Digital Commons Network^™

Senior Living Guide: Strategies For Aging In Place In Chesterfield County, Emma E. Tilley

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

The Senior Living Guide: Strategies for Aging in Place in Chesterfield County provides a comprehensive framework to support the county's growing older adult population in maintaining independence and quality of life within their homes and communities while aging in place. This plan outlines demographic trends, housing conditions, and the needs of older residents, and offers actionable planning strategies to make Chesterfield County a supportive locality for those aging in place. Emphasizing universal design, accessible infrastructure, and integrated support services, this plan promotes a multi-disciplinary approach to ensure that aging in place is a viable and equitable option for all residents. …

Using Fungal Dna Barcoding To Identify Fungal Species In A James River Park System Soil Microbiome, Erwin Murray, D Jennings

Undergraduate Research Posters

Fungi in the soil have the ability to form mutualistic relationships with plant roots and improve the way they resist a variety of plant diseases and abiotic stressors, influencing the survivability of the plants. The James River Park System (JRPS) is home to a variety of ecosystems that support diverse plant and fungal populations, including native plants and invasive plants. Therefore, it is important to identify what is present in the soil microbiome. The purpose of this project is to isolate fungal sequences from soil samples collected in the JRPS to identify what fungal species are present in the JRPS …

Accurate Body Weight Class Prediction From Mirna And Gene Expression In Blood And Saliva Samples, Kimberly Lettner

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

miRNA interference on protein abundance related to glucose uptake and lipid production has been evaluated in biomedical research and linked to metabolic disorders like severe obesity. The direct regulation of protein abundance caused by miRNAs on a person’s metabolism can lead to an increased weight and overall size. Body size, measured by BMI, provides additional physical descriptions that can be combined with hair color, eye color, age, and skin pigment to aid investigations of unidentified remains or unknown suspects not found in a database. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the miRNA expression of target biomarkers in dried …

Ocean Acidification Mitigation: Potential Expansion Of Sav Restoration Strategy In The Chesapeake Bay, Cree N. Taylor

Undergraduate Research Posters

Zostera marina is a species of marine macrophyte that has been largely prioritized in past submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) restoration initiatives within the Chesapeake Bay because of its 1) previous abundance, 2) demonstrated carbon burial abilities, and 3) observed ability for meadows of Z. marina to ameliorate low pH conditions. Due to the temperature variability and poor water quality associated with anthropogenic disturbances in the Chesapeake Bay, Z. Marina beds have experienced several die-off events with limited capacity for regrowth. This systematic review explored the possible benefits of focusing future SAV recovery initiatives on ensuring a diverse variety of SAV …

Analysis Of Differential Gene Expression In Androgen-Independent Clones Derived From The Mycap Pca Cell Line, Jessie L. Tignor, Melanie Sinanian, Richard Inho Joh, David Gewirtz, Jason Reed

Undergraduate Research Posters

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a primary treatment strategy for prostate cancer (PCa), yet many tumors eventually develop androgen independence, leading to treatment resistance. To investigate the molecular changes underlying this transition, we analyzed differential gene expression in four androgen-independent (AI) clones derived from the Myc-CaP prostate cancer cell line using RNA sequencing. Gene expression profiles were compared to the parental Myc-CaP line, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using DESeq2 and edgeR. The AI clones exhibited significant downregulation of senescence-associated genes, including Ezh2 and lamin B1, suggesting a loss of senescence-related chromatin repression. Additionally, upregulation of Wnt pathway …

Acer Rubrum: Descending Towards Forest Dominance, Elyssa L. Pearson, Christopher M. Gough

Undergraduate Research Posters

Acer rubrum, more commonly known as the red maple, is a hardwood, late successional species of tree commonly planted for its deciduous nature and vibrant coloring of its leaves in the beginning of autumn (Abrams, 1998). The species is very tolerant of varying light and soil moisture levels and often dominates sub and mid-canopy levels of hardwood forests (Missouri Botanical Gardens). It was hypothesized that as the I moved from an upland location to a lowland location near a wetland that the A. rubrum trees would be more productive and have a greater above ground biomass. This was not …

Journal 2, Ryan Peschman

Mighty Pen Project Anthology & Archive

A stunningly kaleidoscopic narrative that asks, over and over, what it means to be alive.

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. CONTENT WARNINGS: Animal death, Autopsy related gore, Child …

Ai In Education: Teaching, Learning, And Thinking With Machines, Mary Strawderman, Jesse Senechal, Eric Ekholm, Jason Vest, Moe Greene, Dawn Johnson, Daniel Case, Oscar Keyes, Yaoying Xu, Robert Godwin-Jones, Kait Donahue, Kim Elmore, Haley Hendershot, Amy Corning, Paulina Guerrero, Samaher Aljudaibi, Justin Thurston

AI in Education: Teaching, Learning, and Thinking with Machines

This collection from the Humanities Research Center (HRC) Digital Technology in Education (DTE) working group arose from questions around how rapidly emerging generative AI tools are reshaping teaching and learning in K-12 and higher education. The contributions, loosely organized around ethics, policy, and practice, adopt a humanities lens to probe how generative AI and other emerging digital technologies impact human values, experiences, and social structures, surfacing their philosophical, ethical, cultural, and societal implications for schooling. From the perspectives of practitioners and interdisciplinary scholars, the pieces showcase various dimensions of AI's creative potential in education, while also questioning its limitations and …

Attention's Loop: A Sculptor's Reverie On The Coexistence Of Substance And Spirit, Elizabeth King, Katherine Wetzel

Attention's Loop

This is a book about attention and memory. I am a sculptor, so it is also a book about size, dirt, artifice, work, and eye. The text is a set of stories and interruptions that pile up to make a play of overlapping loops. My organizing principle is the image of the round-trip, so one may open the book and step into it at any point. Most of Katherine Wetzel’s photographs are of a single sculpture. It is a self-portrait, a particular kind of round-trip, and it is small: one-half life-size. Called Pupil, it is jointed and movable, and …

Department Of Medicinal Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University: Historical And Personal Reflections, Richard A. Glennon

VCU University History Books

This book presents a historical account of Virginia Commonwealth University's Department of Medicinal Chemistry, compiled and recollected in 2025 by Professor Emeritus Richard A. Glennon. Included are personal reflections alongside a historical overview of the department's origins and faculty, as well as newly developed programs and initiatives.

From Ink To Code, From Binary To Boundless Reality—Until All Returns To Emptiness, Weitong Sun

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the entangled relationship between language, memory, and technology through the lens of immigrant experience. Moving from programming to visual storytelling, I investigate how dyslexia, bilingualism, and cultural displacement have shaped my ways of reading, writing, and coding.

Beginning with personal reflections on switching from computer science to art, I trace how code offered a form of clarity and expression where written language had once failed me. Yet as I ventured into real-time simulation and XR storytelling, I encountered new forms of mistranslation—where narratives dissolved, mutated, or resisted coherence altogether.

Through a series of experiments in code-driven art, …

Comparative Evaluation Of Three Endodontic Rotary File Systems In S-Shaped Root Canals: An In-Depth Analysis, Mudher Bahar

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: This study compares three endodontic file systems—XP‐3D Shaper⁺, EdgeFile X7 and WaveOne Gold in S‐shaped simulated canals in resin blocks. It aimed to quantify canals volumetric changes post‐instrumentation to guide clinical selection of a system that preserves tooth structure while efficiently shaping root canals.

Methods: Thirty S‐shaped canals in resin blocks were divided into three groups (n=10) for instrumentation with XP‐3D Shaper⁺, EdgeFile X7 or WaveOne Gold using the crown‐down technique and manufacturers recommended settings. A no‐treatment control provided a baseline for volumetric changes measured via CBCT scans analyzed with ITK‐SNAP. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey’s test …

Between "Hippies In Suits" And "Money Is The Name Of The Game": Farm Animal Advocates' Analyses Of Political Power In The Farm Bill, Jeff Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

The animal agriculture industry annually slaughters roughly ten billion land animals in the United States. What can be done to improve their welfare and lessen their suffering?

Over the past decade, the problem of farm animal welfare and suffering has drawn increasing interest from the effective altruism community, a loose movement of utilitarian advocates seeking technocratic solutions to social problems (Singer, 2015). As effective altruism has become a more potent driver of the animal welfare movement, an increasing number of nonprofits have begun engaging in political advocacy for farm animal welfare. Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz’ Open Philanthropy is the largest …

Dosimetric Validation Of An Electron Monte Carlo (Emc) Algorithm For Small Cutouts And Extended Ssd’S: Assessing Emc In Small Field Dosimetry, Anil Basavaaraju

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis validates the accuracy and limitations of Electron Monte Carlo (eMC) simulations in Eclipse treatment planning systems for small-field electron dosimetry and extended source-to-surface distances (SSDs). Systematic measurements were performed using a microDiamond detector across various electron energies and field sizes. The study examines the discrepancies between measured and calculated (eMC) dose distributions, validating challenges due to lateral scatter disequilibrium and extended air gaps. Our findings provide systematic data for eMC dose calculations and demonstrate that eMC performs within clinical tolerances, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the precision and safety of radiation treatments.

Assessment Of Drivers Of Light Attenuation In Virginia Reservoirs, Jackson Barnett

Theses and Dissertations

Water clarity in aquatic ecosystems is crucial for submerged vegetation and algal dynamics. We investigated the factors influencing light attenuation (kd) by measuring total suspended solids (TSS), chlorophyll-a (CHLa), and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) across thirteen stations located in seven reservoirs. Average kd was 1.69 m^-1 (range: 0.37-3.99 m^-1), with photic depths averaging 3.27 m (range: 1.15-12.43 m). TSS was the primary predictor of light attenuation (R² = 0.57, P = 0.003, SE = 0.053). Average TSS values for each site were multiplied by the slope of the kd-TSS relationship to find the proportion of kd …

Infinite Finite: A View On Human Progression Through Emergent Generative Systems, Fatima Abbas

Theses and Dissertations

Contemporary crises reveal an imbalance in human progression, prioritizing material advancement while neglecting ethical, compassionate, and spiritual dimensions. This thesis examines natural progression through the lens of emergence, where simple interactions produce complex outcomes. Analyzing natural patterns across different scales, from cosmic formations to neural interactions, underscores emergence's universal nature.

Within this context, Infinite Finite introduces a generative digital tool simulating emergence through iterative cycles of construction and deconstruction. Depicting a century of human progression informed by historical behaviors via simulated cellular interactions, the tool visually differentiates ethical from unethical progression. This is represented through ten data visualization tiles composed …

Subgingival Microbiomes Of Healthy And Periodontitis Subjects, Tareq Abdulrasoul

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Periodontitis is a common chronic inflammatory disease triggered by the dysbiosis of the subgingival microbiome. 16s rRNA sequencing has been used to profile the subgingival plaque samples in healthy and periodontitis subjects. Here, we have collected subgingival plaque samples from subjects and analyzed the microbiome profile from 16s rRNA sequencing. We hypothesized that periodontitis patients will have a different subgingival microbiome profile than that of healthy subjects.

Methods: Subgingival plaque samples were collected from periodontitis and healthy subjects who were indicated for periodontal surgeries (osseous resective and regenerative surgery for periodontitis patients or crown lengthening for healthy …

Development Of A Mediation Model Of Pain Cognition In Adult Patients With Sickle Cell Disease, Daniel M. Sop

Theses and Dissertations

Pain is a hallmark of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), a genetic hemoglobinopathy characterized by chronic hemolytic anemia, vaso-occlusion, and organ damage. While acute vaso-occlusive crises (VOC) have been extensively studied, the mechanisms underlying chronic pain and its interplay with brain function remain unclear. This dissertation investigates the relationships between cerebral blood flow (CBF), fluid cognition, and pain sensitivity in adults with SCD, utilizing advanced imaging techniques and validated assessment tools.

Arterial spin labeling (ASL) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) were employed to measure CBF and brain activity, respectively. Pain sensitivity was assessed using the Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ), and …

The Trauma-To-Prison Pipeline: A Multi-Level Theoretical Framework Exploring The Intersection Of Inequality, Trauma, And Exclusionary Discipline, Dana Ainsworth

Theses and Dissertations

The school-to-prison pipeline (STPP) is a widely recognized and extensively studied metaphor used to describe the process by which school discipline policies increase the risk of juvenile justice system involvement, particularly among historically marginalized populations. While it has been instrumental in shaping educational policy, the STPP framework has not evolved to account for the critical impact of trauma on learning and behavioral outcomes. Furthermore, it overlooks the role of systemic inequality that increases trauma exposure and produces concentric patterns of marginalization.

Drawing on research across the fields of education, public health, sociology, and criminal justice, this study proposes a theoretical …

Investigating The Temperature Effects On Aedes Aegypti And Dengue Virus In Central Argentina: Perspectives From Mathematical Modeling, Morgan H. Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Dengue virus (DENV) causes over 390 million infections and around 40,000 deaths worldwide each year. DENV is primarily transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypti, and both the life cycle of these mosquitoes and DENV transmission are significantly impacted by temperature. In the temperate region of Central Argentina, where dengue outbreaks first began in 2009, outbreaks only occur following new introductions of DENV from other regions. Due to the relationships between temperature and DENV and temperature and Ae. aegypti, the risk of an outbreak changes throughout the year. Here, we develop and analyze mathematical models for both mosquito population dynamics and …

Cannabis Use Among Cancer Survivors And The Impact On Cancer-Related Pain, Tiffanie A. Vargas

Theses and Dissertations

With a growing population of older adult cancer survivors—many of whom experience cancer-related pain—interest in medical cannabis as a pain management strategy has increased. This secondary analysis used data from the 2022 U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to examine cannabis use behaviors among cancer survivors and assess associations with cancer-related pain. The study had three aims: (1) to describe 30-day cannabis use (prevalence, intensity, and administration routes) by chronic health condition and cancer diagnosis, focusing on non-melanoma skin cancer, melanoma, and other cancers; (2) to compare demographics, health characteristics, and tobacco use by cannabis use status among cancer …

Modeling Synergistic Effects Of Integrin And Tgf-Β Signaling In Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition, Prerak Thakkar

Theses and Dissertations

The induction of Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is initiated by a

number of protiens and growth factors, one of which is the profibrotic cytokine Trans-

forming Growth Factor β (TGF-β). Within the extracellular matrix (ECM), TGF-β

is found in a latent, inactive form bound to proteins such as fibronectin (FN). For

TGF-β to contribute to EMT induction, it has to be extracted from the latent com-

plexes into a soluble form. This soluble, activated TGF-β can then bind to receptors

on the cell membrane, which causes the transduction of signals that begin EMT. Re-

search has shown that the release …

Existing In The Context: A Conjunctural Analysis Of Kamala Harris Memes, Amaya Mcneal

Theses and Dissertations

Political memes have become a common way for people to express their political views online, helping politics reach young adults who weren’t previously interested. Consequently, politicians have begun sharing and creating memes themselves. The memeification of American politics has diminished debate about ideas, ideals, issues, and people’s vital interests, debasing voters by treating them not as citizens but as passive “consumers” and “spectators” of mediated politics. This paper helps make sense of this crisis, focusing on the example of former Vice President Kamala Harris. Vice President Kamala Harris' memeified presidential campaign during the 2024 U.S. election targeted voters through a …

Investigating Mitochondrial Stress Response Mechanisms In Aging, Aileigh E. Daniel

Theses and Dissertations

Mitochondrial dysfunction is widely recognized as a key contributor to aging and age-related diseases. The concept of mitohormesis suggests that low levels of ROS can activate stress-responsive transcription factors, promoting adaptive mechanisms that enhance longevity. We hypothesized that changes in protein abundance under conditions of mild mitochondrial stress reflect an adaptive response, and that commonly altered proteins across diverse genetic backgrounds of mitochondrial stress can help identify key regulators of stress resilience and aging. Our study identified conserved mitochondrial stress response pathways and highlighted candidate regulators for further investigation. These regulators appear to impair mitochondrial energy production by downregulating ATP …

Substrate Preference And Foraging Behavior Of Two Declining Warblers In Appalachian Shrublands, Samantha Fishman

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Shrubland and early successional habitats (ESH) support a diversity of wildlife, including many declining songbirds. However, nonnative shrubs increasingly dominate these habitats, potentially altering habitat quality by influencing prey availability. Habitat quality can be assessed by observing foraging behaviors of songbirds and identifying preferred and avoided substrates as well as testing the predictions of optimal foraging theory; specifically that birds will maximize their energy gain relative to the costs. We examined foraging behaviors of Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera; GWWA) and Chestnut-sided Warblers (Setophaga pensylvanica; CSWA) in ESH on private lands in Virginia with varying amounts …

Unleashing Serine Palmitoyltransferase In Test Tubes And Mice, Matthew W. Peart

Theses and Dissertations

Canonically known both for structural contributions to lipid bilayers and roles in cell signaling, the sphingolipids comprise a dynamic, multifaceted class of molecules which are studied to understand homeostatic cell biology as well as pathophysiology. Sphingolipids contribute to tissue-specific structures such as myelin, a multilayer membrane that allows for rapid conduction of action potentials along neuronal axons. All sphingolipids are downstream products of the rate-limiting and initiating enzyme in the de novo sphingolipid synthesis pathway, Serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT). Demonstrative of its status as the enzyme that catalyzes a crucial step in a biochemical pathway, SPT activity is strictly regulated. This …

Hafnium Oxide-Based Nanoheterostructures For Catalytic Radiosensitization And Enhanced X-Ray Radiotherapy, Marlen Dariela Calix Quezada

Theses and Dissertations

Orthovoltage X-ray beams are attractive for surface and intra-operative radiotherapy. Yet, their clinical utility is constrained by rapid attenuation and the limited dose that can be delivered without harming healthy tissue. High-Z hafnium oxide (HfO₂) nanoparticles can boost local energy deposition through the photoelectric effect, while catalytic surface defects accelerate water radiolysis. Harnessing both mechanisms in a single nano-heterostructure could enable potent radiosensitization at diagnostic-range energies.

This thesis develops and evaluates HfO₂-based nanoheterostructures, both bare and Au-decorated, as catalytic radiosensitizers.

Two types of HfO₂ were evaluated, one was synthesized following a specific route and the …

Targeting The Achilles’ Heel Of Lung Cancer Induced By Oncogenic P53, Brandon G. Velasco

Theses and Dissertations

Mutations of the tumor suppressor gene, TP53, are the most prevalent oncogenic mutations in lung cancer, occurring in up to 70% of human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The majority of mutations in p53 are missense mutations that cause not only a loss of tumor suppressor function, but also gain of oncogenic functions, like tumorigenicity, immune suppression, and chemoresistance. Previous studies have shown that the depletion of gain-of-function (GOF) p53 or disruption of its ability to transactivate the expression of genes related to oncogenesis eliminates its tumorigenic properties indicating a dependency of human lung cancer cells expressing GOF p53 …

Enhancing Clinical Trial Matching In Molecular Diagnostics: Using Natural Language Processing And Clustering Approaches In Hematological Malignancies, Gillian Fanning

Theses and Dissertations

Clinical trial matching is a critical component of personalized medicine, particularly in the management of hematologic malignancies. At Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health, the Molecular Diagnostics (MDX) Lab produces somatic variant reports and recommends clinical trials based on the presence of clinically significant mutations. However, the current manual trial recommendation process is time-intensive and lacks scalability.

This study introduces a computational framework to streamline and standardize clinical trial matching using natural language processing (NLP) and unsupervised clustering. Trial brief descriptions were analyzed to extract frequent terms, and trials were grouped based on term similarity using joint dimensionality reduction and clustering. …

Developing Bioinformatics Expertise Through The Annotation Of The Gut Microbiome Of Odontotaenius Disjunctus, Keidra E. Carter

Theses and Dissertations

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have revolutionized biological research by generating unprecedented volumes of genomic data, necessitating advanced bioinformatics tools and specialized expertise to fully interpret complex microbial communities. This study outlines an integrated workflow to characterize the gut microbiome of the wood-feeding beetle Odontotaenius disjunctus. Prokka is employed for functional annotation to identify protein-coding genes and other genomic features, while Kaiju is used for taxonomic classification. DIAMOND is then applied to locate and validate the taxonomic assignments generated by Kaiju by aligning sequences within the contigs to a comprehensive protein database, proGenomes. Functional analysis revealed that the contigs encode proteins …