Digital Commons Network^™

Near-Infrared Imaging Of Adoptive Immune Cell Therapy In Breast Cancer Model Using Cell Membrane Labeling, Fatma M. Youniss, Gobalakrishnan Sundaresan, Laura J. Graham, Li Wang, Collin R. Berry, Gajanan K. Dewkar, Purnima Jose, Harry D. Bear, Jamal Zweit

Radiology Publications

The overall objective of this study is to non-invasively image and assess tumor targeting and retention of directly labeled T-lymphocytes following their adoptive transfer in mice. T-lymphocytes obtained from draining lymph nodes of 4T1 (murine breast cancer cell) sensitized BALB/C mice were activated in-vitro with Bryostatin/Ionomycin for 18 hours, and were grown in the presence of Interleukin-2 for 6 days. T-lymphocytes were then directly labeled with 1,1-dioctadecyltetramethyl indotricarbocyanine Iodide (DiR), a lipophilic near infrared fluorescent dye that labels the cell membrane. Assays for viability, proliferation, and function of labeled T-lymphocytes showed that they were unaffected by DiR labeling. The DiR …

Art In The Age Of Networks - Networks As A Way Of Thinking, Rabeya Jalil

Higher Education Resources

The theme-based and material-based units (with lessons and lesson sequences) propose a curriculum for one academic semester in an undergraduate visual arts school (for sophomore, 2nd year, or junior, 3rd year students). However the lessons could be modified and tailored to any age group developmentally. This curricular framework aims to foster collaboration (within individuals, materials and disciplines), explore networked pedagogy and networks in pedagogy as a collaborating force through and with the visual arts and explore the materiality of the code and the digital media. The course also engages with new media theory and literature, investigates the materiality of the …

Nanoconfined Water Under Electric Field At Constant Chemical Potential Undergoes Electrostriction, Davide Vanzo, D. Bratko, Alenka Luzar

Chemistry Publications

Electric control of nanopore permeation by water and solutions enables gating in membrane ion channels and can be exploited for transient surface tuning of rugged substrates, to regulate capillary permeability in nanofluidics, and to facilitate energy absorption in porous hydrophobic media. Studies of capillary effects, enhanced by miniaturization, present experimental challenges in the nanoscale regime thus making molecular simulations an important complement to direct measurement. In a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, exchange ofwater between the pores and environment requires modeling of coexisting confined and bulk phases, with confined water under the field maintaining equilibrium with the unperturbed environment. In the …

Rock Inhibitor Is Not Required For Embryoid Body Formation From Singularized Human Embryonic Stem Cells, Giuseppe Pettinato, Wendy S. Vanden Berg-Foels, Ning Zhang, Xuejun Wen

Chemical and Life Science Engineering Publications

We report a technology to form human embryoid bodies (hEBs) from singularized human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) without the use of the p160 rho-associated coiled-coil kinase inhibitor (ROCKi) or centrifugation (spin). hEB formation was tested under four conditions: +ROCKi/+spin, +ROCKi/-spin, -ROCKi/+spin, and -ROCKi/-spin. Cell suspensions of BG01V/hOG and H9 hESC lines were pipetted into non-adherent hydrogel substrates containing defined microwell arrays. hEBs of consistent size and spherical geometry can be formed in each of the four conditions, including the -ROCKi/-spin condition. The hEBs formed under the -ROCKi/-spin condition differentiated to develop the three embryonic germ layers and tissues derived from …

Growing Community-School Garden Partnerships, Amanda Hall, Lynn Pelco, Toby Vernon

Division of Community Engagement Resources

No abstract provided.

Green Grass, High Cotton: Reflections On The Evolution Of The Journal Of Advertising, Leonard N. Reid

Richard T. Robertson School of Communication Presentations

This article reflects on my time as the fifth editor of the Journal of Advertising, makes observations about the evolution of scholarship in the Journal over the past decades, offers suggestions for how JA might advance in the coming years, and provides some “words of wisdom” to advertising researchers. Because it is the first in an invited article series of editor reflections, a bit of historical context is provided.

Mitigating Milliken? School District Boundary Lines And Desegregation Policy In Four Southern Metropolitan Areas, 1990–2010, Genevieve Siegel-Hawley

Educational Leadership Publications

Over the past half century, law and policy have helped cement tremendous inequities into the structure of our cities. District boundary lines separating multiple, unequal school systems within a single metropolitan (metro) area play a central role in structuring racial and economic isolation. Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics, this study explores how patterns of school segregation are linked to desegregation policy and district boundary arrangements in four southern metro areas. Findings indicate that while city-suburban mergers create far more potential for meaningful school desegregation within a school system, simply eliminating district boundaries is not enough. Corresponding …

Guidance On Compensation Of Community Partners In Research At Virginia Commonwealth University, Cynthia George, Valerie Holton, Amber Haley

Community-Engaged Research Resources

This document provides guidance on the compensation of community partners engaged in research with VCU faculty, staff and students. Because community partners can play many roles throughout a community-engaged research project, compensation and expense reimbursement may vary.

Excellence In Community-Engaged Research At Virginia Commonwealth University: A Compendium Of Case Studies Developed Through A Faculty Learning Community, Division Of Community Engagement, Center For Clinical And Translational Research

Community-Engaged Research Resources

Since 2005, the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) at VCU has offered faculty learning communities (FLC) on a variety of teaching and learning issues. For 2013-2014, VCU's Division of Community Engagement, Center for Clinical and Translational Research, and Center for Teaching Excellence collaborated to offer the first FLC focused on community-engaged research (CEnR). This FLC included 9 faculty members who are or who had been engaged in complex research projects that intentionally connect the campus and community. The members represented a wide range of disciplines, including education, social work, arts, public health, cancer prevention and control, psychology, family medicine, nutritional …

Frequently Asked Questions: Community-Engaged Research (Cenr) And Vcu's Institutional Review Board (Irb), Cynthia George

Community-Engaged Research Resources

No abstract provided.

Determinants Of Coverage Decisions In Health Insurance Marketplaces: Consumers' Decision-Making Abilities And The Amount Of Information In Their Choice Environment, Andrew J. Barnes, Yaniv Hanoch, Thomas Rice

Health Policy Publications

Objective

To investigate the determinants and quality of coverage decisions among uninsured choosing plans in a hypothetical health insurance marketplace.

Study Setting

Two samples of uninsured individuals: one from an Internet-based sample comprised largely of young, healthy, tech-savvy individuals (n = 276), and the other from low-income, rural Virginians (n = 161).

Study Design

We assessed whether health insurance comprehension, numeracy, choice consistency, and the number of plan choices were associated with participants' ability to choose a cost-minimizing plan, given their expected health care needs (defined as choosing a plan costing no more than $500 in excess of the total …

Middle Grades Math: Assessing The Debate Over The When And How Of Algebra, Jesse Senechal

MERC Publications

Within discussions of K-12 math, the middle grades are framed as a critical period of transition between the foundational concepts presented in elementary math classes and the more abstract upper-level math classes that are traditionally associated with the high school level (i.e. Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus). Over the past two decades important debates have occurred among educational researchers, math educators, and education policy makers as to the proper approach to middle grades math policy. At the center of this debate is the question of how and when to integrate algebra into the math course sequence. This focus on algebra …

Scanscape I, Bob Sweeny

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

Image of Bob Sweeny's, Scanscape I, 2014, Mixed Media.

Scanscape Iv, Bob Sweeny

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

Image of Bob Sweeny's, Scanscape IV, 2014, Mixed Media.

Scanscape Iii, Bob Sweeny

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

Image of Bob Sweeny's, Scanscape III, 2014, Mixed Media.

Typologies Of Black Male Sensitivity In R&B And Hip Hop, Cassandra Chaney, Krista D. Mincey

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

A qualitative content analysis was conducted on the lyrics of 79 R&B and Hip Hop songs from 1956-2013 to identify the ways that these Black male artists expressed sensitivity. The songs were determined by Billboard Chart Research Services, and Phenomenology provided the theoretical foundation on which the themes were identified. Qualitative analysis of the lyrics revealed Black male sensitivity in R&B and Hip Hop to be based on the following four typologies: (a) Private Sensitivity; (b) Partnered Sensitivity; (c) Perceptive Sensitivity; and (d) Public Sensitivity. Private Sensitivity occurred when the Black male is alone; feels lonely; disguises or hides his …

Disordered Eating From Interpersonal Relationships And Body Comparisons, Taylor L. Dawson

UROP Posters

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how women's relationships (with sisters, mothers, female friends and significant others) along with thin ideal media shape beauty ideals and contribute to eating disorders. I studied scholarly articles pertaining to exposure to underweight and healthy weight models and its effect on women. I also examined articles that discussed different types of comparisons that women made on themselves against the female figures in their lives. I examined studies on parental disordered eating and perceived body image. My preliminary conclusion is that women's comparisons in their interpersonal relationships have more of an effect on …

Selective Activation Of Htrpv1 By N-Geranyl Cyclopropylcarboxamide, An Amiloride-Insensitive Salt Taste Enhancer, Min Jung Kim, Hee Jin Son, Yiseul Kim, Hae-Jin Kweon, Byung-Chang Suh, Vijay Lyall, Mee-Ra Rhyu

Physiology and Biophysics Publications and Presentations

TRPV1t, a variant of the transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) has been proposed as a constitutively active, non-selective cation channel as a putative amiloride-insensitive salt taste receptor and shares many properties with TRPV1. Based on our previous chorda tympani taste nerve recordings in rodents and human sensory evaluations, we proposed that N-geranylcyclopropylcarboxamide (NGCC), a novel synthetic compound, acts as a salt taste enhancer by modulating the amiloride/benzamil-insensitive Na+ entry pathways. As an extension of this work, we investigated NGCC-induced human TRPV1 (hTRPV1) activation using a Ca2+-flux signaling assay in cultured cells. NGCC enhanced Ca2+ influx in hTRPV1-expressing cells in …

A Model Of The Effect Of Uncertainty On The C Elegans L2/L2d Decision, Leon Avery

Physiology and Biophysics Publications and Presentations

Abstract

At the end of the first larval stage, the C elegans larva chooses between two developmental pathways, an L2 committed to reproductive development and an L2d, which has the option of undergoing reproductive development or entering the dauer diapause. I develop a quantitative model of this choice using mathematical tools developed for pricing financial options. The model predicts that the optimal decision must take into account not only the expected potential for reproductive growth, but also the uncertainty in that expected potential. Because the L2d has more flexibility than the L2, it is favored in unpredictable environments. I estimate …

The Effect Of Lactic Acid On Mast Cell Function, Andrew J. Spence

Theses and Dissertations

This study shows for the first time the effect that L-(+)-lactic acid has on mast cell activation. Lactic acid is a byproduct of anaerobic glycolysis and is associated with inflammatory environments such as wounds, tumors and, asthma. In this study, pre-treatment with lactic acid altered cytokine production by bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC). Specifically, lactic acid enhanced cytokine secretion following IgE cross-linking, but decreased IL-33 mediated cytokine production. These effects were altered by genetic background, since C57BL/6 mast cells demonstrated the aforementioned result, but lactic acid had no effect on IgE-mediated cytokine production in 129/SvJ mast cells. The affected cytokines …

Oesophageal Injuries: Position Paper, Wses, 2013, Rao R. Ivatury, Frederick A. Moore, Walter Biffl, Ari Leppeniemi, Luca Ansaloni, Fausto Catena, Andrew Peitzman, Ernest E. Moore

Surgery Publications

The oesophagus is a difficult challenge for the surgeon because of its lack of serosal covering, the tenuous, segmental blood supply and the common delay in the diagnosis of injury. Early diagnosis is the key to successful management. Recent introduction of newer, minimally invasive techniques have provided management alternatives for both the normal and the diseased organ that is injured with both early and delayed diagnosis.

Scanscape V, Bob Sweeny

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

Image of Bob Sweeny's, Scanscape V, 2014, Mixed Media.

Caught With Our Pants Down: Art Teacher Assessment, Jill Elaine Palumbo

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

Teacher assessment is a hot topic in today’s high-stakes, test-drive, accountability-focused educational environment. My recent research addresses how high school art educators, under the umbrella of non-tested subjects and grades (NTSG), are assess in their classroom teaching practices in the United States, Virginia. Based on my findings, it is clear that while the teachers surveyed do not fear accountability, they are wary of being evaluated by those who lack content knowledge in the arts, by methods that are subjective, and with criteria that are inflexible. This article addresses the need to develop open forums that include educators’ voices in order …

Amendment (2014-2015)

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.

Rabble: A Chapbook Companion To Poictesme (2014)

Rabble, 2014-

Rabble is a companion chapbook publication to the magazine Pwatem. From the preface of most issues: "'Tell the rabble my name is Cabell."- James Branch Cabell to his editor, to help people learn how to pronounce his name. Cabell used the word derogatively but we are taking it back. These pages will showcase the writing and illustrations of our rabble-the ordinary students of VCU."

Poictesme: A Student-Led Art And Literary Journal Of Virginia Commonwealth University (2014)

Pwatem (Poictesme), 2006-

Poictesme (now Pwatem) is an anthology of literature and art from undergraduate students at Virginia Commonwealth University. It publishes poetry, prose and art of all kinds from talented undergraduate students of all majors.

Editorial: Growth, Learning, Assessment, And Assessination, Sharif Bey

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

Assessment is not just a hot topic, it is gaining momentum, and is arguably dictating the culture of many of our institutions. Therefore, it was no great surprise when the benefits and detriments of assessment in art education emerged as one of the top journal theme options during The Caucus on Social Theory and Art Education’s annual meeting at the National Art Education Association’s convention last spring. Certainly our chosen theme is timely, and the voices in this volume provide a diversity of perspectives and lenses for examining and deconstructing assessment on multiple fronts.

Scanscape Ii, Bob Sweeny

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

Image of Bob Sweeny's, Scanscape II, 2014, Mixed Media.

An Introspection: Get The Caravan Moving, Mic Crenshaw

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

The author's reflection about cultural activism and his role and involvement in the Afrikan Hiphop Caravan, in particular the experiences he collected along the road, travelling with the comrades.

Chant Down Tha System 'Till Babylon Falls: The Political Dimensions Of Urban Grooves And Underground Hip Hop In Zimbabwe, Katja Kellerer

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

This article, first published in the Journal of Pan African Studies (2013, Volume 6, Issue 3), is a shortened version of the author's M.A. thesis in which she traces the trajectories and ideologies of two separate, but intertwined, youth movements in Harare, Zimbabwe: Urban Grooves and Underground Hip Hop.