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The Role Of Mirna-17-92 Following Myocardial Ischemia/ Reperfusion Under Normal And Diabetic Conditions, Virginia Villani Zwiren

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. The risk of developing CVD is increased two-to-four-fold in patients with diabetes, and, following a myocardial infarction, patients with diabetes often have worse outcomes. Dysregulation of individual or clusters of microRNAs is linked to the pathogenesis of heart diseases and its risk factors, such as diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, and heart failure. Our study identified that the microRNA-17-92 cluster (miR-17-92) is suppressed in diabetic hearts with CVD. The purpose of the present study is to define how miR-17-92 attenuates injurious signaling in the post ischemic heart …

Exploring Serotonin 1b Autoreceptor Mediated Regulation Of Serotonin Transporter In Female Mice, Sanyukta Jalihalkar

Theses and Dissertations

Rationale: Serotonin (5-HT) is a crucial neurotransmitter involved in regulating various physiological processes. Dysregulation of the serotonergic system has been implicated in several neuropsychiatric disorders. Though numerous 5-HT receptors exist, the 5-HT transporter (SERT) is responsible for 5-HT clearance in the brain and periphery. 5-HT_1Bautoreceptors regulate 5-HT release and interact with glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β), which can modulate SERT function via specific Ser44/48 phosphorylation sites. While these findings suggest a potential interplay between 5-HT_1Band GSK3β-mediated SERT phosphorylation in regulating extracellular 5-HT, the primary causal molecular link remains unknown.

Objectives: To investigate if 5-HT_1B activation by …

Exploration Of Dopaminergic And Serotonergic Pathways Utilizing Pleiotropic Agents, Charles B. Jones Iii

Theses and Dissertations

2-(Benzoyl)piperidines (BPs) are at a crossroads of therapy and abuse. These compounds are a hybrid between the ADHD medication methylphenidate and abused stimulant cathinones. Here we use computational molecular modeling, synthesis, mutagenesis, and epifluorescence microscopy to further improve the understanding of and potential treatments for several neuropsychiatric disorders. Utilizing the BP scaffold and controlling chirality and aryl substitution, these agents were examined at DAT and SERT. From these investigations it has now been established that R isomer BPs are favored for DAT while S isomer BPs are favored for SERT. Aryl-substitution can greatly affect the selectivity of these agents with …

Muscle-Nerve Signaling And Its Role In Myogenesis, Synaptogenesis, And Regeneration, James T. Redden

Theses and Dissertations

Despite only comprising 0.1% of the myofiber surface area, a healthy motor endplate is densely packed with acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) responsible for mediating activity between the connected motor neuron and skeletal muscle via the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Loss of the endplate, known as fragmentation, is caused by car crashes, deep lacerations, and other traumatic injuries to the innervating nerve or direct injuries to the limb muscle(s) with intramuscular denervation as a common comorbidity. In both cases, endplate fragmentation begins within a week of injury proceeding muscle atrophy causing decreased mobility, paralysis, and quality of life. Endplate fragmentation of intact muscle fibers …

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury In Yucatan Minipigs: Assessing Changes In Approachability And Mechanical Nociception Following Diffuse Central Fluid Percussion Injury, Mark D. Pavlichenko

Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major healthcare concern affecting millions. Symptoms of TBI include sensory sensitivity and social changes that may persist long-term. Due to similarities in cytoarchitecture, metabolism, and inflammation, higher order minipig models are advantageous for translational TBI research, however, there remains a shortage of information regarding their behavioral and sensory sequelae following injury. Therefore, in this study, we assessed changes in sociability and somatosensation in adult male and female Yucatan minipigs for up to one-week following a sham or central fluid percussion injury (cFPI). Specifically, the voluntary human approach task (VHAT) and the forced human approach …

Potential Treatments For Epileptiform Activity In Microgyral Cortex, Eliot R. Niessen

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the effects of several drug treatments on epileptiform activity in the freeze lesion (FL) mouse model of epilepsy have been evaluated and compared. The FL model replicates the histopathology and epileptiform activity that occurs in humans with the developmental cortical malformation of polymicrogyria (PMG). While Gabapentin is already used in a clinical setting to treat seizures, there are other alternatives that have not been fully tested. Rapamycin, for instance, has been shown to reduce seizures in other models of epilepsy. It is an inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, which regulates the function of …

T Cell Polarization Regulates The Inflammatory Response And Tissue Regeneration At The Peri-Implant Interface, Derek Avery

Theses and Dissertations

Unresolved healing and localized chronic inflammation are common occurrences after biomaterial implantation, resulting in unfavorable clinical outcomes such as implant failure or fibrous encapsulation. T cells are adaptive immune cells found in lymph nodes, thymus, spleen, bone marrow, and around biomaterials, significantly impacting the degree of inflammation and wound healing. T cells are vital for inflammatory cytokine production and modulation of innate immune cells, including neutrophils and macrophages. T cells can be differentiated into two primary subsets, CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells, playing distinctive roles in various pathologies and disease states. While T cells have been characterized well …

Genetic And Transcriptomic Investigations Of Progressive Ethanol Consumption In The Diversity Outbred Mouse, Zachary Tatom

Theses and Dissertations

As a complex genetic disorder, alcohol use disorder (AUD) is thought to be influenced by many genes each contributing only a small effect to the overall disease liability. Dozens of genes have been implicated as potentially affecting risk for AUD and alcohol consumption. However, understanding the full genetic architecture of AUD – what genes are involved, to what extent, and how these genes are regulated – remains a challenging step in identifying novel treatments. Gene expression studies in humans have attempted to augment GWAS of alcohol consumption but are often confounded by environmental factors; the difficulty of collecting tissue from …

Multi-Magnetic Material Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Coils Development And Electric Field Measurement & Modeling Using Machine Learning, Mohannad Tashli

Theses and Dissertations

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a safe, effective, and non-invasive therapy for treating several psychiatric and neurological disorders. TMS is Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved treatment and is commonly applied to patients who do not respond to medications for the treatment of clinical depression, smoking cessation, obsessive-compulsive disorder and migraine. Recently, there has been an increase in the development of electromagnetic neuromodulation techniques targeted at enhancing the effectiveness of TMS devices for the treatment of mental diseases. In TMS stimulation, focality is an important factor which determines the specificity of the pulses induced in different brain tissues. The electromagnetic …

Evaluation Of Alternative Methods For Dna Recovery Of Compromised Skeletal Remains, Ciara N. Rhodes

Theses and Dissertations

Skeletal remains frequently serve as the sole source of genetic material available for developing a profile in cases concerning unidentified human remains or mass casualties. Nevertheless, as unidentified skeletal remains age and are exposed to uncontrolled environmental conditions, the success rates of conventional methods of bone analysis diminish significantly. The physical and mechanical processing of skeletal remains into fine powder for DNA isolation and downstream analysis can substantially impact the quality and quantity of recoverable genetic information. This concern may be exacerbated when dealing with degraded forensic skeletal remains. Few studies have explored whether pulverization of bone samples contributes to …

Utilizing Hemoglobin Binding Kinetics And X-Ray Crystallography In Sickle Cell Disease Drug Development, Ahmed Alghamdi

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

UTILIZING HEMOGLOBIN BINDING KINETICS AND X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHY IN SICKLE CELL DISEASE DRUG DEVELOPMENT

By Ahmed Alghamdi, M.Sc. in Medicinal Chemistry

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Medicinal Chemistry at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2024.

Director: Dr. Martin K. Safo Professor, Department of Medicinal Chemistry

Introduction: Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is characterized by severe hemolytic anemia, recurrent painful crises, and chronic organ damage, posing significant challenges to patients' quality of life and longevity. While current FDA-approved therapies offer symptomatic relief, they do not address the underlying molecular …

Roleplaying Builds Character: Avatar Performance In Dungeons & Dragons As An Art-Form For Self-Development., Maria F. Pagola Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the impact of the performance and embodiment of Dungeons & Dragons characters on their player’s self-development and self-confidence. Focusing on the game’s 5th edition, this narrative inquiry study is concerned with the applications of D&D as an artistic tool to build both community in formal and informal spaces of art education and individual players’ self-development through the avatars being portrayed during game time.

Ten adult participants ranging from age 23-28 were selected using a mix of direct recruitment and voluntary response. They filled out a digital survey introducing themselves and their main D&D characters, then a 45-minute …

Lycosidae Abundance And Diversity Across Lawn And Leaf Litter Substrate, Sage O. Lockett, Dan Albrecht-Mallinger

UROP Posters

Significant knowledge gaps exist in how land-cover impacts ground-hunting spider populations. To fill these gaps, this study investigates a common family of ground-hunting spiders, Lycosidae, to determine differences in their abundance and diversity in deciduous leaf litter and managed turfgrass (lawn). The study was conducted within a forested ecosystem at Virginia Commonwealth University's Rice Rivers Center in Charles City County, Virginia. I placed 10 belt transects (1m x 20m) on lawn substrate and 10 identical transects in deciduous forest leaf litter substrate. I performed repeated visual census via eyeshine and manual capture of up to three individuals per transect …

Neurodevelopmental Vulnerability To Gestational Ozone Exposure, Vishnupriya Alavala, Sarah E. Brent, Christopher G. Canal, Joseph Wang, Russell P. Hunter, Matthew J. Campen, Andrew K. Ottens

UROP Posters

Ambient air pollution accounts for about 4.2 million premature deaths annually per the World Health Organization. Ozone (O3) is a highly reactive air pollutant found in smog and is implicated in cellular damage leading to organ dysfunction. Ambient air pollution is associated with neurodevelopmental, behavioral, and cognitive disorders though ozone’s role is unknown. Studies here look at ozone exposure shortly after implantation vs. shortly before term to evaluate differences in neurodevelopmental susceptibility over time.

To inquire on the effects of ozone on the fetal brain, pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed once to 0.3 ppm of O3 or filtered air (FA) …

The Man From Figueras, Chris Burnside

The Man from Figueras

Chris Burnside is an artist/choreographer who was inspired to tell stories on stage after seeing performance artist Spalding Gray at an international theater festival in the early 1980s. After retirement and with the encouragement of a lifelong friend, Mr. Burnside started writing some of those stories down, eventually including others. The stories in The Man from Figueras focus on learning experiences, aha moments, and events that have, over the years, changed his perspective and shaped how he has lived his life. The ninety stories are in chronological order and are grouped by the eight decades of his life.

Burnside attended …

How Does A Global Climate Cycle Affect The Reproductive Output Of A Neotropical Migratory Bird?, Abby K. Bressette, Emma Cummings, Daniel Albrecht-Mallinger, Lesley Bulluck

UROP Posters

El-Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) causes regional changes in climate and has been found to have varying effects on the survival, fecundity, and recruitment of migratory songbirds. This study seeks to better understand the effect of ENSO on the fecundity of Virginia-breeding Prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea; PROW), a neotropical migratory songbird. PROW breed in the Eastern United States and spend the non-breeding season primarily in Panama and Colombia. Ongoing research in Virginia has found a positive relationship between spring precipitation and predicted number of PROW fledgelings during La Niña, but the opposite during El Niño. To better understand this relationship, we …

Carry-Over Effects Of Climate On Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria Citrea) Feather Quality, Alyssa N. Spasic, Dan Albrecht-Mallinger, Lesley Bulluck

UROP Posters

Avian species have inspired numerous studies on ornamentation, exploring its role in intra- and intersexual selection as a marker for individual quality. Male birds have been the focus of most of these studies while females, which can also display ornamentation, have been studied less. Coloration achieved through molt, particularly carotenoid-based pigments, requires energy derived from food resources. As climate affects insect abundance, there may be a link between climate conditions during molt and feather quality the following season. We assessed the relationship between temperature and precipitation during molt and female Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) breast and crown feather reflectance metrics …

Jacqueline Jung, Eloquent Bodies: Movement, Expression, And The Human Figure In Gothic Sculpture, Kerr Houston

Art Inquiries

No abstract provided.

An Interview With Jennida Chase, Sunny Spillane, Jennida Chase

Art Inquiries

No abstract provided.

Laurie Anderson: The Weather, Annie Dell'aria

Art Inquiries

No abstract provided.

Prisons And Universities: Co-Creating Curricula For Prison-University Partnerships., Michela Scalpello

Journal of Prison Education Research

This paper illustrates the approach of co-creating education where co-creation was an important aspect of the curriculum design. It makes a case for prison-university partnerships through two pedagogical case studies – one within a prison setting with a focus on soft skills acquisition and another in a Higher Education setting focusing on international criminal justice. Originating from the observations and reflections of an educator which led to a participatory action research opportunity, it asserts that actively teaching and learning together increases effective learning through better understanding and motivation, as well as giving access to the right to education regardless of …

Ritual: Full Journal

International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education

No abstract provided.

Food For Thought: Rituals In Place Based Learning, Natalia Pilato

International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education

In my mother’s kitchen lasting bonds among family, friends, and newcomers are created. Using that space as a point of departure, I explore the significance of pedagogical places outside of classrooms that serve as flavorful ingredients for performative and participatory learning. This article articulates ways in which rituals associated with Sicilian cultural traditions are interwoven and complicit in establishing dispositions for socially engaged learning and teaching in the arts, showing how an ethic of care can transcend generations. With a focus on place-based learning, making art and enjoying food are investigated to show how healthy productive relationships, appreciation for beauty, …

Art Nights: Reimagining Professional Development As A Ritual, Libba Willcox

International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education

Art teachers’ need for connection, passion for artmaking, desire for mentoring, and quest for renewal led me to ask, what happens if we reimagine professional development as ritualized artistic practice? What would occur if our ritual was collaborative and intergenerational? How might ritualized professional development aid the quest for renewal? Pulling imagery and quotes from a larger qualitative and arts-based research study (Willcox, 2017), this visual essay shares what happened when an intergenerational group of art teachers met and engaged in artistic inquiry about their teaching practice. Specifically, it weaves together imagery and quotes to illustrate how our ritual, art …

A Growing Ritual Of Animal Rock Painting, Mary L. Stokrocki Professor Emerita

International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education

This visual essay explores a growing art form that blossomed into a community demand for memorial images. Such curiosities draw people’s attention to look closer, spot details, and become closer to nature. To understand the intense attraction, a neighborhood community formulated more demand, interest, and references to spirituality that reflect life’s rituals.

Intergenerational Implications Of Ritual In Art Education, Angela M. La Porte, Peg Speirs, Camilla Mccomb

International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education

This article introduces the concept of ritual and the role it can play in art education across generations from PK-12 schools to community collaborations. Three authors elaborate on research, personal experiences, and applications of ritual in their art education practice. The first introduces ritual within personal, historical, cultural, psychological, and sociological contexts. Then, relates these to art education curriculum and an intergenerational community collaboration. Author 2 shares experience with ritual-based artists using performance, body adornment and modification to communicate creative sacred/secular expression. Author 3 describes her hesitancy and eventual success in engaging preadolescents in ritual-based discussions. All of these perspectives …

Pearl And Murray Greenberg Award Lectures, Susan Whiteland, Eli Burke

International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education

No abstract provided.

Ritual: Table Of Contents

International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education

No abstract provided.

Ritual: Front Cover

International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2023-11-08

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.