Every spring the Graduate School Association sponsors a research symposium to present graduate research work to the VCU and local Richmond community. The event is an excellent opportunity for graduate students to present their original research and creative projects in a professional but relaxed environment. This is the only opportunity for many graduate students to showcase their work at VCU. Participation in this event has nearly doubled every year and attracts not only VCU students and faculty, but local media, legislators, and respected members of the Richmond business community.
-
Predicting Complex Di-Alkylation Kinetics Using Machine Learning
Colin Bailey and Thomas Roper
Background: Predicting reaction kinetics for complex chemical systems often presents significant challenges due to intricate reaction pathways, multiple product formations, and competing side reactions. Additionally, the transient nature of reaction intermediates and limited experimental data complicate efforts to capture system dynamics accurately. These complexities necessitate advanced modeling approaches and precise experimental techniques to reliably describe and predict chemical behavior.
Methods: This work investigates the kinetics of di-alkylation of 4-Hydroxybenzoic Acid (4-HBA) using multiple machine learning algorithms, including Random Forest Regression, Gradient Boosting, Lasso, Ridge, and XGBoost. By leveraging reaction conditions, such as temperature, sulfuric acid equivalents, and initial concentrations of reactants, the developed models accurately predict concentrations for various reaction species.
Results: The predictions demonstrate good correlations with experimental results, achieving high accuracy with R² values for some compounds. Hyperparameter optimization was systematically performed using Bayesian optimization methods and validated through Leave-One-Group-Out (LOGO) cross-validation to mitigate the risk of overfitting.
Conclusions: Future work includes changing the scoring method from R² to RMSE, MAE, or a custom scorer to assess if enhanced real-world model prediction performance can be achieved.
-
Globus Pallidus Internus dynamics during Freezing of Gait
Nicholas Druck, Dean J. Krusienski, and Josephine Wallner
Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting ~1 in 1000 individuals over age 45. Freezing of Gait (FOG), a debilitating symptom in late-stage PD, affects up to 63% of patients and contributes to falls and reduced quality of life. While deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) helps some symptoms, FOG remains difficult to treat. Given the complexity of basal ganglia circuitry, the role of related basal ganglia nuclei, such as the Globus Pallidus internus (GPi), in FOG deserves further investigation.
Methods: Five PD patients with FOG, implanted with Medtronic Percept DBS systems (sampling at 250 Hz), completed obstacle courses designed to elicit FOG (e.g., path obstruction, turns). Local field potentials (LFPs) from GPi were recorded during standing, walking, and freezing episodes. Ankle accelerometers captured gait data. LFPs were analyzed spectral parameterization from 1-125 Hz. Beta-Gamma Phase-Amplitude Coupling (PAC) was evaluated using beta (12–35 Hz) phase and gamma (40–95 Hz) amplitude bands.
Results: Spectral analysis showed increased exponent and offset values during standing, suggesting enhanced local inhibition in GPi. GPi PAC was highest during standing, lowest during walking, and intermediate during freezing; suggesting PAC is a normal pallidal response. This contrasts with the STN, where PAC is pathologically elevated during freezing.
Conclusions: These results support a spatial dissociation in PAC dynamics between GPi and STN during FOG. GPi PAC during freezing may reflect compensatory processing rather than pathology. Future work should explore GPi’s role in modulating FOG-related motor control.
-
ON! Original Flavor Oral Nicotine Pouch Characterization: Biorelevant In Vitro Nicotine Release Apparatus Assessment
Jason C. Funderburk, Melissa Morgan, Maria Lasaosa Garcia, Andreas S. L. Mendez, and Matthew S. Halquist
Background: Oral nicotine pouch (ONP) use is rising. The sales of ONPs in 2019 were 126 million units, increasing to 808 million units in 2022. Understanding ONP in vitro release is critical for assessing exposure to ONP products.
Methods: The commercial brand ON! ONPs with nicotine label claims of 2, 4, and 8 mg, were evaluated in vitro for cumulative nicotine release using the bidirectional transmucosal apparatus (BTA) for 90 minutes. Nicotine quantification was performed by HPLC-PDA. For pH determination, ONP samples were prepared in water or artificial saliva (pH 6.8) with measurements for 30 minutes. BTA results were compared to ON! ONP in vivo data to access relevance.
Results: The cumulative release across all ON! ONP nicotine concentrations were greater than 85% and maximum release occurred within 30 minutes. The pH of ON! original flavor ONPs in water was 8.4 to 9.4. The pH in artificial saliva was 7.3 to 8.5. The pH remained constant over sampling time. The 8 mg ON! ONPs were found to have a lower pH than 2 and 4 mg. The 4mg ON! original ONPs had a higher pH than 4 mg ON! mint. The BTA and in vivo data both showed maximum nicotine concentrations around 30 minutes.
Conclusion: In vitro nicotine release was acceptable under United States Pharmacopeia guidelines. ON! ONPs do not utilize pH change during nicotine delivery and pH is influenced by flavor. More in vivo data is required to establish an in vitro in vivo correlation for ONPs.
-
Corruption and Foreign Direct Investment in Ghana: Empirical Assessment of the Mediating Role of Institutional Quality and Political Stability
Isaac K. Yeboah
Background: Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) provides more than just capital; it introduces technology and managerial expertise, contributing significantly to economic growth. However, corruption, measured by the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), deters inflows. This study examines how Ghana’s CPI relates to FDI, with institutional quality and political stability as mediators accounting for GDP, inflation, and exchange rates as covariates.
Methods: A non-experimental quantitative design that adopts a multivariate deductive approach is used to test the theoretical propositions, and uses data from 1995 to 2022. CPI data are sourced from Transparency International, FDI from the IMF, and institutional quality and political stability from the Worldwide Governance Indicators. Covariates (GDP, inflation, real exchange rate) are sourced from the World Bank. The study employed the PROCESS Procedure by Andrew F. Hayes' mediation analysis to estimate the coefficient of the total, direct, and indirect relationship between CPI and FDI, testing hypotheses via Scott’s Institutional Theory and International Political Economy frameworks. Assumptions of linearity, normality, and homoscedasticity were verified.
Results: Improvements in CPI significantly increase FDI inflows (total effect: coeff = .4920, p = .0059), whereas institutional quality strongly mediates this relationship (indirect effect: .1691, significant), enhancing FDI by fostering a stable investment climate. While GDP positively influences FDI, Political stability’s mediating role is minimal (indirect effect: .0155, insignificant).
Conclusions: Addressing corruption boosts FDI in Ghana, with institutional quality as a key mediator over political stability. Policymakers should prioritize institutional reforms and macroeconomic stability to attract investment. Future research should explore qualitative dimensions and comparative analyses to deepen understanding.
-
Racial Disparities in HPV Vaccine Uptake Among Adult Black and white Latinx Cisgender Men in the United States: Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System 2014-2022
Nixon R. Arauz, M.A. and Dina T. Garcia, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Ed.
Background: Latinx men are more likely to get human papillomavirus (HPV) and cancers caused by HPV compared non-Latinx whites. Despite a national vaccination rate of 59%, only 25% of adult Latinx men are vaccinated. Notably, Latinx individuals can belong to any race. Existing research often overlooks nuances like experiences with structural racism in healthcare settings when examining HPV vaccine uptake among Latinx individuals. This study addresses this gap by investigating HPV vaccination factors among Latinx adults, with a focus on racial disparities.
Methods: Using data from the 2014-2022 Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System, this study examined HPV vaccine uptake among Black or white Latinx cisgender men aged 18-34 years-old who reported receiving three vaccine doses. Logistic regressions assessed racial disparities in HPV vaccine uptake among Black and white Latinx cisgender men, adjusting for complex survey design.
Results: Overall, among Latinx individuals, 6.84% (N=718) completed the HPV vaccine series, only 12% being Black Latinx. Weighted multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed significant odds for Black Latinx men compared to their white Latinx counterparts after adjusting for individual-level confounders (AOR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.18-0.93), individual and psychosocial-level confounders (AOR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.19-0.98), and all including contextual-level confounders (AOR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.19-0.92). This indicates that Black Latinx are 0.41, 0.43, and 0.41 times (respectively) less likely than white Latinx men to complete the HPV vaccination series.
Conclusion: Further research is needed to understand the health experiences of Black Latinx individuals in the United States. This study underscores the importance of examining HPV uptake in this population to prevent associated chronic diseases.
-
Characterizing Probabilities of Outbreaks of Dengue in Central Argentina using a Temperature-Dependent Stochastic Model
Morgan H. Jackson, Elizabet L. Estallo, Cheng Ly, and Michael A. Robert
Dengue virus (DENV) causes over 390 million infections and around 40,000 deaths worldwide each year. DENV is primarily transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypti, and both the life cycle of these mosquitoes and dengue transmission are significantly impacted by temperature. In the temperate region of Central Argentina, where dengue outbreaks first began in 2009, outbreaks of dengue can only occur due to new introductions of DENV from other regions. Due to the relationships between temperature and dengue, the risk of outbreak changes throughout the year.
We develop a stochastic model including temperature-dependent mosquito life history traits and transmission-related parameters. We calculate the next-generation matrix to estimate the temperature dependent reproduction number (R0). We fit the model to climate and dengue case data collected in Córdoba, Argentina from the 2016 outbreak. We numerically solve the model and calculate epidemiologically relevant metrics.
We characterize how the timing of introduction of an infected person from endemic countries affects the probability of autochthonous transmission. We also characterize the percent of introductions that lead to large outbreaks. For outbreaks that occur, we also calculate length of outbreak, timing and magnitude of peak number of cases, and total number of persons infected throughout the outbreak. We also investigate how climate change may affect these outbreak statistics.
We discuss these results in the context of improving mosquito population and dengue epidemiological models and improving methods to include seasonal temperature in mechanistic-stochastic models.
-
Investigating Genome Evolution Through Reduction in Heritable Endosymbiotic Bacteria
Mariam Topchyan, Mikail Bala, Riley Fanus, Kevin P. Johnson, and Bret M. Boyd
Background: Genome reduction is a common mode of evolution that has played a fundamental role in diversification across all kingdoms of life, and is key to the evolution of heritable bacteria found in insects. However, the reduction process may leave behind gene fragments and non-functional elements that may still be interpreted as intact genes, limiting accurate genome annotation. Motivated by five highly reduced genomes of endosymbiotic bacteria in the genus Enterobacter, this study will investigate the role fragmented genes may play in false gene discovery.
Methods: Predicted protein sequences of five bacterial endosymbiont genomes were clustered into orthologous groups along with sequences from 48 closely-related bacterial genomes. Genes that were not assigned to a group were subsequently compared to the NCBI nr database.
Preliminary Results: A relatively large percent (up to 56.3%) of the predicted genes from each endosymbiont failed to cluster into any orthologous group. Of each set of unassigned genes, the majority (ranging from 85.7% to 97.9%) also failed to return any significant hits within the nr database. Preliminary in silico simulations of genome reduction provided evidence that gene fragments may be recognized as intact “genes” using common annotation pipelines.
Conclusions: My results highlight potential problems of gene discovery within genomes undergoing gene inactivation and genome reduction. Future in silico simulations based on empirical data will be performed to further investigate the impact of fragmented genes, as well as different stages of genome reduction, on false gene discovery
-
Assessing Reliability and Validity of the Parental Responsiveness Rating Scale During Book Reading
Yuqi Zhang, Jennifer LoCasale-Crouch, Brianna Jaworski, Khara Turnbull, Rachel Moon, Eve Colson, Fern Hauck, and Nicole Geller
Parental responsiveness, defined as emotionally supportive behaviors, is consistently related to children’s development in research studies. It reflects attention to children’s emotional functioning through providing comfort, reassurance, and encouragement. However, measuring parental responsiveness in everyday practice has been challenging due to the complexity of available tools. The Parental Responsiveness Rating Scale (PaRRiS), a brief observational rating scale that quickly and directly measures the quality of parent-child interactions, shows promise in bridging this research-to-practice gap. Several small-scale studies in UK clinical settings found PaRRiS to be easily implemented, reliable, and valid. Additional studies are needed to explore PaRRiS’s potential use within other settings and with other populations. To fill this gap, this study examines the reliability and validity of PaRRiS as a measure of parental responsiveness during a recorded mother-child book reading with US kindergarten-aged children.
-
Re-Redlining Richmond? HOLC Grades, Market-Driven Development, and Resident Satisfaction in Richmond, VA
Addy Cooley
This study investigates the relationship between historical redlining policies, contemporary market-driven community development strategies, and resident satisfaction and quality of life in Richmond, Virginia. The purpose of the study is to understand the limits of using market-driven indicators to create and evaluate community development plans that seek to correct historical inequities created by redlining. To do so, it compares data from redlining maps used by the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) in 1937 to a 2017 real estate Market Value Analysis (MVA) and a 2014 citywide resident satisfaction survey. Results show a significant, moderate correlation between redlining grades and market value grades, but weak correlation between resident satisfaction and MVA and HOLC grades. These findings contribute to the conversation about equitable development in Richmond and beyond by complicating the narrative that formerly redlined areas are necessarily in need of market-driven real estate development to improve resident quality of life. The study also underscores the importance of prioritizing community ownership of development planning processes in historically disinvested neighborhoods.
-
Children's Perceptions of Parent-Child Relationships: A Narrative, Inductive Approach
Casey Burton M.Ed; Ariana Samuel; Hailie Suarez-Rivas; Sydney Sumrall; Robin S. Everhart, Ph.D; and Marcia A. Winter, Ph.D
Background: Narrative methods can allow researchers to gather rich data from children regarding their perceptions of their relationship with parents that may not otherwise be captured using tasks, questionnaires, or structured interviews; however, existing coding systems have been established with samples that are largely White and middle class. The current study sought to establish child-inspired codes that would better reflect the sample.
Methods: Children aged 5-12 years (M=8.82, 48.9% female) and their caregivers were recruited from high-poverty urban US areas. All participants identified as Black or African American. Children were audiotaped while speaking, uninterrupted, for three minutes about their relationship with their primary caregiver (TMSS; Marshall et al., 1990). A team of five researchers - diverse in race, ethnicity, and background - established a codebook using in-vivo methods, dually coded N=51 transcripts via thematic analysis, and analyzed codes for emergent themes (Braun & Clarke, 2006).
Results: Coders identified N=671 codes from the transcripts, of which 332 (49.5%) were unique codeable units. Five themes emerged from the data: interactions, feelings about caregiver, emotional closeness, reciprocity, and insight.
Conclusions: The use of open-ended speech sampling coupled with qualitative coding allowed cataloging of Black children’s own perceptions of the parent-child relationship. Children emphasized time spent together, mutual understanding, & reciprocity. Many children also showed insight into parents’ perspectives and motivations, including financial awareness. Previous work indicates this dyadic reciprocity may be one way families protect themselves against the negative consequences of financial difficulties (Wilhoit et al., 2021).
-
The Analysis of Commercially Available Kratom Products in Richmond, Virginia
James H. Fleming Jr, Justin Poklis, Michelle R. Peace, and Emanuele A. Alves
Kratom is a novel psychoactive substance that has gained popularity within the past ten years. Originating from Southeast Asia, the leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree contain two principal alkaloids, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, that play a key role in opioid-like effects. Twenty-nine kratom products were obtained from tobacco shops in the Richmond, Virginia area, including powders, teas, capsules, extracts, and a carbonated beverage. Samples were analyzed using Direct Analysis in Real Time-Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS) for kratom alkaloids, labeled ingredients, and other possible organic compounds. Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) was used to quantitate aluminum, arsenic, copper, iron, magnesium, nickel, and lead with yttrium as the internal standard. Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine were present in every kratom sample. Kratom tea samples were found to have up to 20 times the tolerable upper intake of manganese. Overexposure to manganese can lead to Parkinsonian symptoms including tremors, dystonia, and facial muscle spasms. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to qualitatively confirm the presence of alkaloids and differentiate diastereomers. One non-kratom product was analyzed and was found to contain phenibut, an anxiolytic and nootropic substance. Phenibut was not listed on the label of this product. This work contributes to bring attention to the absence of quality control standards on kratom manufacturers as well as proper labeling of products sold at smoke and tobacco shops, prompting a public health concern due to the association of toxic metal levels in commercial kratom products.
-
Effects of the Selective GSK3B Inhibitor, Tideglusib, on Ethanol Consumption, Anxiety-like Behavior, Taste Preference, and Downstream Proteins
Sam Gottlieb, Douglas Bledsoe, Jessica L. Maltman, Alanna Morgan, Jennifer T. Wolstenholme, and Michael F. Miles
Background: We have shown modulations in glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3B) abundance or activity regulate ethanol consumption, suggesting potential as a therapeutic target for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Here we report the GSK3B inhibitor tideglusib’s actions on ethanol consumption, basal behaviors, and modulation of GSK3B targets.
Methods: C57BL/6J males and females received i.g. 200mg/kg tideglusib, except drinking-in-the-dark (males;100mg/kg i.p.). Drinking-in-the-dark (DID): Mice given 20% ethanol 4-hours, 4-days/week x 3 weeks and then i.p. tideglusib or vehicle x 4 days in a Latin Square design with ethanol consumption measured daily. Light/Dark Box: Mice gavaged with tideglusib or vehicle and i.p. injected with 1.8g/kg ethanol or saline then tested for 10-min. Taste Preference: Mice received tideglusib x 6 days and then tested daily for saccharin or quinine taste preference. Western Blots: Mice received tideglusib or vehicle i.g. 3x/week for 2-weeks and mPFC assayed for phosphorylated and total GSK3B, Dynamin1, and PSD-95.
Results: Tideglusib decreased ethanol DID consumption, transiently increased locomotion, and had no effect on anxiety-like behaviors or taste preference. Only total Dynamin1 showed tideglusib-induced modulation where females had increased Dynamin1 and decreased pDynamin1/total Dynamin1.
Conclusion: Tideglusib is a promising AUD therapeutic, rapidly decreasing ethanol consumption in a binge-drinking model. Tideglusib is likely not reducing consumption by altering taste or anxiety-like behaviors. Dynamin1 is integral in activity-dependent bulk endocytosis and requires GSK3B-induced rephosphorylation. Tideglusib increased Dynamin1 levels likely represent a compensatory response to decreased GSK3B activity, providing insight to tideglusib’s mechanism in ethanol behaviors. Funded by NIAAA grant R01AA027581.
-
An Exploration of Factors Influencing Faculty Engagement With Open Practices at the School of Education: A Pilot Study
Preeti Kamat, Jessica Kirschner, Hillary Miller, Sergio Chaparro, Jose Alcaine, and Nina Exner
Background:
Open practices in academia are emerging as affordable tools in widening research access by removing many barriers in the scholarly research and learning process. While faculty engagement with open practices is increasing, there remain some barriers to widespread participation. Though research to date suggests faculty perceptions about promotion and tenure (P&T) policies influence faculty engagement with open practices, many studies limit their focus on a few influencing factors. Answering calls for more research, this pilot study aims to explore the influence of various factors on faculty engagement with open practices, with a focus on promotion and tenure (P&T) policies based and their unique influence on faculty decisions through the lens of Social Exchange Theory.
Methods:
During the first phase, 15 faculty members completed the survey about their perceptions, engagement in open practices, and demographic data such as faculty classification. To better understand the quantitative data, we will conduct focus groups and individual interviews.
Results:
Most faculty members felt the importance and benefits of open practices. However, beliefs about the valuing of open practices in P&T and professional reputation did not show consensus. This implies group uncertainty about support for engaging in open practices in general.
Conclusion:
The quantitative results support the previous research (Lwoga & Questier 2014, Kim 2010, Kirschner, 2019). While refining the survey measures could be the next step for research, the preliminary implication for higher learning institutions could be increasing faculty awareness about the availability of resources for open practices faculty engagement.
-
Processing Equity Consciousness Through CRE Action Research PD During Times of Unrest, Uncertainty, and the Amplification of CRT Disinformation
Robyn Lyn
Equity initiatives, such as culturally responsive education (CRE), are under attack through local school board demonstrations and state legislatures across the U.S. These public attacks are becoming a barrier to equitable education. This study began before the public outcry against critical race theory and documents a timeline of events during a CRE 2-year action research professional development (PD). Though studies have examined the benefits of CRE, few investigate equity consciousness (EC), an awareness of systemic (in)equity. My study examines EC during a longitudinal CRE action research PD observing how equity consciousness presents in dialogue with veteran in-service teachers as they engaged with a PD to develop culturally responsive teaching/culturally relevant education.
-
Relationship between Religion and Native American Identity
Gennaro W. Milo
The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a relationship between religious affiliation and Native American Identity. Based on the findings of this study, a component of a Native American's Identity is their religious affiliation. To contribute to the research on Native American and Alaskan Native identity, this study targeted the teenage demographic of ages 12 to 19 years old. Over growing concern, expressed by tribal elders, about a loss of cultural identity amongst teens, this study investigates a connection between a teen’s sense of identity and their religious affiliation (Quigley, 2019). This study used a multiple-choice survey tool, that was filtered to only include Native American and Alaskan Native teens, where participants self-identified their cultural identity and their religious affiliation. This survey data comes from Swaim and Stanley (2021) who studied “substance use among American Indian youth” (Swaim & Stanley, 2021). The null hypothesis of this study is that religious affiliation has no effect on Native American Identity. The alternative hypothesis is that religious affiliation does influence Native American Identity. To test this cross tabulations and a Pearson’s R analysis were run. Further hypotheses were made concerning each religious preferences impact on Native American Identity. Another hypothesis was made that says not belonging to a religion reduces a person's Native American Identity. To test these hypotheses simple regressions were run. This study concluded that there is a positive correlation between Traditional Native American Spirituality and high level Native American Identity. Incidentally there is a correlation between no religious affiliation and low level Native American Identity. Lastly a moderated regression was done to see if gender had a moderating effect on the relationship between religious preference and Native American Identity. This study found that gender did not have a moderating effect.
-
A Marginal Identity Model for those in the "In-Between"
Francine S. Singson, Sonia Meyer, and Christine A. Reid
- Background
In existing models exploring the formation cultural identity, there is emphasis on development from the perspective of race or country of origin. While these models have made significant contributions to the study of identity development in the fields of counseling and psychology, research on the identity development of people who exist within the spectrum between traditionally acknowledged identities (Deaf/Hearing, LGBTQIA+, first/second generation) is lacking.
- Methods
To explore the merit of establishing a distinct theory exploring development of individuals whose identities exist between the existing binaries of identity, a systematic review and analysis of current literature was performed. Subsequently, a framework for marginal identity to address present gaps in literature was developed. The information from the review was integrated, and a hypothesis based on the framework was formed. Data from recent studies on multicultural/marginal development was gathered to corroborate or refute this hypothesis.
- Results
The Marginal/Multicultural Identity Model developed by Reid et al. addresses groups that exist in the “in between” of the continuum of identity. Building on previous models of identity development, this model addresses the fluid and nonlinear nature of identity, as well as the impact of environmental, personal, physical, and intersectional factors, while also considering the knowledge and skills required in a given culture.
4. Conclusion
This model has potential to address a missing element in counseling practice: addressing the needs of people who find themselves "between" different cultures. Further research is needed to test the effectiveness of the model in actual clinical trials.
-
Pathways to Belonging and Engagement: Testing a Tailored Social Belonging Intervention for University Students
Molly L. Taylor, Danielle N. Berry, Kali A. Delay, Viyana Banjade, Jeen Joy, Korinthia D. Nicolai, Erica Ross, Navdeep Sekhon, Tanya Wineland, and Sharon K. Zumbrunn Dr.
Background
Prominent theories of motivation suggest that belonging plays a critical role in student success (Connell & Wellborn, 1991). Social-belonging interventions have been shown to improve student belonging, well-being, engagement, and more—especially those from traditionally disadvantaged backgrounds (Walton & Brady, 2017). The current study aimed to explore the effects of a tailored social-belonging intervention delivered in introductory classes at VCU on students’ belonging, engagement, persistence, and achievement.
Methods
A diverse sample of first-year undergraduate students at VCU participated. To create authentic intervention materials, we collaborated with a diverse group of upper-level undergraduate student researchers who wrote narratives to present vivid stories of how they personally experienced and overcame struggles to belong. Prior to and following the intervention, students completed a survey that assessed student belonging, engagement, and social and academic fit. We also collected student demographics, achievement, and additional data from institutional records.
Results
Following the implementation of the belonging intervention, data was collected on students’ sense of belonging, their social and academic fit at the university, and other related outcomes. While most students felt as though they belonged at VCU and had the potential to succeed, there were still some students who worried whether they belonged in college.
Conclusions
From students’ responses, faculty and advisors of first-year students were given an overview on students’ current states of belonging at VCU. As an implication for future research, we argue that including diverse upper-level students as fellow researchers in this work strengthens the authenticity and effectiveness of the belonging intervention.
-
Adverse Childhood Experiences and the Risk of Drug Overdose in Adulthood
Samantha E. Wright
Background
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) encompass a variety of traumatic events that occur during one’s youth. ACEs may be physical, mental, emotional, or sexual in nature, and they are often associated with long-term negative consequences such as alcoholism, substance abuse, and criminal justice involvement. The global rise of the opioid epidemic has intensified the need to better understand and address factors associated with illicit substance use. The current study will investigate the relationship between exposure to ACEs, onset of drug use, and history of drug overdose.
Methods
This study will utilize an observational design in which participants will be asked to complete a self-report questionnaire. The sample will comprise of male and female individuals housed in a local suburban jail. The study aims to recruit 350 participants. The survey will collect data regarding childhood experiences, age at first drug use, history of drug use, and drug overdose. Gender, race, and age differences will be examined.
Results
The current study is part of an ongoing research project. Using descriptive and explanatory statistics, preliminary results will be presented.
Conclusions
While prior literature has explored the relationship between ACEs, morbidity, and mortality, the current study aims to explore whether ACEs are associated with onset of drug use and drug overdose. ACEs and substance abuse issues are prevalent amongst incarcerated people, and risk of overdose is particularly high in this population. Findings may lend insight into the need for trauma-informed interventions within the community and the criminal justice system.
-
Collisions or Adsorption: An Electrochemical Random Walk Decides
Junaid U. Ahmed and Julio C. Alvarez
Current-time recordings of toluene microdroplets emulsified in water and containing 20 mM Ferrocene (Fc), show multiple electrochemical peaks from oxidation of Fc on disk microelectrodes (5μm-diameter). The average droplet diameter (~0.7 μm) determined from area integration of the peaks was close to Dynamic Light Scattering measurements (~1 μm). Random walk simulations were performed deriving equations to simulate droplet electrolysis using the diffusion and thermal velocity expressions established by Einstein. The simulations show that multiple droplet-electrode collisions, lasting ~0.11 μs each, occur before a droplet wanders away. Updating the Fc-concentration at every collision shows that a droplet only oxidizes ~0.58 % of its content in one collisional journey. In fact, it would take ~5.45 x 106 collisions and ~1.26 h to electrolyze the Fc in one droplet with the collision frequency derived from the thermal velocity (~0.52 cm/s) of a 1μm-droplet. To simulate adsorption, the droplet was immobilized at first contact with the electrode while the electrolysis current continued to be iteratively computed until the end of the simulation. This approach along with modeling of instrumental filtering produced the best match of experimental peaks, which were attributed to electrolysis from single adsorption events instead of elastic collisions. These results point to a heightened sensitivity and speed when relying on adsorption instead of elastic collisions. The electrochemical current for the former is limited by the probability of adsorption per collision, whereas for the latter, the current depends on the collision frequency and the probability of electron transfer per collision.
-
Peptidomimetic and Non- Peptidomimetic Derivatives as Possible SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease (Mpro) Inhibitors
Mohammed A. Al Awadh, Mohini S. Ghatge Ph.D, Mona A. Al Khairi, Faik N. Musayev, Akua K. Donkor, Mohammed H. AL Mughram, Abdelsattar M. Omar Ph.D, Moustafa M. El-Araby Ph.D, and Martin K. Safo Ph.D
To design novel inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro), we investigated the binding mode of the recently reported α-ketoamide inhibitors of this enzyme. Following, we utilized in-silico screening to identify 168 peptidomimetic and non-peptidomimetic compounds that are high probability Mpro binding candidates. The compounds were synthesized in 5 to 10 mg for initial screening for their potential inhibition of Mpro using Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) assay. The study was conducted using the main protease, MBP-tagged (SARS-CoV-2) Assay Kit (BPS Bioscience, #79955-2), and the fluorescence due to enzymatic cleavage of substrate measured using BMG LABTECH CLARIOstar™, a fluorescent microplate reader, with an excited/emission wavelength of 360 nm/460 nm, respectively. The FRET assay showed 29 compounds to exhibit lower fluorescence compared to the positive control, indicating inhibitory activity, with three of the compounds exhibiting over 50% enzymatic inhibition. The assay average scores were plotted as dose inhibition curves using variable parameter nonlinear regression to calculate the IC50 values. To design more potent inhibitors, an in-silico molecular docking simulation using the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro crystal structure was conducted to investigate on a molecular level the key binding residues at the active site, as well as the possible binding modes and affinity of the lead inhibitors. Additionally, an in-silico study of the compounds' molecular properties and physicochemical profiles was performed to predict their pharmacokinetic properties and assess their suitability as potential orally active drug candidates.
-
Frequency of Genetic Polymorphisms of CYP2C19 in Native Hawaiian, and Asian and Pacific Islander Subgroups: Implications for Personalized Medicine
Khalifa Y. Alrajeh and Youssef Roman Dr
Pharmacogenetic testing, where prescriptions are tailored to the individual patient based on his/her genetic makeup, increases the ability to predict individual drug response. However, little is known about the prevalence of clinically actionable pharmacogenes in diverse populations. This study seeks to assess the prevalence of select drug-gene alleles that are implicated in the metabolism of commonly prescribed drugs, so-called Very Important Pharmacogenes (VIPs). The results of this study will fill in the gaps of knowledge of VIPs in underrepresented populations and characterize their potential risk for drug adverse events or due to their underlying genetic polymorphisms, especially in patients of Asian, Hawaiian or Marshallese, or Samoan descent.
The Ensemble genome browser was used to compare the frequencies of three major single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the cytochrome P450 subfamily 2 class 19 (CYP2C19) in European (EUR) with our studied populations. Specially, SNPs of interest included rs4244285 G>A, rs4986893 G>A, and rs12248560 C>T, for CYP2C19*2, *3, and *17, respectively. In this cross-sectional study, chi-square or Fisher’s exact test was used, when appropriate, with P < 0.05 for significance.
Biobank DNA samples of 1064 participants were used to calculate genotype and allele frequencies for our population groups. The sample was distributed across six self-reported ethnicities; Filipino (21.61%), Japanese (19.73%), Korean (9.77%), Hawaiian (14.84%), Marshallese (15.13%), and Samoan (18.89%). In each ethnicity from our population, the distributions of allele and genotype frequencies of the CYP2C19 *2 (rs4244285 G>A), *3 (rs4986893 G>A), and *17 (rs12248560 C>T) variants were significantly different from EUR.
The overall loss-of-function allele (A) frequencies of *2 (rs4244285 G>A) and *3 (rs4986893 G>A) were significantly higher in our population groups (25%-36% and 2.5%-10%, respectively) than EUR (15%, and 0%, respectively). In contrast, the overall increased function allele (T) frequencies of *17 (rs12248560 C>T) were significantly higher in EUR (22.5%) than in our population (1%-6%). In conclusion, our results are consistent with published reports of Asian populations are enriched with the reduced or loss of function alleles of CYP2C19 compared with EUR.
-
Development of an online warfarin dosing platform using R programming language to facilitate healthcare professional duties and limit medication related errors.
Monther Alsultan
Development of an online warfarin dosing platform using R programming language to facilitate healthcare professional duties and limit medication related errors.
Monther Alsultan, Joshua M. Morriss, Daniel Contaifer Jr, Suad Alshammari; Silas Contaifer, Rachel W Flurie, Dayanjan S. Wijesinghe#
Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcome Sciences
Objective: 1) Gain experience in developing platform agnostic, fully operational and clinically relevant web applications for effective pharmacist led patient care. 2) Create a decision- support tool using open source software to facilitate evidence-based management therapy of warfarin in clinical settings where it is available for everyone to use at anytime and anywhere.
Introduction: Healthcare is continuously growing and modern technologies provide opportunities for the creation of effective tools to manage multiple diseases. Mobile devices such as smartphones enable easy access to a variety of websites remotely and make data and information readily available for use. Additionally, mobile devices can offer healthcare providers with fast and easy access to essential medical information to support patient care. The profession of pharmacy is fast changing from one primarily focused on dispensing medicinal goods to one intensely focused on the delivery of patient care. This has led pharmacists to be involved in a diverse clinical service such as patient's education, Medication Therapy Management (MTM) and medications dose adjustment. Implementing such services often place additional stress on the daily routine of pharmacists. Therefore, there is a high need to find efficient ways to support healthcare related clinical services. One of the widely used anticoagulant medications is warfarin. Warfarin has been available on the market as effective therapy in management of thrombotic disorders. However, warfarin is frequently associated with medications errors which may lead to serious adverse events. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate this fact fully via warfarin dosing web application to help support healthcare professionals in clinical settings.
Methods: Open-source programming language R in conjunction with RStudio version 1.2.5033 were used to develop and implement our warfarin dosing platform. Shiny packages for R with other packages were used to create our platform as a web-based app. We based our calculations and function of our platform on the UW health warfarin management- adult- ambulatory clinical practice guidelines.
Results: The platform contains three tools users can use:1) Calculating the warfarin maintenance dose,2) Selecting INR goals and duration of therapy,3) Assessment of Bleeding risk. Additionally, the app has a hyperlink to direct the users to the resource used in this app. On the first page of the app, the user can select their INR target and input a patients INR and weekly dose. Then, the app will immediately display the results. On the second page of the app, there is a feature for users helps to choose the INR target recommended based on patient conditions; There is a drop down menu contains different type of antithrombotic indications. Additionally, on the third page of the app, there is a feature for users helps to calculate the bleeding risk using HAS-BLED score. The users can answer “Yes” or “No” on multiple risk factors to stratify patients’ risk into low, moderate or high.
Conclusion: Our warfarin dosing platform demonstrates the feasibility of creating a free-tool for healthcare professionals to facilitate their daily practice and potential for reducing medication related errors. Additionally, we demonstrate that pharmacists can take advantage of open-sources resources available to develop any health-related application suitable to their needs.
Future Directions: The skills gained in the implementation of this full stack web application development will be further improved upon to develop additional clinical support tools for pharmacists. Further implementations will also incorporate fully or partially trained machine learning models. Our ultimate goal is to allow pharmacists to utilize data driven decision making strategies to implement fast and effective patient care.
-
Transcriptional Repressor Protein based Macrolide Biosensor Development with Improved Sensitivity
Jayani A. Christopher
Macrolide antibiotics are in high demand for clinical applications. Macrolides are biosynthesized via giant assembly line polyketide synthases (PKS) which are arranged in a modular fashion. Combinatorial biosynthetic methods have been used to produce diversified macrolides by reprograming these modules and modifying tailoring enzymes required for post synthetic modifications. However it is challenging due to the size and complexity of PKSs. To overcome this challenge, new enzymes for macrolide diversification could be obtained by directed evolution where a large number of enzyme variants need to be screened. Therefore it is important to develop high throughput screening methods to identify the enzyme variants. MphR is a promiscuous macrolide sensing transcriptional repressor protein which regulates a gene cassette where Green Fluorescence Protein (GFP) is expressed upon binding of the macrolide antibiotic ligand to MphR. A system of two plasmids contains the genes required for the sensing process. This research is basically an insight of improving the sensitivity of MphR biosensor using a gene knockout approach where a gene expressing a protein related to antibiotic resistance is knocked out from the E.coli chromosome to obtain higher sensitivity of the biosensor.
-
World Wide Wake: A look into digital wake work in response to the murder of Breonna Taylor
KaLyn T. Coghill
In Christina Sharpe's, In the Wake, she refers to "wake work" as conscious work. Wake work makes a conscious and intentional effort to celebrate one's life as they are passing and after they have transitioned on. Wake work includes grief, sadness, reminiscing, happiness, laughter, and many more emotions. We think of wake work happening in the physical, but I want to look at how weight work exists in the digital. This paper will discuss how wake work is done in digital spaces such as social media platforms. I will also be looking at how social movements such as black lives matter can act as a place for wake work to begin. I have created four sections that will talk about wake work in digital spaces. Hashtag activism, memorializing death, Fugitivity, and Black Dignity are ways that wake work is done in these virtual communities. I will investigate and provide examples of how each aligns with wake work, particularly to the death of Breonna Taylor.
-
“Food is Last on My List”: Understanding Food Insecurity on an Urban College Campus
Kaija Craft, Jennifer Murphy, and Youngmi Kim
Food insecurity among college students has become an increasing concern on campuses nationwide. The average rate of food insecurity among college students is estimated to be 32.9%, with students often experiencing the compounding effects of food, financial, and housing insecurities (Bruening et al., 2017; Leung et al., 2020). Furthermore, college students of traditionally marginalized racial groups, such as Black, Latino/a, and Native American students, are more likely to report experiencing food insecurity (Baker-Smith et al., 2020; El Zein et al., 2019). While there is a growing body of knowledge concerning quantitative data, qualitative research is needed to illuminate the full experience of college students living with food insecurity. This study aims to discover the barriers to food access, the impact of experiencing food insecurity, and coping strategies among college students. As part of a larger mixed-methods study, three focus groups were held at a large, urban university in the Southeastern United States. Findings present that barriers to food access included limited healthy options, limited kitchen access, a lack of transportation, insufficient time, and financial hardship. Students stressed the physical, mental, and emotional toll of living with food insecurity. Finally, various coping strategies were described, such as changes in eating habits, prioritizing other expenses, and participating in research. These findings contribute to the broader research on student basic needs and can help inform universities and policymakers to mitigate food insecurity on campus.