Virginia Commonwealth University

Factors Influencing The First and Second Peak of COVID-19 Global Cases: A Survival Analysis

Abstract Objectives The number of reported cases continues to increase everyday, since the first case of COVID-19 was detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Using the global COVID-19 data of 188 countries extracted from the Our World in Data between January 22, 2020–January 1...

C57BL/6N mutation in cytoplasmic FMRP interacting protein 2 regulates nicotine reward in the conditioned place preference test

Abstract Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Among the factors that contribute to tobacco initiation, use, and dependence, genetics may exert a strong influence. In mouse models, genetic differences between strains have been studied to inve...

Polygenic architecture of childhood emotional and behavioral problems in East Asian youth: a multivariate genome-wide study

Abstract Background Emotional and behavioral problems in childhood, commonly classified as internalizing and externalizing symptoms, represent early manifestations of vulnerability to later psychiatric disorders. However, their genetic architecture remains largely characterized i...

Mavericks of Style: The Seventies in Color, Uri Mcmillan (2025)

Review of: Mavericks of Style: The Seventies in Color , Uri Mcmillan (2025) Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 236 pp., ISBN 978-1-47803-251-9, p/bk, USD 34.00

MIT / TFE family transcription factors, Mitf and Tfec, redundantly promote pigment cell differentiation and retinal epithelium pigmentation in teleosts

BACKGROUND: Transcription factors of the MIT/TFE family-mitfa, mitfb, and tfec-play essential roles in specifying pigment cells derived from neural crest cells in vertebrates. In teleosts, which possess multiple pigment cell types, these factors exhibit partially redundant but la...

“They could …distance themselves from me claiming I still had Ebola”: experiences of Ebola virus disease survivors in Central Uganda

Ebola continues to be a great public health challenge in Uganda where it is vulnerable to future Ebola outbreaks. Survivors are likely to continue experiencing the after effects of Ebola during the recovery period. The study was conducted to explore experiences of Ebola survivors...

Assessing Psychiatric Symptoms in Autistic Youth Using the K-CAT®

Abstract Purpose While highly prevalent, mental health (MH) challenges in autistic youth often go unrecognized due in part to the lack of an accurate, comprehensive MH assessment tool. The K-CAT ® was developed to address barriers to identification of MH concerns in the general p...

The urinary tract commensal Peptoniphilus spp. encodes a novel 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase

ABSTRACT Microbial steroid metabolism represents an underappreciated extension of the vertebrate endocrine system, with growing evidence that host-associated microbes contribute to the diversity and bioavailability of sex steroids to human tissues. Emerging studies have linked mi...

Immune checkpoint molecules as biomarkers of Staphylococcus aureus bone infection and clinical outcome

Abstract Background Staphylococcus aureus prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are broadly considered incurable, and clinical diagnostics that guide conservative vs. aggressive surgical treatments don’t exist. Understanding the human T cell response to chronic S. aureus osteomyelit...

Self-perceptions of aging and advance care planning: Longitudinal evidence from the Health and Retirement Study

Abstract Objectives Advance care planning (ACP) is increasingly conceptualized as a proactive, communication-centered process that supports person-centered care in later life. Although prior research has focused on demographic and clinical predictors, less is known about the psyc...

The global cardiovascular-kidney-liver-metabolic burden from 1990 to 2023

Background The cardiovascular-kidney-liver-metabolic (CKLM) framework represents the multi-organ interplay of systemic metabolic disorders that drive the global burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Methods This study is a descriptive epidemiological analysis of the Global Bur...

Circulating lipids are associated with PTSD severity and predict symptomatic PTSD in a cohort of veterans and service members

Abstract Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by chronic stress, alterations in mood, and avoidance after a traumatic event has occurred. While recovery can occur, many PTSD patients suffer life-long impairments. In combat veterans, high rates of PTSD contribute...

Alcohol reshapes liver zonal plasticity and immune-metabolic reprogramming in metabolic-syndrome associated hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) commonly arises in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), alcohol-related liver disease (ALD), and metabolic dysfunction-associated ALD (MetALD), yet how zonal metabolic programs govern tumor lineage and immune responses remains un...

Narrative for Expanding Visibility to Non-Black Students through Enrollment Management Practices for Historically Black Colleges and Universities

As the U.S. is growing more diverse, at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) like VSU, non-Black students are considered underrepresented. Current declining enrollment numbers at VSU have become problematic, creating a budgetary shortfall that has impacted student...

Ampthill Neighborhood Market Analysis & Community Strengthening Plan

This is a Strengthening Plan in support of a future commercial corridor development in the Ampthill Neighborhood of Chesterfield County. It is a part of a larger strategy along Jefferson Davis Highway to strengthen ties between neighborhoods and businesses. The Plan encourages ec...

Green Infrastructure Initiative Plan

This plan was developed for the City of Richmond (VA) Department of Public Utilities with the purpose of identifying strategies to create Green Infrastructure (GI) development incentives among private properties. A series of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analyses are used...

Expanding Housing Opportunities and Preserving Character in Historic Neighborhoods

The City of Richmond has been experiencing population growth and rising housing costs in recent years, leading to spatially uneven revitalization and growing affordability concerns. The historic neighborhoods in the city are part of what makes Richmond unique and a desired city t...

VCU Campus Tree Plan

Throughout the past several years VCU has grown tremendously as a large public research university and an anchor institution within the city of Richmond However, VCU also has been working towards a more sustainable future and is committed to furthering sustainability in its commu...

Virginia Commonwealth University Stormwater Management Plan

Every year millions of gallons of polluted stormwater and untreated sanitary waste are discharged directly into the James River during combined sewer overflow events. This is a problem considering stormwater is one of the most significant sources of pollution to the nation’s surf...

Developing A Sustainable Model for Impactful Academic Advising

The primary focus of this research is advising delivery models for community colleges. This capstone focused on the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), namely John Tyler Community College (JTCC). The research focused on delivering the most consistently supportive advising f...