Digital Commons Network^™

Characterization Of Growth, Motility And C-Di-Gmp In Selenomonas Sputigena Atcc 35185, Margaret E J Stiker

Theses and Dissertations

Selenomonas sputigena is an obligate anaerobic, Gram-negative pathobiont that transitions from a low-abundance commensal bacteria to a structural component in dysbiotic oral biofilms associated with early childhood caries and periodontitis. Analysis of S. sputigena ATCC 35185 cultures optimized in TYGVS media revealed robust growth, characteristic crescent morphology with flagellar tuft motility, and strong monospecies biofilm formation comparable to Streptococcus mutans via crystal violet assays.

ELISA quantification demonstrated significantly elevated c-di-GMP levels in sessile biofilm fractions relative to motile planktonic cells (p=0.0009), establishing the secondary messenger’s correlation with the motile-sessile lifestyle switch. Recombinant expression and purification yielded PilZ-domain effector proteins, Selsp_1666 …

Examining Bidirectional Associations Between Mothers’ Beliefs About Emotions And Child Social-Emotional Outcomes, Sydney Sumrall

Theses and Dissertations

Social-emotional (SE) skills encompass the ability to recognize and regulate emotions, manage behavior to act on goals, and maintain social relationships (Abrahams et al., 2019). Parents play a crucial role in child SE skill development. According to theories of emotion socialization (ES), the beliefs parents hold about emotions shape parents’ ES behaviors, including teaching children how to understand and express feelings (Eisenberg et al., 1998; Gottman, 1996). Because emotion socialization practices are influenced by cultural values (Raval & Walker, 2019), the parent beliefs and ES strategies that best support children’s SE skill development may vary across families’ racial backgrounds. Although …

Social And Community Determinants Of Alcohol Use Among Hispanic/Latino College Students: The Role Of Early Adversity And Drinking Motives, Isis A. Garcia-Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Background. Alcohol use remains one of the most prevalent health-risk behaviors among college students in the United States and is associated with a range of academic, physical, and psychological consequences. Hispanic/Latino college students navigate complex social and cultural environments that may influence alcohol use behaviors, including exposure to early-life adversity, sociopolitical stressors, and culturally grounded sources of resilience. Guided by the Healthy People 2030 Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) framework, this study examined how social and community context factors relate to alcohol use among Hispanic/Latino college students and whether drinking motives function as a psychological mechanism linking social experiences to …

Environmental Monitoring In Shallow Lakes: Public Health Threats In Urban Waters, Kyleigh E. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Lakes are an integral part of urban and suburban communities, providing ecological, recreational, and public health benefits. Many of these lakes are located in densely populated areas and are subject to urban influences on water quality. Algal toxins and Escherichia coli are two common recreational concerns. Algal toxins come from harmful algal blooms that are influenced by nutrient availability and temperature, while bacteria are often introduced through run-off and animal waste. Sampling every 3-4 weeks from May-October 2025 allowed for the assessment of seasonal patterns and site-specific differences across nine lakes in the Richmond area. The highest bacterial concentrations appeared …

Mathematical Models With Clinical Applications For Improving Health Outcomes, Helen Harris

Theses and Dissertations

In clinical settings, patients are exposed to many risks and stressors that could result in adverse health outcomes. Here we present mathematical models that seek to address these risks. First, we present a Markov Chain model to investigate the effect of medication reconciliation (MR) completion on patient health outcomes in the intensive care unit. Using this model, we simulate the annual incidence of adverse drug events (ADEs) for three different ADE rates. Based on the simulated results, we conduct a cost-benefit analysis for various levels of compliance to determine the financial implications of increasing MR completion depending on the baseline …

Absolute Quantification And Identification Of Rna From Rna-Lipid Nanoparticles Using High Resolution Mass Spectrometry, Jason C. Funderburk

Theses and Dissertations

RNA therapeutics are a rising drug category with potential use for a range of conditions encompassing infectious diseases to therapies for cancer, diseases, and genetic disorders. RNA-lipid nanoparticles (RNA-LNPs) are the prominent delivery method for these therapeutics approved products include mRNA vaccines and polyneuropathy treatments. The emergency use authorizations and orphan drug status of current RNA-LNP drugs has allowed approval without finalization of the regulatory analytical procedures for quality monitoring. The objective of the study was to develop an LC-MS assay to simultaneously measure identity and concentration of two therapeutically relevant intact RNA constructs extracted from RNA-LNPs to enhance quality …

A Framework For Digital Energy Modulation And Translation In Projectional X-Ray Imaging, Richard R. Wargo

Theses and Dissertations

In projectional X-ray imaging, acquisition energy fundamentally influences subject contrast, image noise, and radiation dose. While dual-energy techniques exploit spectral differences to optimize contrast and enable material separation, acquiring multiple images of the same anatomy often requires additional exposures and increased system complexity.

This dissertation presents a framework for digital energy modulation (DEM), in which computational models are trained to translate projection images between energy domains without requiring additional X-ray acquisitions. DEM is conceived as a generalizable strategy for controlled contrast modulation in projection imaging, with potential applications in image optimization, radiation therapy alignment, and dual-energy applications.

The framework was …

The Impacts Of Mentoring On Mentor Teachers In A Teacher Residency Program, Eric J. Lindley

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher shortages across the United States have made educational researchers consider strategies for teacher retention. Teacher Residency Programs (TRPs) are a compelling focal area in which to study mentorship as it relates to teacher shortages and teacher retention because of their intentional preparation, development, and support for participating mentor teachers. For my dissertation study, I was interested in exploring mentors’ perceptions of their roles, relationships, and preparation as well as the impacts that mentoring had on them beyond what has already been reported in the literature. Using a qualitative interview design study approach, I conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 experienced …

Generating Synthetic Ct From Mri Data, Foysal Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides excellent soft tissue contrast without ionizing radiation, making it a strong alternative to computed tomography (CT) in medical imaging workflows. However, CT remains essential for applications requiring electron density information, such as radiation therapy treatment planning. This study investigated the feasibility of generating synthetic CT (sCT) images from MRI using a deep learning-based U-Net architecture. A two-dimensional U-Net was trained on paired MRI-CT data from the SynthRAD 2025 dataset, consisting of 120 T1-weighted (T1W) and 60 T2-weighted (T2W) axial cases, including deformed CT (dCT) aligned to MRI. Model testing used an independent dataset of 30 …

Magnetic Resonance Only Planning Validation Using Synthetic Ct By Mvision, Eric D. Brass Sr

Theses and Dissertations

Problems: Adaptive radiotherapy requires clinically practical methods for responding to patient-anatomy changes that occur between the original planning images and the day of treatment delivery. Registering a previously acquired computed tomography scan to a newly acquired magnetic resonance image can introduce cross-modality uncertainty and may delay replanning. This thesis evaluates whether synthetic computed tomography generated from same-day magnetic resonance imaging can reduce registration-related uncertainty while supporting rapid dose recalculation for fraction-level adaptation.

Procedure: Magnetic resonance imaging DICOM data were exported from the ViewRay MRIdian treatment planning system and uploaded to MVision for synthetic computed tomography generation. The synthetic computed tomography …

Development Of A Practical Lu-177 Activity Calibration Protocol For Clinical Nuclear Medicine: Dosimetric Impact Analysis And Implementation Tools, Azam Almolaiki

Theses and Dissertations

Lutetium-177 (Lu-177) is widely used in radionuclide therapy, where accurate activity measurement prior to administration is essential for safe and effective treatment delivery. However, variability in dose calibrator response due to measurement conditions and source geometry remains a practical challenge in routine clinical settings. This study presents a practical clinical calibration strategy under real-world constraints for Lu-177 activity measurement using standard nuclear medicine instrumentation. A vial-based approach was implemented using a well-type ionization chamber (Capintec CRC-15R) to evaluate measurement repeatability, temporal stability, and geometry dependence. All measurements were performed under consistent conditions with appropriate decay correction applied using the physical …

A Mutant Perfect, Amelia R. Baxter

Theses and Dissertations

A Mutant Perfect examines how embodied knowledge can be made visible and transmissible through ceramic figures. The research asks what forms emerge when making is understood as a mode of thinking rather than a vehicle for pre-formed ideas, and how those forms might activate somatic recognition in a viewer. The primary method is coil-built ceramic sculpture. Color is applied in layered coats and removed by hand-sanding to expose varying strata beneath, producing a speckled, worn surface. In a second approach, pigment is built directly into the clay body through coil construction, making color structural rather than applied. Narrative prose and …

Characterization Of Microrna Expression In Neuron-Enriched Extracellular Vesicles During Early Life, Allison Molen

Theses and Dissertations

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound sacs released by cells that carry molecular cargo reflective of their cell of origin. EVs enriched using L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM) as a marker of putative neuronal origin can cross the blood–brain barrier and provide a minimally invasive window into brain-related processes. Exosomal microRNA (miRNA) regulate gene expression and have been implicated in psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD). However, measuring and analyzing miRNA from L1CAM-positive EVs presents substantial analytical challenges due to low abundance and sparse detection across samples.

Plasma samples from participants recruited through the Mid-Atlantic Twin Registry (MATR) were used …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Teacher-Report Modifications Of A Tier 2 Evidence-Based Program In Elementary Schools After Implementation Supports Are Withdrawn, Navneet Kaur

Theses and Dissertations

Growing literature emphasizes the importance of examining modifications (i.e., responses to unforeseen challenges and deliberate changes to a program) made by implementers to understand the long-term outcomes of evidence-based programs (EBPs), particularly after formal implementation supports, such as training and coaching, are withdrawn. Although prior research has documented that they occur during implementation, less is known about whether modifications occur once external supports are no longer available, and if so, what types of modifications are made, and the rationale for them. This gap is especially salient in school settings for teacher-delivered interventions. To address this gap, this study used semi-structured …

Examining The Impact Of Trauma-Informed Mindfulness Meditation On Posttraumatic Growth Following Interpersonal Trauma: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Margaret Poandl

Theses and Dissertations

Research on interventions designed to increase posttraumatic growth (PTG) among interpersonal trauma survivors is limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a six-week trauma-informed mindfulness meditation intervention on PTG. Additionally, I examined outcomes of posttraumatic stress (PTS) and loneliness, as well as analyzed the variables of dispositional mindfulness, hope, spirituality, and self-compassion to understand their potential role as mechanisms of change within the intervention on PTG. To answer these research questions, I conducted a randomized controlled trial study with 113 adults from a community sample who reported experiencing interpersonal trauma. Utilizing linear mixed modeling and …

Commissioning & Daily Qa Of Converted Linac For Electron Flash, Tomaj Javidtash

Theses and Dissertations

Ultra-high dose rate (FLASH) radiotherapy has demonstrated promising normal tissue sparing in preclinical studies; however, the lack of standardized dosimetry, commissioning, and quality assurance (QA) methodologies remains a major barrier to its reproducible and safe implementation. In particular, conventional clinical commissioning and QA protocols are not directly applicable at FLASH dose rates due to challenges associated with detector response, dose-per-pulse effects, and beam control limitations.

This thesis presents the commissioning of a converted Varian 21EX linear accelerator for electron FLASH operation within the Division of Medical Physics at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Department of Radiation Oncology. Comprehensive beam characterization …

Within The Ruin: A Modern Brewery Rebirth, Karim Asarzadeh

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project focuses on the revitalization of the historic ruins of the James River Steam Brewery in Richmond, Virginia. The project transforms the forgotten industrial structure into a modern brewery with a second-floor restaurant addition and community gathering spaces while preserving the historic masonry ruins. It showcases a holistic design approach that considers all aspects of the building, including its connection to the urban context and landscape, as well as its architecture, interiors, and furniture. The project demonstrates how a holistic design approach can create stronger spatial connections and more cohesive environments. In particular, it offers a strategy for …

Exploring, Understanding, And Supporting Academic Help-Seeking In Context, Molly L. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

Conceptualized as a self-regulated learning (SRL) strategy, academic help-seeking is a fascinating behavior because it is self-directed while also reliant on social interactions with help-givers (Karabenick, 2004). What is known about help-seeking in academic settings largely revolves around individual traits, strategies, motivations, beliefs, and identities, and how each of these constructs influence help-seeking outcomes (Bornschlegl et al., 2020; Fong et al., 2023; Karabenick & Gonida, 2018). What is underexplored in these areas, however, is how features of the learning context interact with student-level factors to shape academic help-seeking behaviors and beliefs. This dissertation attempts to address some of these gaps …

In-Between Echoes, Jiayi Liang

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I explore memory, diaspora, labor, and intergenerational trauma through constructed photography and experimental film. Informed by Homi K. Bhabha’s concept of the Third Space, I examine how identity is shaped through displacement, cultural negotiation, and inherited memory. Drawing from my relationship with my grandmother and my experience as a Chinese woman living in diaspora, I consider labor as both survival and care, tracing how domestic gestures and emotional structures continue across generations. Through collage, reconstruction, and animation, I rework fragments of family archives, colonial landscape imagery, and personal photographs to address grief, racialized perception, belonging, and the …

Techniques For Inclusive College Mathematics Classrooms, Christopher Anderson Davis, Josh Hiller, Anil Venkatesh

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

Creating a welcoming and inclusive mathematics classroom is an important responsibility for all college mathematics faculty. But where do we begin? In this paper we present several techniques based on White’s (2024) building inclusive classrooms strategies framework, which the authors have found to be successful in making their own classrooms more inclusive. The techniques include the inclusion of contemporary diverse voices, exploring the history of applications of mathematical concepts, elevating the diverse intellectual history of mathematics, bringing diverse guest speakers into the classroom, and mentoring students as they engage in doing research. For each strategy we provide narrative comments based …

Growing With Purpose: An Organizational Life Cycle Analysis Of Capacity, Strategy, And Client Centered Practices, Jackie Robinson Brock, Stacy Wilson, Yadira Guerrero-Adams

Doctor of Education Capstones

Single parent families and the costs associated with child care are on the rise. The burden of single parenthood and child care costs is not limited to financial strain; emotional and psychological stressors create an additional “burden of care” (Ha et al., 2015) that is a significant factor in single-parent households. The capstone project team worked with a Virginia-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting middle income single parent families experiencing an undue burden of financial hardship amid rising child care costs. The capstone project team used an improvement science approach (Hinnant-Crawford, 2020), parallel convergent mixed methods, design, and the organizational life …

From Compliance To Connection: Advancing Authentic Community In Vcu Residence Halls, Sarah M. Ramkey, Keon Nesmith, Carly Croft

Doctor of Education Capstones

This capstone project examines challenges to authentic community building within Virginia Commonwealth University’s Residential Life and Housing (RLH) department. Although the Community Development Model (CDM) was originally designed to foster belonging through structured engagement, it has increasingly been perceived by frontline staff as a compliance-driven checklist rather than a tool to develop community. Using improvement science principles, this case study identifies outdated curriculum, misalignment with student needs, and disconnect between senior leadership and frontline staff as systemic barriers to building authentic community in RLH, including student residence halls.

We used a single-institution case study design. We conducted empathy interviews with …

An Ecological Systems Perspective On Chronic Absenteeism: The Role Of Family Engagement In Virginia Secondary Education, Jenna Conlee, Joel W. Fravel, Bryan M. Hannun, Imani K. Hinson, Erika R. Napolitano

Doctor of Education Capstones

Chronic absenteeism has emerged as a significant challenge for schools across the United States, particularly following disruptions associated with the COVID-19 global pandemic. This capstone project examined how school leaders in Virginia understood and navigated the relationship between family engagement and chronic absenteeism. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, the study addressed two research questions focused on identifying family engagement practices perceived as effective in improving attendance and examining the barriers schools encountered when engaging families to address chronic absenteeism. Data were collected through nine semistructured interviews with school leaders and observations of two high school attendance team meetings. Using …

Interrupting Inequity: A Systems Change Approach To Reducing Discipline Disproportionality, Jesse Raymond Ault, Jacqueline Theresa Barber, Tara Alexis Hodges, Brittnei Nicole Mckeithen-Barnes, Marleny Perdomo

Doctor of Education Capstones

Disproportionate discipline in public schools remains a persistent and complex challenge, particularly for Black and Hispanic students, male students, and students with disabilities. This capstone project examined patterns of racial discipline disproportionality within a large, suburban school division, referred to throughout the project as Polaris County Schools (PCS), to better understand the systemic conditions contributing to these disparities. Using a mixed-methods approach grounded in the Public Education Leadership Project (PELP) framework, the research team conducted document and literature analysis, school board observations, partner consultations, and a review of disaggregated discipline data. The team also engaged in external interviews with experts …

Understanding Student Non-Use Of Vcu's Cabell Library Through Ecological Systems Theory: A Mixed-Methods Study, Tracy D. Booker, Ethan L. Carter, Joshua C.J. Lockhart, Margaret E. Mcdearmon, Jessica S. Watson

Doctor of Education Capstones

This study examined undergraduate students’ non-use of physical spaces and services within Cabell Library at a large, urban public university. While academic libraries are widely associated with student success, patterns of engagement remain uneven, with a subset of students not utilizing these resources at all. This study sought to understand which students do not use the library and why, with particular attention to identifying systemic barriers and opportunities to improve equitable access and engagement. Grounded in Ecological Systems Theory and informed by improvement science, the study employed a mixed-methods research design to capture both patterns of behavior and lived experiences. …

Southside Greening Plan: Leveraging Community-Based Partnerships To Foster Resilience In Richmond, Virginia, L. Nicole Roemer

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

Southside is a frontline community within the City of Richmond that disproportionately experiences urban heat island (UHI) effect and stormwater flooding. Southside residents are vulnerable to climate change and have a low adaptive capacity for resilience, largely because of disinvestment and reduced access to greenspaces. This makes them more vulnerable to heat-related and respiratory illnesses, more likely to experience higher energy bills and less affordable housing, and more likely to be impacted by extreme weather. The city master plan Richmond 300: A Guide to Growth, adopted in 2017 (amended in 2021), acknowledges this context. However, community-based organizations (CBOs) struggle to …

Redeveloping Underutilized Faith-Based Properties For Affordable Housing Through Education And Engagement Strategies, Ananya Joyita

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

Across the United States, many faith-based institutions are confronting declining attendance, underused property, and growing financial strain while their surrounding communities face severe affordable housing shortages. This plan explores how structured education and engagement strategies can help congregations redevelop underutilized land for affordable housing, using Trinity Episcopal Church in Arlington, Virginia as a pilot site for a model that can be adapted by other churches across the Diocese of Virginia.

Trinity’s 1.2-acre campus along Columbia Pike presents both urgent challenges and strong redevelopment potential. The church operates at a financial deficit, uses only a small portion of its facilities, and …

Turning Local Strength Into Regional Change: An Operational Plan For Capacity Building In Virginia’S Tobacco Region, Ellie Plisko

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

Virginia's Tobacco Region possesses meaningful community assets including committed local leadership, established social networks, and demonstrated resilience, yet many localities consistently struggle to translate those strengths into high-impact economic development projects. The gap is not one of vision or funding, but of organizational capacity: the ability to develop, manage, and implement complex projects over time.

This capstone plan was developed for the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission (TRRC) to address that gap directly. Drawing on semi-structured stakeholder interviews, document and case analysis, and comparative institutional assessment, the research identifies the structural, relational, and process-based conditions that distinguish successful projects from …

Finding Rural Nodes: A Tool For Node Site Selection In Surry County, Va, Marisa Perez

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

Surry County is a beautiful and historically agriculturally based community. Current residents have expressed the desire to expand their current grocery, retail, services, and amenity options while still retaining its rural character that they have grown to love. This rural character comes in the form of low cost of living, low cost of public services, and protection of farmland. However, Surry’s population has faced a decline over the last ten years and is seeking new and creative ways to retain and attract new residents. To facilitate this new growth while preserving Surry’s characteristically rural character, the County has decided to …

Evaluating Tenant Education Programs At Portsmouth Redevelopment & Housing Authority, Jordyn Taylor

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

This professional plan evaluates the effectiveness of tenant education programs offered by the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority (PRHA) in Portsmouth, Virginia. The study incorporates both tenant and staff perspectives while acknowledging the historical and structural inequities embedded within public housing systems. It focuses on how existing programs support tenant empowerment, housing stability, and long-term self-sufficiency.

Findings indicate that while PRHA programs provide meaningful support to residents, there are notable gaps in accessibility, engagement, and program clarity. In response, this plan recommends enhancements that emphasize more structured, outcome-oriented programming, particularly in areas such as financial literacy, credit repair, and pathways …