Digital Commons Network^™

Rabble: A Chapbook Companion To Pwatem (2018)

Rabble, 2014-

Rabble is a companion chapbook publication to the magazine Pwatem. From the preface of most issues: "'Tell the rabble my name is Cabell."- James Branch Cabell to his editor, to help people learn how to pronounce his name. Cabell used the word derogatively but we are taking it back. These pages will showcase the writing and illustrations of our rabble-the ordinary students of VCU."

Effects Of Chemotherapy On Motivated Behavior And Opioid Reward In Rats, Luke P. Legakis

Theses and Dissertations

Paclitaxel, vincristine, oxaliplatin, and bortezomib are cancer chemotherapy drugs with adverse effects that include chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain (CINP) as well as depression of behavior and mood. In the clinical setting, opioids are often used concurrently with or following chemotherapy to treat pain related to the cancer or CINP, but repeated opioid exposure can also increase the risk of opioid abuse. This dissertation evaluated the effect of chemotherapy treatment on motivated behaviors and opioid reward in rats. The main findings of this evaluation are as follows: (1) Chemotherapy, at doses that produce robust and sustained mechanical hypersensitivity produce only weak or …

Polyanthroponemia: A Pursuit Of Mystery, Magdolene Dykstra

Theses and Dissertations

I wish I could believe in something. Having grown up in a religious household, I have continually teetered between faith and doubt. Landscapes seen and unseen are my last source of awe; here my doubt is suspended – for a moment. Using unfired clay, I create alternate landscapes inspired by sublime philosophy. The sublime experience is born in a sense of amazement linked to fear of something beyond our understanding or control. The amazing intricacy of microbiology, a whole universe existing alongside and inside us, fascinates me. The abundance of unfamiliar life in my work triggers a cautious curiosity. My …

Impaired Cardiorespiratory Fitness Following Thoracic Radiotherapy, Justin M. Canada

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer (CA) is the second leading cause of death in the United States preceded only by cardiovascular disease (CVD). Over the past 30 years, the 5-year survival rate for all cancers combined has increased by more than 20%. This improved survival rate is due to early diagnosis and advances in treatment involving a multimodality treatment approach that includes radiotherapy [RT] with about half of all CA patients receiving some type of RT sometime during the course of their treatment. Cardiotoxicity is one of the most important adverse reactions of RT and leads to a meaningful risk of CVD-related morbidity and …

Utilizing Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels To Assess The Activity Of Cathinone Derivatives At Human Monoamine Transporters, Brian A. Ruiz

Theses and Dissertations

Cathinones are psychostimulant compounds heavily implicated as drugs of abuse. They exert their physiological actions at the monoamine transporters, which are responsible for maintaining synaptic neurotransmitter homeostasis. Monoamine transporters produce currents during transport and have been shown to depolarize cell membranes and activate voltage-gated calcium channels in mammalian expression systems. This phenomenon is harnessed in an assay which measures these induced calcium transients, allowing for quantification of pharmacodynamic effects of compounds at monoamine transporters. It is unknown if this electrical coupling occurs in neurons, but the implications if it does are significant. In the current work, fluorescent resonance energy transfer …

Impact Of Phosphoinositides On Regulation Of K-Atp By Atp And Hydrogen Sulfide, Tyler Hendon

Theses and Dissertations

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) reduces ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury by stimulating adenosine triphosphate (ATP) sensitive potassium channels (KATP) [1-5]. Demonstrating H2S stimulation is unique to KATP, as other inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir) channels demonstrate inhibition or are unaffected [6]. We recently showed that H2S inhibits Kir2 and Kir3 by decreasing channel sensitivity to phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2 or PIP2) [6]. Here, we test the hypothesis that H2S regulation of Kir6.2, a pore-forming subunit of the KATP channel, is also dependent on PIP2. Using whole-cell patch-clamp we show that H2S increases the activity of Kir6.2 channels expressed in HEK-293 cells. To study the …

Aerosolized Surfactants: Formulation Development And Evaluation Of Aerosol Drug Delivery To The Lungs Of Infants, Susan Boc

Theses and Dissertations

The overall aim of this research project was to develop surfactant dry powder formulations and devices for efficient delivery of aerosol formulations to infants using the excipient enhanced growth (EEG) approach. Use of novel formulations and inline delivery devices would allow for more efficient treatment of infants suffering from neonatal respiratory distress syndrome and bronchiolitis.

A dry powder aerosol formulation has been developed using the commercial product, Survanta ® (beractant) and EEG technology to produce micrometer-sized hygroscopic particles. Spray drying and formulation parameters were initially determined with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC, the dominant phospholipid in pulmonary surfactant), which produced primary particles 1 …

Oncogene Induced Dna Replication In Lung Injury Repair And Carcinogenesis, Shilpa Singh

Theses and Dissertations

Deregulation of genome duplication is a common theme in cancer cells. Although multitude of pathways has been discovered and implicated in the ability of oncogenes or loss of function tumor suppressors to induce oncogenesis, most of the pathways ultimately converge in deregulated genome duplication or uncoupling of DNA replication and segregation in cancer cells. It is important to determine how known oncogenes deregulate genome duplication, and if prevention of deregulated genome duplication could be a feasible target to thwart uncontrolled proliferation of cancer cells. Conventional paradigm ascribes the cell proliferative function of the human oncoprotein mouse double minute2 (MDM2) primarily …

Virginia Commonwealth University Stormwater Management Plan, Jesse Harris

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

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 surface waters.

The purpose of the VCU Stormwater Management Plan (VCU SWMP) is to reduce the impact of stormwater pollution using green infrastructure and low impact development best management practices like rain gardens, green roofs, and infiltration trenches. These stormwater control strategies present opportunities for VCU to reduce runoff and to preserve and restore green spaces on an …

Development Of Novel Models To Study Deep Brain Effects Of Cortical Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Farheen Syeda

Theses and Dissertations

Neurological disorders require varying types and degrees of treatments depending on the symptoms and underlying causes of the disease. Patients suffering from medication-refractory symptoms often undergo further treatment in the form of brain stimulation, e.g. electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), deep brain stimulation (DBS), or transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). These treatments are popular and have been shown to relieve various symptoms for patients with neurological conditions. However, the underlying effects of the stimulation, and subsequently the causes of symptom-relief, are not very well understood. In particular, TMS is a non-invasive brain stimulation therapy which uses time-varying magnetic …

Modulation Of Electron Transport By Metformin In Cardiac Protection: Role Of Complex I, Ahmed Abdul Hussein Mohsin

Theses and Dissertations

Modulation of mitochondrial complex I during reperfusion reduces cardiac injury. Complex I exists in two structural states: active (A) and deactive (D) with transition from A→D during ischemia. Reperfusion reactivates D→A with an increase in ROS production. Metformin preserves the D-Form. Our aim was to study the contribution of maintenance of deactivation of complex I during early reperfusion by metformin to protect against ischemia reperfusion injury. Our results showed that metformin decreased H9c2 cardiomyoblast apoptosis and total cell death following simulated ischemia for six hours followed by reoxygenation for twenty four hours compared to untreated cells. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) …

Fault Classification And Location Identification On Electrical Transmission Network Based On Machine Learning Methods, Vidya Venkatesh

Theses and Dissertations

Power transmission network is the most important link in the country’s energy system as they carry large amounts of power at high voltages from generators to substations. Modern power system is a complex network and requires high-speed, precise, and reliable protective system. Faults in power system are unavoidable and overhead transmission line faults are generally higher compare to other major components. They not only affect the reliability of the system but also cause widespread impact on the end users. Additionally, the complexity of protecting transmission line configurations increases with as the configurations get more complex. Therefore, prediction of faults (type …

Normative Data For Four Neuropsychological Tests In A Sample Of Adults Who Are Illiterate And From Latin America, Alejandra Morlett Paredes

Theses and Dissertations

Neuropsychological tests are standardized tasks used to measure psychological functioning that is associated with a particular brain structure. These tests often are used in diagnosing a cognitive deficiency resulting from brain injuries. Currently, there are a limited number of studies that have focused on standardization of neuropsychological tests in Latin America. Therefore, the vast majority of cognitive tests used in the evaluation of patients with brain damage have no normative parameters adjusted to the cultural characteristics of Latinos and Latinas. As a result, neuropsychological diagnoses among this population may be inadequate, and evaluation of rehabilitation program effectiveness limited. The importance …

Investigation Of Gold(Iii) Complexes With Hiv-Ncp7 And Models, James Beaton

Theses and Dissertations

The medicinal uses of gold date as far back as 2500 B.C. in China. In modern times, gold has been used in the treatment of a number of different human diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and viral infections. This dissertation will focus on the development of gold complexes for the purpose of selective inhibition of HIV NCp7, a 55 amino acid zinc finger protein with two Cys₃His zinc binding domains.

NCp7 is involved in a number of viral life cycle processes including activation of reverse transcription, integration, DNA recognition, RNA packaging, and formation of the viral envelope. The …

A Comparison Of The Antimicrobial Efficacy Of Silver Diamine Fluoride And Silver Nitrate: An Ex Vivo Study, Reham M. Alnajjar

Theses and Dissertations

A comparison of the antimicrobial efficacy of silver diamine fluoride and silver nitrate on various cariogenic bacteria: an ex vivo study By: Reham AlNajjar, D.D.S.

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2019

Thesis Advisor: William Dahlke, D.M.D., Associate Professor and Chair of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry

Purpose: The use of silver-based antimicrobials is an emerging method for the treatment of dental caries. In this study, the authors compare the efficacy of the two most prominent silver- based therapeutics, silver diamine …

Aftermath, David Aldridge

Mighty Pen Project Anthology & Archive

On his first day in the Vietnamese bush, a soldier takes upon himself to recover the body of a fallen comrade.

Articles, stories, and other compositions in this archive were written by participants in the Mighty Pen Project. The program, developed by author David L. Robbins, and in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, offers veterans and their family members a customized twelve-week writing class, free of charge. The program encourages, supports, and assists participants in sharing their stories and experiences of military experience so both writer and audience may benefit.

Carry-On Luggage, Jack Frazer

Mighty Pen Project Anthology & Archive

A soldier comes home from Vietnam, measuring his life by what he brings home in his pockets and duffel from the war.

Articles, stories, and other compositions in this archive were written by participants in the Mighty Pen Project. The program, developed by author David L. Robbins, and in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, offers veterans and their family members a customized twelve-week writing class, free of charge. The program encourages, supports, and assists participants in sharing their stories and experiences of military experience so both writer and audience may benefit.

Button, Chris Knaggs

Mighty Pen Project Anthology & Archive

A veteran volunteer at the Virginia War Memorial tries to strike up a dialogue with a young, angry protester, and learns a hard lesson about the grief of others.

Articles, stories, and other compositions in this archive were written by participants in the Mighty Pen Project. The program, developed by author David L. Robbins, and in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, offers veterans and their family members a customized twelve-week writing class, free of charge. The program encourages, supports, and assists participants in sharing their stories and experiences of military experience so …

Gait Of Power, David Aldridge

Mighty Pen Project Anthology & Archive

A soldier in Vietnam experiences something beyond the normal when he covers his squad during retreat from a firefight.

Articles, stories, and other compositions in this archive were written by participants in the Mighty Pen Project. The program, developed by author David L. Robbins, and in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, offers veterans and their family members a customized twelve-week writing class, free of charge. The program encourages, supports, and assists participants in sharing their stories and experiences of military experience so both writer and audience may benefit.

Activation Of Trpv1 By Capsaicin Regulates Enac, Alexander Saffran

Theses and Dissertations

ENaC is a constitutively open heterotrimeric channel which regulates Na⁺ transport in tight epithelia of the kidney, lungs, colon and anterior tongue containing fungiform taste buds. The amiloride-sensitive ENaC is comprised of aβg subunits. Humans express an additional subunit, the d subunit. Therefore, humans contain both aβg-ENaC and dβg-ENaC functional channels. Relative to aβg-ENaC, the dβg-ENaC is 10-fold less sensitive to amiloride. In the mammalian anterior tongue, ENaC is expressed in fungiform salt sensing taste receptor cells and is the Na⁺-specific salt taste receptor. In mammals, salt elicits an inverted U shaped behavioral response. Lower concentrations of …

Motion-Induced Artifact Mitigation And Image Enhancement Strategies For Four-Dimensional Fan-Beam And Cone-Beam Computed Tomography, Matthew J. Riblett

Theses and Dissertations

Four dimensional imaging has become part of the standard of care for diagnosing and treating non-small cell lung cancer. In radiotherapy applications 4D fan-beam computed tomography (4D-CT) and 4D cone-beam computed tomography (4D-CBCT) are two advanced imaging modalities that afford clinical practitioners knowledge of the underlying kinematics and structural dynamics of diseased tissues and provide insight into the effects of regular organ motion and the nature of tissue deformation over time. While these imaging techniques can facilitate the use of more targeted radiotherapies, issues surrounding image quality and accuracy currently limit the utility of these images clinically.

The purpose of …

Placental Eicosanoids And Sphingolipids In Preeclampsia, Daniel T. Reep

Theses and Dissertations

Placental dysfunction is implicated in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Chemical signals between the placenta and maternal circulation are a suspect cause of endothelial dysfunction and maternal hypertension. This study examined select lipid mediators of inflammation produced by the placenta. Patients were recruited from Virginia Commonwealth University’s pregnancy clinics and placentas were collected at delivery. Forty-eight-hour explant cultures of villous placental tissue were used to model lipid production. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry was used to quantify concentrations of free lipids in the culture media. Bicinchoninic acid assays were performed to quantify protein in each culture for normalization of lipid data. After …

Identification Of Taxonomic And Functional Ichthyofaunal Zones Within The James River Basin, Virginia, Joseph L. Noel

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental gradients structure ichthyofaunal communities longitudinally along river networks via the selective filtering of species’ traits. In many instances, these environmental influences have created distinct zones of co-occurring fish species. Zonation studies have most often been conducted with taxonomic data (species x site matrices), but the increasing availability of functional trait data creates an opportunity to build more rigorous understanding of species’ co-occurrence patterns. Notably, zonation studies that use taxonomic data may not reveal the same patterns as studies based on trait data. In this study, we tested for distinct ichthyofaunal zonation in James River Basin, VA using a combination …

Investigating The Role Of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Agonists In Lung Cancer Progression And Chemosensitivity In The Context Of Treating Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy, Sarah L. Kyte

Theses and Dissertations

While cancer chemotherapy continues to significantly contribute to the number of cancer survivors, exposure to these drugs can often result in chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), a consequence of peripheral nerve fiber dysfunction or degeneration. CIPN is characterized by sensory symptoms in the hands and feet, such as numbness, burning, and allodynia, resulting in an overall decrease in quality of life. Paclitaxel (Taxol), a microtubule poison that is commonly used to treat breast, lung, and ovarian cancers, has been found to cause CIPN in 59-78% of cancer patients. There is currently no effective preventative or therapeutic treatment for this side effect, …

Integral Measurement Of Atmospheric Particulate Matter (Pm), Di Liu

Theses and Dissertations

Atmospheric aerosol particles also known as atmospheric particulate matter or particulate matter (PM) are microscopic particles (solid or liquid) suspended in air, which is one of six air pollutants in US air quality standard. PM is classified as coarse particles with diameters between 2.5 to 10 mm, fine particles with a diameter less than 2.5 mm (PM_2.5), and ultrafine particles with the diameter less than 0.1 mm (PM_0.1). Epidemiological studies have already showed the adverse health effects (such as asthma, lung cancer and respiratory and cardiovascular disease) resulted from exposure to the fine and ultrafine particles. …

Role Of C121a In Mglur2 Homodimeric Expression And Function, Jong M. Shin

Theses and Dissertations

The group II metabotropic glutamate receptors are known for their involvement in various psychiatric disorders. The mGluR2 in particular is linked with etiology of schizophrenia especially in the context of crosstalk with 5-HT2A. Thus, the mGluR2 has attracted attentions for its potential therapeutic applications. Despite numerous physiological evidences on the actions of mGluR2, its mechanism is still unclear to this day. It is partially due to the lack of understanding in characteristics of mGluR2 homodimer which is its functionally active form. Therefore, the characterization of dimeric interaction serves as a foundation to advanced understanding of the role of mGluR2. On …

An Investigation Of Electronic Cigarette Aerosol Mixture On Craniofacial Development In Mouse Embryos, Suraj Kandalam

Theses and Dissertations

E-cigarette (e-cig) use has increased in recent years among teenagers and young adults. E-cigs are battery-powered nicotine delivery systems that vaporize e-liquids, a solution composed of propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), nicotine, flavoring, and coloring agents. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of exposure to e-cig aerosol mixtures (e-cigAMs) on proliferation, migration, and differentiation of NCCs in vitro and craniofacial development in mouse embryos in vivo. E-cigAM was produced by bubbling e-cig aerosol into saline. E-cigAMs were generated for unflavored e-liquid of increasing PG: VG ratio. Metabolic activity (MA), gene expression, migration, and proliferation …

Novel Insights Into The Contribution Of Cellular Senescence To Cancer Therapy: Reversibility, Dormancy And Senolysis., Tareq Saleh

Theses and Dissertations

Cellular senescence a specialized form of growth arrest that contributes to the pathogenesis of several aging-related disorders including cancer. While by definition tumor cells are considered immortalized, they can undergo senescence when exposed to conventional and targeted cancer therapy. Therapy-Induced Senescence (TIS) represents a fundamental response to therapy and impacts its outcomes. However, TIS has been considered a positive therapeutic goal since senescent tumor cells are expected to enter a state of permanent growth abrogation. In this work we examined the hypothesis that a subpopulation of senescent cells can re-acquire proliferative potential after a state of senescent dormancy, indicating that …

Trna Profiling Of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Exosome, Khin Mimi San

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Exosomes have great potential in regenerative medicine through the

transfer of their bioactive cargos, such as RNA. tRF RNA and tiRNA are tRNAderived

non-coding RNA. Here, we sought to identify the tRF/tiRNA profile in human

mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) exosomes. Methods: Bone marrow hMSCs were

cultured with/without osteogenic differentiation medium and exosomes were

harvested. RNA was extracted from: 1) control cells (Cell-NT); 2) control exosomes

(EXO-NT); 3) differentiated cells (Cell-OM); 4) exosomes produced by differentiated

cells (EXO-OM). RNA was sequenced to profile the small RNA with a focus on

tRF/tiRNA. Results: tRF/tiRNA was highly enriched in hMSC exosomes. Less …

Predicting Arterial Oxygen Desaturation Events Via Patient Journal And Pulse Oximetry Data In Postoperative Ambulatory Surgery Patients, Charles R. Elam Iv

Theses and Dissertations

Associations between patient and procedural factors on the nature and quality of the immediate in-home recovery from anesthesia following ambulatory orthopedic surgery are unknown. Further, there is a paucity of outcomes research quantitatively categorizing in-home

patient recovery and safety following discharge from same-day orthopedic procedures. Tools are available, however, to shed light on outcomes in this population, and integration of such available measures is critical.

Ambulatory orthopedic surgery is a burgeoning specialty, with growth expected over the foreseeable future. The expected increased patient caseload subsequent to implementation of the Affordable Care Act and aging Baby Boom generation suggests greater morbidity …