Robert Schaffer

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the preliminary feasibility of an online, manualized, group-based, multi-component, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatment approach for the reduction of caregiver burden among family caregivers of persons with dementia. This study had five primary hypotheses: (1) the recruitment plan, as outlined within this study, would yield the target number of participants within a 12-month period; (2) the proposed group therapy protocol would produce a positive therapeutic climate, as operationalized by increased levels of perceived social support, perceived group cohesion, positive therapeutic alliance, and positive engagement; (3) this study would maintain adequate participant retention, …

Medical Manikin Augmented Reality Simulation (M2ars), Pauline Delacruz, Jacob Gibson, Daniel Howard, Jaclyn Peacock, Kendall Robbins

Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Student Capstone Conference

The Medical Manikin Augmented Reality Simulation (M2ARS) is an augmented reality simulation application built for the Microsoft HoloLens 2 that uses the principles of anatomy transfer to overlay human anatomical structures onto a medical manikin digitally. These structures currently consist of the skeletal, muscular, and circulatory systems. In addition, a model of the lungs and an animated heart are also available within the simulation. M2ARS allows the user to view these structures in a manner that is both visually and spatially accurate to the human body. This application contains two modes; an augmented reality mode, which uses a manikin, and …

Multi-Modality Breast Mri Segmentation Using Nn-Unet For Preoperative Planning Of Robotic Surgery Navigation, Motaz Alqaoud, John Plemmons Md, Eric Feliberti Md, Facs, Krishnanand Kaipa, Siqin Dong, Gabor Fichtinger, Yimming Xiao, Michel Audette

Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Student Capstone Conference

Segmentation of the chest region and breast tissues is essential for surgery planning and navigation. This paper proposes the foundation for preoperative segmentation based on two cascaded architectures of deep neural networks (DNN) based on the state-of-the-art nnU-Net. Additionally, this study introduces a polyvinyl alcohol cryogel (PVA-C) breast phantom based on the segmentation of the DNN automated approach, enabling the experiments of navigation system for robotic breast surgery. Multi-modality breast MRI datasets of T2W and STIR images were acquired from 10 patients. Segmentation evaluation utilized the Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC), segmentation accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. First, a single class labeling …

Public Goods From Private Data: An Effectiveness And Justification Dilemma For Digital Contact Tracing, Andrew Buzzell

The Journal of Sociotechnical Critique

Debate about the adoption of digital contact tracing (DCT) apps to control the spread of COVID-19 has focussed on risks to individual privacy. This emphasis reveals significant challenges to ethical deployment of DCT, but generates constraints which undermine justification to implement DCT. It would be a mistake to view this result solely as the successful operation of ethical foresight analysis, preventing deployment of potentially harmful technology. Privacy-centric analysis treats data as private property, frames the relationship between individuals and governments as adversarial, entrenches technology platforms as gatekeepers, and supports a conception of emergency public health authority as limited by individual …

Study Of Glucose Supplementation On Antibiotic Efficacy Against Staphylococcus Aureus, Areej Malik, Alexandra E. Chittams-Miles, Claudia Muratori, Erin B. Purcell

College of Sciences Posters

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), is a Gram-positive, facultative anaerobic, biofilm-forming bacterium. It is the leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) in the United States. The public health impact of S. aureus has been increased by the emergence of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It has also shown intermediate resistance to Vancomycin, which suggests that full resistance may develop. It is known that hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) from diabetes reduces immune system function. Patients with diabetes experience a greater rate of skin and soft tissue infections. This research explores the effect of increasing glucose concentration on S. …

A Literature Review On Red Meat Consumption Contribution As A Risk Factor For Type 2 Diabetes, Wendy Ireland, Rebekah Davis

The Graduate School Posters

Diabetes continues to be a major health concern for public health officials. The incidence of diabetes has grown in the past two decades producing more than 37 million Americans who live with diabetes (about 1 in 10), and approximately 90-95% of Americans have type 2 diabetes ¹. It is estimated that in 2030 cases of diabetes will rise to 439 million ². Risk factors contribute to the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes and other health concerns ³. Reducing risk factors like a sedentary lifestyle and a high red meat consumption diet has shown to improve the …

Effects Of Covid-19 In The Status Of Childhood Obesity In The United States: A Literature Review, Ana Cruz

The Graduate School Posters

Introduction: The main hypothesis is that COVID-19 affects the prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States due the precautions needed to contain the pandemic.

Methods: The methods used in this semi-systematic literature review includes web-based research from the following sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and EBSCOhost. The search was limited to children ages 5 to 19 years old with diagnosed obesity.

Results: The review found that COVID-19 pandemic has greatly increased the rate of childhood obesity in the United States due to changes in diet, increased screen time, and less physical activity.

Discussion: There …

The Food Environment And Its Linkage To An Increased Incidence Of Chronic Illnesses In Predominantly Minority And Low-Income Neighborhoods, Clarenisha Green

The Graduate School Posters

Introduction: Health behaviors and outcomes are greatly influenced by the food environment that individuals reside in and have access to. Poorer health outcomes have been shown to be associated with communities that have a higher ratio of convenience stores and fast-food restaurants in comparison to healthier food store options. The purpose of this study is to explain how the food environment and health inequalities are linked to an increased incidence of chronic diseases in predominantly minority and/or low-income communities.

Methods: A literature review was conducted on databases such as National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Agriculture, Elsevier, American …

The Intersection Between Climate Change And Human Inequality: A Narrative Review, Julia Serwaa

College of Health Sciences Posters

Introduction: Although developed countries are the largest contributors to climate change, its impacts continue to adversely affect low-income countries at a disproportionate rate. The purpose of this analysis is to address the environmental and health impacts of climate change in low-income countries as opposed to developed countries.

Methods:

A narrative literature review was conducted using a web-based search from scientific databases. The databases utilized were: United National Library of Medicine, JSTOR, and SpringerLink. The reviewer assessed the following inclusion criteria: peer-reviewed publications from 2012 – 2022, the availability of the publication in English, and the categorization as original research, reviews, …

Promoting Sustainable Responses To The Us Opioid Epidemic With Community-Academic Partnerships: Qualitative Outcomes From A Statewide Program, David L. Driscoll, Alison Evans Cuellar, Vinod Agarwal, Debra Jones, Kathy Hosig, Mary Beth Dunkenberger

Economics Faculty Publications

Background: Drug overdose deaths in the United States have continued to increase at an alarming rate. The United States is facing two devastating public health crises– the opioid epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. Within this context, one of the most ambitious implementation studies in addiction research is moving forward. Launched in May 2019, the HEALing Communities Study (HCS) was developed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as part of the Helping to End Addiction Long-termSM Initiative (National Institutes of Health, 2020). The goal for this research was to reduce …

Climate Change Could Make Allergy Season Longer, Odu Expert Says, Amber Kennedy

News Items

No abstract provided.

Odu’S Peter Bernath Participates In Study That Reveals Damage To Ozone Layer From Extreme Wildfires, Tiffany Whitfield

News Items

No abstract provided.

A Field Study In An Urban Area: Examining Distracted Pedestrian Unsafe Crossing Behavior, Emma Hood

Undergraduate Research Symposium

A field study examining distracted pedestrian unsafe crossing behavior in an urban area. The study is among the first to contribute knowledge to environmental alterations impact on crossing behavior. Portions of the abstract are a part of a manuscript that will be submitted to Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research for undergraduate students.