Digital Commons Network^™

Richard Carlyon: A Retrospective, Richard Carlyon

Anderson Gallery Art Exhibition Catalogues

Published in conjunction with the multisite exhibition Richard Carlyon: A Retrospective, which opened on September 11, 2009, and was organized by the Anderson Gallery, School of the Arts, Virginia Commonwealth University; Reynolds Gallery; 1708 Gallery; and Visual Arts Center of Richmond, all in Richmond, Va.

Developing Leadership In A National Cohort Of Secondary Biology Teachers: Uses Of An On-Line Course Structure To Develop Geographically Distant Professional Learning Community, P. Balcerzak, V. May, B. Schaal

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

This report is a descriptive study of the role that on-line courses might have on the development of Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) that support national leadership initiatives of participating high school biology teachers. The one hundred teachers involved in the Life Sciences for a Global Community (LSGC) Institute are expected not only to deepen their content knowledge, but also impact their district and state biology curricula. Additionally, the dispersion of Institute participants across the country presents a unique opportunity to develop, communicate. and implement a national coherent reform agenda. However, the geographic distance presents a barrier to collaborative design of …

Helping Kindergarteners Make Sense Of Numbers To 100, L. B. Jaslow, V. R. Jacobs

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

The authors share what was learned about kindergarteners' abilities to make sense of numbers to 100 when one of the authors, Linda Jaslow, took over a kindergarten class from February through the end of the school year. Through examples of how she engaged her students in nine weeks of problem solving and discussions focused on making sense of the number system, we provide evidence that the children grew substantially in their ability to count and show understanding when counting by 10's and using 10's during problem solving. Suggestions for tasks to promote continued growth are also provided. Throughout this teaching …

Amendment (2009)

Amendment, 2004-

Amendment is a VCU student-produced progressive literature and art journal that provides a platform for students to promote equality, tolerance, and social progression through artistic expression.

Poictesme: A Student Anthology Of Literature And Art (2009)

Pwatem (Poictesme), 2006-

Poictesme (now Pwatem) is an anthology of literature and art from undergraduate students at Virginia Commonwealth University. It publishes poetry, prose and art of all kinds from talented undergraduate students of all majors.

Trey Ellis's Platitudes: Redefining Black Voices, Quan Manh Ha

Ethnic Studies Review

Trey Ellis has emerged as a prominent African American writer of the late-twentieth century, despite the small number of his published works. "The New Black Aesthetic," an essay that he first published in CaUaloo in 1989, one year after the publication of his first novel, Platitudes, stands as a manifesto that defines and articulates his perspective on the emerging black literary voices and culture of the time, and on "the future of African American artistic expression" in the postmodern era.1 According to Eric Lott, Ellis's novel parodies the literary and cultural conflict between such male experimental writers as lshmael Reed …

I Knew You When, Jami Dittus

Theses and Dissertations

Four short stories and the first quarter of a novel revolve around characters sick with want, sick of and from the worlds in which they live. They crave connection with other people, often through indirect methods, but can’t always manage the connections they make with other characters. Objects, comforting and static when people cannot be, take prominence as connection to the real world.

Username Tab Password Return, Andrea Nia Burks

Theses and Dissertations

USERNAME TAB PASSWORD RETURN

Social Networking Site, User Generated Content, Screen Identity, Gender, Sexuality, YouTube, Booty Video, Reaction Video, Digital Culture, Archive

Kingdom Compossible, Ryan Lauterio

Theses and Dissertations

Does God exist? Can we know for sure? What might it mean to know this? Furthermore what might it look like to make works of art while also seeking to find answers to these questions? This thesis details my personal experiences growing up in a world steeped in postmodernism and my move to answer such questions while looking to develop a meaningful, clear worldview and body of work. I have turned my focus on specific episodes in my life, which significantly illuminate a progression of thinking and experience. Together these thoughts and experiences have become the impetus for both questions …

Invertebrate Colonization And Plant Architecture: The Influence Of Two Non-Native Milfoil Species, Elizabeth W. Rielly

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the complexity and surface area of a macrophyte’s

structure has an influence on invertebrate colonization, and to determine the influence of two non-native species on invertebrate colonization. Three plant architectures were compared. Floating leaved plants were represented by the following species: Nuphar lutea, Nymphaea odorata, and Brasenia schreberi. Moderately dissected leaved plants were represented by Potamogeton natans, and highly dissected leaved plants were represented by two non-native species, Myriophyllum spicatum and Myriophyllum heterophyllum. The number of invertebrates/g dry biomass and the number of individuals/m², diversity, evenness, and richness were calculated for …

Surgical Smoke Evacuation Guidelines: Compliance Among Perioperative Nurses, Kay A. Ball

Theses and Dissertations

Smoke (plume) is produced when tissue is cut or coagulated with lasers or electrosurgery devices during surgery. Research has documented that surgical smoke creates a serious workplace hazard for over 500,000 healthcare workers. Toxic gases create an offensive odor, small particulate matter causes respiratory complications, and pathogens may be transmitted within the surgical smoke to the surgical team. Previous research notes that smoke evacuation recommendations are not being consistently followed by perioperative nurses.

The purpose of this study is to determine key indicators that are associated with compliance with smoke evacuation recommendations by perioperative nurses. The Diffusion of Innovation theory …

Identification And Characterization Of Prevotella Intermedia 17 Toll-Like Receptor 2 Ligands, Jamie Feng-Hsia Yuan

Theses and Dissertations

Periodontal disease is one of the most prevalent human diseases affecting millions of individuals. Bacteria are the trigger of the host response that then results in initiation and progression of periodontal disease. The interactions between the host and the bacteria, although very complex and intricate, are not well understood. Species of gram-negative anaerobic bacteria implicated in the development of periodontal disease include Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia. The goal of our study was to identify P. intermedia surface proteins interacting with TLR2 receptor. Using Cy5-labeled surface proteins we identified multiple proteins using our capture assay. The interaction of three …

The Bird, Katherine Ann Kisicki

Theses and Dissertations

I have always approached my paintings with confidence. Mark making has always been my strength, particularly in drawing, and I feel this comes through in my gestural use of the paint. I also believe I approach paintings in a trial and error manner, where experimentation has precedence over concept. To remain in the moment and focused on what I am doing at that moment is a fundamental base of both my process and, interestingly what the resulting image translates to the viewer. To know this, and to remain suspended in this moment requires a foundation of trust within my capabilities …

Media To Medium: Representations Of Violence, War & Women In Pop Culture, Althea Georgelas

Theses and Dissertations

My work is inspired by the mass Media and how it affects the world around me. I am interested in how violence, war and women are represented in popular culture and how this has trickled down into social behavior. I also wonder how much entertainment media reflects deep social ideals. I define mass media as the viral proliferation of ideas using television, cinema, video gaming and the Internet. I am concerned about the social and psychological affects of violent media and how it impacts the lives of women and girls. This is of particular interest to me because I am …

Pulmonary Delivery Of Anorectic Gut Secreted Peptides For Appetite Suppression In Rats, Priya Nadkarni

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation project aimed to demonstrate that pulmonary delivery of two anorectic gut secreted peptides, peptide YY (PYY) and oxyntomodulin (OXM) enabled food intake suppression and reduced body weight gain in rats via their systemic absorption from the lung and interaction with the brain. After PYY and OXM were administered to the lungs at varying doses, food intake and body weight gain were monitored in freely feeding rats. Significant 30-35 % food intake suppression was achieved for 4-6 h following pulmonary administration of endogenously active PYY3-36 and OXM1-37 at 0.80 and 0.50 mg/kg, respectively. Moreover, when administered daily for 7 …

Spatial And Temporal Variability Of Macroinvertyebrate Communities In Vernal Pools On The Coastal Plain Of Virginia, Shrijeeta Ganguly

Theses and Dissertations

Vernal pools are often defined as seasonal pools that typically are inundated beginning in the winter and then drying out completely in summer. Though evidence of spatial and temporal variability in the macroinvertebrate communities of vernal pools has been found in previous studies, it has not been studied extensively. The primary objective of this study was to determine the extent of variability in the macroinvertebrate communities within vernal pools closely situated in a forested landscape. An effort was made to explain this variability with respect to certain physiochemical environmental variables of the pools. Significant variability was observed in the macroinvertebrate …

Identification Of Camk-Ii Protein Targets In Tissue Culture And Zebrafish Embryos Using Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Alexandra Myers

Theses and Dissertations

Calcium (Ca2+)/calmodulin-dependent kinase 2 (CaMK-II) is one member of a family of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases that responds to intracellular Ca2+ signals (Hudmon, A. and H. Schulman (2002)). CaMK-II is a multifunctional regulator of transcription, cell cycle progression, cell motility and neuronal development. (Wang, C., et al. (2008), Easley, C. A. IV, et al. (2008), Osterhoff, M., et al. (2003), Faison, M. O., et al. (2002)). Recently, CaMK-II has been shown to be important in the early development of vertebrates. In developing zebrafish, disruption of CaMK-II expression has been shown to induce phenotypes similar to those documented in several human diseases. …

Molecular Modeling Studies Of Heparin And Heparin Mimetics Binding To Coagulation Proteins, Chandravel Krishnasamy

Theses and Dissertations

Heparin, a glycosaminoglycan (GAG), is a complex biopolymer of varying chain length and consisting of uronic acid and glucosamine residues, which are sulfated at various positions. The interaction of heparin with antithrombin is the basis for anticoagulation therapy. Heparin accelerates the antithrombin mediated inhibition of factor Xa and thrombin by a conformational activation mechansism and bridging mechanism, respectively. The sequence specific pentasaccharide DEFGH in full length heparin is the most important fragment for high affinity and activation of antithrombin, without which the heparin is incapable of binding to antithrombin. Although heparin is a commonly used anticoagulant, it suffers from serious …

The Beekeepers, Richard Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

The Beekeepers complements a film/digital video of the same name. It documents my process in creating alternative films/digital videos while pursuing my MFA at Virginia Commonwealth University. It starts with my first film/digital video, “Redemption,” and traces my progression over two years culminating with the 25 minute experimental documentary, “The Beekeepers

Find Meaning Make Meaning, Karen Stein

Theses and Dissertations

Employing the designer William Morris as a source of inspiration, this project seeks to explore the call for nature and beauty as a part of our lives. Moreover, it interweaves the necessity for experience of the sensual world (the five senses) with the cerebral world (a requisite to igniting the internal imagination)—a concept embodied in the form of the book. It advocates a redefining of the book as an imagination sculpture (the external and the internal) reflecting this new definition.

Effects Of Metal Protoporphyrins On Burn Wound Conversion, Katie Braun

Theses and Dissertations

A murine model was utilized to test the influence of heavy metal protoporphyrins on burn conversion, heme oxygenase – 1 (HO-1) expression, and inflammation. Heavy metal protoporphyrins, such as cobalt protoporphyrin (Co PP) and tin protoporphyrin (Sn PP), were used to influence the heme oxygenase activity. The effects of these heavy metal protoporphyrins on burn wound conversion were examined using a burn comb model in rats. In addition to assessing the extent of conversion, HO-1 expression and parameters of inflammation were also examined in the area of injury (interspace region) subject to conversion. These studies demonstrate proof in principal that …

Effects Of Light Exposure On The Release Of Oxygen From Hemoglobin In A Red Blood Cell Suspension, Tanikka Toler

Theses and Dissertations

The main function of the cardiovascular system is to deliver a sufficient quantity of oxygenated blood to the tissues, cells, and organs of the body in order to provide the cells with essential nutrients for metabolism and for the removal of waste products. All cells require and utilize oxygen. Oxygen is transported to various cells and tissues via red blood cells flowing through the microcirculation of an organism. Measurement of oxygen transport in the microcirculation has shown that about ten times more oxygen appears to leave the blood of arterioles than can be accounted for by diffusion. One possibility to …

An Exploration Of The Effects Of Long-Term Intimate Partner Violence: Listening To Older Women, Suzanne Lowe

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract AN EXPLORATION OF THE EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE: LISTENING TO OLDER WOMEN By Suzanne Faries Lowe, 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, 2008 Chairman of Committee Laura J. Moriarty, Ph.D. Professor of Criminal Justice Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs There has been a great deal of research during the past four decades on the topic of domestic violence. Very little research has been conducted, however, on the effects of long-term intimate partner violence on older women. The …

Molecular Mechanisms Involved In Oligodendrocyte Development, Rochelle Coelho

Theses and Dissertations

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by demyelination and loss of oligodendrocytes (OLGs), the CNS myelin-producing cells. Thus, understanding the mechanisms that control OLG development can provide valuable knowledge regarding remyelination therapies for MS. This disease is thought to result from an autoimmune attack towards myelin. FTY720, an immunomodulator under evaluation for MS treatment is a sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) analog. We found before that S1P plays a crucial role in the NT-3-mediated survival of OLGs, an observation that led us to investigate whether FTY720 could have any effect on these cells. Our studies …

Commonwealth Times 2008-12-04

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2008-12-01

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Ink (2008-12)

Ink, 2008-

The student-run features magazine covering the fashion, art, music and culture worlds at VCU and in Richmond. Published annually in print and updated regularly online.

Agenda-Setting And The Media: A Look At Child Welfare Legislation, 1995-2005, Tamara Temoney

Theses and Dissertations

This project used a content analysis methodology to determine the agenda-setting capacity of the media to influence child welfare legislation in a state legislature. With a foundation in agenda-setting theory, this study identifies how the coverage of child abuse and neglect in the print media impacts decision-makers to introduce legislation related to child abuse and neglect. Through a comparison of the issues covered in the newspaper with the issues receiving legislative attention, this study showed that media influence varies by topic, with some topics being more open to media affects than others. A second component of this study analyzed how …

Creation Of A Mouse With A Humanized Fpgs Gene Compatible With Normal Development, Linying Xie

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract: Folylpoly-γ-glutamate synthetase (FPGS) catalyzes the formation of polyglutamate forms of the reduced folates and antifolates such as methotrexate (MTX) and pemetrexed; this allows the retention of folates and antifolate cancer drugs inside the cell. The enzyme activity of FPGS is essential for cell proliferation and survival. The mouse fpgs gene contains two promoters spaced 10 kb apart which are activated in a tissue-specific manner. The upstream promoter (P1) and exons A1a and A1b are used in some differentiated tissues, mainly liver and kidney, whereas the downstream promoter (P2) and exon 1 are used in rapidly dividing cells. In contrast, …

The Open Road, Bryan Condra

Theses and Dissertations

In our journeys on the open road, we travel through a landscape of visual imagery composed of patterns, rhythms and a spectrum of changing colors. Our previous experiences, mental and physical attitudes and expectations, shape our perceptions. By visually interpreting and presenting my experiences of the journey on the open road I hoped to tell a story of how the open road energizes the creative spirit. My goal was to explore how the landscape is altered by motion and speed as we pass through it, and how the journey can be experienced in various ways. I wanted to investigate and …