Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Integrating Lecture And Laboratory In Anatomy And Physiology: Student Perceptions And Performance, Jessica L. Peacock, Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Kevin E. Finn

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

The authors determined whether positive perceptions of integrating lecture and lab in Anatomy and Physiology courses persisted from 2015-2018. Students (843) and instructors (56) completed the Student Assessment of Their Learning Gains survey; perceptions were positive and consistent between both groups. Participant narratives identified the ability to immediately apply theoretical knowledge in lab as an important positive attribute in improving student learning. The authors also determined whether student performance rates, including unsatisfactory grades (C-, D, F, W), improved during integrated years. Results showed that unsatisfactory grades fell in the integrated years, while results for quiz and exam grades, compared between …

Identifying Metabolites As Markers Of Fatigue In Athletes, Christopher D. George

Honors Theses

Fatigue in athletes caused by inadequate rest and other stressors can be severely detrimental to their health, and yet there is no reliable way to measure and track fatigue. Many classical measures of fatigue like body mass and resting heart rate are not reliable ways to track the physical fatigue of an athlete because they can change with many factors. In addition, it is not known how academic stress on top of physical stress affects fatigue. Metabolomics is a relatively new area of study and tracking metabolites offers the possibility to produce biomarkers to assess fatigue. This study collected saliva …

Politiques Pronatalistes Au Vietnam : Le Fardeau De La Colonisation Française, Tessa D. Schrupp

Honors Theses

French Colonialism shaped Vietnam in profound and enduring ways. In particular, policies of the colonial government influenced the landscape of maternity and altered cultural perceptions of what it means to be a mother. Pronatalism, the promotion of female fecundity, was a central tenet of the “mission civilisatrice” promulgated by French medical professionals and government officials alike. This project seeks to examine the myriad reasons for the idealization of motherhood, the diverse responses of Vietnamese people to intervention, and the way colonial policies continue to affect modern day reproduction.

Association Between Homophobia And Perceived Discrimination In Health Care Services Among Lesbians In Chengdu, China, Linghong Liao

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The lesbians and its unique subculture have always been excluded by the heterosexual society. In Chinese society, they are an invisible and neglected minority group. Internalized homophobia is common where they tend to reject themselves and afraid that the people will discriminate them because they are lesbians. This situation might occur in health care service which could lead into lower healthcare utilization by the lesbians. This study aimed to assess whether the internalized homophobia has an association with the perceived discrimination while receiving health care service among lesbians in China. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Chengdu, China from …

Chemosensitizing Effect Of Streptomyces Crude Extract On Cisplatin-Induced Apoptosis In Human Lung Cancer H460 Cells, Theint Myat Noe Paing

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Although cisplatin has been considered as a first-line chemotherapeutic drug for the treatment strategy of lung cancer, its curative efficacy is limited by the occurrence of drug resistance and adverse effects. The application of non-toxic natural products for sensitization of cancer cells to conventional drugs is a recent novel strategy for cancer management to tackle these problems. This study aims to investigate effective chemosensitizer produced by Streptomyces sp. on the growth inhibition of human H460 lung cancer cells. Herein, three of eight strains isolated from peat swamp forest, Yala Province, Thailand which showed good purity analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing …

Effect Of Different Surface Treatments On The Shear Bond Strength Between Lithium Disilicate Glass-Ceramic And Resin Cement, Siripan Simasetha

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the shear bond strength (SBS) of lithium disilicate glass-ceramic and resin cement using different surface treatments. Methods: Lithium disilicate blocks (Vintage LD Press ®) were prepared, etched with 4.5 % hydrofluoric acid, and randomly divided into seven groups (n=10), depending on the surface treatments: 1) no surface treatment (control), 2) Silane Primer (KS), 3) Signum® Ceramic Bond I (SGI), 4) Signum® Ceramic Bond II (SGI/SGII), 5) experimental silane (EXP), 6) experimental-silane/Signum® Ceramic Bond II (EXP/SGII), and 7) Experimental/Adper™ Scotchbond Multi-purpose Adhesive (EXP/ADP). The specimens were cemented to resin composite blocks with resin cement and …

Assessing Embalmer Exposure To Bioaerosols And The Associated Health Risk, Geneviève Marchand, Loïc Wingert, Stéphane Hallé, Maximilien Debia

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Plusieurs manipulations réalisées sur les corps des défunts par les thanatopracteurs produisent des bioaérosols qui peuvent contenir des agents pathogènes infectieux. La ventilation générale est souvent le seul moyen utilisé dans les laboratoires de thanatopraxie pour maîtriser les bioaérosols. Toutefois, il n’y a pas de recommandations précises pour sa mise en application. De plus, peu d'études abordent les expositions professionnelles aux bioaérosols dans le domaine de la thanatopraxie tant quantitativement (niveau d’exposition) que qualitativement (identification et classification selon les groupes de risque). L’objectif de cette étude était d’évaluer l’exposition des thanatopracteurs aux bioaérosols afin d’apprécier les risques potentiels sur leur …

Effet De L’Expertise Et Du Sexe Sur Les Contraintes À L’Épaule En Manutention, Etienne Goubault, Romain Martinez, Najoua Assila, Jennifer Dowling-Medley, Élodie Monga-Dubreuil, Sophie-Anne Scherrer, André Plamondon, Mickaël Begon

Rapports de recherche scientifique

L’atteinte de troubles musculosquelettiques (TMS) parmi les travailleurs et travailleuses au Québec était récemment estimée à 732 000 cas (Stock et al., 2014). Ces TMS sont associés aux activités professionnelles impliquant des efforts physiques prolongés, intenses et/ou répétitifs, telles que des tâches d’assemblage, de manutention, d’aide à la personne ou encore de maintien de posture prolongée sur un poste de travail. Les membres supérieurs, qui représentaient 30,1 % des cas de TMS déclarés et acceptés au Québec de 1998 à 2007 (Michel et al., 2010), sont les plus touchés après le dos. Plus particulièrement, l’épaule figure comme l’articulation …

Solvants Verts : Fondements, Santé, Sécurité, Environnement Et Substitution, Denis Bégin, Caroline Couture, Michel Gérin, Maximilien Debia

Rapports de recherche scientifique

L’utilisation de solvants dans de nombreuses applications (dégraissage, nettoyage, décapage, imprimerie, peintures, adhésifs, fabrication de produits pharmaceutiques) constitue une préoccupation majeure. En effet, un grand nombre d’entre eux sont associés à des effets nocifs, tant sur la santé et la sécurité des travailleurs (brûlure, cancer, dermatite, encéphalopathie, fœtotoxicité, polynévrite) que sur l’environnement et la santé de la population générale (précurseurs de smog, pollution des eaux, couche d’ozone). Par ailleurs, de plus en plus d’entreprises veulent prendre le virage vert, c.-à-d. faire en sorte que leurs activités et leurs produits s’inscrivent dans la démarche du développement durable. C’est dans ce contexte …

Webexpo : Vers Une Meilleure Interprétation Des Mesures D'Exposition Professionnelle Aux Substances Chimiques Sur Les Lieux De Travail, Jérôme Lavoué, Lawrence Joseph, Tracy L. Kirkham, France Labrèche, Gautier Mater, Frédéric Clerc

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Une grande partie de l'activité des hygiénistes du travail consiste à mesurer les niveaux d'exposition professionnelle des travailleurs. La plupart des rapports d'évaluation de l'exposition font état d'une importante variabilité spatiale et temporelle quant à l'intensité de l'exposition, laquelle fluctue souvent du simple au décuple en dépit de conditions apparemment similaires. Il en résulte depuis toujours un défi de taille en ce qui concerne l'interprétation des niveaux mesurés par rapport aux valeurs limites d’exposition professionnelle (VLEP). Il existe désormais un cadre consensuel – issu d'une élaboration progressive au cours des deux dernières décennies – concernant l'analyse des niveaux d’exposition par …

Webexpo: Towards A Better Interpretation Of Measurements Of Occupational Exposure To Chemicals In The Workplace, Jérôme Lavoué, Lawrence Joseph, Tracy L. Kirkham, France Labrèche, Gautier Mater, Frédéric Clerc

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Une grande partie de l'activité des hygiénistes du travail consiste à mesurer les niveaux d'exposition professionnelle des travailleurs. La plupart des rapports d'évaluation de l'exposition font état d'une importante variabilité spatiale et temporelle quant à l'intensité de l'exposition, laquelle fluctue souvent du simple au décuple en dépit de conditions apparemment similaires. Il en résulte depuis toujours un défi de taille en ce qui concerne l'interprétation des niveaux mesurés par rapport aux valeurs limites d’exposition professionnelle (VLEP). Il existe désormais un cadre consensuel – issu d'une élaboration progressive au cours des deux dernières décennies – concernant l'analyse des niveaux d’exposition par …

Stimuli-Responsive Gelators From Carbamoyl Sugar Derivatives And Their Responses To Metal Ions And Tetrabutylammonium Salts, Dan Wang, Anji Chen, Joedian Morris, Guijun Wang

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Carbohydrate-based low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) are interesting compounds with a variety of applications. In this research, a library of nineteen carbamate derivatives of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine were synthesized and characterized, and several derivatives were found to be effective LMWGs. They formed gels in pump oils as well as mixtures of water with ethanol or water with DMSO. The structures of the carbamoyl chains played an important role in the gelation properties, short chain aliphatic derivatives and phenyl carbamates formed gels in more solvents than certain aromatic and dimeric carbamates. The phenyl carbamate gelator was also selected for the encapsulation of …

Genetic And Cellular Models For The Study Of Ptk2b And Adam10 In Adaptive Thermogenesis And Metabolism, Jared S. Farrar

Theses and Dissertations

In a cellular model, we demonstrate that the non-receptor protein tyrosine kinase 2 beta (PTK2B) plays a critical role in mouse cultured beige adipocyte differentiation. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knock-out of Ptk2b results in non-differentiating white adipocytes and differentiated beige adipocytes with significantly reduced thermogenic gene and protein expression, enlarged lipid droplet size, and altered mitochondrial respiration. Together, these data in a cell culture system provide evidence for a role of PTK2B in the differentiation of mouse beige adipocytes.

In the process of developing a new mouse model utilizing the adipocyte selective Adipoq-Cre transgenic mouse, strong genetic linkage between a gene …

Mass Spectrometry Based Lipidomic Investigation Of Staphylococcus Aureus Lipid Metabolism And Characterization Of Lipase A, Naren Gajenthra Kumar

Theses and Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus produces an arsenal of virulence factors and is adept at colonizing multiple hosts by employing specific processes to persist at different sites of infection. Infections caused by this pathogen range from self-limiting infections of the skin like folliculitis to life threatening and chronic conditions like infective endocarditis, non-healing diabetic foot ulcers and atopic dermatitis. As the field continues to expand its understanding of the mechanisms by which this pathogen rapidly develops resistance to new antibiotics, the underlying mechanisms that facilitates niche adaptation and host colonization among healthy individuals remain elusive.

Bacterial and host lipid metabolism presents and area …

The Effects Of Exosomes On The Regeneration Of Rat Calvaria, Jill T. Beitz

Theses and Dissertations

Periodontal disease is a bacterial induced chronic inflammatory condition that occurs in a susceptible host, affecting the teeth, gingiva, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone. The resultant pathological bone defects often require surgical intervention, with the ultimate goal being regeneration of the periodontium through the application of grafting materials and biologics. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) show great potential in regenerative medicine for their ability to enhance cell proliferation and differentiation, increase angiogenesis, and modulate the immune response. Stem cell-derived by-products, known as exosomes are a specific class of lipid-membrane-bound extracellular vesicles that are proliferative and chemotactic, are able to inhibit cytokine …

Current Trends In The Management Of Invasive Cervical Resorption, Erik J. Foisy

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To determine how endodontic practitioners are currently managing cases of invasive cervical resorption. Also, to analyze how invasive cervical resorption (ICR) has been managed at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) over the past ten years.

Methods: Both domestic and international endodontists were invited to participate in a 14-question survey developed and administered via REDCap. Survey invitations were sent via email to currently practicing endodontists. Electronic dental records were queried for patients diagnosed with ICR at VCU in the preceding ten years. Results of both were summarized using descriptive statistics (counts and percentages). Fisher’s exact test was used to compare survey …

The Correlation Between Maternal Postpartum Depression And Child Psychopathology, T'Keyah I. Vaughan

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a phenomenon that affects nearly 10-15% of pregnancies in the US. It is characterized by depressed mood or anhedonia and lasting for more than 2 weeks. PPD changes how moms interact with family members and child-rearing behavior. Depression is a phenomenon that is also known to affect the psychopathology of children. However, the specifics of how postpartum depression impacts children remains controversial. Many studies do not control for major depressive disorder which makes it difficult to disentangle the impact depression has within the first year of life. Furthermore, other PPD risk factors may be confounding …

The Intersection Of Social Stress, Mental Well-Being, And Sexual Health Among Black Women In Emerging Adulthood, Brandi Galloway

Theses and Dissertations

With an estimated 37,000 new HIV infections each year, HIV continues to be a major public health concern. HIV affects some populations more than others. Young Black women, in particular, are disproportionately affected by HIV. While being a woman does not typically increase a person’s HIV risk, being Black and being a woman does.

Data indicate that individual-level factors do not fully address the differences in HIV and STIs between Black emerging adult women and their White counterparts. Thus, it is critical to better understand contextual factors such as social stress and mental-wellbeing which might better account for these disparities. …

Biopsychosocial Variables Associated With The Development Of Chronic Low Back Pain In Healthcare Workers, Jena Pauli

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Worldwide the incidence and prevalence of acute low back injury with pain (ALBIP) is increasing in healthcare workers (HCW). Approximately 27% of ALBIP result in chronic low back pain (CLBP). The primary aim of this study was to identify biopsychosocial factors that contribute to the development of CLBP. A secondary aim was to examine the predictive value of reliable and valid screening instruments to identify individuals at highest risk for CLBP.

Significance: Low back pain is the second most commonly reported pain condition in the United States, one of the leading causes of sick leave and …

“It’S Supposed To Be Super Easy And It’S Not”: Black And Latinx Student Experiences In The Doctor Of Physical Therapy Admissions Process, Melissa Yeung

Theses and Dissertations

Data provided by the Physical Therapy Central Application System (PTCAS) suggests that despite the large numbers of applicants to Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs on an annual basis, a gap remains between the number of White and Black and Latinx applicants who are offered admission to DPT programs. Efforts made by DPT programs to increase the diversity of their incoming cohorts include the use of holistic review processes and enrichment programs to recruit more diverse classes. However, research suggests that the undergraduate experiences of students of color have an impact on their aspirations to graduate and professional schools, and …

The Role Of Manganese In Streptococcus Sanguinis, Tanya M. Puccio

Theses and Dissertations

Streptococcus sanguinis is primarily associated with oral health as a commensal bacterium. As an opportunistic pathogen, S. sanguinis is capable of colonizing heart valve vegetations, leading to the disease infective endocarditis. Previous studies from our lab have identified the high-affinity manganese transporter SsaACB as important for endocarditis virulence. The impact that manganese depletion has on S. sanguinis had never been evaluated and a secondary manganese transporter has not been identified. Thus, we employed the use of a fermentor to control large-scale growth over time and depleted manganese in an ΔssaACB mutant using a metal chelator, EDTA. The changes in …

Changing Landscapes: Perspectives Of Young African American Women Of Population-Wide Testing For Hereditary Breast Cancer Mutations, Alesha Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

Young African American women continue to die from breast cancer at higher rates than White women. In an effort to promote breast cancer prevention, population-wide testing (PWT) for all women in the U.S. starting at age 30 is a potential future initiative that is garnering a lot of attention. However, African American women currently utilize genetic testing for hereditary breast cancer at lower rates than White women. Therefore, if young African American women are not prioritized in a future roll out of PWT, then existing breast cancer and genetic testing disparities will likely continue to widen. The purpose of this …

A Review Of Factors, Seating Design, And Shape Capture Methods For Reducing Pressure Injury Risk, John A. Damiao

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation in the form of three papers ready for submission to peer-reviewed journals is submitted toward the requirements of the PhD in Health Related Sciences program at Virginia Commonwealth University. Chapter One provides an introductory overview of the project, including: (a) an overview of pressure injuries, (b) the impact of seating as an intervention, and (c) aims of the three-paper dissertation in addressing various aspects of pressure injury prevention. Each paper is unique and singular in its focus, yet all share the overlying aim of addressing pressure injury risk associated with wheelchair seating. Paper One describes the unique facilitators …

Swipe Right For Condoms And Testing: Differences In High-Risk Sexual Behavior And Sexual Health Beliefs Among Dating App Users Compared To Non-App Users, Shelby A. Smout

Theses and Dissertations

Millions of Americans are currently using smartphone dating applications (apps) to socialize and meet with others. In some cases, app-based conversations lead to sexual interactions. Previous research examining the relationship between the use of dating apps and sexual behaviors has found that individuals who use dating apps and meet with partners from the app are more likely to engage in high-risk sexual behaviors such as having multiple partners and inconsistent condom use. Individuals between the ages of 18 and 24 are the group most likely to be using dating apps compared to other age groups and are a high-risk group …

Ndrg1 And Myelin-Related Disease: Alcoholism And Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy, Guy Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a prevalent neuropsychiatric disease with profound health, social, and economic consequences. With an estimated 50% heritability, identifying genes that engender risk and contribute to the underlying neurobiological mechanisms represents an important first step in developing effective treatments. Gene expression studies are an important source of candidate genes for studying AUD, providing windows into the molecular machinery engaged by the brain in response to ethanol. Our laboratory has implicated N-myc down-regulated gene 1 (Ndrg1) as a potential candidate gene that modulates ethanol-induced changes in myelin-related gene expression and acute sensitivity to ethanol. Analysis of …

Transcriptomic Profiling Of Postmortem Prefrontal Cortex And Nucleus Accumbens From Chronic Alcohol Abusers., Eric S. Vornholt

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a debilitating psychiatric illness that develops from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. While it is well documented that AUD is heritable, the shift from recreational alcohol use to abuse/dependence is poorly understood. In this dissertation, using postmortem brain tissue from individuals with alcohol dependence (AD), we profiled the genome-wide expression of circular RNA (circRNA), microRNA (miRNA), and messenger RNA (mRNA) to better understand the impact of gene expression on the development of AUD. To achieve this, we performed two independent studies that explore transcriptome differences between AD cases and controls. The first of …

In Vivo Effects Of The Cb1 Allosteric Modulator Ldk1258, A Structural Analog Of Org-27569, Mohammed A. Mustafa

Theses and Dissertations

CB1 receptor allosteric modulators are an area of growing interest for their potential novel therapeutic actions. In the present study, we examined LDK1258 in a series of pharmacological in vivo tests sensitive to CB1 receptor stimulation. In the tetrad assay, LDK1258 produced significant decreases in locomotor activity and body temperature measures but did not produce either antinociception as measured in the tail-withdrawal assay or catalepsy as assessed in the bar test. These same effects were observed in both CB1 (-/-) and (+/+) mice. Moreover, LDK1258 failed to shift the dose-response curves of two orthosteric CB1 receptor agonists in the triad …

Relationship Of Demographic Characteristics Of Occupational And Physical Therapists Towards Their Knowledge And Attitude On Person-Centered Care In Skilled Nursing Facilities, Sadashiv R. Aggarwal

Theses and Dissertations

The study aimed to assess the relationship of specific demographic characteristics of occupational (OTs) and physical therapists (PTs) with their knowledge and attitudes towards principles of Person-Centered Care (PCC) in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). The study further examined if knowledge and/or attitudinal differences exist between OTs and PTs towards PCC. The proposed descriptive study used the Person-Centered Care theory, which is a holistic (bio-psychosocial-spiritual) health care delivery approach. PCC delivers services that are respectful and individualized, allowing negotiation of care, and offering choice through a therapeutic relationship where persons receiving care are empowered to be involved in health decisions at …

Feasibility And Acceptability Of Focused Breathing For Management Of Anxiety In Parkinson’S Disease, Susan K. Chandler

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Anxiety is recognized as a predominant nonmotor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD) which greatly diminishes quality of life. Current treatment is largely pharmacologic and is recognized as rife with undesirable and unsafe side effects. Reviews commissioned by The Movement Disorder Society Task Force on Evidence-Based Medicine and the American Academy of Neurology revealed there was insufficient evidence to make recommendations for the treatment of anxiety. A review of the literature confirmed anxiety in PD is underdiagnosed, undertreated, and under studied. A common element in many of the non-pharmacologic self-managed interventions used by the studies included in the review was …

The Effects Of An Inflammasome Inhibitor Olt1177 On The Development Of Ischemic Heart Failure, Joseph S. Aliaga

Theses and Dissertations

Thesis Abstract

THE EFFECTS OF AN INFLAMMASOME INHIBITOR OLT1177 ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF ISCHEMIC HEART FAILURE

By Joseph S. Aliaga, BS

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2020

Background: Evidence suggests that prolonged and enhanced pro-inflammatory signaling, modulated by the NLRP3 inflammasome, plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of several different types of cardiovascular diseases such as acute myocardial infarction (AMI), adverse ventricular remodeling, and heart failure (HF). Consequently, we hypothesize that attenuating the enhanced inflammatory response using a pharmacological NLRP3 …