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African-American Baptist Churches In Hanover County, Virginia, 1865-1900, Melinda Dawn Gales

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to examine rural African-American vernacular Baptist churches built in the years following the Civil War. The case study is centered in Hanover County, Virginia, because of the county's strategic location inrelation to the capital of the Confederacy in Richmond. Due to the overwhelming number of slaves, Anglo-Americans attempted to suppress African identity by forcing slaves to attend Anglo-American churches. A number of African-American congregations were secretly organized during the time of slavery. Until the fall of Richmond in spring 1865, African-Americans were not allowed to assemble publicly without Anglo-American supervision. In the years following …

The Ethics Of Human Genetic Enhancement: Extending The Public Policy Debate, John J. Baumann

Theses and Dissertations

Mammalian one—cell embryos can be genetically altered, implanted into the female's uterus, and subsequently develop into biologically mature organisms in the usual manner. If the resultant adult organisms reproduce, the genetic change may be passed on to future generations. In humans, the procedure is known alternatively as "human genetic engineering" or "human germline gene therapy." Bioethicists distinguish between genetic engineering intended for the prevention or treatment of disease ("treatment germline gene therapy") and genetic engineering intended for non—medical enhancement of certain characteristics ("enhancement germline gene therapy"). Human genetic engineering has the potential to effectively replace deleterious genes such as the …

Correlation Of Visualized Glucocorticoid Receptor And Apoptosis In Individual Clones Of Nb2 Cells, Devang M. Patel

Theses and Dissertations

The Nb2 lymphoma cell line is susceptible to glucocorticoid (GC)-induced apoptosis in the absence of mitogen and this effect is inhibited by the mitogen prolactin (PRL). This process is believed to be mediated by the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and various downstream signals. The purpose of this study was to use the limiting dilution method to isolate subsets of Nb2 clones which expressed either highly enriched amounts of GR or an absence of GR and to relate the amount of GR to the magnitude of GC induced cytolysis. The presence of GR in these clones was determined by immunocytochemistry (ICC) using …

Utilization Of Printer Resources Within A Computer Graphics Department: A Print Queue Analysis, Prentice Frazier

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines print queue management for the graphics department of a financial services company. The current network configuration has proven to be sub-optimal. The IT department is currently undergoing testing of possible alternative network configurations. The objective is to improve performance by leveraging existing resources with new technology. In this paper, the effect of consolidating the queue into one primary queue manager is analyzed, along with prioritizing print jobs, and forecasting future printer needs. Analysis was performed using queuing theory concepts along with an analysis of both steady state and transient behavior using simulation modeling.

Federal Special Education Law And Discipline Of Students With Disabilities: A Description Of The Factors Influencing Key Actors Involved In The Development Of Sections 612(A)(1)(A) And 615(K) Of The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, Cheryl Corona Magill

Theses and Dissertations

Until the 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), policies regarding discipline of students with disabilities were set primarily by case law. In 1995, the debates over reauthorization of the IDEA focused on proposed provisions designed to describe. at the federal level. the measures and procedures to be used by public school officials when disciplining students with disabilities.

The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the factors influencing key actors involved in the development of the two sections ofthe I997 IDEA that address discipline of students with disabilities. A review of the literature suggested …

The Use Of A Habit Reversal Treatment For Chronic Facial Pain In A Minimal Therapist Contact Format, Donald R. Townsend

Theses and Dissertations

The temporomandibular disorders (TMD) diminish quality of life and can be costly for both individuals and the health care system. Stress from a variety of factors, including daily hassles and maladaptive thought patterns, has been commonly cited as a contributing factor in TMD. Support for this hypothesis comes from research demonstrating masseter muscle hyperactivity in response to experimental stressors, such as painful or frustrating stimuli. Many believe the link between stress and increased masseter muscle pain is parafunctional oral habits, including teeth clenching, grinding, and lip biting. Habit reversal has been used effectively to treat parafunctional oral behaviors and facial …

The Determinants Of Juvenile Justice Policy In France And Germany, Jacqueline A. Meyers

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation assesses the factors that influence the development of juvenile justice policy in France and Germany within the context of systems theory, The project utilizes an open/closed systems framework as a way to conceptualize determinants of juvenile justice policy. France and Germany serve as two single case studies for demonstrating the open and closed dichotomy that characterize system theory with France being characterized as a closed system while Germany is characterized as an open system. This difference is demonstrated through a discussion of historical, cultural, political, social and economic variables, which shape policy development in each of these countries. …

From Writing To Sculpting, Orhan Tekin

Theses and Dissertations

I subscribe to the notion that art is the process of capturing a moment in life, by way of projection on to an artist's senses, and a subsequent filtering through his mind, and ultimately a materialization through his hands and instruments. However, that is just the beginning. To take a life of its own, the work of art should further find its way into the minds of its viewers or listeners again through a series of projections and filtering. The excitement of the moment that impinges upon the senses of the artist can be very powerful at times, so powerful …

Five Days At India House, Amy M. Consiglio

Theses and Dissertations

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Examination Of Signals Involved In Dexamethasone Induced Apoptosis In Nb2 Lymphoma Cells, Suhas Badarinath

Theses and Dissertations

Consistent with previous studies, we demonstrated that dexamethasone (Dex) caused cytolysis/apoptosis in log phase Nb2 lymphoma cells, while prolactin (Prl) inhibited this effect. The Nb2 model was used to investigate the mechanisms of apoptosis control with the aid of immunocytochemistry (ICC). We established with absorption the specificity of staining due to Fas, Fas Ligand, Bcl-2, and Bax antibodies (the specificity of anti-p53 could not be verified). Dex-induced cytolysis/apoptosis was detected in synchronized (G⁰/G¹) cells after 6 and 8 hours of Dex exposure. A novel, computerized technique was used to quantitate the proportion of cells immunostained for the signals of interest …

Rt-Pcr Localization Of Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase (Pepck) Mrna In Rat Proximal Tubule Segments During Ammonium Chloride Acidosis, Matthew Rankin Craig

Theses and Dissertations

In metabolic acidosis, the early increase in PEPCK mRNA and enzyme protein content contributes to the accelerated rates of ammonium and glucose formation. In situ hybridization demonstrated that expression of PEPCK was confined to medullary rays of rat kidney cortex in controls and spread throughout the cortex 10 hours following NH4Cl feeding (Am.J. Physiol., 267: F400, 1994). To identify the specific nephron segments expressing PEPCK in control and acidotic conditions, the mRNA for PEPCK along the nephron of the rat kidney was localized using the technique of reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in individual microdissected S1, S2 and …

An Evaluation Of The City Of Danville-Pittsylvania County Annexation, Gerald A. Craver

Theses and Dissertations

An insufficient amount of evaluation research has been conducted on Virginia's annexations. This study helps to fill that void by evaluating the Danville - Pittsylvania County annexation. The thesis attempts to determine if the city of Danville benefited from the annexation and if Pittsylvania County was able to recover from the loss that it suffered as a result of the annexation.

In order to evaluate the annexation, data was collected and analyzed for seven research categories: urban services, planning, demographics, community leadership, local government cooperation, economic development, and public finance. In addition, government documents were reviewed to collect information that …

Higher Education And The Social Contract: Achieving Alignment With The Service Mission In The Liberal Arts/Sciences At Urban Universities, Jackie Cook Elston

Theses and Dissertations

American higher education exists today in an environment of accountability. The public is demanding full participation in addressing the considerable social, health and economic problems facing society. Despite explicit statements of commitment to public service and community outreach however, according to numerous studies conducted over the past twenty years, universities are not articulating this commitment in faculty roles and rewards.

This study advances the discussion of roles and rewards at one particular model of institution — the urban university. The focus is on the behavior and attitudes of academic leaders at these unique institutions to determine the extent to which …

The Evolving Role Of Marketing In Large And Mid Size Law Firms, Kathleen Sams Flippen

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the fact that attorneys face stringent ethical restrictions regarding claims they can make about their legal abilities, the culture of many law firms is probably the greatest barrier to effective legal marketing. Expectancy theories, which state that behavior follows rewards, support this hypothesis. Culture affects many facets of a law firm: (1) its attitude about profitability, (2) the attorneys' understanding of effective business procedures, (3) the definition of value — from the firm's perspective and the perspective of clients and prospects, (4) management structure, decision making, and accountability, and (5) attitudes about change. This thesis examines the role that …

The Roles Of Several Kinases In Mice Tolerant To Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, Matthew C. Lee

Theses and Dissertations

It has been suggested that the CB1 G-protein-coupled receptor is internalized following agonist binding and activation of the second messenger pathways. The process of desensitization and resensitization is intimately involved with receptor internalization. Phosphorylation alters tolerance to cannabinoids thus contributing to tolerance. It is proposed that phosphorylation enhances the down-regulation of the CB1 receptor. These findings led us to look at which kinase(s) may be involved in cannabinoid tolerance. We therefore hypothesize that by preventing phosphorylation of the CB1 receptor, we may reverse tolerance. We evaluated our hypothesis by testing the role of several kinases in tolerance: protein kinase A …

Neural Networks In The Analysis Of Water-Soluble Sulfonylurea Herbicides Using An Lc/Ms, Joseph Michael Pompano

Theses and Dissertations

In this research, a hidden node pruning algorithm was developed for an artificial neural network (ANN) that automatically determined a more efficient size of the hidden layer, caused the ANN to resize itself, and then continued to train using a standard back-propagation algorithm. The hidden-node pruning algorithm was based on determining the number of significant eigenvalues present in the matrix of values produced by the hidden layer, starting with an excessive number of hidden nodes.

Eight sulfonylurea herbicides were used as the target analytes in this study. The ability of an ANN to simplify the sample preparation needed for analysis …

Psychoneuroimmunology And Healing Touch In Hiv Disease, Jo Lynne Wheeler Robins

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the effects of Healing Touch (HT) on well-being and neuroendocrine function in individuals living with HIV disease. A total of 27 males completed the 4-week HT intervention. Each weekly HT session lasted 30 minutes and consisted of only the chakra connection, Because of the small sample size and the impact of gender on neuroendocrine and immune function, women were not included in this study Dependent variables included well-being as measured by three well-being and two psychological distress instruments, serum serotonin, salivary DHEA and cortisol, and a variety of enumerative and functional measures …

Factors Influencing Effectiveness In Performance Of The State Comptroller's Agency, John T. Nix

Theses and Dissertations

The State Comptroller is an important state official. This research is intended to determine whether method of selection of the state comptroller (election or appointment), organizational configuration of the state comptroller's agency, professional qualifications of the state comptroller, or length of tenure served by the state comptroller have an impact on the effectiveness of the performance of the state comptroller’s agency.

This research utilized a multi-constituency model of effectiveness. Under this model, effectiveness was defined as satisfaction of the needs of major constituencies of the state comptroller’s agency. Major constituencies of the state comptroller’s agency were identified.

Variables to determine …

Characterization Of Rat Pulmonary Carboxylesterase, Timothy J. Wallace

Theses and Dissertations

The 1839 bp cDNA for rat pulmonary carboxylesterase was cloned by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) from total rat lung RNA using specific primers derived from the 5' and 3' untranslated regions of rat hepatic cholesteryl ester hydrolase (CEH). The unique cDNA was sequenced and found to have 99% homology with hepatic CEH. This homology extends to the predicted amino acid sequences which show only six amino acid residue differences in the coding region: three conserved and three nonconserved changes. However, the catalytic activitites of the two proteins are dramatically different. While CEH hydrolyzes cholesterol oleate, the pulmonary …

A Model To Integrate Data Mining And On-Line Analytical Processing: With Application To Real Time Process Control, Rahul Singh

Theses and Dissertations

Since the widespread use of computers in business and industry, a lot of research has been done on the design of computer systems to support the decision making task. Decision support systems support decision makers in solving unstructured decision problems by providing tools to help understand and analyze decision problems to help make better decisions. Artificial intelligence is concerned with creating computer systems that perform tasks that would require intelligence if performed by humans. Much research has focused on using artificial intelligence to develop decision support systems to provide intelligent decision support.

Knowledge discovery from databases, centers around data mining …

Analysis Of The Status Of Women Faculty In The United States Since The Enactment Of Equality Legislation In The 1970s: What Do The Numbers Suggest?, Annie M. Stith-Willis

Theses and Dissertations

The primary research question is: What changes have occurred in the status of women faculty members in higher education in the United States from 1974 to 1995. Status is determined by evaluating differences by sex in: the number of faculty, the tenure status, the average salary, the average salary by faculty rank, the percent of faculty to percent of earned doctoral degrees, and the percent of faculty to percent of enrolled students in higher education. The period since the enactment of equality legislation in the 19705 in the United States provides a time frame for this research. The ongoing legislative …

Sub-Lethal Effects Of Hypoxia/Hypercapnia On Callinectes Sapidus In The York River Estuary, Virginia, Sandra R. Hypes

Theses and Dissertations

This research examined effects of hypoxic environments on blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus in an estuarine environment. Hypoxic conditions were treated as a multiple stressor involving low dissolved oxygen (D.O.), increased carbon dioxide (hypercapnia), and low pH concurrently. The objectives were to: 1) identify hypoxiahypercapnia by monitoring D.O. and pH as an indicator of hypercapnia in shallow regions of the York River, 2) measure blue crab abundance, and 3) describe blue crab responses to hypoxiahypercapnia via field work at Taskinas Creek and lab measurements of respiration. Ambient D.O. and pH were positively correlated in the Taskinas Creek and York River sites …