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Combining Electrospun Polydioxanone Scaffolds, Schwann Cells, And Matrigel To Improve Functional Recovery After A Complete Spinal Cord Transection In Rats, Ashok Kannan May 2012

Combining Electrospun Polydioxanone Scaffolds, Schwann Cells, And Matrigel To Improve Functional Recovery After A Complete Spinal Cord Transection In Rats, Ashok Kannan

Theses and Dissertations

Spinal cord injury (SCI) has presented itself as a multifaceted pathology that is largely inhibitory to regeneration, and therefore to functional recovery, even though spinal cord neurons have been found to be innately regenerative. Thus, having identified the key players in the inhibition of this innate regeneration, SCI researchers have focused on two major types of approaches: (1) blocking inhibitory cues and (2) promoting innate regeneration. Schwann cells (SCs) have long been shown to promote and enhance functional recovery after SCI through providing supplemental myelination and trophic and tropic factors to regenerating axons, though singular approaches rarely address the complex …

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Blurring The Lines Of Traditional Gender Roles: Beliefs Of African American Women, Jasmine Abrams May 2012

Blurring The Lines Of Traditional Gender Roles: Beliefs Of African American Women, Jasmine Abrams

Theses and Dissertations

Gender role beliefs of African American women in the United States should be investigated in a manner that considers their unique experiences and the distinct background of her cultural sharing group. In this study, gender role beliefs of African American women were examined by addressing the research question: What are the gender role beliefs of African American women for African American men and women? Eight focus groups comprising 44 African American women were conducted. Women were diverse in terms of age, religion, and socio-economic status. An ethnographic phenomenological approach was used to explore views related to gender roles among African …

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Impacts Of Rdx Soil Contamination Across An Age Gradient For The Native Shrub Morella Cerifera., Stephen Via May 2012

Impacts Of Rdx Soil Contamination Across An Age Gradient For The Native Shrub Morella Cerifera., Stephen Via

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the impacts of explosive contamination on vegetation is key to understanding explosives behavior in the environment. I quantified shrub growth responses to 1,3,5-trinitroperhydro-1,35-triazine (RDX) soil contamination across three life stages and I hypothesized that RDX would have the greatest impact on seed germination. Morella cerifera seeds were germinated on soils amended with RDX up to 1500 mg RDX kg-1 dry soil. Juvenile and adult individuals were exposed for 6 weeks to soil amended with RDX up to 750 and 1500 mg RDX kg-1 dry soil, respectively. Morphological responses were quantified for juveniles while physiological measurements were quantified for adults. …

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Expression Of Foreign Genes In The Pseudomonas Bacteriophage Pf3, Krystin Weathers May 2012

Expression Of Foreign Genes In The Pseudomonas Bacteriophage Pf3, Krystin Weathers

Theses and Dissertations

Filamentous bacteriophages were engineered to express foreign genes with the ultimate purpose of displaying transmission control anti-malarial peptides as in phage display. It was hypothesized that expression of foreign genes would be possible using the phage’s promoters. This hypothesis was tested by assuming that promoters for the phage major coat protein (MCP) gene would also promote the expression of any foreign gene inserted downstream of the MCP gene. As proof of principle, the bacteriophages Pf3, Pf1, and M13 were engineered in this way to successfully synthesize Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein (EGFP). Type 88 phage display on the EGFP recombinant Pf3 …

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Stepping Into The World Of The Vocal Coach: Assessing Vocal Coaching Needs, Renina Hoblitz May 2012

Stepping Into The World Of The Vocal Coach: Assessing Vocal Coaching Needs, Renina Hoblitz

Theses and Dissertations

There are many excellent books detailing methods to help actors develop their voices, but not much has been published about vocal coaching itself, apart from the definitive guide to Vocal Coaching Nan-Withers Wilson’s book Vocal Direction for the Theatre, and the highly informative publication How to Use a Vocal Coach: A Practical Guide for Directors prepared by Nancy Houfek, for the Voice and Speech Trainer’s Association (VASTA). This thesis documents my personal journey into the world of vocal coaching in five productions. Specifically, I explore the differences between vocal coaching in the university setting versus the professional theatre setting. I …

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In Vivo Immunotoxicological Evaluation Of Electrospun Polycaprolactone (Epcl) And Investigation Of Epcl As A Drug Delivery System For Immunomodulatory Compounds, Colleen Mcloughlin May 2012

In Vivo Immunotoxicological Evaluation Of Electrospun Polycaprolactone (Epcl) And Investigation Of Epcl As A Drug Delivery System For Immunomodulatory Compounds, Colleen Mcloughlin

Theses and Dissertations

Electrospun materials have potential use in many biomedical applications such as soft tissue replacements or as scaffolds to target drug delivery to local sites. Electrospinning is a polymer processing technique that can be used to create materials composed of fibers with diameters ranging from the micron to the nanoscale. We investigated the effects of microfibrous and nanofibrous electrospun polycaprolactone (EPCL) on innate, cell-mediated, and humoral components of the immune system. Results demonstrated that in both young (12 week) and old (6 month) mice, EPCL had no effect on various immune parameters. With its lack of immunotoxicity, EPCL presents an excellent …

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The Road Beyond Suffrage: Female Activism In Richmond, Virginia, Denise Gammon May 2012

The Road Beyond Suffrage: Female Activism In Richmond, Virginia, Denise Gammon

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on the continued activism in the YWCA, the Equal Suffrage League and the League of Women Voters after 1920. The work examines the uses of motherhood, social religion, race and traditions as tools for activism and compares the YWCA to the Equal Suffrage League and League of Women Voters after 1920. The date range is roughly from 1915 to 1925.

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Commonwealth Times 2012-04-30 Apr 2012

Commonwealth Times 2012-04-30

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

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Understanding Experience: Reflections On The Empowering Nature Of Story, Sarah Provencal Apr 2012

Understanding Experience: Reflections On The Empowering Nature Of Story, Sarah Provencal

Theses and Dissertations

Technological growth has changed our relationships and interactions within society and theatre artists are calling into question the future of our art form. Are we still essential? And if so, how do we renovate our form in order to relate to our changing society? In my experience, I’ve found that all renovations of our art have one thing in common: the empowering nature of story. Story helps us to understand our experiences in life. It is not the self, the cause, or the goal that is behind the wheel, but the story itself. This thesis explores three instances of the …

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Inhibition Of Injury-Induced Cell Proliferation In The Dentate Gyrus Impairs Cognitive Recovery Following Traumatic Brain Injury, Teresa Daniels Apr 2012

Inhibition Of Injury-Induced Cell Proliferation In The Dentate Gyrus Impairs Cognitive Recovery Following Traumatic Brain Injury, Teresa Daniels

Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) induces a robust cellular proliferative response among neural stem/progenitor cells (NS/NPCs) in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. This proliferative effect is thought to contribute to the innate cognitive recovery observed following TBI. Inhibition of hippocampal neurogenesis impairs cognitive function. Furthermore, enhancement of injury-induced hippocampal neurogenesis via intraventricular administration of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) improves cognitive function in animals following TBI. In this experiment, we investigated the direct association between injury-induced hippocampal neurogenesis and cognitive recovery utilizing an antimitotic agent, arabinofuranosyl cytidine (Ara-C). In this study, adult rats received a moderate lateral fluid percussion injury …

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Broad To Marshall Bridge | A City Block Interior That Separates And Connects Place, Emily Smith Apr 2012

Broad To Marshall Bridge | A City Block Interior That Separates And Connects Place, Emily Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This is a project about an old city block. It once housed confectioners, jewelers, restaurateurs, pharmacists, and retailers in street-level parcels with residents in the apartments above. Now, it is home to a barber, a few restaurateurs, and street vendors. Over 200 years of building and development have shaped what is now the north 100 block of E Broad Street and although most of it still stands, it shows the effects of renovations, time, and neglect. This is also a project about paths. As sidewalks move pedestrians along streets they provide paths to retailers, employers, homes, and places to gather …

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Quantitative Analysis Of Multiple Charged Large Molecules In Human Or Rat Plasma Using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Matthew Halquist Apr 2012

Quantitative Analysis Of Multiple Charged Large Molecules In Human Or Rat Plasma Using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Matthew Halquist

Theses and Dissertations

Immunoassays have traditionally been employed for the determination of plasma concentration-time profiles for pharmacokinetic studies of therapeutic proteins and peptides. These ligand binding assays have high sensitivity but require significant time for antibody generation (1 to 2 years) for assay development. Despite high sensitivity, these assays suffer from cross-reactivity that can lead to inaccurate results. As an alternative to immunoassays, this dissertation was focused on the development and validation of assays that can be used for quantitative analysis of peptides or proteins in plasma using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Two approaches were considered for measurement of proteins and …

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Synthesis And Characterization Of Doxorubicin Carrying Cetuximab-Pamam Dendrimer Bioconjugates, Gunjan Saxena Apr 2012

Synthesis And Characterization Of Doxorubicin Carrying Cetuximab-Pamam Dendrimer Bioconjugates, Gunjan Saxena

Theses and Dissertations

A tumor targeted dendrimer based drug delivery system was designed and synthesized to carry chemotherapy drug doxorubicin. Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer G4.5 was chosen as the underlying carrier. Anionic G4.5 is a good option for drug delivery as it consists of 128 surface groups, is less cytotoxic and favorably biodistributed. The delivery system was synthesized using a layer-by layer arrangement of three functional entities: chemotherapy drug doxorubicin, monoclonal antibody Cetuximab against EGF receptor, and polyethylene glycol (PEG). Doxorubicin was attached via an acid-sensitive hydrazon linkage to the dendrimer. Macromolecules are taken in by cells through endocytosis. pH inside the early endosomes …

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Perceived Social Attributes Of College Students With Ideal Versus Non-Ideal Dental Esthetics Judged By Peers., David Jones Apr 2012

Perceived Social Attributes Of College Students With Ideal Versus Non-Ideal Dental Esthetics Judged By Peers., David Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of dentofacial appearance on perceived social attributes of college-aged adult males and females as judged by their peers. Specifically, the objective was to determine if ideal smile esthetics positively influenced this age group’s perception of opposite-sex peers based on ratings of the following psychosocial characteristics: attractiveness, desire to spend time with, desire to date, and desire for a long-term relationship. Evaluators were shown digital photographs of subjects with ideal and nonideal smiles and asked to rate those 4 attributes using a visual analogue scale (VAS). The subjects’ photographs with ideal …

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The Effect Of Minocycline Treatment On Cell Proliferation And Neurogenesis In The Hippocampus In Young And Aged Brains Following Traumatic Brain Injury, Ashley Harvin Apr 2012

The Effect Of Minocycline Treatment On Cell Proliferation And Neurogenesis In The Hippocampus In Young And Aged Brains Following Traumatic Brain Injury, Ashley Harvin

Theses and Dissertations

Following traumatic brain injury, there is an enhanced cell proliferative and neurogenic response in the young adult hippocampus, which may be associated with innate cognitive recovery. However, in the aged brain, an increased level of inflammatory cell responses was observed following injury concomitant to decreased hippocampal neurogenesis and cognitive recovery in the aging population. This suggests that excessive inflammation produced in the injured aging brain has a detrimental effect on neurogenesis and cognitive function. In this study, we examined the effect of anti-inflammatory treatment with minocycline on cell proliferation and generation of new neurons in the dentate gyrus (DG) of …

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Sex Differences In The Oxygen Uptake Kinetic Response To Moderate Intensity Exercise In Obese Adolescents, Mary Bowen Apr 2012

Sex Differences In The Oxygen Uptake Kinetic Response To Moderate Intensity Exercise In Obese Adolescents, Mary Bowen

Theses and Dissertations

The oxygen uptake (VO2) kinetic response to exercise provides insight into aerobic performance and the efficiency of the body to maintain oxygen demand during the initiation of exercise. Previous research in normal weight children reports insignificant differences in gender VO2 on-kinetic responses to moderate exercise. No study has evaluated the impact obesity may have on gender VO2 on-kinetics. PURPOSE: To determine if sex differences exist in the VO2 kinetic response to moderate exercise in obese adolescents. METHODS: Male (n=16) and female (n=39) adolescents completed a graded exercise test to exhaustion on a treadmill. Data from initial 4-min treadmill walking was …

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Between Nothingness And Spectacle, Mayme Donsker Apr 2012

Between Nothingness And Spectacle, Mayme Donsker

Theses and Dissertations

Looking closely at anonymous subjects in found photographs to jog collective memories and point at gestures, bodily traces of complexity, connectedness or just a quiet moment where nothing monumental is really happening; a pause for distance, a pause for discernment, there is no real difference between nothingness and spectacle.

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Associations Between Binge Eating And Executive Functioning Among Young Women, Nichole Kelly Apr 2012

Associations Between Binge Eating And Executive Functioning Among Young Women, Nichole Kelly

Theses and Dissertations

Binge eating is a pervasive disordered eating behavior associated with numerous psychological and physical comorbidities. Preliminary research indicates that emotion regulation difficulties, behavioral impulsivity, and executive dysfunction may contribute to the onset and/or maintenance of these behaviors. However, few studies have utilized neuropsychological measures to examine this link, and the assessment of behavioral and cognitive emotion regulation strategies are limited in scope. The purpose of the current study was to gain a deeper understanding of the emotional, behavioral and cognitive processes associated with binge eating behavior. Greater clarity regarding how these factors relate to binge eating is critical to the …

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Teller Machine, Reid Ramirez Apr 2012

Teller Machine, Reid Ramirez

Theses and Dissertations

This document examines the work in my MFA thesis exhibition. The objects in that installation address specific socio-aesthetic sites of class and power. The personal and cultural narratives examined here further explain the objects’ symbolic potential.

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Assessing The Genotoxicity Of Triclosan In Tadpoles Of The American Bullfrog, Lithobates Catesbeianus., David Emery Apr 2012

Assessing The Genotoxicity Of Triclosan In Tadpoles Of The American Bullfrog, Lithobates Catesbeianus., David Emery

Theses and Dissertations

Amphibians are particularly sensitive to environmental degradation and, therefore, serve as effective environmental quality indicators. Research has suggested that amphibian declines are exacerbated by manmade environmental toxicants, especially those found in high concentrations in urban areas. The NIH has pinpointed genotoxicity as a major route of cancer causation, and has since developed stringent testing procedures for potentially hazardous chemicals. One such method, recognized for its simplicity and economy, is the micronucleus assay. A study was conducted assessing the genotoxicity of the widely used antimicrobial agent Triclosan to American Bullfrog tadpoles. Lithobates catesbeianus tadpoles were reared in glass aquaria containing ultra-high …

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Life, The Multiverse, And Everything: How Crisis On Infinite Earths Changed Dc Comics, Kate Simonsen Apr 2012

Life, The Multiverse, And Everything: How Crisis On Infinite Earths Changed Dc Comics, Kate Simonsen

Theses and Dissertations

Published from 1985 to 1986, DC Comics’ Crisis on Infinite Earths created the expectation that each crossover will result in numerous deaths and alter the structure or history of the DC Universe. Since many of these changes, such as the death of a popular or iconic character, cannot be sustained long term, the success and influence of Crisis on Infinite Earths led to the erosion of the very elements that made it shocking. Entire worlds can be destroyed, but superreaders eventually suspect that no change is ever permanent and, as more iconic characters are revived or rebooted, death is no …

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Mandibular Symphyseal Distraction Osteogenesis (Msdo): Association With Temporomandibular Dysfunction (Tmd) Symptoms, Sheldon Bates Apr 2012

Mandibular Symphyseal Distraction Osteogenesis (Msdo): Association With Temporomandibular Dysfunction (Tmd) Symptoms, Sheldon Bates

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Transverse mandibular discrepancies are often overlooked during orthodontic treatment. MSDO is a treatment to address this issue, but much debate exists over the long-term implications on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Few studies have sample sizes sufficient to draw clear conclusions about the impact of MSDO on TMJ health. Materials and Methods: This study evaluated private practice records including 49 MSDO patients and 57 traditionally-treated controls. The subjects were assessed by TMD exams that evaluated jaw pain and discomfort using visual analog scales, range of motion for opening, right and left lateral, and protrusive movements, and the presence of clenching, …

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Dismemory: On History, The Southern Imaginary, And Abusing The Visual Record, Matthew Pendleton Shelton Apr 2012

Dismemory: On History, The Southern Imaginary, And Abusing The Visual Record, Matthew Pendleton Shelton

Theses and Dissertations

Using the literary device of a fictional interview between the artist and a sympathetic intellectual, I explore concepts relating to subjectivity, pedagogy, memory, “Southernness,” whiteness, the deceptive nature of images, social justice, and 20th century art as they relate to a contemporary artistic practice.

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Thin Time, Jonathan Benjamin Apr 2012

Thin Time, Jonathan Benjamin

Theses and Dissertations

THIN TIME by Jonathan Benjamin, MFA in Sculpture + Extended Media A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture + Extended Media at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2012. Major Director: Corin Hewitt, Assistant Professor, Department of Sculpture + Extended Media This thesis is an honest attempt to put language to a non-lingual practice. It describes my studio process, my thoughts on materials and surface, and outlines some of the images and things out in the world that inform my work.

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Blues Trope As A Cultural Intersection In Alice Walker's The Temple Of My Familiar And Sherman Alexie's Reservation Blues, Julia Leuthardt Apr 2012

Blues Trope As A Cultural Intersection In Alice Walker's The Temple Of My Familiar And Sherman Alexie's Reservation Blues, Julia Leuthardt

Theses and Dissertations

Though bound historically through hundreds of years, the African-Native American relation has not received much attention by scholars of literature; hence, the emphasis of this thesis is to investigate the literary portrayal of the interethnic relation between African Americans and Native Americans through the blues trope. The blues trope provides an intriguing literary platform for the psychological and physical struggles in finding an identity within such a diverse multiethnic society like the United States. For African American writer Alice Walker and Native American author Sherman Alexie the blues trope is a successful literary device in expressing long lost and rediscovered …

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Examining Racial Differences In Sympathetic Activity Assessed During Recovery From Exercise In Obese Adolescent Females, Stacey Hall Apr 2012

Examining Racial Differences In Sympathetic Activity Assessed During Recovery From Exercise In Obese Adolescent Females, Stacey Hall

Theses and Dissertations

Sympathetic overactivity (SO) is associated with obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Black adolescents have an increased risk of obesity and CVD later in life, particularly females. PURPOSE: To evaluate differences in SO between black (BOA) and white obese female adolescents (WOA). METHODS: Sixty-one BOA (n=49, 13.7±1.6 yrs, 38.1±6.1 kg/m2) and WOA (n=12, 13.3±2.2 yrs, 34.3±4.9 kg/m2) completed a maximal graded treadmill test after which an exercise recovery index (ERI; heart rate/VO2 plateau) was calculated. RESULTS: The ERI was significantly greater in BOA compared to WOA (29.8 ± 6.4 vs. 24.1 ± 3.1, P = 0.004). Multiple linear regression modeling …

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Tgf-Beta Receptors And Alcohol Sensitivity In Drosophila, Kristyn Sennett Apr 2012

Tgf-Beta Receptors And Alcohol Sensitivity In Drosophila, Kristyn Sennett

Theses and Dissertations

Clic proteins influence ethanol-related behavior in flies and other species and also mediate TGF-β signaling. These findings suggest that Clics and the TGF-β signaling pathway might work together to modulate behavioral responses to ethanol. I used the Drosophila model to address the hypothesis that TGF-β signaling is important for ethanol sensitivity. Ethanol sensitivity was blunted by multiple transposon insertions in the TGF-β receptor gene thickveins. Collectively, however, I found no consistent correlation between expression of thickveins and altered ethanol sensitivity in flies harboring transposons. I therefore also assessed ethanol sensitivity in flies with loss of function point mutations in thickveins. …

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The Role Of Sulfatide In The Development And Maintenance Of The Nodal And Paranodal Domains In The Peripheral Nervous System, Heather Herman Apr 2012

The Role Of Sulfatide In The Development And Maintenance Of The Nodal And Paranodal Domains In The Peripheral Nervous System, Heather Herman

Theses and Dissertations

Sulfatide is a galactolipid and a major lipid component of the myelin sheath. Its production is catalyzed by the enzyme cerebroside sulfotransferase (CST). To determine the functions of sulfatide, the gene encoding CST was genetically disrupted resulting in mice incapable of sulfatide synthesis. Using these mice, it has been shown in the central nervous system (CNS) that sulfatide is essential for normal myelin synthesis and stability even though the onset of myelination is not impaired. Additionally, proper initial clustering of paranodal proteins and cluster maintenance of nodal proteins is impaired suggesting that paranodal domains are important for long-term node stability. …

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Fullerene C70 Derivatives Dampen Anaphylaxis And Allergic Asthma Pathogenesis In Mice, Sarah Norton Apr 2012

Fullerene C70 Derivatives Dampen Anaphylaxis And Allergic Asthma Pathogenesis In Mice, Sarah Norton

Theses and Dissertations

Fullerenes are carbon nanospheres that can be solublized by the addition of polar chemical groups to the carbon cage, forming fullerene derivatives. One specifically derivatized fullerene compound, termed C70-Tetragylocolate (C70-TGA), has been shown to stabilize mast cell responses in vitro thus we hypothesized it may have an effect on mast cell-driven diseases such as asthma and systemic anaphylaxis. To observe the effects of C70-TGA on systemic anaphylaxis, mice were subjected to a model of passive systemic anaphylaxis. In this model, mice were injected with DNP-specific IgE 16 hours prior to challenge, then treated with C70-TGA. Immediately prior to DNP challenge, …

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Method In Motion: Grounding A Movement Pedagogy In The Lessons Of Stanislavski, Kevin Inouye Apr 2012

Method In Motion: Grounding A Movement Pedagogy In The Lessons Of Stanislavski, Kevin Inouye

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an exploration of movement pedagogy as a continuation of basic acting lessons from Stanislavski. Using the example of an introductory semester of movement instruction, physical acting and movement concepts are explained in terms of their connection to and derivation from universally accepted acting terminology and ideas. This is put forth as a way to facilitate the synthesis of movement instruction with other acting curriculum, as well as providing a new way to view some familiar acting concepts. Several specific examples are explored in more depth as case studies in physical equivalents to the intellectual, visual, or emotional …

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