Digital Commons Network^™

Cute As A Button, Marta R. Finkelstein

Theses and Dissertations

Cute As A Button explores powerlessness, vulnerability, illness and addiction all wrapped up in tender buttons and a cute, cuddly creature. Using animation, sculpture, sound and an intimate space, I surround the viewer in a saccharine nightmare, one that references the dark underbelly of the cute and the sweet. The visual and aural elements are representative of the psychological and emotional states of powerlessness, which are overcome by the act of making and exploring a medium over which I can have complete control.

Tracing Motion, Stephanie M. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

This document explores the use of motion within design to defamiliarize a message. The objective is to expand a viewer’s level of understanding through prolonged perception. I experiment with this idea using present-day tools which afford my own movement during the capturing process to create various visual interpretations of motion. I look to László Moholy-Nagy, Aleksandr Rodchenko and Eadweard Muybridge who explored the use of the camera, the new technology of their day, to understand its potential to create a new visual language. They believed the lens of the camera was the eye of the future—and the public’s exposure to …

Living In A Gangsta’S Paradise: Dr. C. Delores Tucker’S Crusade Against Gansta Rap Music In The 1990s, Jordan A. Conway

Theses and Dissertations

This project examines Dr. C. DeLores Tucker’s efforts to abolish the production and distribution of gangsta rap to the American youth. Though her efforts were courageous and daring, they were not sufficient. The thesis will trace Tucker’s crusade beginning in 1992 through the end of the 1990s. It brings together several themes in post-World War II American history, such as the issues of race, gender, popular culture, economics, and the role of government. The first chapter thematically explores Tucker’s crusade, detailing her methodology and highlighting pivotal events throughout the movement. The second chapter discusses how opposition from rap artists, and …

A Justification For The Trend Towards Indirect Pulp Therapy, Marissa Kuhnen

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this retrospective chart review was to determine how primary molars needing vital pulp therapy have been treated in the past four years at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and to determine which treatments: indirect pulp therapy (IPT), formocresol pulpotomy, and ferric sulfate pulpotomy have been successful. Methods: AxiUm records that contained the procedure codes D3120 (Pulp Cap – Indirect) or D3220 (Therapeutic Pulpotomy) were totaled by year. Visit records were queried again to identify treatment failures i.e. extractions or pulpectomy. Results: In 2010, 52% of vital pulp therapies were ferric sulfate pulpotomies and in …

Creating Place For A Placeless Generation, Laura Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

Making up one quarter of the current United States population, some 80 million Generation Y-ers are changing the ways in which we live, work and play. Dubbed “Millennials” this population is comprised of those individuals born between 1980 and 2000. This generation is the first to have been raised with cell phones, the internet, and reality television. The “Selfie” or “Me Generation” is snubbed for narcissism and an instant gratification attitude. Yet on the whole Millennials have progressive values, are well educated, are conscious of their health and are optimistic about the future despite coming of age during the Great …

The Architecture Of Knowledge: The Jesuit College Of Oaxaca (Xvi-Xix Centuries)., Marina Mellado Corriente

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

THE ARCHITECTURE OF KNOWLEDGE: THE JESUIT COLLEGE OF OAXACA (XVI-XIX CENTURIES).

By Marina Mellado Corriente, MA.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Art Historical and Curatorial Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015

Major Director: Michael Schreffler, Associate Professor, Department of Art History

The educational endeavor that the Jesuits – members of the religious order known as the Society of Jesus – carried out in Mexico in the course of the colonial period, when this territory belonged to the Viceroyalty of New Spain (sixteenth to nineteenth …

Computational Modeling To Assess Surgical Procedures For The Treatment Of Adult Acquired Flatfoot Deformity, Brian A. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Several surgically corrective procedures are considered to treat Adult Acquired Flatfoot Deformity (AAFD) patients, relieve pain, and restore function. Procedure selection is based on best practices and surgeon preference. Recent research created patient specific models of Adult Acquired Flatfoot Deformity (AAFD) to explore their predictive capabilities and examine effectiveness of the surgical procedure used to treat the deformity. The models’ behavior was governed solely by patient bodyweight, soft tissue constraints, and joint contact without the assumption of idealized joints. The current work expanded those models to determine if an alternate procedure would be more effective for the individual. These procedures …

Avatar, Cyborg, Icevorg: Simulacra’S Scion, Guido E. Alvarez

Theses and Dissertations

I propose a theoretical framework that describes how avatars incorporate media as an inherent part of their nature and find a hosting body in cyborgs to navigate and spawn in media. I propose the birth of a new scion that combines avatar, medium and cyborg into a conceptual being that I call “ICEVORG.”

The ICEVORG expands beyond representation into the actual physical world by means of media transgression—more specifically, by the use of the Strange Loop also known as Metalepsis ICEVORG find an effective soil to thrive and interrogate our ideas of reality by means of iteration, expansion, fragmentation and …

Expanding Eco-Visualization: Sculpting Corn Production, Jennifer E. Figg

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation expands upon the definition of eco-visualization artwork. EV was originally defined in 2006 by Tiffany Holmes as a way to display the real time consumption statistics of key environmental resources for the goal of promoting ecological literacy. I assert that the final forms of EV artworks are not necessarily dependent on technology, and can differ in terms of media used, in that they can be sculptural, video-based, or static two-dimensional forms that communicate interpreted environmental information. There are two main categories of EV: one that is predominantly screen-based and another that employs a variety of modes of representation …

The Role Of Α3Β4* Subtype Of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors In Reversing Opioid-Induced Constipation In Mice, Aravind Gade

Theses and Dissertations

Opioids are excellent pain relievers. A major side-effect of chronic opioid treatment is constipation whereas withdrawal following chronic exposure leads to diarrhea and increased gastrointestinal motility. These effects of chronic opioids are mediated by μ-opioid receptors expressed on enteric neurons. Previous studies have shown that chronic opioids enhance sensitivity to nicotine in the gastrointestinal tract. This suggested that prokinetic effects of nicotine mediated through the activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) may be useful in reversing opioid-induced constipation. The goal of this dissertation was to investigate the nAChR subtype expressed on enteric neurons and their role in reversing opioid-induced constipation. …

Designed Synthesis Of Nanoporous Organic Polymers For Selective Gas Uptake And Catalytic Applications, Pezhman Arab

Theses and Dissertations

Design and synthesis of porous organic polymers have attracted considerable attentions during the past decade due to their wide range of applications in gas storage, gas separation, energy conversion, and catalysis. Porous organic polymers can be pre-synthetically and post-synthetically functionalized with a wide variety of functionalities for desirable applications. Along these pursuits, we introduced new synthetic strategies for preparation of porous organic polymers for selective CO₂ capture.

Porous azo-linked polymers (ALPs) were synthesized by an oxidative reaction of amine-based monomers using copper(I) as a catalyst which leads to azo-linkage formation. ALPs exhibit high surface areas of up to 1200 …

First-Year Secondary Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Preparedness To Integrate 21st Century Skills Into The Technology-Rich Classroom, Tracie Omohundro

Theses and Dissertations

School districts continue to integrate emerging technologies and expectations for 21^st century teaching and learning. This movement began with release of Goals 2000 (1994) and has continued through National Education Technology Plan (2010) that noted the “challenge for our education system is to leverage technology to create relevant learning experiences that mirror students’ daily lives and the reality of their futures.” In order to meet that challenge, schools must enlist teachers who are prepared to teach 21^st century skills in the technology-rich classroom. Teacher education programs also need to align their preparation models to prepare teachers for that …

Nitric Oxide Synthase Activity And Its Modulation In The Treatment Of Colorectal Cancer, Asim Alam

Theses and Dissertations

The American Cancer Society estimates more than 141,000 new cases of and about 50,000 deaths from colorectal cancer every year. Treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy and targeted therapies such as anti-angiogenics. However, no therapies address the key driving factor of colorectal cancer: inflammation. It is well known that chronic inflammatory conditions such as Crohn’s Disease, ulcerative colitis, diabetes, obesity and cigarette smoking all elevate the risk of developing colorectal cancer. One of the hallmarks of chronic inflammation is the elevated levels of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS). A primary source of these ROS/RNS is uncoupled Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS). Under …

Examining The Parent-Adolescent Bond And Parent-Offspring Marijuana Communication On Marijuana Use And Problems: A Test Of Primary Socialization Theory, Nikola Zaharakis

Theses and Dissertations

Marijuana use among American young adults is rising, and perceptions of harm are declining. Individual states continue to enact more lenient marijuana use and possession laws. Marijuana use is associated with many serious negative outcomes. Thus, marijuana use among this age group has become a public health concern. According to Primary Socialization Theory, parents exert their influence on youth behavior through the parent-adolescent bond and through communication. Previous researchers have identified parent-offspring communication about alcohol and tobacco as a potentially important target of prevention efforts. Little research has yet explored marijuana communication and its potential influence on use-related outcomes. This …

Sexual Behavior And Hiv Risk In Black College Women: The Influence Of Gender, Peer, And Relationship Beliefs, Melanie P. Moore

Theses and Dissertations

Black women in the United States disproportionately represent 64% of women with an HIV infection (CDC, 2013). Research is needed to better understand gender and culturally-specific factors that contribute to Black women’s HIV risk. The Theory of Gender and Power and the Theory of Planned behavior were used as theoretical frameworks in examining the effect of attitudinal beliefs (gender related beliefs), subjective norm beliefs (peer norms), and perceived behavioral control beliefs (relationship power) on sexual behavior in Black college women. Condom use and assertiveness in sexual communication were the dependent variables. Participants included 136 Black college women recruited through the …

Relational Coordination: An Exploration Of Nursing Units, An Emergency Department And In-Patient Transfers, Mary Coffey

Theses and Dissertations

Emergency department (ED) crowding is a patient safety concern that has been increasing for more than a decade. Increased visits have resulted in ED crowding, longer wait times, ambulance diversions, and boarding of admitted patients (Hing & Bhuiya, 2012). Numerous factors affect ED crowding. Once various extraneous issues are resolved and a bed is available for a patient, it becomes the responsibility of nurses across unit boundaries to coordinate the patient transfer. This study applies Relational Coordination Theory (RCT) as a framework to provide nurses insight into the relational aspects of their work in the transfer of ED patients to …

Variations In Specialized Policing Response Models As A Function Of Community Characteristics- A Survey Of Crisis Intervention Team Coordinators, Anna M. Young

Theses and Dissertations

Although a specific program called the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) has been generally recognized as the best-practice model that addresses the needs of the police officers in responding to mental health calls, many jurisdictions across the country have not only adopted the full CIT model but also have taken the liberty of adding new components and/or removing components of the original model in order to create a unique program that fits the needs of their individual community. The issue of differentiated adaptations of the original CIT model has created a controversy around best practice in the area of police response …

Normalizing Tumor Vasculature Using Sepiapterin To Increase Radiosensitivity, Ninu Bruno

Theses and Dissertations

Our studies examine the role of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in tumor vasculature. NOS is “uncoupled” in tumor cells, resulting in peroxynitrite (ONOO^-) formation in lieu of nitric oxide (NO). NO signaling is critical for vascular function, thus uncoupling of eNOS in endothelial cells may partly explain the poor vasculature found within tumors. NOS can be “recoupled” through Sepiapterin (SP) treatment of tumor cells. We examined whether SP could normalize tumor vasculature, promoting radiosensitivity. Optoacoustic tomography of flank xenografts and spontaneous tumor models demonstrate that SP significantly enhances percent oxyhemoglobin in tumors. Immunohistochemical analysis of SP-treated tumors showed …

Lowering The Number Of False Positive Responses To Electric Pulp Tests By Qualifying Patient Response, Katherine Js Lee

Theses and Dissertations

The electric pulp test (EPT) has been shown to be a valuable tool in assessing pulp vitality. One of its drawbacks, however, is its high number of false positives. The purpose of this study was to determine if qualifying the type of sensation elicited by the test could lower the percentage of false positive responses. A retrospective chart review of an eleven-month period was conducted, examining all patients with necrotic teeth tested with the EPT. Of 189 teeth, when the patient responded to EPT at first sensation 23.3% of teeth were incorrectly identified as vital. When the patient was asked …

Deconstructing Anesthesia Handoffs During Simulated Intraoperative Anesthesia Care, Jason S. Lowe

Theses and Dissertations

Anesthesia patient handoffs are a vulnerable time for patient care and handoffs occur frequently during anesthesia care. Communication failures contribute to patient harm during anesthesia patient handoffs. The Joint Commission has recognized the potential for communication failure during patient handoffs and has recommended processes to improve handoff safety. Handoffs are made more difficult by latent conditions such as time constraints, pressure and distractions, which often result in incomplete or inaccurate handoff reports. This nonexperimental, correlation study identified the latent conditions that occur during the handoff process and their relationship to the quality of the handoff. This research shows an inverse …

Mitochondrial Biogenesis And Electrical Properties Of Hpsc-Derived Motor Neurons, Laura O'Brien

Theses and Dissertations

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), including human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) hold great promise in the fields of drug development and regenerative medicine. If iPSCs reprogrammed from patient cells replicate what is seen in vivo they may be used as a model of disease. A process that is disrupted in many neurodegenerative diseases is mitochondrial biogenesis. One of these diseases is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is characterized by loss of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Differentiation of hPSCs into motor neurons offers a way to study a previous unavailable cell …

Prediction Of Protein-Protein Interactions In Escherichia Coli From Experimental Data In Treponema Pallidum, Marco A. Abreu

Theses and Dissertations

Protein – Protein interactions (PPIs) are thought to be conserved between species, although this has not been systematically investigated. This problem was explored in Escherichia coli from experimental data in Treponema pallidum by predicting PPIs, focusing on protein domains of little or unknown function. The comparison of T. pallidum to a model organism such as E. coli can not only reveal additional data about T. pallidum but also reveals how E. coli is similar to this distantly related, obligate parasite. A set of novel T. pallidum interactions, enriched for proteins of unknown function, were the basis of over 23,000 predicted …

A Measure Of Social Behavior In Team-Based, Multiplayer Online Games: The Sociality In Multiplayer Online Games Scale (Smog), Chelsea M. Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

Video games have become a new platform for social interaction. I review the sociality of video games and the relationship between virtual- and real-world behaviors. I review and address the pros and cons of methods of measuring social behavior. Finally, I present two studies drawn from internet populations. In Study 1 (N = 250), I develop a scale, The Sociality in Multiplayer Online Games Scale (SMOG), which measures the frequency of social gaming behaviors in team-based, multiplayer online games. I hypothesized these to align on dominance and affiliation dimensions of social interaction (Kiesler, 1982). In Study 2 (N …

Response To Intervention To Educate The Diverse Needs Of Elementary Students, James H. Mcmillan, Valerie J. Robnolt, Amy C. Hutton

MERC Publications

Much research has been done regarding how to implement RTI, effective strategies for RTI, and outcomes of RTI, which is not the focus of the current study. This investigation will focus on assessing the current perceptions of elementary school educators and staff on thier current understanding of and needs for more effective implementation of RTI.

Realistic Spiking Neuron Statistics In A Population Are Described By A Single Parametric Distribution, Lauren Crow 9370373

UROP Posters

The spiking of activity of neurons throughout the cortex is random and complicated. This complicated activity requires theoretical formulations in order to understand the underlying principles of neural processing. A key aspect of theoretical investigations is characterizing the probability distribution of spiking activity. This study aims to better understand the statistics of the time between spikes, or interspike interval, in both real data and a spiking model with many time scales. Exploration of the interspike intervals of neural network activity can provide a better understanding of neural responses to different stimuli. We consider different parametric distribution fitting techniques to characterize …

Queer-Baiting On The Bbc’S Sherlock: Addressing The Invalidation Of Queer Experience Through Online Fan Fiction Communities, Cassidy Sheehan

UROP Posters

Fans of a particular media source often write fan fiction to build on, deviate from, and transform original source material. The BBC’s Sherlock is not exempt from this common practice; in fact, the homoerotic subtext which persistently endures within the show lends itself to the production of slash fan fiction. Many perceive this subtext as a method of queer-baiting, or an ultimately harmful tactic used by writers and producers to lure in queer viewers. In this paper, dialogue and scenes from the show itself are compared to excerpts from works of fan fiction in order to explore reactions to queer-baiting …

Stand-Up Comedy And Self-Deprecating Humor, Amelia M. Bell

UROP Posters

Stand-up comedy has been around for centuries, making people laugh for generations. Through the years the forms and techniques stand-up comedians use have shifted back and forth. Self-deprecation humor is one of these forms of humor, where the comedian pokes fun at his or herself, and it has recently become more incredibly popular in today’s society. Stand-up comedians like Louis C.K. have risen to newfound popularity by using self-deprecating humor almost completely in their sets. This paper attempts to answer the question of why audiences respond so positively to stand-up comedians who use self-deprecating humor. It does so by arguing …

Progression Of The Representation Of Female Protagonists In The Sci-Fi/Fantasy Genres, Dakota S. Becker

UROP Posters

Broadcast television has been plagued by the misrepresentation and absence of progressive female protagonists. Contemporary television programs have begun to address issues of diversity and empowerment, but it is questionable whether substantial strides in the representation of women have truly been made. The science fiction and fantasy genres in particular are infamous for perpetuating rampant sexism and the objectification of female characters. I analyze aspects of the television shows Orphan Black and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, two broadcast television series which aired over ten years apart, to broadly evaluate whether the science fiction and fantasy genres have progressed or …

Social Media Best Practices In Academic Libraries 2015, Sue Robinson, Bettina Peacemaker, Emily Hurst

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Data

While academic libraries worldwide have embraced social media as tools to inform and connect with users, behaviors and expectations are evolving and platforms are growing. In order to understand current trends and use of social media in libraries, VCU Libraries created and conducted an online survey using SurveyMonkey. Our approach was informed by the study of social media and public relations practice conducted by Wright and Hinson (Wright, Donald K. and Michelle Drifka Hinson. 2015. “Examining Social and Emerging Media Use in Public Relations Practice: A Ten-Year Longitudinal Analysis.” Public Relations Journal 9).

The VCU Libraries survey consisted of 21 …

The Characterization Of A Putative Protease Expressed By Sneathia Amnii, Rana Mehr

Theses and Dissertations

Preterm birth, birth prior to 37 weeks gestation, is the leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity worldwide. While the uterine cavity and amniotic fluid largely remain sterile throughout gestation, bacterial infections can occur and are associated with preterm birth and/or preterm premature rupture of the fetal membranes (PPROM). Sneathia amnii can be detected as a component of the vaginal flora in healthy women; however, it’s also associated with bacterial vaginosis and preterm birth. Sn35, an isolate of S.amnii, was identified and sequenced through the Vaginal Human Microbiome Project at VCU. Our objective was to classify potential virulence determinants …