Digital Commons Network^™

Factors Associated With Metabolic Syndrome, Patricia Marie Selig

Theses and Dissertations

The metabolic syndrome, a clinical condition linked to diabetes and cardiovascular disease is a powerful predictor for overall mortality, and is present in more than 20% of the US. population (Ford, Giles, & Dietz, 2002). This study examines gender differences as well as other factors associated with metabolic syndrome as defined by the Adult Treatment Panel III of the National Cholesterol Education Program.

A sample of 10,134 adults between 20-64 years of age was selected from the Third National Health and Nutrition Survey. Metabolic syndrome was present in 19.6 % of this sample. An ecological model of health services was …

The Relationship Of Metabolic Control To Hardiness, Self-Efficacy, And Perceived Medication Adherence In Adults With Diabetes Mellitus, Ok Chon Allison

Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes mellitus, a serious and costly disease, is a public health challenge. Diabetes is controllable, yet non-adherence to prescribed medications causes diabetesrelated complications resulting in hospital admissions and readmissions that may be prevented. A cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational study was conducted to investigate the relationship of metabolic control (A1C) to hardiness, self-efficacy, and perceived medication adherence. Health-Related Hardiness Scale (Pollock, 1990); Long-Term Medication Behavior Self-Efficacy Scale (De Geest et al., 1994); and Perceived Medication Adherence Scale (Allison, 2000) were administered to 215 participants. Data analyses of correlation and multiple linear regression using SPSS 10.0 statistical software were performed. Metabolic control was not …

Vascular Cell Dysfunction And Transendothelial Migration Of Neutrophils In Preeclampsia, Courtney Elizabeth Leik

Theses and Dissertations

Oxidative stress, hyperlipidemia, neutrophil activation and endothelial cell dysfunction are characteristic of women with preeclampsia. We used in vitro experiments to test if a combination of oxidative stress and linoleic acid favors a mechanism for neutrophil transendothelial migration. We used linoleic acid because it is one of the fatty acids elevated in preeclampsia and the precursor for arachidonic acid and its inflammatory metabolites. For these studies, we developed a methodology for isolating and Culturing human vascular smooth muscle cells from placental chorionic plate arteries. Treatment of these cells with an oxidizing solution enriched with linoleic acid, but neither component alone, …

Mechanisms Underlying Protection Against Rt-2 Gliomagenesis In Rat Brain Utilizing Primary And Secondary Vaccination, Andrea M. Lister

Theses and Dissertations

Primary brain tumor affects some 18,000 adults in the United States each year (Silverberg et al., 1990; Merchant et al., 1997) and over 30% are high-grade anaplastic astrocytoma or glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) (Parney et al., 1997). According to Kruse et al., 1989, the treatment of patients with recurrent or persistent high-grade gliomas represents a major therapeutic challenge. The use of conventional therapy consisting of surgery, followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy for gliomas, has been relatively ineffective (Jaecle et al., 1994) despite the fact that these therapies are cytoreductive in nature (Black, 1991). Most malignancies will recur locally but may …

Self-Image, Tammy Jean Wymer

Theses and Dissertations

Many current media images of women have underlying messages that affect our psyche in a negative way, whether or not we are aware. These images convey an unrealistic, distorted view of ideals and perfection, which create an unattainable model to live up to. As women, we should be cherishing our uniqueness, but, rather than celebrating and accepting ourselves, we are taught to judge and conceal. This project seeks to address inner beauty as a reflection of our energy, vitality, wisdom and the mental, as well as emotional, engagement in our lives. The terms perfection and imperfection will be redefined and …

Combat Dance:A Creatively Holistic Approach To Movement Performance Art, Raymont Lee Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

"Combat Dance" is an eclectic blend of combat and dance art forms combined and taught from the Fall 2001 to Spring 2003. As defined here, combat dance is a blend of techniques and principles gleaned from both unarmed and armed aspects of stage combat, martial arts (such as aikido and kung fu), modern dance and other expressive movements used to tell a story of conflict. Its primary purpose is to provide both actors and non-actors greater awareness and control of their bodies and to provide a range of creative avenues of expression. Combat dance gives the performers a unique and …

Searching For The Impossible Dream, Staging The Impossible Script, Timothy A. Brien

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an exploration of the novella The Malady of Death by Marguerite Duras and my subsequent production of this book. It covers Duras' history and influences in writing this book while at the same time gives an account of all my directorial attempts with this piece. With regards to Duras, the influence of the nouveau roman writers in the mid twentieth century and her relationship at the time of her writing Malady is discussed. For my part, I divulge my initial exposure to the piece, the previous attempts to stage the work, my latest attempt with extensive research, …

Moments Of Trust: Sibling Responses To The Disclosure Of A Sister's Lesbian Identity, Ryan Walter Mckee

Theses and Dissertations

To better understand the responses of siblings to the disclosure of a sister's lesbian identity, eight pairs of siblings, each consisting of one lesbian participant and one of her siblings, were interviewed. Both lesbian and sibling participants were asked to discuss family relationships before disclosure (coming out), the actual disclosure, sibling reactions, parental reactions, and family relationships since disclosure. Notable results include "closeness" in sibling relationships and high levels of "trust" as strong predictors of supportive sibling responses. Siblings were also found to take on the role of confidant and counselor for their parents as they negotiated their daughters' newly-disclosed …

Parental Reports Of The Development Of Autism In Their Children: The Relevance Of Regression, Comorbidity, And Genetics In The Detection Ofearly Characteristics, Robin Page Goin

Theses and Dissertations

Early detection of autism plays an important role in enhancing developmental outcomes for affected children. Identifying potential characteristics of the disorder evident during infancy and toddlerhood aids efforts to screen for such symptoms, which may lead to earlier and more accurate diagnoses; however, it is unclear to what extent certain factors encourage or impede early detection. Because parents are responsible for making decisions on behalf of their children based upon their perceptions of children's developmental progression, caregivers were queried in terms of their beliefs about the development of autism characteristics in their children. Participants included 393 caregivers of children with …

A Constructivist Inquiry Of Church-State Relationships For Faith-Based Organizations, Jon Eric Singletary

Theses and Dissertations

Faith-based initiatives have the potential to alter church-state relationships as they remove barriers to the public funding of human services in organizations that promote the role of values, beliefs, and other characteristics of faith. In seeking to "level the playing field" for these faith-based organizations, faith-based initiatives suggest moving away from past practices, where "religious" organizations utilized public funding for the delivery of "secular" human services, and toward the public funding support of organizations whose human service activities are based on faith in a more thoroughgoing manner.This research inquires into meanings assigned to opportunities and risks related to the public …

Effects Of Domestic Violence Exposure In Colombian Adolescents: Pathways To Violent And Prosocial Behavior, Roberto Mejia

Theses and Dissertations

A multidimensional model of associations between domestic violence exposure and risk of violence and prosocial behavior was tested in a sample of Colombian adolescents, with attention to impulsivity and substance use problems as mediators of these associations. A representative sample of 1,152 school youths and a convenience group of 148 juvenile offenders aged 11-19 years was recruited from Medellin, the second largest city in this South American country. Assessment was carried out in classrooms in the school sample and in correctional institutions for juvenile offenders. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was utilized to test the conceptually derived models. Similarly, multisample analyses …

The Bond Strength Of Adhesive Resin Cement: Time Differential Between Cementation And Finishing Of Cast Dowel-Cores, Purnima Joan Shahani

Theses and Dissertations

THE BOND STREGTH OF ADHESIVE RESIN CEMENT: TIME DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN CEMENTATION AND FINISHING OF CAST DOWEL-CORES By Purnima Joan Shahani, D.D.S., M.S.A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University.Virginia Commonwealth University, 2003Major Director: Peter C. Moon, M.S., PhDDirector of VCU Dental Biomaterials LaboratoryThis study compared the retention of cast dowel-cores cemented with Panavia® 21 subjected to immediate versus delayed high-speed finishing. Conventionally, finishing is delayed for 24 hours to one week to allow for optimal setting and ultimate strength of the cement. Forty-five recently extracted human …

Parent Perceptions Of Occupational Therapy In Early Childhood Special Education Programs Following Transition From Early Intervention Programs, Anita M. Wyrick

Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative approach was used to explore the perspectives of seven parents of preschool age children with disabilities in Virginia regarding occupational therapy and the transition from early intervention (EI) to early childhood special education (ECSE). Open-ended interviews were used to collect data from each family participant and were presented as individual case reports. A cross-case analysis revealed six common categories and four overarching themes. Results indicated that the transition was viewed positively when parents saw benefits of the change and when they were oriented toward the future. Parents viewed the EI and ECSE systems as not sharing their same …

A Rural Vs. Urban Analysis Of Procedures Provided To Medicaid Recipients By Pediatric, General, And Public Health Dentists In The Commonwealth Of Virginia: Fiscal Years 1994-1995, Frank Carmen Pettinato

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report the distribution of procedures provided to Virginia Medicaid children by three types of dental providers in rural and urban areas. Methods: Medicaid claims filed for dental patients younger than 21 were obtained and analyzed for fiscal years 1994 and 1995. Dental providers were categorized according to their practice type: general practice (GP), pediatric (PD) and public health (PH) dentists. Each type of practice was categorized as practicing in a Metropolitan, Urban, Rural or Completely Rural location and evaluated for percentages of preventive, diagnostic, and corrective services provided.Results: The number of procedures …

Normal Mixture Models For Gene Cluster Identification In Two Dimensional Microarray Data, Eric Scott Harvey

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on methodology specific to microarray data analyses that organize the data in preliminary steps and proposes a cluster analysis method which improves the interpretability of the cluster results. Cluster analysis of microarray data allows samples with similar gene expression values to be discovered and may serve as a useful diagnostic tool. Since microarray data is inherently noisy, data preprocessing steps including smoothing and filtering are discussed. Comparing the results of different clustering methods is complicated by the arbitrariness of the cluster labels. Methods for re-labeling clusters to assess the agreement between the results of different clustering techniques …

The Effect Of Chlorhexidine Gluconate As An Endodontic Irrigant On The Apical Seal: Long-Term Results, David B. Ferguson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether chlorhexidine gluconate (0.12%), used as an endodontic irrigating solution would affect the apical seal of three root canal cements. One hundred extracted human single-canal teeth were divided into 9 experimental groups of 10 teeth each, in addition to a positive and negative control group of 5 teeth each. The teeth were decoronated at the level of the cementoenamel junction, accessed, instrumented to a Master Apical File #50, irrigated with either sterile saline, 5.25% NaOCl or 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate, and dried using paper points. Obturation was accomplished using lateral condensation and one …

An In-Vitro Comparison Of The Retention Of Prefabricated Parallel-Sided Vented Titanium Posts Cemented With Three Different Dual-Polymerizable Resin Cements, Maha Mamdouh Mostafa El-Sayed

Theses and Dissertations

AbstractAN IN-VITRO COMPARISON OF THE RETENTION OF PREFABRICATED PARALLEL-SIDED VENTED TITANIUM POSTS CEMENTED WITH THREE DIFFERENT DUAL-POLYMERIZABLE RESIN CEMENTSBy Maha M. El-Sayed, B.D.S., D.M.D.A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University.Virginia Commonwealth University, 2003Thesis Director: David R. Burns, D.M.D. Associate Professor and Program DirectorGraduate ProsthodonticsDepartment of ProsthodonticsPurpose: The purpose of this in-vitro study was to compare the retentive strength of an autopolymerizing resin cement to three dual-polymerizable resin cements when used to cement paraposts without light activation and to relate diametral tensile stress and hardness as a measure …

Utilization Of The Vacuum Form Machine: Custom Mouthguards Versus Esthetic Bleaching Trays, Jacqueline Michele Carney

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This study analyzed the percentage of Virginia practitioners utilizing vacuum form machines, types of appliances recommended, and types of patient information provided.Methods: Questionnaires were constructed and mailed to 2500 dentists.Results: 80% of dentists utilized vacuum form machines, 42.5% recommended mouthguards, 60.2% recommended home bleaching trays, 37.6% provided patient information on mouthguards, 37.1% provided patient information on home bleaching trays, 16.5% inquired on patient questionnaires about mouthguard protection during contact sports,and 17.3% inquired on patient questionnaires about tooth color satisfaction.Conclusions: Dentists use vacuum form machines for home bleaching trays more than mouthguards. General dentists and pediatric dentists provide patient information …

Lip Profile Preferences In Varying Sagittal Mandibular Positions, Grant Gordon Coleman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of sagittal mandibular position on preferred lip position in profile. Five androgynous silhouette profiles differing only in the degree of mandibular retro- or prognathism (-25º, -18º, -11º, -4º, & +3º facial contour angles) were created. Using a computer animation program, evaluators moved the lips independently into the position deemed to be the most esthetic for each profile. Evaluators included adolescent orthodontic patients, parents of patients, and orthodontists. In general, no differences in preferred lip position were found between the –11º & -4º profiles or between the –18º & +3º profiles, …

Commonwealth Times 2002-11-21

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

[2002-11-14 Part 1] Minutes Of A Regular Meeting Of The Board Of Visitors Of Virginia Commonwealth University November 14, 2002., Virginia Commonwealth University. Board Of Visitors

VCU Board of Visitors Minutes

Official minutes of the VCU Board of Visitors and its Executive Committee.

[2002-11-14 Part 2] Minutes Of A Regular Meeting Of The Board Of Visitors Of Virginia Commonwealth University November 14, 2002., Virginia Commonwealth University. Board Of Visitors

VCU Board of Visitors Minutes

Official minutes of the VCU Board of Visitors and its Executive Committee.

Commonwealth Times 2002-11-14

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2002-11-11

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2002-11-07

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2002-11-04

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2002-10-28

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2002-10-24

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2002-10-21

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2002-10-17

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.