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Generation Y And Vocal Fry, Paul Michael Valley Jan 2010

Generation Y And Vocal Fry, Paul Michael Valley

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, the author explores a vocal phenomenon called “vocal fry” and why this dysphonia has emerged as one of the primary means of communication for the population referred to as “Generation Y.” The first chapter defines what vocal fry is and why it is of modest value to the stage actor. The second chapter defines the physiological means by which the human body creates sound, what good sound is and how vocal fry is created. The third and fourth chapters define several generations as well as what defines Gen Y, and the communication physiologies associated with those generations. …

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Detect, Bite, Slam, Ali Miharbi Jan 2010

Detect, Bite, Slam, Ali Miharbi

Theses and Dissertations

This paper explores the influences, ideas and motivations behind my MFA thesis exhibition. It primarily focuses on how I developed my work for the show in connection to my previous work as well as work created by other artists who explored the impacts of new media in the last decade. With the advancement of social media, digital technologies no longer have their infamous coldness. Our perceptions and the metaphors in language are all reflected onto the machines we create while in return they also shape and redefine our lives. It becomes increasingly difficult to talk about dialectics such as machine-human, …

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The Adventures Of A Young Artist, And The Promise Of The Digital Culture In Art, Jonathan Marshall Jan 2010

The Adventures Of A Young Artist, And The Promise Of The Digital Culture In Art, Jonathan Marshall

Theses and Dissertations

An analysis and explanation of my reasons for working in video, painting and drawing, and sculpture, considering the technological developments of the past decade; the possibility to use the internet as a distribution tool for works of art, and to shift the decision-making balance of the art-world; the ways that this approach is a democratic format for output in the arts and within communities of artists; an explanation of my studio practice while a graduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University.

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Amendment (2010) Jan 2010

Amendment (2010)

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.

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Altered Interactions, Kristen Rego Jan 2010

Altered Interactions, Kristen Rego

Theses and Dissertations

Surrounding materials, signage, and detritus on the daily path offer plenty to look at, if not too much. The eye seeks comfort in its passive vision by ignoring its peripheries. Identification of my personal vision reveals itself through the manipulation of ignored material. I consider hand-made vs. machine made, singular vs. the multiple particularly in plastics, packaging and other utilitarian objects. Industrial processes influence my one-person operation. Understanding the way objects are made allows for an opportunity to connect with them. I’m already surrounded by them, the least I can do is get to know them better.

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Dreamfall: The Fleeting-Ness Of Memory, Hon Chen Jan 2010

Dreamfall: The Fleeting-Ness Of Memory, Hon Chen

Theses and Dissertations

My work seeks to simulate the impermanence of memory, through the creation of structures and images that translate the mind’s formless but living past into physical material and sensation. The need to search for the missing six years of my childhood memories in Thailand has been the driving force behind the works, along with the lingering emotions of emptiness and unfulfillment. I create multimedia installations with materials, such as plaster, pvc panels, acrylic, polycrylic and dura-lar, to structurally realize a subject as intangible and elusive as memory. Issues of duality, identity, impermanence and memory are underlying themes for my thesis …

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The Effects Of Pet Ownership On Physical Well-Being In Older Adults, Tami Pohnert Jan 2010

The Effects Of Pet Ownership On Physical Well-Being In Older Adults, Tami Pohnert

Theses and Dissertations

A large percentage of Americans own pets which may impact their health. This study examines pet ownership’s effect on well being in older adults looking at race/ethnicity. A sample of 6,565 older adults (>60) was selected from the Third National Health and Nutrition Survey. Pet owners comprised 28.3% of the sample. The theories of symbolic interaction and social integration were used to examine pet ownership’s effect on physical components of well-being. The descriptive results showed statistically significant differences in age, education, income, and marital status between pet owners and non-pet owners. Pet owners were younger, more educate, higher income …

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Novel Cinnamic Acid-Based Dehydropolymers For Emphysema: In Vitro And In Vivo Assessment Of Their Activities, Bhawana Saluja Jan 2010

Novel Cinnamic Acid-Based Dehydropolymers For Emphysema: In Vitro And In Vivo Assessment Of Their Activities, Bhawana Saluja

Theses and Dissertations

Pulmonary emphysema is a serious worldwide illness, causing progressive and irreversible alveolar wall loss and difficulty in breathing. It is caused mostly by cigarette smoking. However, its unresolved complex and multiple pathogenic mechanisms have left this disease without effective pharmacotherapy. This project hypothesized that cinnamic acid-based dehydropolymers (DHPs), originally discovered as novel anti-coagulants, protect against emphysema through their potent triple inhibitory actions against oxidative stress, inflammation and elastase, some of the pathogenic mechanisms associated with this disease. Three in vitro inhibitory activity assays for oxidative stress, lung inflammation and neutrophil elastase (NE) were developed and used to identify the most …

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The Role Of The Methyl Dna Binding Domain Protein 2 (Mbd2) In Breast Cancer, Omar Mian Jan 2010

The Role Of The Methyl Dna Binding Domain Protein 2 (Mbd2) In Breast Cancer, Omar Mian

Theses and Dissertations

Methyl-CpG Binding Proteins (MCBPs) are thought to function as the interpreters of epigenetic information encoded in cytosine methylation. Their ability to translate DNA methylation into local transcriptional repression has sparked interest in the role of Methyl-Binding Domain Proteins (MBDs) in cancer, where repatterning of CpG methylation is common. In this dissertation I summarize and discuss observations made in the Ginder Lab linking MCBPs to the progression of neoplastic disease. It is clear from our work that the Methyl Binding Domain Protein 2 (MBD2) is necessary for the persistent repression of critical tumor suppressor genes in breast cancer. We show that …

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Interplay Between Keratin And Vimentin Expression In Oral Cancer, Mary Catherine Mcginn Jan 2010

Interplay Between Keratin And Vimentin Expression In Oral Cancer, Mary Catherine Mcginn

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research in our laboratory found that inhibiting expression of vimentin, a marker of epithelial-to mesenchymal transition, inhibited cell growth and motility in vitro and in vivo. Tumors derived from vimentin knockdown cells showed features of epithelial redifferentiation and increased expression of differentiation-specific keratins. It is unknown what causes re-expression of keratins when vimentin is inhibited. Although, canonical Wnt signaling may activate NF-κB and repress of keratin and/or induce vimentin expression through β-catenin. We hypothesize that downregulation of differentiation-specific keratins contributes to tumor progression, mediated directly or indirectly by expression of vimentin. Vimentin-negative HN4 cells were transfected with plasmids encoding …

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Biochemical Characterization Of Suppressor Of Ikk-Ε And Nak-Associated Protein 1, Jonathan Forbes Jan 2010

Biochemical Characterization Of Suppressor Of Ikk-Ε And Nak-Associated Protein 1, Jonathan Forbes

Theses and Dissertations

Innate immunity provides the first line of defense against invading pathogen by recognizing and mounting a response to the pathogenic challenge. Among the cellular mechanisms of the innate immune response, Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) recognizes viral dsRNA and signals subsequent production of type-I interferon. The TLR3:interferon signaling cascades contains a kinase complex composed of two kinases and a scaffold protein, NAK-associated protein 1 (NAP1). The role of NAP1 in modulating kinase activation or regulation is unknown. A key inhibitory protein identified in the TLR3:interferon pathway, silencer of inhibitor of κBα kinase ε (SIKE), blocks the activity of this kinase complex …

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Periodontal Bacterial-Dna Initiated Immuno-Inflammatory Responses In Human Osteoblastic Cells, Chebel Najib Bou Jan 2010

Periodontal Bacterial-Dna Initiated Immuno-Inflammatory Responses In Human Osteoblastic Cells, Chebel Najib Bou

Theses and Dissertations

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease initiated by gram negative anaerobic bacteria. These bacteria possess pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) that interact with various receptors including Toll like receptors (TLRs). Bacterial DNA (bDNA) is one of the PAMPs mainly recognized by TLR9. Interaction of bDNA and its receptors leads to activation of inflammatory signaling pathways potentially resulting in periodontal bone destruction. The aim of this study was to determine the production of IL- 6 and IL-8 in response to periodontal bDNA from human osteoblastic cells (MG-63). MG- 63 cells were stimulated in duplicate for 20 hours with 100ng/μl of bDNA from …

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Cell-Cell Junction Signaling Regulating Dna Double-Strand Break Repair In Breast Cells, Sinduja Ethiraj Jan 2010

Cell-Cell Junction Signaling Regulating Dna Double-Strand Break Repair In Breast Cells, Sinduja Ethiraj

Theses and Dissertations

Genomic instability and acquisition of invasiveness through the basement membrane extracellular matrix (ECM) are two major processes for epithelial cell malignancy in breast cancer. DNA double-strand break repair (DSBR) is one of the processes that get misregulated during breast cancer progression. In addition, radiation induced breaks such as those induced during radiation therapy to treat breast cancer patients are repaired by DSBR, rendering this pathway relevant for therapy as well. DSBR can occur either by homologous recombination (HR) or non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). HR is accepted as the more error-free pathway. HR is regulated by the cell cycle status such that …

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Ipla2Β, Alternative Splicing And Apoptosis Of Pancreatic Islets, Bhargavi Emani Jan 2010

Ipla2Β, Alternative Splicing And Apoptosis Of Pancreatic Islets, Bhargavi Emani

Theses and Dissertations

Ceramides are bioactive lipids that can promote splicing of apoptosis-related genes, including caspase 9 and BCL-x. A recent study demonstrated that expression of neutral sphingomyelinase (NSMase), an enzyme that hydrolyzes sphingomyelins to generate ceramide, is regulated by Group VIA phospholipase A2 (iPLA2β)-dependent mechanism during β-cell apoptosis. This prompted us to hypothesize that iPLA2 is upstream of ceramide generation in the process regulating splicing of apoptotic genes. To test this, Jurkat T cells were treated with the selective inhibitor of iPLA2β, bromoenol lactone (BEL), RNA was isolated and converted to cDNA, and caspase 9 and BCL-x mRNA viii species were amplified …

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Alternative Regulation Of The Alginate Algd Operon By An Activated Algb In Nonmucoid Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Is Dependent On Sigma 54, Jean Kim Jan 2010

Alternative Regulation Of The Alginate Algd Operon By An Activated Algb In Nonmucoid Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Is Dependent On Sigma 54, Jean Kim

Theses and Dissertations

Alginate overproduction by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which causes a mucoid phenotype, is a major virulence factor associated with chronic pulmonary infections in cystic fibrosis patients. Expression of the algD operon for alginate biosynthesis requires three major regulators in association with the ECF sigma factor, σ22, in mucoid strains that are typically defective in anti-sigma factor, MucA. One such algD regulator is AlgB, a member of the NtrC family of two-component systems, which typically utilize σ54. However, neither σ54 nor the cognate sensor kinase (KinB) of AlgB are required for algD expression in such mucoid strains. I hypothesized that KinB-phosphorylated AlgB must …

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Editorial: Un(Precedent)Ed, Robert Sweeny Dec 2009

Editorial: Un(Precedent)Ed, Robert Sweeny

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

The 30th Volume of The Journal of Social Theory in Art Education is unprecedented, in many ways. First the theme is unprecedented, or, rather, Un(predecedent)ED. This typographical wordplay, quite common throughout the history of JSTAE, troubles habitual readings of the term, allowing for interpretations that open up possibilities, however brief, for new forms of research, theorizing and artmaking. These are just a few of the interpretations of the volume theme, which each of the authors addresses in a unique manner. Some approach the theme head on, while others choose a more oblique angle of analysis and exploration. Some deal with …

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Antibiotic Use By Members Of The American Association Of Endodontics: A National Survey For 2009- A Follow Up From The Report In 1999, Pye Kyu Dec 2009

Antibiotic Use By Members Of The American Association Of Endodontics: A National Survey For 2009- A Follow Up From The Report In 1999, Pye Kyu

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the changes in prescribing habits of active members of American Association of Endodontics (AAE) with regards to antibiotics in comparison to the findings reported by Yingling et al. in 1999. The invitations to take the online survey were sent via email to 2593 active members. A response rate of 37.75% was obtained. It was determined to be adequate for analysis and for comparison to the results obtained by Yingling et al. Comparisons between the percentages shown in this survey and the previous survey were tested using a z-test. An ANOVA model was …

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Talk To Me, I Am Listening, Larbi Sami Ben Dec 2009

Talk To Me, I Am Listening, Larbi Sami Ben

Theses and Dissertations

An introductory conversation with a new person I just met usually goes like this: So, where is your accent from ? Are you American? Well, yes, .....but no. Not really. I do have American citizenship and I lived in the US for fifteen years but I grew up in France. Ok, so you’re French? Well, yes, but .....not totally. My mother is French but my father is Tunisian. Ok, so you’re Tunisian? Well, yes, but... not wholly. I don’t speak Arabic, so I don’t totally feel Tunisian. So what are you? American? French? Tunisian? With my work, I ask the …

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Coming Full Circle, Maripatricia Hyatt Dec 2009

Coming Full Circle, Maripatricia Hyatt

Theses and Dissertations

Artist Statement From my earliest memories pattern and repetition of the details in my surroundings were things that caught my attention. The patterns found in the living room wallpaper, the fabric of my mom’s dress, the texture in the buttons found in the sewing box were all fascinating to me. Figuring out the rules of the pattern and being able to predict what came next satisfied my need for order. More recently, I have found myself breaking the rules of predictability by disrupting pattern and combining unexpected materials. With a focus on textiles, I am inspired by and drawn to …

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The 2009 H1n1 Influenza A “Swine Flu” Virus Presentation In Virginia 2009, Tammie Smith Dec 2009

The 2009 H1n1 Influenza A “Swine Flu” Virus Presentation In Virginia 2009, Tammie Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: 2009 H1N1 influenza was first detected in the Northern Hemisphere in April 2009. National data have suggested that the novel influenza virus disproportionately causes severe illness in children and young adults, a somewhat different presentation from traditional seasonal flu which normally strikes hardest in the very young and older adults. This may or may not be the case in Virginia, which, if it is different, may suggest a need to alter flu prevention messages and vaccine policy as the outbreak continues through the fall 2009-10 influenza season. This report examined the early presentation of the new influenza virus in …

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Enhanced Environmental Detection Of Uranyl Compounds Based On Luminescence Characterization, Jean Nelson Dec 2009

Enhanced Environmental Detection Of Uranyl Compounds Based On Luminescence Characterization, Jean Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

Uranium (U) contamination can be introduced to the environment as a result of mining and manufacturing activities related to nuclear power, detonation of U-containing munitions (DoD), or nuclear weapons production/processing (DOE facilities). In oxidizing environments such as surface soils, U predominantly exists as U(VI), which is highly water soluble and very mobile in soils. U(VI) compounds typically contain the UO22+ group (uranyl compounds). The uniquely structured and long-lived green luminescence (fluorescence) of the uranyl ion (under UV radiation) has been studied and remained a strong topic of interest for two centuries. The presented research is distinct in its objective of …

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Intimate Partner Violence And Pregnancy: Data From The Chicago Women's Health Risk Study, Anne Zehner Dec 2009

Intimate Partner Violence And Pregnancy: Data From The Chicago Women's Health Risk Study, Anne Zehner

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy increases the risks of adverse outcomes for both mothers and their unborn children, including maternal and fetal death. However, more research is needed to determine if IPV increases in frequency or severity during pregnancy and to determine what the risk factors are for IPV during pregnancy. Objectives: To use data from the Chicago Women’s Health Risk Study to determine (1) if abuse is more prevalent during the pregnancy period, 2) if abuse during the pregnancy period increases in frequency or severity, 3) if pregnant women who are abused are at increased risk for …

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Commonwealth Times 2009-12-03 [Front Page Has 2009-11-30] Dec 2009

Commonwealth Times 2009-12-03 [Front Page Has 2009-11-30]

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

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Like Nixon To China: The Exhibition Of Slavery In The Valentine Museum And The Museum Of The Confederacy, Meghan Theresa Naile Dec 2009

Like Nixon To China: The Exhibition Of Slavery In The Valentine Museum And The Museum Of The Confederacy, Meghan Theresa Naile

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzes two successful exhibitions on American slavery in the South: In Bondage and Freedom: Antebellum Black Life in Richmond, Virginia, 1790-1860 by the Valentine Museum and Before Freedom Came: African American Life in the Antebellum South by the Museum of the Confederacy. It puts the exhibitions in the context of the social history movement, and explains the difficulties exhibiting a sensitive topic. It examines the creation of the exhibitions, the controversies because of the subject, both real and potential, and the overwhelmingly positive reaction.

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Richmond Public Schools: Post-Court Mandated School Desegregation (1986-2006), Joshua Cole Dec 2009

Richmond Public Schools: Post-Court Mandated School Desegregation (1986-2006), Joshua Cole

Theses and Dissertations

In 1970, cross-town busing was court mandated to enforce school desegregation in Richmond, Virginia. Unitary status was declared in Richmond when cross-town busing ended in 1986. Richmond Public Schools (RPS) no longer operated as a dual school system for blacks and whites after 1986. Class and racial segregation continued to exist in the City of Richmond. RPS remained predominately black and poor. Socio-economic conditions of the city continued to impact the school district. Controversies, mismanagement and low academic achievement stigmatized RPS until state and federal performance measures forced the district to improve. By 2006, RPS was still segregated; however, as …

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Commonwealth Times 2009-11-30 Nov 2009

Commonwealth Times 2009-11-30

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

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The Use Of Collaboration In Nongovernmental Organization Public Policy Advocacy, Randy Barrack Nov 2009

The Use Of Collaboration In Nongovernmental Organization Public Policy Advocacy, Randy Barrack

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to explore the definitions, benefits, and challenges of collaborations as used by nongovernmental organizations in their pursuit of public policy advocacy, and more specifically the role of NGOs as advocates in the public policy process. A qualitative design using a case study approach was used to examine the collaborative strategies and techniques used by the 12 statewide education NGO members of the Virginia Education Coalition in pursuit of their advocacy goals in public policy. The direction of this study was guided by the following questions: (1) What is collaboration, and when, how, and why …

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Lee Bontecou's Early Reliefs (1959-1965): A Critical And Contextual Analysis, Rachel Dalton Nov 2009

Lee Bontecou's Early Reliefs (1959-1965): A Critical And Contextual Analysis, Rachel Dalton

Theses and Dissertations

American artist Lee Bontecou’s oeuvre is often described as difficult to categorize or “mysterious.” Her early work—a series of metal and canvas reliefs made between 1959 and 1965—is linked to a range of stylistic associations including such radically divergent movements as assemblage, minimalism and abstract expressionism. Alternately, contemporary art historian Mona Hadler cites a series of iconographic connections between Bontecou’s reliefs and the popular culture and politics of the late 1950’s and early ‘60s. Using historian Reinhardt Koselleck’s theorization of historical time where history is constituted by an amalgamation of “temporal layers” based on particular historical perspectives, this thesis will …

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Blogging Out Of Debt: An Observational Netnography, Wendy Garland Nov 2009

Blogging Out Of Debt: An Observational Netnography, Wendy Garland

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to observe weblogs in their natural setting and to investigate the nature of collective learning within the debt blogging community. How individuals who blog their experiences with getting out of debt use their weblogs as well as the role of the commenter in the debt blogging process were also researched. Four distinct literature pools were used to frame this study including the theory of social constructivism, the context of communities of practice, the problem of consumer debt, and the medium of blogging. Utilizing observational netnography, six weblogs were researched which were comprised of individuals …

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Examination Of Platelet Adhesion By Streptococcus Sanguinis, Brian Mahoney Nov 2009

Examination Of Platelet Adhesion By Streptococcus Sanguinis, Brian Mahoney

Theses and Dissertations

Streptococcus sanguinis is a leading cause of infective endocarditis. Bacterial adhesion to platelets is likely important in the pathogenesis of infective endocarditis. Bacterial cell wall-anchored (Cwa) proteins may mediate this adhesion. To begin to test this hypothesis, S. sanguinis adhesion to platelets was examined in vitro. The requirement of 12 Cwa proteins for S. sanguinis-platelet adhesion was individually assessed, measuring adhesion of purified platelets to polystyrene wells coated with S. sanguinis strain SK36 or 12 isogenic Cwa protein mutants. Significantly fewer platelets adhered to wells coated with one mutant strain, VT1614. However, results of a whole-cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) …

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