Frank Duveneck: American Master, D. Bryan Schaeffer

Art Inquiries

No abstract provided.

Lethaby, Brockhampton, And The Early Development In England Of Concrete As A Vernacular-Modern Building Material, Robert M. Craig

Art Inquiries

No abstract provided.

An Interview With Tony M. Bingham, Mysoon Rizk

Art Inquiries

No abstract provided.

Lonidamine Is A Novel Inhibitor Of Fatty Acid Oxidation, Tianhai He

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis project, we examined the hypothesis that lonidamine is an effective inhibitor of FAO in mammalian cells, underling its inhibitory effects on bioenergetic production and anti-cancer action. We compared its effects on FAO and glycolysis in multiple human cancer cell lines of different lineages.

Math Leaders’ Perceptions Of Social Justice Pedagogy: Implications For Professional Development On Teaching Mathematics For Climate And Environmental Justice, Angela M. Allen

Theses and Dissertations

Two significant crises facing communities of color are climate and environmental injustices (Schlosberg & Collins, 2014) and the achievement gap in standardized test performance as an impact of inequitable educational experiences rooted in a history of social inequities (Agarwal, 2011; Milner, 2020). Previous studies on teaching mathematics for social justice demonstrate positive student outcomes from this practice (Berry, 2008; Gutstein, 2006). Existing literature also points to benefits when focusing on a specific social justice topic during mathematics instruction (Bartell, 2013; Stocker, 2012). However, few studies focus on math leaders’ perceptions of teaching mathematics for climate and environmental justice (TMCEJ).

This …

Biomass-Derived Electrode Materials And Sustainable Processes For Supercapacitors, Katelyn M. Shell

Theses and Dissertations

Biomass is one of the most abundant natural resources and has been used as a source of energy for thousands of years. Biomass as a precursor for energy storage materials is still relatively novel and faces several obstacles before becoming commonly used in today’s electrical devices. Currently, energy storage devices, such as batteries, capacitors, and supercapacitors, utilize petroleum-derived graphitic carbons for anodes, generating a need for more sustainable materials. Biomass, as a carbon-rich source for electrode materials, presents a viable and economically feasible alternative due to the prevalent lignocellulosic compounds: lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. Preliminary studies on the solid residues …

Emanata Presents: The End (2021)

Emanata, 2014-

Started by illustrator and comics artist Chris Kindred in 2014 with Weird, Vol. 1, Emanata is VCU’s first-ever comics anthology.

Rabble: A Companion To Pwa-Tem (2021)

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."

What Sound Reveals To Our Eyes: The Intersection Between Subconscious Thought And Real Imagery In Experimental Film And Sound Design, Mireille G. Heidbreder

Theses and Dissertations

The impetus for making films that conjure up atemporal, interconnected spaces suggestive of a unique reality has been influenced in large part by Michel Foucault’s idea of heterotopia, or the creation of a new world by joining together discursive spaces. As such, my practice begins with the collection and re-imagination of these discursive spaces through a combination of an in-depth exploration of little-known landscapes and the organic observation of the natural realm in relation to the human world. By combining various mixed media including digital, film print, as well as re-purposed archival footage, I alter the filmic quality of the …

Development Of Analytical Methods For Analysis Of Glycosaminoglycans And Their Mimetics In Human Plasma, Rawan M. Fayyad

Theses and Dissertations

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are linear, polydisperse polysaccharides consisting of alternating amino sugars and either a uronic acid or galactose residue. They are ubiquitous components of the extracellular matrix and are present on cell surfaces and in basement membranes. GAGs are highly negatively charged as a result of many sulfate and carboxylic acid groups, and are extremely heterogeneous in both their structure and in their physicochemical properties. This complexity in structure is attributed to the alterations in residue types, glycosidic bond linkage, sulfation levels, sulfation positions, and chain lengths during biosynthesis. GAGs interact with a wide number of proteins and modulate various …

Ties That Bind Us, Christine M. Orr, Christine M. Orr

Theses and Dissertations

when objects converge in a space

they start a dialogue of their lives

lives that become entangled with your life

your memory

objects are the narrators of memory

a stain, a chip, a tear

materials embed meaning and metaphor within the process of creating

woven cloth, throwing lines, squeezed and pressed coils

all become remnants of the hand

as I make, play, and collect materials and objects

questions are brought forward

How do these components talk to one other?

What are they saying?

How do I listen?

knowledge is generated in the transformation of material through the process of

making …

Why We Follow Celebrities: An Examination Of Parasocial Interaction And Fan Engagement In A Celebrities’ Social Media Pages, Mohammed A. Alasmari

Theses and Dissertations

Social media sites have become essential for organizations and celebrities, allowing them to build relationships and interact with fans. Previous research found openness and perceived interactivity to improve social media engagement. The current study used the concepts of parasocial interactions and relationships to enhance the current knowledge of how celebrities influence their followers through Twitter. The study looked at perceived openness, perceived interactivity, and media engagement in relation to parasocial interaction and relationships using the Qualtrics survey response from 905 participants on Fayez Al-Malki’s Twitter page. The results indicated that both celebrities' and followers' posts employed openness and perceived interactivity, …

Regulation Of Osseous Healing By Macrophage-Derived Wnt Ligands, Jefferson Overlin Abaricia

Theses and Dissertations

Osseous healing is regulated by various classes of cells and signaling mechanisms. Of these, Wnt signaling has long been known to be critically important in directing the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into osteoblasts during bone healing. However, the source of these Wnt ligands is not known. Recently, a body of literature has arisen finding both beneficial and detrimental effects of macrophage-derived Wnt ligands on the regeneration of other tissues (liver, kidney, heart, and intestine), often by regulating inflammatory activation and stem cell behavior. As macrophages have been well-characterized as orchestrators of healing, their use of Wnt signaling to …

Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation: Application To Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation And Computational Modeling, Neil Mittal

Theses and Dissertations

Loss of motor function from spinal cord injuries (SCI) results in loss of independence. Rehabilitation efforts are targeted to enhance the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), but outcomes from physical therapy alone are often insufficient. Neuromodulation techniques that induce neuroplasticity may push the limits on recovery. Neuromodulation by intermittent theta burst transcranial magnetic stimulation (iTBS) induces neuroplasticity by increasing corticomotor excitability, though this has most frequently been studied with motor targets and on individuals not in need of rehabilitation. Increased corticomotor excitability is associated with motor learning. The response to iTBS, however, is highly variable and unpredictable, …

Vcu Monroe Park Campus 'Iconic Green' Pre-Planning And Design Study, Nicholas A. Jancaitis

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

The 'Iconic Green' pre-planning study for the Monroe Park Campus of VCU provides the framework and data necessary to support the intended 'nexus' on the proposed site. A review of the existing literature on various subjects included will highlight models and successful measures that have ensured success for previous similar built works. Having an understanding of the underlying factors and implications for the site, a needs assessment using existing literature and design precedents and in comparison with VCU's own desired end state and needs. Focusing on these comparisons within a theoretical framework called the Just Beautiful City, established in this …

Norfolk Scope Community Plan, Michael D. Nixon-Garrison

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

The purpose of the Norfolk Scope Community Plan is to provide the client, the City of Norfolk’s Department of City Planning, with a plan for revitalization of the community surrounding the Norfolk Scope Complex. The plan includes three potential redevelopment scenarios, along with general recommendations for areawide enhancements, both of which the client could potentially use to guide small area planning for the community in the future. The Scope is a multi-functioning entertainment complex located in the heart of Downtown Norfolk, Virginia and includes the Scope Arena, an 11,000-seat venue for concert and sporting events, Chrysler Hall, a performing arts …

Appleton Area Ohv Park Master Plan, Chad M. Kingstrom

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

This master plan for the Appleton Area OHV Park, located in Swift County in west-central Minnesota, is intended to capture user feedback and to inform future park development. This master plan will be used to show that the park is of regional significance and will therefore gain access to Minnesota’s Legacy Funds administered by the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission. Because most of the public OHV resources are in the northeastern part of the state, and access to private land is extremely limited, the park is a critical regional amenity for OHV users. The park serves all four …

Development Of A Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (Gc/Ms) Method For The Quantification Of Vitamin E And Vitamin E Acetate In Electronic Cigarettes, Matthew Adreance

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) are a medium of facilitating drug use that is gaining notoriety in the public eyes. E-cigs were originally designed to be “safer” alternatives to traditional cigarettes, providing the same or similar nicotine dosage without the other side compounds found in tobacco and traditional cigarettes. Typical e-cigs use e-liquids composed of propylene glycol (PG) and/or vegetable glycerin (VG) bases, various flavoring agents, and varying concentrations of nicotine depending on manufacturer or use. With the advent of the growing legalization of cannabis and CBD/THC products in many states and jurisdictions, e-cigs have become a popular medium to ingest these …

Characterizing The Presence Of Edta In Blood Samples, Alexandra Wright

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Blood is often a type of evidence found at crime scenes. There has been a long history of criminal cases involving blood evidence samples that were allegedly planted at the scene by a third party. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, or EDTA, is an anticoagulant that is not naturally occurring in blood samples; it chelates to ions in blood to prevent clotting. If present in a blood evidence sample, it could be indicative that the blood sample may have been planted at the crime scene to implicate a suspect. EDTA is also reported to modify clothing and exist in detergents, to allow dyes …

Detection Of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene Using A Colorimetric Gold Nanoparticle Air Cassette Filter, Andrea I. Ferrer Vega

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is an explosive commonly used during military and terrorist activities. Current methods to identify this compound require sampling, transport and analysis at a forensic lab using analytical instrumentation. However, on-site detection is needed to assist efforts to prevent detonation. Gold nanoparticles have been used as sensors throughout the years due to their versatility and surface enhanced Raman scattering properties in the presence of an analyte and low limits of detection. By taking advantage of the Meisenheimer complex that TNT forms in the presence of amines, it is possible to determine its presence at picogram levels. Subsequently, adhering amine …

The Evidence Based Practice Question Development & Search Tips Checklist (Revised), Roy E. Brown

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

The Evidence Based Practice Question Development and Search Tips Checklist is a tool that is used in instructional sessions with nurses in reference to evidence-based practice and literature searching. It is intended as a reference handout. The revised handout contains information related to the databases that may be searched as well as about Google Scholar.

It is under a creative commons license. If you would like a version that can be rebranded for your organization to use, please contact the author for an editable version.

Evolving Perspectives: How Research, Age, And A Global Pandemic Alters The Mind's Eye In Costume Design, Audrey Reed

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores how various factors can affect how something is viewed and appreciated. It specifically relates to James and the Giant Peach the musical as it is as a halted production for the VCU theatre due to COVID-19. This document encompasses facts about Roald Dahl’s life, details about my designs for the production, as well as how a global pandemic affected the life of theatre. Included in this document are research and renderings.

The Therapeutic Potential Of Glycosaminoglycan Directed Metalloglycomics: Elucidating New Targets And Mechanisms For Polynuclear Platinum Complexes, James D. Hampton

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer remains a serious clinical problem and in order to continue to improve patient health outcomes, novel treatment strategies must continue to be developed. Platinum chemotherapies remain as one of the most widely successful classes of cancer therapeutic, with over 50% of cancer patients receiving a platinate at some point over the span of their treatment. However, intrinsic and extrinsic resistances limit their effectiveness, long term efficacy, and broad applicability to multiple cancer subtypes. Therefore, the development of new agents and strategies which can overcome these limitations are crucial for patient health. To this end a novel class of polynuclear …

Preclinical Pharmacokinetic Studies Of Pterostilbene, And Its Human Pharmacokinetic Prediction Using Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling, Palak S. Phansalkar

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation research aimed to determine the preclinical pharmacokinetics of pterostilbene in vitro and develop a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model to simulate the animal and human PK profiles for pterostilbene. The in vitro PK characteristics of pterostilbene, including Caco-2 cell permeability, plasma protein binding, and metabolic stability were determined using rat and human intestinal & hepatic S9 subcellular fractions. The in vitro metabolic parameters determined in rat subcellular fractions were extrapolated to in vivo values to predict the oral bioavailability (F_oral) in rats. The predicted F_oral was found to be 43.0 %, which is similar to …

Searching For Gold: Using A Novel Land Cover Classification To Identify Multiscale Drivers Of Site Occupancy By A Flagship Species For Early-Successional Habitat Conservation, Baron Lin

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding habitat selection at multiple scales is an important step in guiding conservation programs and reversing species declines. This, however, is difficult for species that occupy early-successional habitats (ESH) due to a lack of accurate representation of shrub cover in publicly available land cover data. The Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera; GWWA) is a threatened species of conservation concern and a flagship for ESH conservation. We used a novel, LIDAR-derived land cover classification that accurately identifies shrubs at a fine resolution (1m) to investigate how habitat composition and configuration influence GWWA site occupancy. We aggregated this same land cover …

Owning Our Story: An Interior Exploration To Foster Self-Reflection, Hannah Bulow

Theses and Dissertations

With emerging technologies in the 21st century, Millennial and Gen Z adults have a complicated relationship with these new technologies when it comes to creating and sustaining personal relationships (Dalessandro, 2018). When persons aged 18-35 forged new relationships without the presence of technology, relationships were more organic, natural, and led to less conflicts. Neuroimaging of the brain has also shown that neurocognitive development during early adolescence and adulthood contributes to self-consciousness and vulnerability. Adolescents are called to develop their own identity separate from their parents and understanding how others are actually evaluating them (Sebastian, 2008)

Brene Brown states that most …

Structural Reorganization Of The Cisternal Organelle In Neuroinflammatory Disease, Myshak S. Abdi

Theses and Dissertations

The axon initial segment (AIS), an axonal sub compartment located immediately distal to the soma, is an important structure in mediating action potential generation and modulation. The morphology of this domain can be altered by a wide variety of activity-dependent, environmental, and pathological triggers. Dysregulation of axonal calcium (Ca²⁺) concentrations, and subsequent enzymatic degradation of AIS cytoskeletal architecture have been reported to underlie structural modifications of the AIS. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of neuronal Ca²⁺ channels have been shown to mitigate the disruptive effects of neuroinflammation on AIS structural integrity. Here we investigate the Cisternal Organelle (CO), a …

Yolkkh: The Story Of My People, Amna Zelimkha Yandarbin

Theses and Dissertations

The name of my project is: Yolkkh, The Story of My People. With this project I present a series of scarves each one bearing an illustrated scene in order to tell a story – my story and the story of the Noxci people. Noxci are the people who are referred to as “Chechens” by Russians and are generally known by that title. As a Muslim, I have witnessed the way Western media tend to dehumanize my community. In order to contrast this dehumanizing process, I thought that telling the story of my family would help reverse Islamophobic tendencies and raise …

Radioimmunoconjugate For Cancer Molecular Imaging, Nouri Elmekharam

Theses and Dissertations

Over expression of Sperm Acrosomal SLLP1 Binding protein (SAS1B) on the surface of uterine cancer and the availability of different anti-SAS1B monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that specifically bind to it, offered an opportunity to label these antibodies with radionuclides for cancer imaging. Although optimizing in vivo stable radiolabeling is challenging, imaging this type of aggressive cancer will improve the treatment strategy. The objective of this work is to develop a radiolabeled anti-SAS1B antibodies with Zircunum-89 (⁸⁹Zr) and Copper-67 (⁶⁷Cu) and determine, in vitro and in vivo their uptake and biodistribution. Two anti-SAS1B monoclonal antibodies (SB2, and SB5) …

Copper Sulfide Manganese Nanoparticles For Multimodality Imaging And Therapy, Ali S. Gawi Ermi

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

COPPER SULFIDE MANGANESE NANOPARTICLES FOR MULTIMODALITY IMAGING AND THERAPY

By Ali S. Gawi Ermi, MSc

Inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) are compatible with metal-based multi-modality molecular imaging and targeted therapy. Copper sulfide nanoparticles (CuS NPs) are attractive photoacoustic and photothermal agents and are amenable to incorporation of radionuclides and paramagnetic elements to facilitate image-guided therapy. The aim of this work is to develop manganese (Mn)- doped CuS NP, intrinsically radiolabeled with radionuclides such as (Zirconium-89 (⁸⁹Zr), Copper-64/67 (^64/67Cu) and Manganese-52/55 (^52/55Mn)). This novel approach combines Photoacoustic (PA), Positron emission tomography (PET), Single-photon emission computed tomography …