Digital Commons Network^™

Iconoclasm And The Museum, Catherine Chastain-Elliott

Art Inquiries

Book review of Iconoclasm and the Museum, by Stacy Boldrick.

Art Inquiries, Xviii:2-3, Full Issue

Art Inquiries

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth, Clare Van Loenen

Art Inquiries

No abstract provided.

Frank Duveneck: American Master, D. Bryan Schaeffer

Art Inquiries

No abstract provided.

Julie Mehretu, Jessica Stephenson

Art Inquiries

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (Gc/Ms) Method For The Quantification Of Vitamin E And Vitamin E Acetate In Electronic Cigarettes, Matthew Adreance

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) are a medium of facilitating drug use that is gaining notoriety in the public eyes. E-cigs were originally designed to be “safer” alternatives to traditional cigarettes, providing the same or similar nicotine dosage without the other side compounds found in tobacco and traditional cigarettes. Typical e-cigs use e-liquids composed of propylene glycol (PG) and/or vegetable glycerin (VG) bases, various flavoring agents, and varying concentrations of nicotine depending on manufacturer or use. With the advent of the growing legalization of cannabis and CBD/THC products in many states and jurisdictions, e-cigs have become a popular medium to ingest these …

Comparison Of Semi-Automated And Manual Differential Separation Methods For Mock Sexual Assault Samples, Stephanie Rink

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

In the event of a sexual assault, separation of suspect from victim DNA is possible through differential extraction if the evidentiary mixture consists of female epithelial cells and male spermatozoa. The basis of differential extraction is the differing properties of epithelial and sperm cell membranes, specifically the comparative sturdiness of the proteins making up the sperm head containing the male DNA. Effective retrieval and separation of male and female DNA fractions is important in generating high-quality STR profiles that can be utilized in identifying suspects in a sexual assault case. Differential extraction has been conventionally performed using Proteinase K (PK) …

The Just Host: Addressing The Wage Structure Problem In The Tourism Industry, Bill Farley

Theses and Dissertations

Since the early 1990’s, tourism development has been promoted to replace employment lost to downsizing, outsourcing and automation in both urban and rural America. These efforts are actively supported by state and local chambers of commerce. However, despite the enthusiasm for tourism within city halls and business membership organizations, planning theorists have expressed concerns about the wage structure of the industry. Specifically, given the significant public investment in the industry, planners are being asked by some theorists to consider the distribution of economic benefits between labor and capital. This dissertation explores this issue and concludes with a study focused on …

The Therapeutic Potential Of Glycosaminoglycan Directed Metalloglycomics: Elucidating New Targets And Mechanisms For Polynuclear Platinum Complexes, James D. Hampton

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer remains a serious clinical problem and in order to continue to improve patient health outcomes, novel treatment strategies must continue to be developed. Platinum chemotherapies remain as one of the most widely successful classes of cancer therapeutic, with over 50% of cancer patients receiving a platinate at some point over the span of their treatment. However, intrinsic and extrinsic resistances limit their effectiveness, long term efficacy, and broad applicability to multiple cancer subtypes. Therefore, the development of new agents and strategies which can overcome these limitations are crucial for patient health. To this end a novel class of polynuclear …

Modeling Substance Use And Mental Disorder Comorbidity Using Latent Variable And Network Approaches, Courtney T. Blondino

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction. Substance use disorder (SUD) is a common condition that affects millions of Americans. Addressing SUD has been complicated by comorbid mental disorders and co-occurring substance use. Consequently, detailing and addressing SUD and comorbid SUD represent an important goal to improve the health of Americans.

Objective. The research goal of this dissertation was to characterize the comorbidity between substance use, including tobacco use, and mental disorder symptoms measured as negative affect and externalizing symptoms in a population-based sample using latent variable and network approaches.

Methods. Waves 1 – 3 from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study were used. …

Owning Our Story: An Interior Exploration To Foster Self-Reflection, Hannah Bulow

Theses and Dissertations

With emerging technologies in the 21st century, Millennial and Gen Z adults have a complicated relationship with these new technologies when it comes to creating and sustaining personal relationships (Dalessandro, 2018). When persons aged 18-35 forged new relationships without the presence of technology, relationships were more organic, natural, and led to less conflicts. Neuroimaging of the brain has also shown that neurocognitive development during early adolescence and adulthood contributes to self-consciousness and vulnerability. Adolescents are called to develop their own identity separate from their parents and understanding how others are actually evaluating them (Sebastian, 2008)

Brene Brown states that most …

Structural Reorganization Of The Cisternal Organelle In Neuroinflammatory Disease, Myshak S. Abdi

Theses and Dissertations

The axon initial segment (AIS), an axonal sub compartment located immediately distal to the soma, is an important structure in mediating action potential generation and modulation. The morphology of this domain can be altered by a wide variety of activity-dependent, environmental, and pathological triggers. Dysregulation of axonal calcium (Ca²⁺) concentrations, and subsequent enzymatic degradation of AIS cytoskeletal architecture have been reported to underlie structural modifications of the AIS. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of neuronal Ca²⁺ channels have been shown to mitigate the disruptive effects of neuroinflammation on AIS structural integrity. Here we investigate the Cisternal Organelle (CO), a …

Reclamancipation: A Story Of Brilliance, Resilience, And Transilience, Nia A. Campbell

Theses and Dissertations

The experiences of African American women are composed of more than the maltreatment that often exclusively defines them. Oppression and celebration intermingle to define the identities of African American women, and this thesis proposes a method to understand this reality through an exchange of stories in the form of a customizable board game. The game educates those inside and outside the African American women’s community by encouraging the emancipation of self, decolonization of society, and formation of empathy. This thesis embraces intersectional feminism, womanism, and linguistic descriptivism. The research is informed by personal narratives of African American women ages 23-71 …

Conformational Modulation Of Α-Helical N-Acetylated Α-Synuclein, Ricardo Fernandez

Theses and Dissertations

Human N-acetylated α-synuclein (^NAcαSyn) has long been accepted as an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) predominantly found in terminal nerve regions in healthy subjects. ^NAcαSyn structural fluidity enables the formation of transient or dynamic assemblies. Some of these assemblies may serve functional, yet undefined purposes. ^NAcαSyn is highly susceptible to the surrounding environment, leading to misfolding under high cytosolic oxidative stress conditions, which in turn assemble in the form of toxic oligomers or amyloid fibrils. These ^NAcαSyn inclusions along with their accretion and migration within neurons, are pathological hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease (PD), dementia, and multiple …

A Mechanism Behind The Mechanotransduction Of Surface Characteristics In Osteoblasts, Otto J. Juhl Iv

Theses and Dissertations

Biomaterials for use in bone regeneration and healing range from metal and metal alloy implants to hydrogel-based solutions. These materials can be optimized to increase bone healing and integration by improving the mechanical and biological properties. Regardless of the material itself, the cell-substrate interaction is key to the success of the biomaterial once implanted. Substrate surface characteristics such as roughness, wettability, and particle density are well-known contributors to a substrate’s overall osteogenic potential, and therefore the substrate's overall success. Unfortunately, it is still unknown how these substrate surface characteristics are transduced into intracellular signals by cells, preventing specific tailoring of …

Grief, Loss, And Climate Change: Validation Of A Solastalgia Scale, Claire Luce

Theses and Dissertations

Climate change has been identified as a defining issue of this century (United Nations, n.d.). Climate change impacts human wellbeing including mental health. While much research has focused on the way that the effects of climate change cause increases in common mental disorders, mental health is not just the absence of these disorders (World Health Organization, 2014). Non-pathologized mental health responses to climate change, such as the grief and loss that results from climate change impacts, are a growing consideration for researchers. Solastalgia, or the distress experienced in the absence of the solace once provided by the environment in the …

Streptococcus Sanguinis: The Good, The Bad, And The Metal-Binding Lipoprotein, Cody Murgas

Theses and Dissertations

Streptococcus sanguinis is an opportunistic bacterium living beneficially in the human mouth. When S. sanguinis gains access to the bloodstream, it can result in colonization on damaged tissue and generate heart valve vegetations that can develop into infective endocarditis. It has been suggested that Mn and Fe are cofactors in the pathogenic capacity of this bacterium, and that these redox active metals are imported by the metal binding lipoprotein S. sanguinis adhesin B (SsaB). The SsaB lipoprotein is an integral part of SsaACB, an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transport system in S. sanguinis. When SsaB is deleted, the resulting strain displays …

Theorizing #Girlboss Culture: Mediated Neoliberal Feminisms From Influencers To Multi-Level Marketing Schemes, Frankie Mastrangelo

Theses and Dissertations

I define girlboss feminism as emergent, mediated formations of neoliberal feminism that equate feminist empowerment with financial success, market competition, individualized work-life balance, and curated digital and physical presences driven by self-monetization. I look toward how the mediation of girlboss feminism utilizes branded and affective engagements with representational politics, discourses of authenticity and rebellion, as well as meritocratic aspiration to promote cultural interest in conceptualizing feminism in ways that are divorced from collective, intersectional struggle. I question the stakes involved in reducing feminist interrogations and commitments to discourses of representation, visibility, and meritocracy. I argue that while girlboss feminism may …

Accident Tolerant Fuels Claddings And The Evolution Of Their Surface Characteristics Under Critical Heat Flux, Rajnikant V. Umretiya

Theses and Dissertations

Enhanced Accident Tolerant Fuels (ATFs) systems for light water reactors require higher temperature oxidation resistance in steam environments than the current UO₂ – zirconium fuel system. Investigating the ATF materials’ surface properties is needed as they have evidenced to affect the Critical Heat Flux (CHF), which is an important parameter of the thermal-hydraulic performance required to provide safety margins. In this dissertation, the surface properties of FeCrAl alloys (APMT and C26M), Zircaloy-2, Zircaloy-4, and Cr-coating on Zircaloy-4 substrates produced by Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) and Cold Spray (CS) were investigated according to their chemistry, topography, and wettability. The static …

Beyond The Social: Artist Project Spaces, 2003 To 2016., Clare L. Van Loenen

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines storefront project spaces in the early 2000s that offered alternative approaches to the programming, organizing, and archiving found in conventional museums. I propose that such sites impacted participatory visual culture by offering a reformulatory role for arts’ practices, one that organized itself across disciplinary boundaries, chose a collaborative rather than competitive approach, and processed the ideological implications of their group work. Focused on three specific sites—Machine Project in Los Angeles, Elsewhere in Greensboro, and Mess Hall in Chicago—this study details the museological, pedagogical, and archival challenges of these artist-convened organizations. My interdisciplinary investigation offers a reference point …

Expand Your Horizon: Investigating An Online Intervention For Weight Bias Internalization, Alexandria Davies

Theses and Dissertations

Weight bias internalization (WBI; i.e., self-directed weight stigma or the degree to which individuals apply negative weight-based stereotypes to themselves), is problematic because it is associated with increased stress, emotional eating, healthcare avoidance, and exercise avoidance. Thus, WBI exacerbates health disparities and there is an urgent need to create treatments that address this concern. The current study examined the preliminary effectiveness of a previously developed online body gratitude journaling intervention (i.e., Expand Your Horizon) compared to an active control writing condition in emerging adult women with WBI. Racially/ethnically diverse women (N=100; n=49) or Expand Your Horizon ( …

The Algorithmic Mashrabiya: Reimagining The Traditional Islamic Screen, Ahmed Nour

Theses and Dissertations

Traditionally, a mashrabiya was an ornate wooden structure attached to the side of an Arabian building or house, with small, intricately patterned openings to provide both ventilation and privacy for the people inside. The patterns, following the geometric rules of Islamic ornament, lent a distinctive appearance to buildings in the region. A mashrabiya converted the house into a safe, private sanctuary, providing a magical scene inside, characterized by linear sun rays, filtered points of light and shadow. Over time, as building technology changed and the number of skilled craftsmen dwindled, the traditional mashrabiya has all but vanished. The aim of …

Kaleidoscope Wellness | Destigmatizing Mental Health For Teens By Design, Rhode L. Baptiste

Theses and Dissertations

Motivation

Mental health is a global public health crisis. (Marcus et. al, 2012; WHO, 2020). Although there is a growing acceptance of the complexities surrounding mental illness, care delivery for adolescents with mental health concerns remains highly stigmatized, which contributes to delays in care (Hoisington et. al, 2019; Burns & Birrell, 2014). Half of all mental illnesses can be detected prior to the age of 14 (National Alliance for Mental Health, 2020). While research exploring how the physical health care environment impacts health and well-being for patients has evolved immensely over the past two decades, research on how facility design …

The Institute For Storytelling & Healthcare Design Research, Ruth E.P. Deibler

Theses and Dissertations

STORYTELLING, HEALTHCARE, INTERIOR DESIGN EDUCATION & GROUNDED THEORY RESEARCH:

THE TRIFECTA OF TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE IN HEALTHCARE DESIGN

The Living Theatre Of Horror: Examining How Centuries Of Western Theatrical Practice And Theory Inform The Modern-Day Haunted House, Scott Dittman

Theses and Dissertations

This work will discuss the growing modern phenomenon of theme park and regional haunt events in the United States. In it, we will explore the history of how horror has been presented on stage, the themes within horror that creators grapple with, and how by using traditional theatrical elements creators of modern haunt events are able to make the audience a part of the story, transforming them from passive observers of the scenarios presented to complicit participants. How does the history of horror theatre inform the production of modern haunt events (and how has a global pandemic affected them), what …

You Wouldn't Download An Art, Rice Evans

Theses and Dissertations

To quote the late Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens, “The internet is a series of tubes.” Like my art practice, these tubes meander through concepts, techniques, and mediums to arrive at a messy, confusing, and overwhelming shared experience of digital life. It is here where we find humor, creativity, and most importantly our own folk culture.

Earth Tone Sigh Spell, Martha Glenn

Theses and Dissertations

A written accompaniment to the artist’s thesis exhibition titled Earth Tone Sigh Spell, conceived during the years 2020-21 and installed at The Anderson Gallery, Richmond from May 1–15, 2021.

The following thesis explores themes of personal memory, geo-theory, myth, symbol, and historical event. The artist uses research and stream of consciousness writing methods as a way to weave these concepts together and tie them back to her own practice with installation, sculpture, and new media.

Pissing In The Pleasure Garden, Ellen Hanson

Theses and Dissertations

In this paper I will discuss self-representation and how my paintings refer to self-sexualization on the internet and depictions of muses in art history, allowing me to occupy the joint role of artist and muse through the repetition of my own image. My thesis exhibition, Pissing in the Pleasure Garden, uses freestanding canvases to imitate the form of a Hortus Conclusus. I use the closed garden to contend with the contradictions of control, eroticism, and voyeurism. Similar to the landscape of the early internet created by blogs and camgirl sites, the closed garden is both public and private.

"With The Commodity In The Hand": A Practical Investigation Of The Intersection Of Material Culture With Performance Theory, Katharine M. Given

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the intersection of performance theory and material culture through the practices of garment reconstruction. In chapter 1, I examine key theorists in the fields of material culture and performance studies and articulate the connections between the two fields. In chapter 2, Using practice as research, I recount the experience of building reproduction garments from the eighteenth century using historically appropriate tools and methods, as well as the experience of wearing those garments. Finally, in Chapter 3, I walk through a possible historical examination of my encounter with these reconstructed garments, and consider the way in which feminine …

Us Of Al Review, Jonathan Pucci

Mighty Pen Project Anthology & Archive

A review of the sitcom US of Al by a marine who served in Afghanistan.

Articles, stories, and other compositions in this archive were written by participants in the Mighty Pen Project. The program, developed by author David L. Robbins, and in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, offers veterans and their family members a customized twelve-week writing class, free of charge. The program encourages, supports, and assists participants in sharing their stories and experiences of military experience so both writer and audience may benefit.