Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Virginia Commonwealth University

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 8221 - 8250 of 14283

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Assessment Of Seminary Education On End Of Life Issues, Stefan Hakon Pomrenke Jan 2008

Assessment Of Seminary Education On End Of Life Issues, Stefan Hakon Pomrenke

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The US health care system faces increased costs from end of life (EOL) care. The intensive approach to EOL treatment with greater use of procedures in ICUs has led to decedent spending six times greater than that of survivors in the hospital. Experts in ICU and Palliative care fields have called for greater utilization of end of life planning and education. To date, EOL education has been dominated by the technologically driven medical field and the church has been under-utilized. The US population relies on clergy support for many mental health and EOL issues. Clergy report feeling uncomfortable in …


Comparative Practices & Perspectives: Gender, Development And Empowerment In Uttarakhand, India And Northern Virginia, Sara Duke Jan 2008

Comparative Practices & Perspectives: Gender, Development And Empowerment In Uttarakhand, India And Northern Virginia, Sara Duke

Theses and Dissertations

The following thesis is a qualitative comparative case study which investigated the values, practices, perspectives, and strategies of Indian and American community organizers (practitioners and volunteers of non-profits and non-governmental organizations) who use microfinance, including savings schemes, as an instrument within the social intermediation process of developing disadvantaged women's capacities for self-sufficiency/empowerment. The focused inquiry was conducted through similarly structured in-depth interviews of directors, staff members and volunteers/community-based organizers of a women's business center in Northern Virginia, a large U.S. metropolitan area, and a women's federation in the rural Himalayas of Uttarakhand, India. Interview questions focused on savings, social intermediation, …


How Cultural Factors Hastened The Population Decline Of The Powhatan Indians, Julia Ruth Beckley Jan 2008

How Cultural Factors Hastened The Population Decline Of The Powhatan Indians, Julia Ruth Beckley

Theses and Dissertations

I did not create an abstract for this thesis.


The Effects Of Atomoxetine On Cognitive Performace And Neuroplasticity After Traumatic Brain Injury, Wendy Reid Jan 2008

The Effects Of Atomoxetine On Cognitive Performace And Neuroplasticity After Traumatic Brain Injury, Wendy Reid

Theses and Dissertations

Catecholaminergic neurotransmission is regionally altered following injury, and drugs aimed at these systems offer promising avenues for post-TBI pharmacotherapies. Atomoxetine is a selective norepinephrine transporter (NET) inhibitor currently indicated for treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The studies in this dissertation were designed to test the efficacy of atomoxetine for treating cognitive deficits following experimental TBI and the potential mechanism for any beneficial effect. The first part of the study focused on behavioral recovery following atomoxetine treatment. Several important questions of dose, therapeutic window, and duration of treatment were addressed in these studies. Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to lateral fluid-percussion …


Camk-Ii Promotes Beta-Catenin-Dependent Transcription By Binding Flightless-I, Jamie Mcleod Jan 2008

Camk-Ii Promotes Beta-Catenin-Dependent Transcription By Binding Flightless-I, Jamie Mcleod

Theses and Dissertations

Transient intracellular elevations of Ca2+ are common signaling mechanisms used to allosterically regulate proteins. One potential target of Ca2+ is Ca2+/calmodulin dependent protein kinase type II (CaMK-II). CaMK-II is a multi-functional protein kinase known to influence cellular pathways such as cell motility and cell cycle progression. Within the cell cycle, CaMK-II promotes the expression of the regulator protein cyclin D1, which is necessary for cell cycle progression. To further understand CaMK-II’s role in cyclin D1 expression, the binding partners of cytosolic CaMK-II were studied using mass spectrometry. Several proteins were identified including β actin, β tubulins, tropomodulin- 3 and Flightless-I. …


Reducing Bacterial Resistance Through Better Antibiotic Prescription Practices, Christine Ouma Jan 2008

Reducing Bacterial Resistance Through Better Antibiotic Prescription Practices, Christine Ouma

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to find a regression procedure that can better explain the relationship between patterns of antibiotic use and proportions of bacterial resistance. The sample for the study is comprised of 44 University Health System Consortium (UHC) member hospitals, and the data for antibiotic use and proportions of resistance are from the years 2002 to 2005. The hospitals are spread across the Northeast, South, Southwest, Midwest, and Northwest regions of the USA. Based on statistical analysis, MRSA continues to have the highest proportion of resistance among the bacteria examined and has increased significantly since 2002. The …


Density Of Gutta Percha By Weight In Straight Root Canals And Curved Root Canals After Single Cone, Cold Lateral, And Warm Vertical Condensation, Gerald Clay Sparrow Jan 2008

Density Of Gutta Percha By Weight In Straight Root Canals And Curved Root Canals After Single Cone, Cold Lateral, And Warm Vertical Condensation, Gerald Clay Sparrow

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the density of gutta percha following three different obturation techniques using two split-tooth models. One split-tooth model was constructed with a straight rooted maxillary incisor and the other with the curved palatal root of a maxillary molar. Each tooth was obturated using single cone, cold lateral, and warm vertical obturation techniques without sealer. Each obturation technique was performed 20 times for each of the root systems. The weights of the gutta percha were recorded for each root type and obturation technique by subtracting the post-fill weight from the pre-fill weight of the …


Evaluation Of An Early Discharge Policy For Infants With Apnea Of Prematurity, Cheryl N. Bodamer Jan 2008

Evaluation Of An Early Discharge Policy For Infants With Apnea Of Prematurity, Cheryl N. Bodamer

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the safety and cost effectiveness of an institutional policy on discharge of preterm infants with Apnea of Prematurity (AOP) from the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center Newborn Intensive Care Unit (VCUNC NICU) with caffeine therapy and a cardiorespiratory monitor. This practice policy was developed over a decade ago as a cost containment measure in neonatal care and continues to be implemented today despite the lack of a formal evaluation. The secondary objective was to examine through a review of the literature the psychosocial impact of premature birth on the family and the potential effect on the infant's …


Examining The Behavioral And Molecular Aspects Of Adolescent Nicotine Dependence: Implications For Vulnerability To Drugs Of Abuse, Dena Heath Kota Jan 2008

Examining The Behavioral And Molecular Aspects Of Adolescent Nicotine Dependence: Implications For Vulnerability To Drugs Of Abuse, Dena Heath Kota

Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 200 million men and 100 million women smoke worldwide. In the United States, an estimated 25.9 million men (23.9 percent) and 20.7 million women (18.1 percent) are smokers. The commencement of smoking at a young age is thought to increase addiction liability, decrease the probability of successful cessation, and correlate with a higher number of cigarettes smoked per day. Studies from the World Health Organization indicate that between 80,000 and 100,000 children start smoking every day worldwide. These statistics suggest that adolescence is a critical phase for developing nicotine dependence. The work in this dissertation contributes to the further …


5-Ht3 Receptor Ligands And Their Effect On Psychomotor Stimulants, Jessica Nicole Worsham Jan 2008

5-Ht3 Receptor Ligands And Their Effect On Psychomotor Stimulants, Jessica Nicole Worsham

Theses and Dissertations

Drug abuse and addiction are considered to be a result, at least in part, of the rewarding effects produced by increasing dopamine levels. 5-HT3 serotonin receptors have been shown to indirectly affect dopamine levels. Therefore, the effect of the 5-HT3 receptor partial agonist, MD-354, on the actions of psychomotor stimulants was analyzed in mouse locomotor activity assays to determine whether MD-354 is working through a 5-HT3 receptor agonist or antagonist mode of action. Studies with (+)amphetamine and (+)methamphetamine in combination with MD-354 indicated MD-354 is either devoid of action or is behaving similar to the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, ondansetron. This …


The Psychosocial Influence Of Dental Esthetics In Adolescents As Judged By Peers, Scott Thomas Henson Jan 2008

The Psychosocial Influence Of Dental Esthetics In Adolescents As Judged By Peers, Scott Thomas Henson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if dental esthetics affects the perception of adolescents regarding their peer's social aptitude in specific areas such as athletics, popularity, leadership, and academics. Ten patient photographs (4 males, 6 females) from a private orthodontic practice in Richmond, VA were selected for inclusion in this study. The frontal smiling photographs were digitally modified with insertion of either an ideal smile (straight) or a non-ideal smile (crooked) to create an image identical to the original except for an altered dental complex. Laypersons rated the straight and crooked patient photographs for athletic performance, socialization skills …


In Pursuit Of Paternal Significance: Fathers' Influence On Their Daughters' And Sons' Sexual Behaviors And Beliefs, Rachel S. Everley Jan 2008

In Pursuit Of Paternal Significance: Fathers' Influence On Their Daughters' And Sons' Sexual Behaviors And Beliefs, Rachel S. Everley

Theses and Dissertations

The United States has the highest teen pregnancy and adolescent STD rates of any industrialized nation. Numerous factors are involved in adolescent sexual decision-making and the social-ecological framework suggests that there are multiple levels of influence on adolescent development, including familial. Utilizing survey data from the Virginia Abstinence Education Initiative (VAEI), this project specifically explores paternal influences on adolescent sexual behavior and beliefs by examining paternal residence in the home, perceived paternal figure sexual beliefs, and father-child relationship factors. Results indicate that paternal figures influence their daughters' and sons' sexual behaviors as well as beliefs. Differences in paternal figure influence …


Characterization Of Microorganisms Of Interest To Homeland Security And Public Health Utilizing Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry, Robert A. Everley Jan 2008

Characterization Of Microorganisms Of Interest To Homeland Security And Public Health Utilizing Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry, Robert A. Everley

Theses and Dissertations

Liquid chromatography/quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (LC/QTOF MS) utilizing electrospray ionization was employed to monitor protein expression in Escherichia coli and Shigella organisms. Automated charge state deconvolution, spectral subtraction and spectral mirroring were used to reveal subtle differences in the LC/MS data. Reproducible intact protein biomarkers were discovered based on their unique mass, retention time and relative intensity. These markers were implemented to differentiate closely related strain types, (e.g. two distinct isolates of E. coli O157:H7) and to correctly identify unknown pathogens. Notable, was the distinction of multiple serotypes of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli which cannot be distinguished by clinical …


Inflammation-Associated Gene Regulation In Primary Astrocytes, Glial Tumors And Cellular Differentiation, Katarzyna Marta Wilczynska Jan 2008

Inflammation-Associated Gene Regulation In Primary Astrocytes, Glial Tumors And Cellular Differentiation, Katarzyna Marta Wilczynska

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation elucidates several independent molecular mechanisms that function in astrocytes and glial tumor cells, and suggest that developmental and inflammatory signals may contribute to the development of brain tumors. First, we analyzed the mechanism of TIMP-1 activation in astrocytes and glioblastoma cells. TIMP-1 expression is activated by IL-1, which is the major neuroinflammatory cytokine, via simultaneous activation of IKK/NF-kB and MEK3/6/p38/ATF-2 pathways in primary human astrocytes. In contrast to astrocytes, TIMP-1 is expressed at lower levels in glioblastomas, and is not regulated by IL-1 due to either dysfunctional IKK/NF-kB or MEK3/6/p38/ATF-2 activation. Thus, we propose a novel mechanism of …


Greenlife: A Sustainable Retail Space, Veronica J. Ledford Jan 2008

Greenlife: A Sustainable Retail Space, Veronica J. Ledford

Theses and Dissertations

GreenLife is the name of the retail interior design project that embodies this thesis. Using interior design as a medium to influence customers,I sought to create an environment that promotes a connection to nature and an awareness of creative possiblities within the context of a store. It addresses the problem of personal social responsiblity by using shopping, a dominant activity in the western world, as a tool for change. As a project, GreenLife attempts to answer three questions: How does design inform cultural experience? How can a connection with nature inform consumerism? Can a store transcend its purpose from filling …


Grace Street Senior Center, Virginia Brockett Jan 2008

Grace Street Senior Center, Virginia Brockett

Theses and Dissertations

Societal structure has changed through the decades to reflect a contemporary interest in youth culture. The nuclear family, where generations lived under one roof no longer exists, leaving the elderly on the periphery of the family structure. Where once grandparents, parents and children all cohabitated, now the oldest family members are relegated to solitary retirement and aging alone. Studies have shown that "depression in the elderly is more likely to lead to suicide. Elderlywhite men are at greatest risk, with suicide rates in people ages 80 to 84 more than twice that of the general population. The National Institute of …


Amendment (2008 Fall) Jan 2008

Amendment (2008 Fall)

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.


Growing Adult Readers: Promoting Leisure Reading In Academic Libraries, Renée Bosman, John Glover, Monique Prince Jan 2008

Growing Adult Readers: Promoting Leisure Reading In Academic Libraries, Renée Bosman, John Glover, Monique Prince

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

This article provides an introduction to the recreational reading promotion tools at VCU Libraries, including a book review blog, book swap, and bulletin board, as well as the libraries’ involvement with VCU’s summer reading program and Richmond’s citywide “One Community One Book” initiative. Policies and operating procedures will be examined, and these services will be discussed in the context of other libraries’ offerings. We will also discuss why there is a need for these services–which have traditionally been the purview of the public library–on a college campus. Reading among American adults is in dramatic decline, and the academic library is …


Virginia Dental Journal (Vol. 85, No. 3, 2008) Jan 2008

Virginia Dental Journal (Vol. 85, No. 3, 2008)

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.


Virginia Dental Journal (Vol. 85, No. 2, 2008) Jan 2008

Virginia Dental Journal (Vol. 85, No. 2, 2008)

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.


A Comparison Of Ordinary Least Squares And Instrumental Variables Regression For High Intensity Disease Management Evaluation, Gerald A. Craver Jan 2008

A Comparison Of Ordinary Least Squares And Instrumental Variables Regression For High Intensity Disease Management Evaluation, Gerald A. Craver

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Disease management (DM) programs are typically evaluated using study designs that are susceptible to selection bias and other internal validity threats because participants are often allowed to self-select into the programs. As a result, DM evaluation results are usually biased because researchers are unable to control for preexisting differences between the DM participants and non-participants. Linden and Adams (2006) offer an instrumental variables (IV) regression procedure as a means of deriving unbiased estimates of DM program effectiveness. However, IV regression relies upon the existence of one or more variables (or instruments) that produce considerable variation in the program participation …


Regulation Of Platelet-Activating Factor Acetylhydrolase By Oxidized Phospholipids And Proinflammatory Cytokines, Muralikrishna Mukkamala Jan 2008

Regulation Of Platelet-Activating Factor Acetylhydrolase By Oxidized Phospholipids And Proinflammatory Cytokines, Muralikrishna Mukkamala

Theses and Dissertations

Platelet-Activating Factor Acetylhydrolase (PAFAH) is a monocyte-derived phospholipase A2 that catalyzes the hydrolysis of platelet-activating factor (PAF) and has been implicated in atherosclerosis. Although PAF and other proinflammatory stimuli are postulated to induce the enzyme, mechanisms controlling PAFAH expression are largely unknown at present. We have shown that PAFAH induction in monocytes is increased in response to oxidized phospholipids. The PAFAH 5' flanking region has at least 10 putative Stat elements, and IL-6 has been shown to be downstream from the prostaglandin receptor, EP2, which has been shown to bind oxidized phospholipids, prompting the hypothesis that Stat proteins might regulate …


An Scir Model Of Meningococcal Meningitis, Kalimah Vereen Jan 2008

An Scir Model Of Meningococcal Meningitis, Kalimah Vereen

Theses and Dissertations

A model for meningitis is developed by adding a class of carriers to the basic SIR model. This model is used to analyze the impact a vaccination program can have on the health of the population of epidemic prone countries. Analysis of the model shows the local stability of the disease free equilibrium, the existence of an endemic equilibrium and computation of the reproduction number, ℜ0 . Using a MATLAB program we simulate a time course of the model using parameters gathered from the World Health Organization. The numerical solution demonstrates that our reproduction number was correct. We thenconcluded that …


Enzymology And Molecular Biology Of Bile Acid 7alpha- And 7beta- Dehydroxylation By The Intestinal Bacteria Clostridium Scindens And Clostridium Hylemonae, Jason Michael Ridlon Jan 2008

Enzymology And Molecular Biology Of Bile Acid 7alpha- And 7beta- Dehydroxylation By The Intestinal Bacteria Clostridium Scindens And Clostridium Hylemonae, Jason Michael Ridlon

Theses and Dissertations

The collective microbial genomes within our gut(microbiome) represent a powerful metabolic force, leading many authors to call our GI flora an "organ within an organ", and the metagenomic sequencing of our microbiome, "the second human genome project". Bile acids, endogenously produced by the host liver, represent both a strong selective pressure for potential colonizers, aswell as substrates for microbial metabolism. Indeed, microbes have evolved enzymes to deconjugate bile salts, epimerize bile acid hydroxyl groups, and 7alpha-dehydroxylateprimary bile acids. The products of microbial 7alpha-dehydroxylation, secondary bile acids, are suggested by numerous lines of evidence to be involved in promoting colon carcinogenesis. …


Flow-Acting: Modern Sports Science And The Preparation Of Actors, Barrett Slade Billew Jan 2008

Flow-Acting: Modern Sports Science And The Preparation Of Actors, Barrett Slade Billew

Theses and Dissertations

Theatre artists and acting teachers throughout history have sought to find and create presence. By combining modern sports science with an understanding of systems of actor training I have suggested an approach that makes presence a trainable skill. My coach Dr. Scott Sonnon, developer of the Circular Strength Training System, has refined modern sports science to emphasize the development and maintenance of flow-state. This state allows the athlete to respond openly and freely within a constantly changing situation.By combining my life long study of acting with my eight years of work with Coach Sonnon I am developing a system to …


Lucky Strike Branch Library, Vanessa Yvonne Vinsant Jan 2008

Lucky Strike Branch Library, Vanessa Yvonne Vinsant

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project is an examination of how design can reinvigorate interest in reading through the creation of a branch library. The primary focus of this study is to generate a space that successfully binds intellectual interests, social and economic groups to re-establish community.


Virginia Emergency Department Physician Knowledge Of The Emergent Treatment Of Avulsed Teeth, Joy Leatrice Barnes Phelps Jan 2008

Virginia Emergency Department Physician Knowledge Of The Emergent Treatment Of Avulsed Teeth, Joy Leatrice Barnes Phelps

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge and treatment protocols for physicians in Virginia emergency departments in regards to the emergent treatment of avulsed teeth.Methods: Using a cross sectional survey design, an 8-item questionnaire regarding the treatment of avulsed teeth was emailed to 75 emergency department chairpersons in Virginia. After 30 days, a reminder paper copy of the questionnaire was mailed and an email reminder with the on-line link was sent. After 60 days the study was closed. Comparisons were made using chi-square analysis based on percentages to test for significance. Results: The response rate was …


Alternative Orthodontic Bonding Protocol Using Self Etching Primer, Rush-Baker Gaines Caldwell Jan 2008

Alternative Orthodontic Bonding Protocol Using Self Etching Primer, Rush-Baker Gaines Caldwell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to develop a bonding method that can achieve clinically acceptable bond strength values while leaving a minimum amount of adhesive on the tooth surface during the debonding process. One hundred teeth were randomly assigned into groups. Five different enamel surface preparation protocols were tested (N = 20, each): Conventional acid etch, standard SEP, SEP applied with a light brush stroke (altered SEP 1), SEP applied directly to the composite of pre-coated bracket (altered SEP 2), and Primer Only groups. Brackets were debonded using an Instron universal testing machine (Instron, Canton, MA) in shear …


Endocannabinoid Modulation Of Spatial Memory In Aversively And Appetitively Motivated Barnes Maze Tasks, John Pinckney Harloe Jan 2008

Endocannabinoid Modulation Of Spatial Memory In Aversively And Appetitively Motivated Barnes Maze Tasks, John Pinckney Harloe

Theses and Dissertations

Genetic deletion or pharmacological blockade of the CB1 receptor has been reported to impair extinction learning in aversive conditioning (i.e., conditioned fear and Morris water maze) paradigms, but not in operant procedures in which food reinforcement is earned. It is difficult to discern whether the differential effects caused by CB1 receptor disruption on extinction result from the hedonics (i.e., aversive vs. appetitive) or is related to the required responses associated with these disparate tasks. In order to evaluate whether the hedonics is the determining factor, we used either aversive (i.e., escape from bright lights and air turbulence) or appetitive (i.e., …


Effects Of Smoking And Gender On Tetrahydroisoquinolines And Beta-Carbolines In A Healthy Population And During Alcohol Detoxification, Satjit Singh Brar Jan 2008

Effects Of Smoking And Gender On Tetrahydroisoquinolines And Beta-Carbolines In A Healthy Population And During Alcohol Detoxification, Satjit Singh Brar

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of smoking and gender on 1) tetrahydroisoquinolines (TIQs) and beta-carbolines (BCs) in a population of healthy subjects and 2) TIQs in an alcohol-dependent population undergoing in-patient detoxification. Comparison in plasma TIQs between the populations was additionally conducted. To support the clinical investigations, a HPLC-FD method was developed and validated to assess plasma concentrations of BCs, harman and norharman, while a HPLC-ESI-MS/MS method was validated to quantify the TIQs, R/S-salsolinol along with dopamine. Forty-one young volunteers were recruited including 19 nonsmokers (NS), 11 light smokers (LS) and 11 heavy smokers (HS), …