Digital Commons Network^™

Pushing The Limits: Increasing The Speed And Specificity Of Sars-Cov-2 Testing, Grayson Way

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence and spread of the current COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the importance of continual improvements upon current microbiological testing methods. Rapid and accurate testing can help mitigate spread by improving on the time to quarantine and quarantine duration required. As of the writing of this thesis, COVID-19 has been responsible for more than 500,000 deaths in the United States of America, and greater than 2 million deaths globally. The work done in this thesis has shown improvements in the current SARS-CoV-2 testing methodology by reducing the time it takes for patient testing while maintaining accuracy and the sensitivity required …

World Wide Wake: A Look Into Digital Wake Work In Response To The Murder Of Breonna Taylor, Kalyn T. Coghill

Graduate Research Posters

In Christina Sharpe's, In the Wake, she refers to "wake work" as conscious work. Wake work makes a conscious and intentional effort to celebrate one's life as they are passing and after they have transitioned on. Wake work includes grief, sadness, reminiscing, happiness, laughter, and many more emotions. We think of wake work happening in the physical, but I want to look at how weight work exists in the digital. This paper will discuss how wake work is done in digital spaces such as social media platforms. I will also be looking at how social movements such as black …

Targeting Transferrin Binding Protein A For Vaccine Development In Neisseria Gonorrhoeae, Ashley Greenawalt

Theses and Dissertations

Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of the sexually-transmitted infection gonorrhea, has recently been labeled a superbug. With dwindling treatment options, there is urgent need for a gonococcal vaccine. TonB-dependent transporters (TDTs) are important gonococcal virulence factors that allow the gonococcus to pirate metals directly from host proteins. The TDTs, TbpA and TbpB, are promising vaccine targets because both proteins are expressed and highly conserved in gonococcal strains, and they are not subject to high-frequency antigenic variation. Because the Tbps bind to host protein as their natural function, our immune system does not recognize them as foreign antigens; thus, immunogenicity is …

A Mixed Methods Approach To Examine Racial Disparities In Adherence To Surveillance Mammography Among Breast Cancer Survivors, Megan C. Edmonds

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: Annual surveillance mammography is a critical part of routine cancer care for breast cancer (BC) survivors; reducing mortality by 39%. However, disparities exist with regard to adherence to surveillance mammograms among BC survivors; Black women are 44% less likely to adhere than their White counterparts. Despite the existence of this racial disparity for over a decade, little is known about factors that explain reasons for Black BC survivors’ non-adherence. This is because most studies have not evaluated the role of healthcare delivery or psychosocial factors. Guided by the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations, the purpose of this mixed methods …

Role Of P53 Deficient Clonogenic Endothelial Cells In The Pathogenesis Of Pulmonary Hypertension, Aneel Roy Bhagwani

Theses and Dissertations

Pulmonary Artery Hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disorder of the small vessels of the pulmonary vasculature. It is characterized by occlusive vascular remodeling leading to right heart failure and ultimately death. PAH pathogenesis involves a multifactorial etiology leading to formation of occlusive lesions in small (preacinary) pulmonary arteries. These lesions contain hyper-proliferative, apoptosis resistant endothelial cells (ECs), smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts. ECs play a major role in the development of PAH. These ECs in vascular lesions are primitive and express progenitor cell markers, including CD117 (c-kit).

We have isolated clonally expanded, c-kit+ ECs from the lungs of Green Fluorescent …

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 …

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, …

Impact Of Targeting Glycosylated Ceramides On Tumorigenic Properties, And Characterization Of Sphingolipids In Head And Neck Tumors, Katherine E. Hylton

Theses and Dissertations

Sphingolipids play a crucial role in signaling, membrane structure, and migration, making them important molecules in cancer development, metastasis, and drug resistance. While some sphingolipids have been associated with pro-apoptotic or pro-survival behaviors, the role of many sphingolipids in cancer remains poorly defined. Chapter 1 of this study investigated the impact of three enzymes that compose most of the ceramide to Lc3 ceramide pathway – UGCG, GBA, and B3GNT5 – and how their alteration impacts chemoresistance and basal membrane invasion in vitro. It was found that the CΒE-induced inhibition of GBA, which converts glucosylceramide to ceramide, has no effects on …

Threat Assessment Team Activity And Outcomes In K-12 Public Schools: Integrating Methods To Better Understand School Safety, Jessica C. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The use of threat assessment teams in schools is recommended as a violence prevention measure in K-12 public schools. The present study focused on the threat assessment process in the K-12 environment in Virginia and is the first to examine the association between threat assessment and school safety in tandem over time and the first to incorporate the views of K-12 threat assessment practitioners. Findings from this study demonstrate that while the number of threat assessments has increased overtime, threat assessment practitioners identified numerous concerns regarding threat assessment training, expressed doubts about fidelity to the recommended process, and revealed an …

Does Providing Pre-Procedural Video Information Improve The Guardian’S Experience For Patients Undergoing Full Mouth Dental Rehabilitation In The Operating Room?, Jennifer Waters

Theses and Dissertations

This purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to determine the effect of pre-procedural informational video for full mouth dental rehabilitation (FMDR) under general anesthesia (GA) on guardian knowledge, retention and anxiety. Guardians of patients presenting to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Dentistry, Department of Pediatric Dentistry for consult appointments to receive FMDR under GA were randomly assigned to the experimental or control group. In the experimental group, subjects watched an informational video and received written and verbal instructions regarding the upcoming FMDR appointment. The control group received written and verbal instructions only. On the day of the surgery, …

Commonwealth Times 2020-11-18

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Norwegian Prison Officers´ Perspectives On Professionalism And Professional Development Opportunities In Their Occupation, Helene Marie K. Eide, Kariane G. Westrheim

Journal of Prison Education and Reentry (2014-2023)

Despite increasing attention towards education as a quality measure for correctional services, little research attention has been paid to the qualification and training of prison officers. This article investigates how Norwegian prison officers understand their own professionalism and opportunities for professional development in their occupation. The analysis reveals that prison officers regard professionalism in line with a core value of loyalty, and guiding principles of humanity and equality for incarcerated persons. Further, the analysis shows that prison officers express pride and job satisfaction in their profession, and satisfaction with their education. Still, several of the officers highlight the need for …

Commonwealth Times 2020-11-11

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2020-10-28

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2020-10-21

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2020-10-14

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2020-10-07

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2020-09-30

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2020-09-23

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2020-09-16

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2020-09-09

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

“Walls Are Put Up When Curiosity Ends”: Transformative Education In The Canadian Carceral Context, Samantha Mcaleese, Jennifer M. Kilty

Journal of Prison Education and Reentry (2014-2023)

Prison education is often cited as the only redeeming experience in an otherwise cruel environment. While educational programs are found in prisons across Canada, they are often guided by philosophies of punishment, risk, and security rather than more transformative frameworks. In addition to prison staff and management who struggle to find value in education for education’s sake, the physical spaces in which learning takes place in prison also interfere with efforts at promoting agency and autonomy amongst incarcerated students. In this paper, we conceptualize the prison classroom as a performative space and demonstrate ways in which prison classrooms can become …

Commonwealth Times 2020-09-02

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2020-08-19

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Full Journal

International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education

No abstract provided.

The Unicorn As Lifelong Companion: Remixing Inclusive, Intergenerational Art Education Journeys With The Freedom Of Froebel And Wildness Of Waldorf, Courtney Lee Weida, Carlee Bradbury

International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education

In what ways can the symbol of the unicorn represent and inform collaborative, intergenerational visions of art education? This paper outlines some of the roles of the unicorn as a theme and a framework for contemporary applications of art education relating to enduring Froebelian art education, Waldorf-inspired art teaching, and inclusive community art practice as a form of remix. This research seeks to illuminate enduring but oft-neglected areas of inspiring art curriculum for teachers and learners across the lifespan.

Using Art To Trigger Memory, Intergenerational Learning, And Community, Thomas E. Keefe

International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education

Abstract: This article explores the use of art to trigger memory as an effective educational tool for discussion. The author is a regular guest speaker at an affluent retirement community. The attendees are highly educated and accomplished professionals with expansive and worldly lived experiences. Formally facilitating lifelong learning, however, is a special vocation and requires a secular shared praxis and other andragogical strategies. (Keywords: photographic history, community-building, shared praxis, memory).

Stories Of Community Practice, Artistic Ambivalence, And Emergent Pedagogies, Rebecca Bourgault

International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education

The reflections and questions discussed in the paper emerged from a teaching artist experience in community-art that led to the examination of the contrasting values between the disciplinary paradigms of social practices, community-based and participatory arts and that of the contemporary artworld aesthetics. As goals of art for social justice often contradict the perception of artistic merit based on aesthetic quality, working at the intersection of artistic creation and community development demands a shift in perspectives. The position demands going beyond one’s artistic ambivalences, to include participants in a reciprocal relationship, attentive to the fact that any goals of empowerment …

Introduction: Savage And Savvy: Mapping Contemporary Hip Hop Feminism, Aria S. Halliday, Ashley N. Payne

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

Introduction to the special issue on Hip Hop Feminism entitled Twenty-First Century B.I.T.C.H. Frameworks: Hip Hop Feminism Comes of Age.

Hip Hop Feminism Starter Kit, M. Nicole Horsley

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

The inspiration to develop a Hip Hop Feminist workbook developed from a college course I teach: Hip Hop Feminism: Queen B*tch. An Introduction to the (im)Possibilities of Hip Hop Feminism. Using the syllabus, I have developed lessons and talks on college campuses that I have also delivered to community spaces with Black girls and women, secondary educators, parents, and student organizations. I teach resistance and anti-establishment readings of our bodies, lyrics, and live and mediated performances of Hoes With An Attitude (H.W.A.) Lil’ Kim, Missy ‘Misdemeanor’ Elliott, Cardi B, The City Girls; as well as topics related to Hip Hop …