Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
-
- Medicine and Health Sciences (119)
- Arts and Humanities (71)
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (63)
- Engineering (52)
- Physical Sciences and Mathematics (48)
-
- Medical Sciences (39)
- Life Sciences (37)
- Psychology (37)
- Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering (24)
- Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (24)
- Fine Arts (23)
- Education (20)
- Art and Design (18)
- Medical Pharmacology (18)
- Dentistry (15)
- Chemistry (13)
- Counseling Psychology (13)
- Medical Genetics (13)
- Theatre and Performance Studies (12)
- Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology (10)
- Educational Leadership (10)
- Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration (10)
- Biology (9)
- Nursing (9)
- Physiology (9)
- Urban Studies and Planning (9)
- Business (8)
- Environmental Sciences (7)
- Neurosciences (7)
- Anatomy (6)
- Keyword
-
- Theatre (10)
- Electrospinning (7)
- Painting (6)
- Richmond (6)
- Art (5)
-
- Obesity (5)
- Stress (5)
- Virginia (5)
- Alcohol dependence (4)
- Angiogenesis (4)
- Anxiety (4)
- Schizophrenia (4)
- Sculpture (4)
- Traumatic brain injury (4)
- Adolescence (3)
- Attitudes (3)
- Behavior (3)
- Cancer (3)
- Classification (3)
- College students (3)
- Condom use (3)
- Culture (3)
- Depression (3)
- Design (3)
- Epigenetics (3)
- Interior design (3)
- Mindfulness (3)
- Movement (3)
- Nicotine (3)
- PTSD (3)
Articles 31 - 60 of 436
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
The Effects Of River Sediment, Endosulfan, And Moderate Hypoxia On Blue Crabs (Callinectes Sapidus) From The Tidal, Freshwater James River, Laura Williams
The Effects Of River Sediment, Endosulfan, And Moderate Hypoxia On Blue Crabs (Callinectes Sapidus) From The Tidal, Freshwater James River, Laura Williams
Theses and Dissertations
Juvenile male blue crabs move into the tidal, freshwater James River during warmer months to feed and grow by undergoing molting. In crustaceans, growth and molting are hormonally controlled. The physiological effects of a multiple-stressor environment are determined by comparing the blue crab’s oxygen uptake after exposure to pure sand, James River sediment, or endosulfan-spiked sand. The effect of multiple stressors on molting is measured by the activity level of N-acetyl-ß-glucosaminidase (NAG), an enzyme in epidermal tissue important to molting. The oxygen uptake was decreased by exposure to James River sediment but not for exposure to endosulfan for seven days. …
Investigating A Model For Fetal Alcohol Damage In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Lindsay Kondo
Investigating A Model For Fetal Alcohol Damage In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Lindsay Kondo
Theses and Dissertations
Alcohol use and abuse has many harmful effects, especially to children exposed prenatally, including fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). The disabilities due to fetal alcohol exposure continue throughout life and cause major financial burdens to society. The molecular mechanisms underlying FASDs are not well understood. We have taken a genetic approach to characterize ethanol’s effect on changing a discrete cell fate decision during embryogenesis in the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Our preliminary data suggest that ethanol can affect the development of AWC neurons, a pair of olfactory neurons in C. elegans. We suggest that lipids can protect AWC neurons …
"Being Certain": Moral Distress In Critical Care Nurses, Marian Baxter
"Being Certain": Moral Distress In Critical Care Nurses, Marian Baxter
Theses and Dissertations
Published literature has focused on understanding moral distress from a descriptive standpoint. Missing from the literature is an exploration of the role a nurse can play in his/her/own moral distress.A qualitative study with an interpretive design incorporated Clandinin and Connelly' narrative methodology. Results highlighted assumptions were made by participants in the absence of resources, which led them to" know the right action to take" from their own perspective.
Development Of A Closed-Loop Force Reduction Mechanism In A Gait Rehabilitation Device, Jeffrey Frankart
Development Of A Closed-Loop Force Reduction Mechanism In A Gait Rehabilitation Device, Jeffrey Frankart
Theses and Dissertations
Elliptical trainers are prescribed in rehabilitative exercise but difficult to implement in populations with significant functional gait deficits. Typical elliptical machines do not mimic normal gait and therefore require modifications for clinical rehabilitation. This research builds on previous modifications of an elliptical trainer designed to simulate level-surface walking. This design differed from a commercial version. It included articulated footplates and an electromechanically-driven virtual-cam to control footplate position. Ankle dorsiflexion elicited lower-extremity muscle spasticity which produced an unwanted gait variant during stroke patient testing. Spasticity is a hyperexcitable stretch reflex causing inefficient gait. This project’s purpose was to develop an autonomous …
Relationship Between Principals’ Sense Of Achievement And Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Principals’ Leadership Behaviors, Javaid Siddiqi
Relationship Between Principals’ Sense Of Achievement And Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Principals’ Leadership Behaviors, Javaid Siddiqi
Theses and Dissertations
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRINCIPALS’ SENSE OF ACHIEVEMENT AND TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR PRINCIPALS’ LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS By Javaid Siddiqi, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2012 Major Director: Cheryl Magill, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Leadership School of Education The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between principals’ sense of achievement and teachers’ perceptions of their principals’ leadership behaviors. This was determined by examining job satisfaction of principals and leadership style using the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) and the School …
Role Of Tyrosyl-Dna Phosphodiesterase (Tdp 1) On Repair Of 3′-Phosphoglycolate (3′- Pg) Terminated Dna Double-Strand Breaks (Dsbs) And In Response To Oxidative Stress, Tong Zhou
Theses and Dissertations
DNA DSBs are most toxic to cells because they can lead to genomic rearrangements and even cell death. Most DSBs induced by ionizing radiation or radiomimetic drugs such as calicheamicin and bleomycin, bear 3′-phosphate or 3′- PG moieties that must be removed to allow subsequent gap filling and ligation. DSBs can be repaired by two main pathways: the homologous recombination (HR) pathway and the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway, NHEJ is the primary repair pathway in mammalian cells. While HR repairs single strand breaks (SSBs) or DSBs accurately by using an undamaged copy of the sequence mostly at late S phase …
Costs And Use Of Oral Anti-Cancer Medications Among Senior Medicare Part D Beneficiaries, Nantana Kaisaeng
Costs And Use Of Oral Anti-Cancer Medications Among Senior Medicare Part D Beneficiaries, Nantana Kaisaeng
Theses and Dissertations
Oral cancer drugs are branded and expensive medications that generally do not have generics available. The restrictions of the Medicare Part D program, including the coverage gap and high cost-sharing, and the high cost of oral chemotherapy may lead to patients’ non-adherence to medication. Few studies have examined the cost and utilization of oral anti-cancer medications. This study will be the first to examine the costs associated with the use of oral anti-cancer medications and the impact of cost-sharing and type of prescription drug subsidy on medication discontinuation in the Medicare Part D elderly population. Objectives: To determine the usage …
Novel Shear-Thinning Of Aged Pdms/Fumed Silica Admixtures And Properties Of Related Silicone Elastomers, Wayne Brooke-Devlin
Novel Shear-Thinning Of Aged Pdms/Fumed Silica Admixtures And Properties Of Related Silicone Elastomers, Wayne Brooke-Devlin
Theses and Dissertations
Fumed silica filler has long been used to structurally reinforce silicone elastomers. Unfortunately, the combination of as little as a few weight percent of untreated fumed silica nanoparticles [uFSN] with a siloxane polymer, such as PDMS, forms a difficult to process waxy solid admixture that even long periods of high shear mixing will not thin. In the course of the current work it was noted that after a period of storage certain solid admixtures would become viscous liquids when subjected to additional high shear mixing. It was further found that the required aging period could be decreased if the admixture …
Nobody’S Perfect: A Qualitative Examination Of African American Caregivers And Their Adolescent Daughters’ Perceptions Of Adolescent Girls’ Body Image, Michell Pope
Theses and Dissertations
The increasingly high rates of body dissatisfaction among adolescent girls are alarming. Research suggests that cultural norms emphasizing thinness and unrealistic standards of beauty may be contributing to this growing problem. This is concerning given the link between negative body image and a host of unhealthy behaviors in girls. Although historically African American adolescent girls have exhibited higher levels of body satisfaction than their counterparts, there is growing evidence to suggest that this may be changing because of the body-related messages they receive from their parents, peers and the media. The present study examines these messages from both maternal caregivers’ …
Epid-Based Dose Verification For Adaptive Radiotherapy, Joseph Gardner
Epid-Based Dose Verification For Adaptive Radiotherapy, Joseph Gardner
Theses and Dissertations
Dose verification is a critical component of adaptive radiotherapy, as it provides a measurement of treatment delivery success. Based on the measured outcome, the plan may be adapted to account for differences between the planned dose and the delivered dose. Although placement of an EPID behind the patient during treatment allows for exit dosimetry which may be used to reconstruct the delivered patient dose via backprojection of the fluence, there have not been any studies examining the basic assumption of backprojection-based dose verification: that deviations between the expected and delivered exit fluences are totally caused by errors in the delivered …
Successful Emergent Literacy Head Start Teachers Of Urban African American Boys Living In Poverty, John Michael Holland
Successful Emergent Literacy Head Start Teachers Of Urban African American Boys Living In Poverty, John Michael Holland
Theses and Dissertations
This integrated methods study used a sequential explanatory design to explore the culturally relevant teaching beliefs of successful emergent literacy Head Start teachers of urban African American boys living in poverty. The study utilized emergent literacy gain scores as a measure of success, a survey of culturally relevant teaching beliefs to describe variation in beliefs within the sample, and two rounds of interviews to explore the context of teacher agency with urban African American boys living in poverty. The four teachers interviewed expressed culturally relevant beliefs integral to their teaching practices. These beliefs were conveyed through descriptions of relationships with …
Heart Failure Symptom Clusters And Functional Status, Janet Herr
Heart Failure Symptom Clusters And Functional Status, Janet Herr
Theses and Dissertations
Abstract HEART FAILURE SYMPTOM CLUSTERS AND FUNCTIONAL STATUS Janet Kay Herr Ph.D A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University 2012 Major Director: Dr. Jeanne Salyer, Ph.D., R.N., F.N.A.P Associate Professor, Adult Health & Nursing Systems Clinical assessment of heart failure includes symptom identification and the evaluation of the relationship of symptoms to functional status. Symptom clusters are groups of at least 2 or 3 co-occurring symptoms that are related but are independent of other groups of symptoms. The objectives of this study are to: …
Changing The Game: Corporate Social Responsibility In Women's Professional Sport, Lorie Coker
Changing The Game: Corporate Social Responsibility In Women's Professional Sport, Lorie Coker
Theses and Dissertations
Research indicates that female athletes have long occupied marginal and sometimes invisible positions in sport settings and mainstream media. The focus of this study is on understanding and analyzing how race, class, gender, and other forms of oppression shape women’s professional sport using as the focal point, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the type of mainstream media coverage it receives. The researcher believes that a better understanding of these varied experiences would add depth and knowledge to research on CSR in sport, women and sport research, as well as allow professional leagues and teams to move forward with a more …
Effects Of Imagery Training On Language In Expressive Writing, Therese Verkerke Cash
Effects Of Imagery Training On Language In Expressive Writing, Therese Verkerke Cash
Theses and Dissertations
Research examining language in written and oral trauma narratives indicates that exposure and cognitive processing are important processes responsible for therapeutic change. Bio-informational theory, which defines emotions as the activation of response, stimulus, and meaning units in memory, provides a meaningful structure for evaluating language in traumatic and neutral essays. This study examined the effects of imagery training procedures designed to prime activation of response or stimulus units on word usage. The effect of writing instructions on activation of meaning units was also investigated. Unscreened undergraduates (n=246) were randomly assigned in a 2 writing condition (traumatic or neutral) x 3 …
Ecological Momentary Assessment And Time-Varying Factors Associated With Eating And Physical Activity, Amy Jeffers
Ecological Momentary Assessment And Time-Varying Factors Associated With Eating And Physical Activity, Amy Jeffers
Theses and Dissertations
The obesity epidemic is a significant problem in the United States. It is well established that lifestyle factors, such as unhealthy eating and physical inactivity, are key contributors. These causes are generally voluntary activities and it is important to examine health decision-making with respect to these behaviors. The current study examined time-varying factors of stress and mood and their relationship with healthy eating and physical activity in a sample of undergrads (N = 26). Ecological momentary assessment via one's cell phone was used to collect multiple measurements over six days. Positive mood was found to follow physical activity episodes for …
Uwspółcześnienie: The Contemporization Of Polish Education, Politics, And Society In The Enlightenment Period, Holly Dzwilefsky
Uwspółcześnienie: The Contemporization Of Polish Education, Politics, And Society In The Enlightenment Period, Holly Dzwilefsky
Theses and Dissertations
UWSPÓŁCZEŚNIENIE: THE CONTEMPORIZATION OF POLISH EDUCATION, POLITICS, AND SOCIETY IN THE ENLIGHTENMENT PERIOD examines the contemporization of educational, governmental, and societal structures that occurred in eighteenth-century Poland. Italian educational models and English governmental models influenced the development of Poland’s structures since the fourteenth century. The introduction and pervasiveness of Sarmatism in szlachta culture during the fifteenth century created the foundation for the szlachta democracy. Continued interference from neighboring rulers coupled with the erosion of educational standards inside Poland contributed to the szlachta’s susceptibility to corruption, which resulted in non-functioning government. Following the Partition of 1772, the Poles employed the assistance …
A New Approach To Dried Blood Spot Analysis For Newborn Screening Using High Resolution Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry, John H. Miller Iv
A New Approach To Dried Blood Spot Analysis For Newborn Screening Using High Resolution Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry, John H. Miller Iv
Theses and Dissertations
The primary purpose of newborn screening is to quickly identify children that are at risk of having a specific disorder in order to start treatment, prevent early death and reduce the chances of permanent physical or mental damage. The current and widely accepted approach used for identification of metabolism disorders involves a flow injection analysis with mass spectrometry detection of acylcarnitines and amino acids. Although this approach is widely accepted and has shown to be sufficient for identification of multiple metabolism disorders the method is not fully quantitative and results often have to be confirmed by second-tier tests. The primary …
School Counselor Training: Differentiated Site Supervision Based On Prior Work Experiences, Rachel Loving
School Counselor Training: Differentiated Site Supervision Based On Prior Work Experiences, Rachel Loving
Theses and Dissertations
Over a decade after the regulation change in Virginia allowing individuals without teaching experience to pursue school counseling careers, no known study had focused exclusively on differences site supervisors observe when training school counselors from different professional backgrounds and the extent to which those counselors employ a tailored supervision approach in the clinical setting. While site supervisor training has been an area of interest in recent articles (e.g., Dollarhide & Miller, 2006), its relationship to supervision philosophies and technique differentiation has not been previously addressed. The researcher investigated those topics using a mixed-method research design shaped by suggestions from recent …
The Role Of P62 In Osteoclastogenesis And Paget’S Disease Of Bone, Tamer Hadi
The Role Of P62 In Osteoclastogenesis And Paget’S Disease Of Bone, Tamer Hadi
Theses and Dissertations
Paget’s disease (PDB) is the second most common metabolic bone disease after osteoporosis, affecting up to 3% of adults over age 55. It is characterized by focal lesions of bone resorbed by hyperactive osteoclasts coupled with rapid formation of highly disorganized, low quality bone formed by osteoblasts. Such lesions cause skeletal deformity, fractures, and other symptoms that significantly decrease quality of life. In 2001, mutations in the SQSTM1/p62 gene were found in a subset of Paget’s patients. The work summarized in this dissertation sought to answer two broad questions: what is the function of p62 in normal bone homeostasis and …
Investigations Into Background Correction And Retention Time Alignment To Enhance Quantitative Chemometric Analysis Of Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography-Diode Array Detection Data, Robert Allen
Theses and Dissertations
The focus of the projects presented here was to develop possible solutions to three issues commonly encountered during chemometric analysis of comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography diode array detector (LCxLC-DAD) data. The focus of the first project was to determine a means of performing background correction that removed two background ridges. The methods of simply subtracting out a mean blank sample, singular value decomposition based background correction (SVD-BC) and asymmetrically weighted least squares (AWLS) were compared. AWLS was found to be the only background correction technique to fully remove the ridges. However, AWLS was also found to attenuate the peak intensity …
‘Some Can’T Be That Simple’: Flannery O’Connor’S Debt To French Symbolism, Evan Howell
‘Some Can’T Be That Simple’: Flannery O’Connor’S Debt To French Symbolism, Evan Howell
Theses and Dissertations
In this thesis, I trace the influence of French Symbolist poetry on the works of Flannery O’Connor. Many of O’Connor’s influences are well-known and documented, including Catholicism, the South, modern fiction, and her battle with lupus. However, I argue that Symbolism, via its influence on Modernist literature, is another major influence. In particular, I focus on several aspects of O’Connor’s writing: the recurrence of the same symbol across multiple works, the central location of symbols in several stories, the use of private symbols of the author’s invention, and use of symbol, rather than language, to convey transcendence. Aided by the …
Growth Gone Awry: Exploring The Role Of Embryonic Liver Development Genes In Hcv Induced Cirrhosis And Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Martha K. Behnke
Growth Gone Awry: Exploring The Role Of Embryonic Liver Development Genes In Hcv Induced Cirrhosis And Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Martha K. Behnke
Theses and Dissertations
Introduction and methods: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a difficult disease to study even after a decade of genomic analysis. Metabolic and cell-cycle perturbations are known, large changes in tumors that add little to our understanding of the development of tumors, but generate “noise” that obscures potentially important smaller scale expression changes in “driver genes”. Recently, some researchers have suggested that HCC shares pathways involving the master regulators of embryonic development. Here, we investigated the involvement and specificity of developmental genes in HCV-cirrhosis and HCV-HCC. We obtained microarray studies from 30 patients with HCV-cirrhosis and 49 patients with HCV-HCC and compared …
Novel Strategies To Improve Metabolic Parameters And Precondition Diabetic Hearts Against Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury, Amit Varma
Theses and Dissertations
Insulin resistance and chronic hyperglycemia promote vascular damage, increase circulating levels of inflammatory cytokines and lead to increased morbidity and mortality. MicroRNAs (miRs) -103/107 have been shown to negatively regulate insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis. Based on complimentary binding profiles, the downstream target gene of miR-103/107 is caveolin-1 (Cav-1). We hypothesized that daily administration of the phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor tadalafil (TAD) ± the curcumin analogue (HO-3867) will attenuate inflammation, improve metabolic parameters and reduce infarct size after ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). Furthermore, we propose that TAD therapy will reduce myocardial expression of miR-103/107 and increase mRNA and protein levels of its target …
The Role Of Magl Inhibition In Nicotine Withdrawal And Reward, Pretal Muldoon
The Role Of Magl Inhibition In Nicotine Withdrawal And Reward, Pretal Muldoon
Theses and Dissertations
ROLE OF MAGL INHIBITION IN NICOTINE WITHDRAWAL AND REWARD. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. by Pretal Ishvarlal Patel Muldoon Director: M. Imad Damaj, PhD Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Tobacco use is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths worldwide. Nicotine, the main psychoactive component of tobacco, sustains and initiates tobacco addiction. Cessation of nicotine induces a dependence withdrawal syndrome. Recent in vivo studies indicate that the endocannabinoid (EC) system modulates both nicotine reward and withdrawal. The purpose of this proposal is to …
Angles In Light, Terry Pearson
Angles In Light, Terry Pearson
Theses and Dissertations
My work on canvas and in jewelry focuses on the tension between the hard edges of geometric shape and soft lines of organic form. Light plays an important part in the viewing of these opposing forms. It reflects off the shapes and textures creating sharp contrasts and enhancing the individual sections as they relate to the whole. In my paintings, I set organic floral forms against geometric architectural structures. I create texture and contrast by adding digitally enhanced transfers, torn paper, and acrylic putty. In my jewelry, I also set organic forms against geometric shapes, by adding stone, wire, and …
Improve The Performance And Scalability Of Raid-6 Systems Using Erasure Codes, Chentao Wu
Improve The Performance And Scalability Of Raid-6 Systems Using Erasure Codes, Chentao Wu
Theses and Dissertations
RAID-6 is widely used to tolerate concurrent failures of any two disks to provide a higher level of reliability with the support of erasure codes. Among many implementations, one class of codes called Maximum Distance Separable (MDS) codes aims to offer data protection against disk failures with optimal storage efficiency. Typical MDS codes contain horizontal and vertical codes. However, because of the limitation of horizontal parity or diagonal/anti-diagonal parities used in MDS codes, existing RAID-6 systems suffer several important problems on performance and scalability, such as low write performance, unbalanced I/O, and high migration cost in the scaling process. To …
Family Matters, Heather Warstler
Family Matters, Heather Warstler
Theses and Dissertations
Art has taught me to treasure family history. Since childhood, I have loved looking through my grandparents’ memorabilia, especially old family photos and my grandmother’s jewelry box. I have always admired my grandparents and recognized their unique gifts and artistic talents. I keep their memories, stories, and sayings alive through my artwork. My symbolic work consists of illuminated sculptural pieces as well as intimate jewelry designs. I work in precious metal clay (PMC), glass, sterling silver, crystals, precious stones, and photographs to create personal and unique reminders of people and places. Through my work, I want to inspire others to …
Discovering How Community Organizing Leads To Social Change: Developing Formal Practice Theory For Social Workers Engaged In Empowering Community Organizing, Shane Brady
Theses and Dissertations
Community organizing as an area of social work practice has historic roots in challenging inequality, building capacity, and meeting the needs of local peoples through taking collective action. While the literature of community organizing is rich in conceptual frameworks, practice approaches, and case studies, it lacks the level of formal theory that exists in clinical social work. Formal practice theories provide social workers with evidence informed guidance about “what to do”, “how to do it”, and “what to expect”; however, social workers engaging in community organizing have little formal practice theory. The results of this study build the beginning foundation …
Spanish, Nahua, And Maya Narratives On The 1585 Relación Geográfica Map Of Santiago Atitlán, Kaitlan Smith
Spanish, Nahua, And Maya Narratives On The 1585 Relación Geográfica Map Of Santiago Atitlán, Kaitlan Smith
Theses and Dissertations
The 1585 Relación Geográfica Map of Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala gives scholars a rare glimpse of sixteenth- century southern Guatemala. The map displays the use of Spanish, Nahua, and Maya perspectives. The coexistence of indigenous Nahua versus Spanish or European iconographies and narratives is a theme constantly explored in the studies of the Relaciones Geográficas maps. However, the opposition of two different indigenous narratives and iconographies, as well as Spanish, is not. This project examines the convergences and conflicts among these narratives and iconographies as evidenced on the map and in the accompanying text. The individual discussion of each narrative is …
Reverberations: Beat Of The Heart, Sarah Zoller
Reverberations: Beat Of The Heart, Sarah Zoller
Theses and Dissertations
Working mainly from my own photographs, I paint friends in the local music scene. Their beauty, expressions, and unique personalities are the focus of my stylized portraits. I attempt to accurately record my subjects by using non-naturalistic colors in a small range of values. These images contain both abstract and figurative elements, and reveal a combination of far away and close-up views. Each painting is designed to capture a single fleeting moment. I provide precious glances into the lives of those people who help mold and nurture Washington, D.C.’s music community. In addition to my paintings, I use the ancient …