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Modes Of Participation: Co-Creative Approaches To The Design Process, Carissa Henriques May 2009

Modes Of Participation: Co-Creative Approaches To The Design Process, Carissa Henriques

Theses and Dissertations

This project explores the notion of participation within the graphic design and problem-solving process. Through projects using generative tools and collaboration, I explore ways to instigate controlled participation from designers and non-designers. I observe and document how the methods and means of participation affect the creative process during these projects.


Comparative Study Of The Ritual Aspects Of Western And Asian Performance, Hyung Don Lee May 2009

Comparative Study Of The Ritual Aspects Of Western And Asian Performance, Hyung Don Lee

Theses and Dissertations

This comparative study focuses on ritual aspects of Western and Asian performance. We may say that ritual in contemporary theater production has limitation to become realization. The limitation arises from contemporary period’s nature. We know that these days we do not have common or collective psyche. However, some theatre artists are trying to get back ritual function and process to recover real communion between spectator and performer throughout performance.


A Comparative Analysis Of Directing & Choreographing Musical Productions For Professional, Academic And Community Theatres, Alison Angelone May 2009

A Comparative Analysis Of Directing & Choreographing Musical Productions For Professional, Academic And Community Theatres, Alison Angelone

Theses and Dissertations

In my thesis, I plan to explore the realms of academic, professional and community theatre through the eyes of a director and choreographer. Highlighted themes will consist of the varying approaches to the script, music and choreography. This thesis will also include specific teaching and or non-existent teaching methods for professional, academic and community theatre. Included will be three definitive case studies which will consist of one musical production per academic, community and professional theatrical setting. I will focus on the director/choreographer’s overall approach to the research, rehearsal and final performance processes for the Pioneer Theatre Company’s production of My …


Musical Theatre Handbook For The Actor, Maggie Marlin May 2009

Musical Theatre Handbook For The Actor, Maggie Marlin

Theses and Dissertations

MUSICAL THEATRE HANDBOOK FOR THE ACTOR By Maggie Elizabeth Marlin, MFA A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2009 Major Director: David S. Leong Chairman, Department of Theatre Musical Theatre is a performance style deeply woven into the fabric of the American theatre. We live in time and social climate where over half of the productions open on Broadway right now are musicals. If actor training institutions profess a mission to prepare their students for a career in the entertainment industry, why are …


Examining Campus Crime At Virginia’S Colleges And Universities, Christina M. Barnes May 2009

Examining Campus Crime At Virginia’S Colleges And Universities, Christina M. Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines reported campus crime at Virginia’s institutions of higher education. Utilizing secondary data and content analysis, the research seeks to determine the amount and types of crime occurring on Virginia campuses and which correlates explain such crimes. Three sources of campus crime statistics are included and scrutinized in detail, including the Clery Act statistics, Virginia Incident-Based Reporting statistics and campus crime logs. Regardless of data source, findings indicate that the vast majority of reported campus crime is comprised of property offenses. The research argues to separate analyses by campus police departments versus campus security departments for more meaningful …


Ink (2009-05) May 2009

Ink (2009-05)

Ink, 2008-

The student-run features magazine covering the fashion, art, music and culture worlds at VCU and in Richmond. Published annually in print and updated regularly online.


A Culturally-Relevant, Emergent Approach To Exploring The Needs, Strengths, And Priorities Of Tribal Communities In Virginia, Amy Prorock-Ernest May 2009

A Culturally-Relevant, Emergent Approach To Exploring The Needs, Strengths, And Priorities Of Tribal Communities In Virginia, Amy Prorock-Ernest

Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about the health of the indigenous peoples in Virginia. When compared to the total U.S. population, indigenous peoples nationwide disproportionately experience disparities in health status across multiple health indicators. Research shows that these disparities are largely due to the inequitable distribution of social and economic determinants present within indigenous communities. Because the indigenous peoples of Virginia are affected by inequitable social and economic conditions, there is reason to believe that health indicators may mirror that of the indigenous population at-large. Outlined in this paper is a framework for exploring the needs, strengths, and priorities of indigenous communities …


De-Masking The Silence - Drama Therapy: For Children With Asd, Joshua M. Galligan May 2009

De-Masking The Silence - Drama Therapy: For Children With Asd, Joshua M. Galligan

Theses and Dissertations

This dynamic form of pedagogy attempts to cross the interdisciplinary boundaries between theatre, psychology, and modern medicine. What I attempt to present in this thesis is a systematic developmental framework for the theoretical use of drama therapy with children suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorder. This approach has been based on in-depth interdisciplinary study which makes use of the most current research looking at the neurological makeup of the autistic brain. This systematic approach examines the mirror neuron system which has been labeled as a major defect in children with ASD. Through the use of theatrical techniques such as acting, movement, …


Weight Perception And The Use Of Unhealthy Weight Loss Tactics Among Adults In The United States: A Cross-Sectional Study Of Nhanes Data, 2000-2006., Laura King May 2009

Weight Perception And The Use Of Unhealthy Weight Loss Tactics Among Adults In The United States: A Cross-Sectional Study Of Nhanes Data, 2000-2006., Laura King

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Weight dissatisfaction and misperception are widespread problems in the United States as are unhealthy weight loss practices. These negative body image issues can lead to eating disorders which have serious health and quality of life consequences. Objective: To evaluate the extent to which the prevalence of distorted body image and unhealthy dieting tactics exist in adults in the US and how these are related. Methods: Data from NHANES 2000-20006 on adults aged 20-59 was used. Weight perception was assessed with the physical exam measurements of weight status and the weight history questionnaire item asking if the person considered him …


The Impact Of Ethnic Identity And Group Support On Hiv Intervention Outcomes, Kristina Hood Apr 2009

The Impact Of Ethnic Identity And Group Support On Hiv Intervention Outcomes, Kristina Hood

Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigated if condom outcomes vary as a function of perceived group support (from members of the group) and ethnic identity among participants in an HIV prevention intervention. The peer-led intervention consisted of an empirically supported curriculum, Sisters Informing Sisters on Topics about AIDS (SISTA) with an additional component that addressed the role of alcohol/drugs in risky sexual behavior. Participants included 263 unmarried, heterosexual, African American women who were recruited from three universities. At post-test, perception of a supportive group environment was associated with positive attitudes towards condom use. In addition, ethnic identity was associated with positive attitudes …


Interpersonal And Shared Decision Making Models Of Communication Applied To Simulated Requests For Organ Donation, Daniel Baughn Apr 2009

Interpersonal And Shared Decision Making Models Of Communication Applied To Simulated Requests For Organ Donation, Daniel Baughn

Theses and Dissertations

Using an analogue format, the present study evaluated the viability of relationship and interactional concepts that have been applied to the physician-patient interaction to the field of organ donation by examining the donation request process between procurement coordinators and simulated families. Interpersonal processes were assessed using behavioral ratings by independent observers. Procurement coordinators were viewed as being more submissive than dominant and more friendly than hostile. Family members were viewed as being more hostile than friendly, more dominant and hostile than submissive or friendly, disclosing slightly more personal information than medical information, and engaging in slightly more shared decision making …


"Unsex Me Here...:" Looking At Gender In Nude Performance, Vanessa Passini Apr 2009

"Unsex Me Here...:" Looking At Gender In Nude Performance, Vanessa Passini

Theses and Dissertations

"Unsex Me Here…" is an examination of our bodies, what they mean in terms of gender and power, and why they mean what they do. Plucked from Lady Macbeth’s infamous soliloquy, the title suggests the stripping away of something essential that transforms. Sex is not the right word, but gender is. Often, these two are mistaken and interchanged. Myths that support our social structure exist at the intersection of sex and gender. In this production, I collaborated with Pete Guither of the Living Canvas to challenge notions of gender in different textual mediums (via the written text of Shakespeare’s "Macbeth" …


The Second Generation Proteasome Inhibitor Carfilzomib Interacts Synergistically With Hdac Inhibitors In Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Cells Through Multiple Mechanisms And Circumvents Bortezomib Resistance, Dmitry Lembersky Apr 2009

The Second Generation Proteasome Inhibitor Carfilzomib Interacts Synergistically With Hdac Inhibitors In Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Cells Through Multiple Mechanisms And Circumvents Bortezomib Resistance, Dmitry Lembersky

Theses and Dissertations

Mechanisms underlying the interactions between the proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib and HDAC inhibitors were examined in both germinal center (GC) and activated B-cell (ABC) subtypes of human diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Simultaneous exposure to minimally toxic concentrations of carfilzomib and HDAC inhibitor vorinostat resulted in the release of mitochondrial pro-apoptotic proteins SMAC and cytochrome c, pro-apoptotic caspase activation, and synergistic induction in apoptosis in both ABC and GC DLBCL subtypes. These events were associated with a marked increase in the stress kinase JNK, ROS generation, G2-M cell cycle arrest, as well as induction of DNA damage. Genetic knockdown of JNK …


Building Blocks Retreat Center, Kelly Warner Apr 2009

Building Blocks Retreat Center, Kelly Warner

Theses and Dissertations

In a perfect world, teamwork just exists. People function harmoniously with each other & their environment. Although we do not live in a perfect world, people and environments can always change and adapt to better their relationships. The Pumphouse was abandoned 41 years after the project was completed because it no longer met the needs and performed the functions that it needed to perform. It no longer serves the same purpose that it once did. And while acknowledging its past, it must also address its new functions and become a piece of beautiful, usable architecture once more. This space will …


Altruism, Activism, And The Moral Imperative In Craft, Gabriel Craig Apr 2009

Altruism, Activism, And The Moral Imperative In Craft, Gabriel Craig

Theses and Dissertations

I consider myself a metalsmith although my interest in materials and ideas extend beyond the boundaries of traditional practice. I approach my work thematically, meaning that I treat my discipline as a framework for a broad investigation rather than as a skill set or process. The outcomes of this approach are therefore varied and include jewelry, installation, performance, video, interactive community based projects, print and web based writing, and historical research. It is through humor or direct viewer interaction that I promote accessibility in my work. My ideas are layered and communicated in a way that allows viewers to engage …


The New College Institute: An Institutional Analysis Of The Creation Of An Organization Of Higher Education In The Commonwealth Of Virginia, Edward Bowman Apr 2009

The New College Institute: An Institutional Analysis Of The Creation Of An Organization Of Higher Education In The Commonwealth Of Virginia, Edward Bowman

Theses and Dissertations

On June 6, 2006 Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine ceremonially signed legislation creating the New College Institute in Martinsville, Virginia. Since achieving statehood in 1788, Virginia has directly created only three four-year colleges; the University of Virginia, Virginia Military Institute, and Virginia State University. With the exception of the College of William and Mary, created in 1693, all of Virginia’s other public four-year institutions began as branch campuses, state normal schools for women, or as acquisitions of independent institutions. In addition to the extraordinary occurrence of creating a new public college in the Commonwealth of Virginia, evidence preceding the enacting legislation …


Role Of The Porphyromonas Gingivalis Ecf Sigma Factor, Sigh, In Oxidative Stress Response, Sara Sarrafee Apr 2009

Role Of The Porphyromonas Gingivalis Ecf Sigma Factor, Sigh, In Oxidative Stress Response, Sara Sarrafee

Theses and Dissertations

Periodontal disease affects a majority of the US population. Porphyromonas gingivalis is the major etiological agent for development and progression of the disease. P. gingivalis is a hemin-dependent, obligate anaerobe that is found predominantly in periodontal pockets in infected patients. So for, little is known regarding the mechanisms which allow P. gingivalis to survive and sustain itself in the oral cavity. To better understand the adaptive mechanisms of the bacterium to the varying conditions in the oral cavity, regulatory mechanisms must be characterized. Sigma factors (σ) are responsible for initiating transcription by guiding RNA polymerase binding to specific DNA promoter …


Blood & Thunder Classics, Vol. 2, Brian Taylor Apr 2009

Blood & Thunder Classics, Vol. 2, Brian Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

A MAGAZINE – A game of Chutes and Ladders – a network of pools connected by streams, rivulets, creeks and rivers. Concerns: aluminum, sculpture, film, an endless image or an image-object, cork, shoulders as the center of movement, archery, wicker, nystagmus, darkness or the penumbral near-darkness, constant movement, beer, tone, musical forms, bells, gongs, The Titanic, purple, black and white, indeterminacy, Ghostface, yodeling, John Smith, John Adams, David Hammons, Beyoncé, Honda CR-V’s, Har-khebi, Ahnighito, Hermann Doomer, Prince, Yvonne Rainer, perception, double rainbows, composers from Transylvania, Los Angeles, and chandeliers. “Everything is everything.” and “A woman is the first teacher.”


Connectivity, Jennifer Farris Apr 2009

Connectivity, Jennifer Farris

Theses and Dissertations

Create a place for learning Develop an interior system that addresses the under utilized spaces in existing higher education schools directed towards distance learning Design a place for one and a place for few, within a place for many Traditional classroom/school environments were developed around a specific program that addresses the needs of a teacher-class environment. Distance learning programs are introducing a new approach to higher education and require a new approach to learning environments. The goal of this project is to understand the development of the traditional classroom environment in order to assess the changes that need to be …


The Role Of Brca1 In Dna Double-Strand Break Repair, Seth Dever Apr 2009

The Role Of Brca1 In Dna Double-Strand Break Repair, Seth Dever

Theses and Dissertations

Mutations in the breast cancer susceptibility 1 (BRCA1) gene are linked to breast as well as ovarian cancers. However, most cancer-causing mutations within the BRCA1 gene have been found in the N’ and C’ terminal regions of the BRCA1 protein, both believed to be important for DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. The BRCA1 C’ terminal (BRCT) repeats have been implicated in phospho-serine protein binding whereas the N’ terminal RING domain interacts with the BARD1 protein to form a hetero-dimeric complex with E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. The BRCA1 BRCT domain binds CtIP, BACH1, and RAP80, all of which have been directly …


The Imagination And The Real, Thomas Ryan Gothrup Apr 2009

The Imagination And The Real, Thomas Ryan Gothrup

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis challenges the sedentary nature of living vicariously through the television, whether it be watching sports or playing video games. Since the advent of professional sports spectators have become accustomed to stadiums stuffed with people cheering on their favorite teams. The television substitutes for this visceral experience and allows viewers to live surrogate lives without leaving the living room. Ultimately, I see this thesis as a social commentary on the impact of sports and media in our society. This project highlights the sociological implications of the loss of interpersonal contact perpetuated by media.


Culture And A Connection, Chris Arias Apr 2009

Culture And A Connection, Chris Arias

Theses and Dissertations

Culture and a Connection In the Spanish province of Asturias, many homes built in the16th and 17th centuries are constructed of dry-stacked stone and large timbers for floor joists, rafters, decking. They are topped with large, irregularly shaped roof slates. Alongside many of these homes stands a rectangular granary called a cabazo. The cabazo, similarly constructed, is a stand-alone structure about twenty feet tall, six feet wide and twenty feet long. The main portion, (the storage area), stands ten feet off the ground atop two large, tapered columns. The upper level is typically separated form the lower level by a …


Paper Tricks, Edward Gardner Apr 2009

Paper Tricks, Edward Gardner

Theses and Dissertations

Prefabricated post disaster housing


Finding Myself Here, Cari Freno Apr 2009

Finding Myself Here, Cari Freno

Theses and Dissertations

Both the natural and civilized worlds establish a context within which I may understand my own existence. My search for “self” and the emotive qualities of life within these contexts provides the impetus for my work. I create juxtapositions: from found art assemblages to, more recently, intimate experiences in public park environments. Within these curated experiences I challenge myself to open up to unknown experiences derived from my relationship to the landscape and the life forms found within. My videos are a kind of self-surveillance fostering absurdly promiscuous behavior when I am alone, in front of a camera. These conjured …


Commonwealth Times 2009-04-27 Apr 2009

Commonwealth Times 2009-04-27

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.


Scribble As A Possible Binding Partner For The Map Kinases Erk2 And Erk6, William Allen Apr 2009

Scribble As A Possible Binding Partner For The Map Kinases Erk2 And Erk6, William Allen

Theses and Dissertations

We worked on finding a new kinase regulator to develop basic data to be used for cancer prevention. Our work found a link between three previously unrelated proteins involved in cancer, ERK2 and ERK6 and Scribble. The MAP kinase cascade is involved in cell proliferation, which is highly deregulated in cancer. Through the screening of ERK6 associating molecules, we found the cell polarity, and cell cycle related molecule Scribble. Furthermore, we found that Scribble was a dual-specific kinase regulator. We clearly demonstrated that these ERKs interact with Scribble through the LRR and the PDZ domains of Scribble. We hypothesize that …


A Mathematical Model For Anti-Malarial Drug Resistance, Amanda Matthews Apr 2009

A Mathematical Model For Anti-Malarial Drug Resistance, Amanda Matthews

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the array of medical advances of our modern day society, infectious diseases still plague millions of people worldwide. Malaria, in particular, causes substantial suffering and death throughout both developed and developing countries. Aside from the socioeconomic challenges presented by the disease's prevalence in impoverished nations, one of the major difficulties scientists have encountered while attempting to eradicate the disease is the parasite's ability to become resistant to new drugs and methods of treatment. In an effort to better understand the dynamics of malaria, we analyze a mathematical model that accounts for both the treatment aspect as well as the …


An Environmental And Economic Assessment Of Future Municipal Solid Waste Disposal: A Case Study Of Select High Growth Regions Of Virginia., Joseph Krouse Apr 2009

An Environmental And Economic Assessment Of Future Municipal Solid Waste Disposal: A Case Study Of Select High Growth Regions Of Virginia., Joseph Krouse

Theses and Dissertations

This research analyzed environmental and economic factors associated with municipal solid waste (MSW) management of select high growth Planning District Commissions (PDCs) of Virginia. Current MSW management scenarios were compared to future hypothetical scenarios utilizing a regional landfill or waste-to-energy (WTE) combustion facility. Life-cycle inventory and full cost accounting methods of the Municipal Solid Waste Decision Support Tool, developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), were utilized to estimate annualized environmental emissions and economic costs. Model results and analysis indicate that a regional landfill would be the least cost intensive MSW management strategy in comparison to current management methods; however …


Collaboration Of Feminist And Postcolonial Discourses In The Plays Of Aphra Behn And Caryl Churchill, Erica Spiller Apr 2009

Collaboration Of Feminist And Postcolonial Discourses In The Plays Of Aphra Behn And Caryl Churchill, Erica Spiller

Theses and Dissertations

Subjugated groups studied by discourses of feminism and postcolonialism are commonly oppressed by white, male, imperial power systems. As different marginalized groups are exploited by the same dominant ideology the disparate discourses should collaborate in an attempt to fight the powers of oppression en masse. This thesis will explore not only how feminism and postcolonialism should collaborate, but that they have already been doing so for hundreds of years. In the seventeenth century the playwright Aphra Behn was already exploring the discourses as inseparable, and three-hundred-years later, playwright Caryl Churchill continues to do the same. By studying conventions of drama …


Obesity, Adiposity, And Satiety In Mouse Models Of Smith-Magenis Syndrome And Dup(17)(P11.2) Syndrome, Brooke Burns Apr 2009

Obesity, Adiposity, And Satiety In Mouse Models Of Smith-Magenis Syndrome And Dup(17)(P11.2) Syndrome, Brooke Burns

Theses and Dissertations

Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS) is a complex disorder caused by haploinsufficiency of RAI1 and characterized by sleep disturbances, behavioral abnormalities, mental retardation, and obesity in teens and adults. Rai1+/- mice are obese after 20 weeks. Dup(17)(p11.2) syndrome is a complex disorder associated with overexpression of RAI1. A transgenic mouse model of dup(17)(p11.2) syndrome overexpresses Rai1 and results in a mouse that is growth delayed. In order to characterize the obese phenotypes of mouse models of SMS and the role of RAI1 in obesity, daily food intake and serum levels of insulin, glucose, PPY, and leptin were measured; adiposity was studied by …