Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Investigating The Role Of Nlrp3 Inflammasome In Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy, Urszula O. Warncke

Theses and Dissertations

Paclitaxel and oxaliplatin are commonly used antineoplastic drugs that cause chemotherapy-induce peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in up to 90% of patients. The sensory symptoms of CIPN include numbness, loss of proprioception, tingling, spontaneous burning, shooting or electric shock-like pain, mechanical and thermal allodynia, and cold hypersensitivity among others. Affected patients struggle with daily activities, have a low quality of life, and might stop cancer treatment. Unfortunately, there are no effective prophylactic or therapeutic treatments for these side effects. Many studies point to the involvement of inflammation as a major contributor of CIPN pathology. We investigated the effects of genetic (NLRP3 …

Crosstalk Between Hippo And Rb Tumour Suppressor Pathways In Ovarian Cancer, Fatmata Sesay

Theses and Dissertations

The cell cycle is a highly regulated process that ensures the timely and accurate division of cells. Events of the normal cell cycle fall under two categories - positive and negative regulatory mechanisms. The first category, positive regulatory machinery, includes active protein complexes of cyclins in association with their partnering cyclin-dependent kinases (cyclin/CDK), which mediate series of phosphorylation events that relay a cell cycle progression from one stage to the next. The second category, the negative regulatory mechanisms, include the checkpoint controls consisting of the retinoblastoma (RB) family of proteins, some of which can form a transcriptional repressor complex DREAM. …

Structure-Based Drug Discovery And Development Of Protein Structure Prediction Tools Using An Empirical Force Field, Noah B. Herrington

Theses and Dissertations

Traditional drug discovery has rapidly accelerated thanks to development of computational molecular modeling. The crucial component that these computational studies hinge upon is having a well-defined, and energetically favorable structure. Structures of proteins and ligands that meet these criteria are important for accurately simulating models used to study drug binding. To demonstrate the role of accurate structure simulation in the study of these events, this thesis presents, first, a story examining the problem of accurate structure modeling of ionizable residues within protein structures, specifically aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and histidine. I present our method, which uses the HINT force field …

Protein Structure And Interaction: The Role Of Aromatic Residues In Protein Structure And Interactions Between Pyridoxine 5'-Phosphate Oxidase/Dopa Decarboxylase, Mohammed H. Al Mughram

Theses and Dissertations

Naturally developed proteins are capable of carrying out a wide variety of molecular functions due to their highly precise three-dimensional structures, which are determined by their genetically encoded sequences of amino acids. A thorough knowledge of protein structures and interactions at the atomic level will enable researchers to get a deep foundational understanding of the molecular interactions and enzymatic processes required for cells, resulting in more effective therapeutic interventions. This dissertation intends to use structural knowledge from solved protein structures for two distinct objectives.

In the first project, we conducted a bioinformatics structural analysis of experimental protein structures using our …

Development And Optimization Of A Low Volume Air-Jet Dry Powder Inhaler (Dpi) Platform For The Delivery Of High Dose Aerosolized Powder To Infants, Connor Howe

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research project was to develop an infant air-jet dry powder inhaler (DPI) platform for high-efficiency nose-to-lung (N2L) aerosol administration to infants through optimization of individual system components followed by expansion of the system to higher doses and different formulations using a new approach. Primary challenges associated with aerosol delivery to infants using the N2L route include the extremely narrow extrathoracic airways, short inspiratory times (~0.2 sec), low safe airway pressure (H₂O), and very low volumes of air (~10 mL) available to form the aerosol. The infant air-jet DPI system was comprised of three main …

An Analysis Of The Special Focus Facility Program And Nursing Home Quality, Annie S. Rhodes

Theses and Dissertations

The Special Focus Facility Program is an intensive program meant to rapidly support 88 of the lowest quality nursing homes in the United States, as determined by the Five-Star Quality Ranking system. There are also 435 facility candidates which are similarly low performing but not enrolled in the program. Academic literature has largely ignored this program, and the existing grey literature is more than a decade old and does not include COVID-19 data. Applying a political economy of aging framework and using a case matching methodology, Special Focus Facilities (SFF), Special Focus Facility Candidate (SFFc) nursing homes, and 5-star nursing …

Behavioral Screening And Chiral Bioanalysis Of Emerging Stimulant-Type Drugs In Rats, Tyson R. Baird

Theses and Dissertations

The epidemic of drug use in the United States and elsewhere in the world has resulted in tragic loss of life and substantial economic costs. Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are one of the contributors to this problem, and the lack of information about many of these drugs compounds their risk. This dissertation proposes a strategy to use intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) as a behavioral screening tool to assess emerging drugs of abuse for their abuse potential in order to generate a proactive threat assessment. A series of stimulant-type drugs including methcathinone, α-pyrrolidinohexanophenone (α-PHP), cocaine, and the phenyltropane analogs of cocaine WIN35428 …

Sleep Self-Efficacy, Loneliness, And Physical Activity: Assessing The Pathways Between Sleep Quality And Mental Health Using Structural Equation Modeling, Amber M. Fox

Theses and Dissertations

Although there is robust empirical support that poor sleep contributes to declines in mental health, explanations of this relationship remain unclear. The purpose of the present study was to examine the pattern of associations between sleep quality, sleep self-efficacy, loneliness, physical activity, and mental health among U.S. adults across the lifespan, and whether they differed by gender or age group. A structural equation model with invariance analysis was developed and examined data from 2,300 adults (M_age = 44.1, SD = 16.78) participating in the online study Investigating Sleep Longitudinally Across Normal Development (ISLAND). Sleep quality was measured by …

Examination Of Common And Rare Variant Genetic Architecture Of Psychiatric Disorders, Mohammad Ahangari

Theses and Dissertations

Psychiatric disorders are often heterogenous in their manifestation and genome-wide association studies have identified many common risk variants involved in their polygenic architectures with varying degrees of pleiotropy. In recent years, large-scale biobanks have also begun sequencing the genome of their participants to elucidate the role of rare risk variation in the genetic architecture of complex phenotypes, including psychiatric traits. This dissertation sought to better understand the role of both common and rare risk variation in the genetic architecture of psychiatric disorders with a particular focus on schizophrenia and alcohol problems. In the first three analyses, we focused on characterizing …

Disparities Between Native Americans And Whites In Trajectories Of Functional Independence And Life Satisfaction Over The 5 Years After Traumatic Brain Injury, Jack Watson

Theses and Dissertations

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can have a host of negative consequences including impairments to motor and cognitive function and can result in a decrease in quality of life (i.e., life satisfaction). TBI is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide and disproportionately affects Native Americans, who have the highest rates of TBI among all races in the U.S. and elevated likelihood for fatality and severe complications. The current study used a subsample of the national TBI Model Systems Database of 80 demographically and injury severity matched Native American and White individuals (total n = 160) to …

Family History Of Substance Problems Among African Americans: Associations With Drug Use, Drug Use Disorder, And Prescription Drug Misuse, Rebecca Mahrs-Gould

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Understanding individual risk for substance use and substance use disorders is important in the efforts of reducing risk and prevention of these problems. A family history of alcohol and/or drug problems often increases the risk for these problems, however the majority of research in this area is conducted in samples that are predominantly White. African Americans face disparate outcomes from substance use and substance use disorders, and the risks for substance problems may not be the same as for Whites. A systematic review of the literature identified nine studies that examined a family history of either substance problems or …

Black Hearts Matter: A Comparative Study Of Sociodemographic, Clinical, And Psychosocial Characteristics In Black And White Persons With Heart Failure, Hannah M Anderson Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic, progressive, debilitating illness that disproportionately affects Black individuals, often leading to poor quality of life (QOL). Various sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological characteristics are related to QOL in patients with HF. Because most studies do not include representative Black samples or report findings from racial subgroup analyses, these relationships and any existing racial differences are not well understood. The purpose of this descriptive, comparative study was to explore the relationships among sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological characteristics and QOL in patients with HF and to determine if there were racial differences between Black and White individuals. …

Pharmacists' Role In Opioid Use Disorder And Overdose Prevention And Treatment And Their Attitudes And Perceptions Towards Distributing Naloxone Under A Standing Order, Stephen C. Ijioma

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Opioids are a class of drugs that bind to opioid receptors (mu, delta, and kappa), located in the central and peripheral nervous systems, to exert responses such as analgesia, respiratory depression, euphoria, and miosis. The opioid epidemic is characterized in large part by an increase in opioid overdose deaths. Community pharmacists are one of the most accessible healthcare professionals who frequently interact with patients and can implement OUD and opioid overdose prevention strategies. Treatment for opioid overdose and OUD include naloxone for overdose deaths as well as medication-assisted treatment for OUD.

Objective: The specific aims of this thesis include …

For The Dead Homie: Black Male Rappers, Homicide Survivorship Bereavement, And The Rap Tribute Of Nipsey Hussle, Melvin L. Williams, Justin K. Winley, Justin A. Causey

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

Ermias “Nipsey Hussle” Asghedom’s murder represented a cultural cataclysmic event that startled the Hip Hop community and triggered previous memories of Black men’s homicidal deaths in the world. Nipsey Hussle’s death inspired touching rap tribute songs by Black male rappers, who sought to commemorate his cultural legacy and express their bereavement as homicide survivors. Rap tribute songs occupy a significant history, as rappers historically employed them to honor Hip Hop’s fallen soldiers, communicate their homicide survivorship bereavement processes, and speak about social perils in the Black community. Framed by critical race (CRT) and gender role conflict theoretical frameworks, this study …

A Critical Interpretive Synthesis Of Research Linking Hip Hop And Wellbeing In Schools, Alexander Crooke, Cristina Almeida, Rachael Comte

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

Hip Hop is recognized as an agent for youth development in both educational and well-being spaces, yet literature exploring the intersection of the two areas is comparatively underdeveloped. This article presents a critical interpretive synthesis of twenty-two articles investigating school-based well-being interventions which used Hip Hop. The critical stance taken aimed to identify or expose assumptions underpinning this area of scholarship and practice. Our analysis suggested several assumptions operate in this space, including the idea rap represents a default for Hip Hop culture, and the default beneficiaries of Hip Hop-informed interventions are students of color living in underprivileged, inner-city US …

Intergenerational And Intragenerational Connections Within A University Art Museum Program For People With Dementia, Sujal Manohar, Jessica Kay Ruhle

International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education

This visual essay highlights the impacts of the Nasher Museum of Art’s Reflections program, which engages people with dementia (PWD) and their care partners through interactive art museum tours. This program’s conversation-based tours with built-in time to socialize are designed to foster intergenerational and intragenerational connections between PWD and museum gallery guides, PWD and care partners, and between PWD. Discussions about artwork are visitor-driven and encourage lifelong learning among participants. Anecdotal feedback from Reflections participants and gallery guides confirms the value of relationship building, improving quality of life for PWD.

By fostering community and strong connections, Reflections programs help reduce …

Arts In Mind: A Multidisciplinary Approach To Museum Programs For Persons Living With Young-Onset And Early-Stage Alzheimer’S Disease, Rachel Thompson, Angel Duncan, Jessica Sack

International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education

This paper reflects on Arts in Mind, an ongoing museum-based program for those with Young-onset Alzheimer’s or in the early stages of memory loss. Co- developed in 2019 by the authors, an art therapist with experience in Alzheimer’s clinical trials research and two museum educators. Arts in Mind is a monthly program that invites people living with Young-onset Alzheimer’s and their care partners to look at and make art together. Arts in Mind responds to a previously unmet need for programming specifically designed for the Young-onset Alzheimer’s population and individuals in early stages of the disease. Sessions are anchored in …

Acute Fish Oil Supplementation And Aspirin Treatment Modulates Lipid Profile In Platelet Rich Plasma: A Randomized Pilot Trial, Joshua M. Morriss, Lisa A. Turner, Danielle M. Mccormack, Daniel Contaifer, Naren Gajenthra Kumar, Saidheeraj Paravataneni, Monther Alsultan, Suad Alshammari, Silas Contaifer, Parthasarathy Madurantakam, Dayanjan Wijesinghe

Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science Publications

Aims: Platelet rich plasma (PRP) has been used in tissue repair to treat numerous inflammatory pathophysiologies. Recent studies have elucidated that the bioactive lipid fraction of PRP significantly contributes towards the resolution of inflammation. There has been great interest in how therapeutics could modulate the PRP lipidome to formulate a more pro-resolving matrix. Many of the pathways used to produce either pro-resolving or pro-inflammatory lipids are shared between ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Here, we explored the separate and interacting effects acute exogenous ω-3 PUFA supplementation and aspirin had on the lipidome of PRP within 6 hours.

Methods: …

Xylitol In Preventing Dental Caries, Nicholas Fields, Tu Bui

Dental Hygiene Student Scholarship

Abstract

Problem: Dental caries is a common form of tooth infection among adults and children. The disease is easily transmissible, and therefore a great focus should be put on prevention to ensure healthy and proper oral hygiene for the population. Xylitol use has been proposed as one of the most effective preventive interventions against dental caries.

Methods: The literature review engaged different electronic databases such as PubMed, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library in evaluating the effectiveness of xylitol use in preventing dental caries in both children and adults. Articles used in the review were published between 2016 …

Can Botox Be The Cure For Tmj Associated Pain And Dysfunction?, Haley Headley, Bella Pollard

Dental Hygiene Student Scholarship

Problem: Over 10 million Americans suffer from pain, headaches, and jaw dysfunction associated with temporomandibular joint disorders. Traditionally, when diagnosed, patients are given conservative treatment option recommendations such as an occlusal bite guard, stabilization splint, and over-the-counter pain medication, such as Ibuprofen. These conservative treatment options are meant for short term use. What is the long term answer to temporomandibular joint pain and dysfunction? Surgical replacement of jaw joints with artificial implants has been considered; however, the effectiveness of this irreversible procedure is inconclusive and highly controversial. Botulinum toxin type A injections, or botox, offers an alternative treatment that …

The Effects Of Covid-19-Related Stressors On Bruxism And Temporomandibular Disorders, Hagir A. Saleh, Samantha Smith

Dental Hygiene Student Scholarship

Problem: COVID-19 has proven to be a major public health emergency, with an array of physical and emotional complications. While COVID-19 has its own effects on the human body, anxiety induced by the pandemic has shown to take a toll on the human oral cavity by means of causing individuals to grind and clench their teeth due to anxiety/stress, potentially leading to temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain.

Methods: A thorough review of literature was conducted by consulting credible studies published on online databases such as PubMed, Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source, Google Scholar, and Academic Search Complete. The studies examined …

Disentangling Social-Genetic From Rearing-Environment Effects For Alcohol Use Disorder Using Swedish National Data, Aiman Hanif, Han Tran

VCU's Medical Journal Club: The Work of Future Health Professionals

The presentation introduces Dr. Jessica Salvatore and colleagues’ work, Disentangling Social-Genetic From Rearing-Environment Effects for Alcohol Use Disorder Using Swedish National Data, on the social-genetic effects of having a spouse whose parent(s) is/are affected by alcohol use disorder (AUD). After collecting personal data of over 300,000 Swedish opposite-sex couples, the study used actor-partner interdependence model and logistic regression model to examine the association between a spouse’s AUD predisposition and the proband’s risk of developing AUD. The results showed that the proband is at a high risk of developing AUD upon marrying an AUD-predisposed spouse. The authors concluded that this relationship …

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy For Knee Osteoarthritis: 5 Years Follow- Up Of Three Patients, Shahad Musa

VCU's Medical Journal Club: The Work of Future Health Professionals

This presentation is on the effects of mesenchymal stem cells on osteoarthritis in the knees. Osteoarthritis is the degeneration of cartilage and has very little long-term treatments. Most treatments are geared towards pain management and surgery is an option, but no cure exists to reverse or stop degeneration. Embryonic stem cell research is severely limited, meaning mesenchymal stem cells (adult-derived stem cells) are more accessible to research. In this study, stem cells from the patient’s bone marrow were derived and then injected into the severely damaged knees. Results were conducted six months and five years after. Six months after the …

Β-Amyloid Accumulation In The Human Brain After One Night Of Sleep Deprivation, Shahad Musa

VCU's Medical Journal Club: The Work of Future Health Professionals

This presentation is on the effects of sleep deprivation on β-amyloid accumulation in the brain. During sleep, the glymphatic system is involved in the clearance of metabolic including metabolic wastes. β-amyloid accumulation is directly correlated to impairment of brain function and Alzheimer's disease. Increased sleep or ways to decrease β-amyloid accumulation could be beneficial in the prevention of Alzheimer's. Data collected in the article published by Shokri-Kojori, E. et al. suggests that sleep deprivation negatively affected mood and was correlated with increases in amyloid- β burden in the right hippocampal cluster. Further research on how sleep impacts β-amyloid accumulation should …

Diacylglycerol Lipase-Β Knockout Mice Display A Sex-Dependent Attenuation Of Traumatic Brain Injury-Induced Mortality With No Impact On Memory Or Other Functional Consequences, Jefin Jose

VCU's Medical Journal Club: The Work of Future Health Professionals

Traumatic brain injury has been a concern in recent years with a greater understanding of its effects on the brain. The endocannabinoid system leads to inflammation when activated, leading to a poorer prognosis in vivo for traumatic brain injury patients. In the present study, the researchers wanted to identify the potentially neuroprotective effects of DAGL-β knockout when mice were exposed to traumatic brain injury. Using a variety of different techniques, the researchers were able to conclude that DAGL-β knockout did not lead to neuroprotective benefits but was associated with lower levels of mortality immediately following the injury. In addition, the …

Nsynergistic Antiviral Effect Of Hydroxychloroquine And Azithromycin In Combination Against Sars-Cov-2, Samiya Majid

VCU's Medical Journal Club: The Work of Future Health Professionals

This presentation gives a brief overview of the study conducted by Fantini, J., Chahinian, H., & Yahi, N. on nSynergistic antiviral effect of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin in combination against SARS-CoV-2: what molecular dynamics studies of virus-host interactions reveal. The study considered two drugs, hydroxychloroquine (CLQ) and azithromyocin (ATM), as potential treatments for curing COVID. Hydroxychloriquine is a drug commonly used in the treatment of malaria but has been shown by recent studies to not be an effective cure against COVID on its own. Azithromyocin is a commonly used antiobiotic that was also considered in this study. Hydroxychloriquine interacts with the …

Outcomes Of Catheter Ablation Of Ventricular Tachycardia Based On Etiology In Nonischemic Heart Disease: An International Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation Center Collaborative Study, Akhila R. Kunuthuru

VCU's Medical Journal Club: The Work of Future Health Professionals

This presentation explores the study conducted by Marmar Vaseghi, Tiffany Y. Hu, Roderick Tung, et al.:

Outcomes of Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardia Based on Etiology in Nonischemic Heart Disease: An International Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation Center Collaborative Study

Researchers determined the effects of ventricular tachycardia ablation in nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) patients. By studying the six most common etiologies of NICM, researchers came to the conclusion that the etiology of NICM is an important factor when predicting ventricular tachycardia recurrence, death, or cardiac transplantation. The paper also indicated that adjustments were performed to the data to account for confounding factors such …

The Covid-19 Vaccine Development Landscape, Areebah Ahmed

VCU's Medical Journal Club: The Work of Future Health Professionals

This presentation focused on the current ongoing developments for the COVID-19 vaccine as described in The Covid-19 Vaccine Development Landscape by Tung Thanh Le et. al. An overview of the competing companies and the specifics of their vaccine development is presented, along with the current phases. Moderna and Inovio Pharmaceuticals are just a few of the companies working towards the common goal of a proven effective vaccine. Additionally, the presentation contains visuals of the biological components of the virus, as well as discussions of how organizations such as the CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations) have assisted the progress of …

The Promises Of Neurodegenerative Disease Modeling, Jefin Jose

VCU's Medical Journal Club: The Work of Future Health Professionals

In Jean-Antoine Lepesant's review of The promises of neurodegenerative disease modeling, the author evaluates the present and past roles of molecular genetics in biomedical research and assesses the use of animal models in neurodegenerative disease modeling. Despite posing various ethical issues, particularly surrounding the clinical implications of CRISPR/Cas9, molecular genetics has allowed researchers to determine the pathogenic origin of various diseases as well as mimic the conditions of genetically altered patients. Molecular genetics has also facilitated a transgenic approach to create animal models for mammalian disorders. In particular, D. melanogaster serves as a preliminary research tool in the investigation of …

Impacts Of A National Lockdown On Smallholder Farmers’ Income And Food Security: Empirical Evidence From Two States In India, Samiya Majid

VCU's Medical Journal Club: The Work of Future Health Professionals

This presentation gives a brief overview of the study conducted by Francisco Ceballos, Samyuktha Kannan, & Berber Kramer on the Impacts of a national lockdown on smallholder farmers’ income and food security: Empirical evidence from two states in India. The study considered the disproportionate effect of COVID on economies worldwide, specifically the two states, Haryana and Odisha, in India. The COVID-19 pandemic posed many challenges for small farmers in these two states. National and local policies posed varying challenges for farmers. They were interviewed about these challenges by phone, right after the announcement of the lockdown and harvest season in …