Working Together: Using Protein Networks Of Bacterial Species To Compare Essentiality, Centrality, And Conservation In Escherichia Coli., Christopher Wimble

Theses and Dissertations

Proteins in Escherichia coli were compared in terms of essentiality, centrality, and conservation. The hypotheses of this study are: for proteins in Escherichia coli, (1) there is a positive, measureable correlation between protein conservation and essentiality, (2) there is a positive relationship between conservation and degree centrality, and (3) essentiality and centrality also have a positive correlation. The third hypothesis was supported by a moderate correlation, the first with a weak correlation, and the second hypotheis was not supported. When proteins that did not map to orthologous groups and proteins that had no interactions were removed, the relationship between essentality …

Speed And Resolution In The Age Of Technological Reproducibility, Shawn Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

The rate of acceleration of the biologic and synthetic world has for a while now, been in the process of exponentially speeding up, maxing out servers and landfills, merging with each other, destroying each other. The last prehistoric relics on Earth are absorbing the same oxygen, carbon dioxide and electronic waves in our biosphere as us. A degraded .jpeg enlarged to full screen on a Samsung 4K UHD HU8550 Series Smart TV - 85” Class (84.5” diag.). Within this composite ecology, the ancient limestone of the grand canyon competes with the iMax movie of itself, the production of Mac pros, …

Crown Size Comparisons In Patients With Unilateral Palatally Displaced Canines, Joseph Eliason, Steven J. Lindauer

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

CROWN SIZE COMPARISONS IN PATIENTS WITH PALATALLY DISPLACED CANINES

By Joseph L. Eliason, D.D.S.

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015

Thesis Director: Steven J. Lindauer, D.M.D., M.Dent.Sc.

Professor and Chair, Department of Orthodontics

There has been significant debate over the past decades regarding the etiology of palatally displaced canines. Theorized risk factors include agenesis or malformation of the lateral incisors, incisor retroclination, transverse deficiency, or genetic predisposition. The purpose of this study is to compare the linear and volumetric …

Understanding The Function Of Dyrk1a Through Characterization Of Its Interacting Proteins, Varsha Ananthapadmanabhan

Theses and Dissertations

DYRK1A is a protein kinase encoded by a gene implicated in Down syndrome pathogenesis. Loss of DYRK1A could promote oncogenic transformation. However, the regulation and substrates of DYRK1A are not fully understood. MudPIT proteomic analysis revealed novel DYRK1A interacting proteins with poorly characterized or even unknown functions. Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to understand the function of DYRK1A through the characterization of its interacting proteins. To achieve this aim, we established stable cell lines expressing these proteins and confirmed the interactions between DYRK1A and seven candidate binding partners. Furthermore, we found that all novel DYRK1A-interacting proteins also bind …

Kensington Center For Health: An Exploration Of Health, Wellness And The Built Environment., Rose Peck

Theses and Dissertations

This is a project that explores how design can integrate medical treatment and community support. The high prevalence of chronic disease is creating a national healthcare crisis. Chronic disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States. Consideration of a holistic sense of well-being that focuses on disease resistance, resilience, and self-management is necessary to realize and sustain health outcomes. Community engagement is imperative to improve adherence rates for lifestyle changes. This project aims to design a community wellness space that is focused on prevention, resilience and self-management. A new typology of a community-anchored wellness clinic …

Characterization Of The Interactions Between Staphylococcal Phage 80 Alpha Scaffold And Capsid Proteins, Laura Klenow

Theses and Dissertations

Staphylococcal phage 80α can serve as a helper bacteriophage for a family of mobile genetic elements called Staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity islands (SaPIs). The prototype island, SaPI1, is able to hijack the 80α capsid assembly process and redirect capsid formation to yield smaller, phage-like transducing particles carrying SaPI DNA. Capsid size redirection is accomplished through two SaPI1-encoded gene products, CpmA and an alternate scaffold protein, CpmB. The normal 80α scaffold and the SaPI1 CpmB scaffold share a small block of conserved residues at their C-termini, several of which had been shown to be essential for CpmB function. This led to the …

Forbearance Across Culture, Yin Lin

Theses and Dissertations

Forbearance is defined for the purpose of the present dissertation as, “the attempt to suppress the visible signs of negative emotion (i.e., emotional expression) and visible behaviors (i.e., the expression of negative vengeful or avoidant motives) in response to a hurt or offense, often (but not always) for the sake of group harmony.” I reviewed the literature on forbearance and cross-cultural studies in suppression of emotion or emotional expression under the framework of New Big Five personality processes and cultural models of self and relating. Then I offered three propositions about forbearance. Furthermore, I collected three samples and …

Development And Validation Of A Discrete Event Simulation Model To Evaluate The Long Term Use Of Electronic Cigarettes In Us Population, Kunal Saxena

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Cigarette smoking is associated with lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and chronic respiratory conditions. It is responsible for high mortality and morbidity risk in the US population. Smokers find sudden quitting difficult and it is reported that a large number of unassisted quitting attempts are eventually unsuccessful. Electronic cigarette or e-cig is a novel battery-driven, nicotine delivery product, currently being used as a smoking cessation tool by current and former smokers. Since its resemblance to a conventional cigarette, and its non-combustible nature, e-cig use has risen exponentially in the last few years. To address such public health issues, the US …

Characterization Of A Novel Protease In Staphylococcus Aureus, Adam L. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

A newly discovered cysteine protease, Prp, has been shown to perform an essential, site-specific cleavage of ribosomal protein L27 in Staphylococcus aureus. In Firmicutes and related bacteria, ribosomal protein L27 is encoded with a conserved N-terminal extension that must be removed to expose residues critical for ribosome function. Uncleavable and pre-cleaved variants were unable to complement an L27 deletion in S. aureus, indicating that this N-terminal processing event is essential and likely plays an important regulatory role. The gene encoding the responsible protease (prp) has been shown to be essential, and is found in all organisms …

High-Throughput Data Analysis: Application To Micronuclei Frequency And T-Cell Receptor Sequencing, Mateusz Makowski

Theses and Dissertations

The advent of high-throughput sequencing has brought about the creation of an unprecedented amount of research data. Analytical methodology has not been able to keep pace with the plethora of data being produced. Two assays, ImmunoSEQ and the cytokinesisblock micronucleus (CBMN), that both produce count data and have few methods available to analyze them are considered.

ImmunoSEQ is a sequencing assay that measures the beta T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire. The ImmunoSEQ assay was used to describe the TCR repertoires of patients that have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Several different methods for spectratype analysis were extended to the TCR …

An Association Study Between Adult Blood Pressure And Time To First Cardiovascular Disease, Yongjia Pu

Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated the association between the time to hypertension event and multiple baseline measurements for adults, yet other survival cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes such as high cholesterol and heart attack have been somewhat less considered. The Fels Longitudinal Study (FLS) provides us an opportunity to connect adult blood pressure (BP) at certain ages to the time to first CVD outcomes. The availability of long-term serial BP measurements from FLS also potentially allows us to evaluate if the trend of the measured BP biomarkers over time predicts survival outcomes in adulthood through statistical modeling.

METHODS: When the reference …

Elaboration And Design Of Α7 Nachr Negative Allosteric Modulators, Osama I. Alwassil

Theses and Dissertations

α7 Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are one of two major classes of receptors responsible for cholinergic neurotransmission in the central nervous system. The existence of α7 neuronal nAChRs in different regions of the nervous system suggests their involvement in certain essential physiological functions as well as in disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), drug dependence, and depression. This project was aimed toward the discovery and development of small–molecule arylguanidines that modulate α7 nAChR function with improved subtype-selectivity through an allosteric approach. Identifying the required structural features of these small molecules allowed optimization of their negative allosteric modulator (NAM) actions at …

Development Of Irreversible Substrate Competitive Probes For Pka Activity, Robert A. Coover

Theses and Dissertations

The current environment for drug discovery and disease treatment relies heavily on genomic analysis, structural biology and chemical biology techniques. With the enormous advances in genomic analysis and structural biology, the use of and desire for targeted therapies has increased. However, as more genomic data for cancer disease state pathology becomes available we must ask increasingly difficult questions and even produce new technologies, such as activity-based probes, to answer these questions.

In particular, targeted kinase inhibitors for the treatment of cancer has become a mainstay for drug development for both industry and academia, but it is evident that the genomic …

A Comparison Of Vitamin D Levels In Children With Early Childhood Caries, Vanessa O. Hofilena

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To determine if there is an association between early childhood caries (ECC) and vitamin D deficiency, as measured via a serum sample. An exploratory goal was to investigate the possibility of measuring vitamin D with a salivary assay. Methods: Serum samples of patients who were scheduled for a dental or otolaryngology procedure under general anesthesia were assessed for 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), parathyroid hormone and calcium. Results: Our analysis indicates that the vitamin D levels of the controls and ECC group were significantly different. There were significant inverse correlations between: 1) PTH levels and vitamin D and 2) decayed, missing, …

At What Age Should Screening Mammography Be Recommended For Asian Women?, Junko Tsuchida, Masayuki Nagahashi, Omar M. Rashid, Kazuaki Takabe, Toshifumi Wakai

Surgery Publications

Although regular screening mammography has been suggested to be associated with improvements in the relative survival of breast cancer in recent years, the appropriate age to start screening mammography remains controversial. In November 2009, the United States Preventive Service Task Force published updated guidelines for breast cancer, which no longer support routine screening mammography for women aged 40–49 years, but instead, defer the choice of screening in that age group to the patient and physician. The age to begin screening differs between guidelines, including those from the Task Force, the American Cancer Society and the World Health Organization. It remains …

Identification Of The Conformational Transition Pathway In Pip2 Opening Kir Channels, Junwei Li, Shouqin Lü, Yuzhi Lu, Chunli Pang, Yafei Chen, Suhua Zhang, Hui Yu, Mian Long, Hailin Zhang, Diomedes E. Logothetis, Yong Zhan, Hailong An

Surgery Publications

The gating of Kir channels depends critically on phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), but the detailed mechanism by which PIP2 regulates Kir channels remains obscure. Here, we performed a series of Targeted molecular dynamics simulations on the full-length Kir2.1 channel and, for the first time, were able to achieve the transition from the closed to the open state. Our data show that with the upward motion of the cytoplasmic domain (CTD) the structure of the C-Linker changes from a loop to a helix. The twisting of the C-linker triggers the rotation of the CTD, which induces a small downward movement of the …

Enucleation After Embolization Of Liver Failure-Causing Giant Liver Hemangioma, Amit Sharma, Matthew Kaspar, Mohammad Siddiqui, Joohyun Kim

Surgery Publications

Patient: Female, 73

Final Diagnosis: Giant liver hemangioma

Symptoms: Abdominal discomfort • abdominal enlargement • Icterus

Medication: —

Clinical Procedure: Enucleation after embolization of liver failure-causing giant liver

Specialty: Surgery

Objective:

Unusual clinical course

Background:

Hepatic hemangioma is a congenital tumor of the mesenchymal tissues of the liver. While typically benign, these tumors can occasionally grow to sufficient size to cause a number of symptoms, including pain, severe hepatic dysfunction, or, rarely, consumptive coagulopathy. In such instances, surgical treatment may be warranted.

Case Report:

We present a case of a symptomatic giant hepatic hemangioma in an elderly patient who presented …

Vcu Professor Researches Early Intervention Programs For Preschools, Ties To Rtr Program, Sterling Giles

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

The Institute for Education Sciences, IES, a branch of the US Department of Education, awarded a grant to VCU professors Bryce McLeod, Ph.D and Kevin Sutherland, Ph.D to research behavioral problems in local preschool children. The four-year grant totaled up to $1.6 million.

Is Black Motherhood A Marker Of Oppression Or Empowerment? Hip-Hop And R&B Lessons About "Mama", Cassandra Chaney, Arielle Brown

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

A qualitative content analysis was conducted on the lyrics of 59 songs (40 Hip Hop songs; 17 R&B songs; 2 songs that represented the Hip Hop and R&B genre) from 1961-2013 to identify the ways that Black male and Black female artists described motherhood. The songs were determined by Billboard Chart Research Services, and Black Feminist Theory provided the theoretical foundation on which the themes were identified. Qualitative analysis of the lyrics revealed Black motherhood in R&B and Hip Hop to be based on the following four typologies: (1) Motherhood as Source of Emotional Comfort and Support; (2) Motherhood as …

Impact Of A Science Methods Course On Pre-Service Elementary Teachers' Knowledge And Confidence Of Teaching With Scientific Inquiry And Problem-Based Learning, L. Y. Whiteman, T. M. Walker, T. L. Spencer

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of an elementary science methods course on pre-service teachers' knowledge and confidence of teaching with inquiry and problem-based instructional strategies. Changes in pre-service teachers' knowledge and confidence were measured before and after completing the course activities using a pilot survey entitled "Science Pedagogical Content Knowledge & Confidence (PCKC) Survey." An integrated lecture/laboratory elementary science methods course engaged participants with hands-on activities designed to increase their pedagogical content knowledge: including theory, planning and implementation of inquiry, and problem-based learning. The results indicated that pre-service teachers' knowledge and confidence improved as a …

Analysis Of Humira, Electro-Acupuncture, And Pulsatile Dry Cupping On Reducing Joint Inflammation In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Natalie Noll

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Humira, an anti-TNF drug aimed at decreasing inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis patients, can cause skin diseases from rashes to skin cancer. Humira works by blocking the chemical receptor RANKL which inhibits the production of osteoclasts. Osteoclasts are cells that attack and eat bone and cartilage therefore an inhibitory mechanism would cause inflammation.. By analyzing Humira’s effect on the human body, Humira can be compared to other treatments such as electro-acupuncture and pulsatile dry cupping to determine the viability of these alternative treatment methods in regards to their abilities to decrease inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis patients through blocking RANKL. An analysis …

Hannah Huddle: Visually Comparing Art And Science, Mark Hardison

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Hannah Huddle, a junior at VCU majoring in communications arts with a concentration in scientific illustration, has been working on a research project with VCU biology professor Dr. Lesley Bulluck, and a group of six students, researching the Prothonotary Warbler. Unlike most researchers, Huddle is both studying the biology of the bird and making illustrations of the bird and the research involving the Warbler.

Biomimicry: New Natures, New Enclosures, Jesse Goldstein, Elizabeth Johnson

Sociology Publications

Advocates of biomimicry, encourages a new industrial paradigm that ostensibly leaves behind the crude violence of Francis Bacon, the domination of nature-as-machine, and a history of toxic production processes that have given rise to a present and coming climate crisis. As part of a broader trend towards the conceptualization and development of a ‘bioeconomy’, we argue here that biomimicry produces ‘nature’ in new ways. At face value, these new approaches to valuing nature may seem less violent and exploitative. Yet, new natures can and are tortured in new ways. We argue that biomimicry produces ‘nature’ through well-worn logics of resource …

Effects Of The Algal Toxin Microcystin On Fishes In The James River, Virginia, Maxwell D. Haase

Theses and Dissertations

With the global rise in frequency of harmful algal blooms in estuarine environments comes an increase in prevalence of toxic metabolites, such as microcystin (MC), that some of the cyanobacteria involved will produce. At high concentrations, MC may accumulate in consumer tissues and have deleterious effects on organisms; however impacts of the toxin on aquatic living resources at ecologically relevant concentrations have not been widely documented. We analyzed the effects of MC on juveniles of five fish species from the James River, Virginia to determine if MC has the potential to impede growth. Using three separate experimental approaches, it was …

Effects Of Tgf-Β1 And Il-33 On Mast Cell Function, Victor S. Ndaw

Theses and Dissertations

TGFβ is involved in many pathological conditions, including autoimmune disorders, cancer, and cardiovascular and allergic diseases. We have previously found that TGFβ can suppress IgE-mediated mast cell activation in human and mouse mast cells in vitro. IL-33 is a recently discovered member of the IL-1 family capable of inducing mast cell responses and enhancing IgE-mediated activation. In this study, we investigated the effects of TGFβ on IL-33-mediated mast cell activation. Bone marrow-derived mast cells cultured in TGFβ -1, -2, or -3 showed reduced IL-33-mediated production of TNF, IL-6, IL-13 and MCP-1, in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, TGFβ also reduced …

Race & Non-Racial Characteristics In Sentencing Length And Sentencing Type Disparity, Davis A. Estes

Theses and Dissertations

Utilizing data from the United States Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities (SISCF) 2004, this research investigates the possibility that African American drug offenders receive lengthier prison sentences and are imposed more range of time or indeterminate sentences as opposed to flat sentences based on race and/or non-racial characteristics; specifically parole status prior to sentencing, plea agreement status, prior criminal history, education status prior to arrest, employment status prior to arrest, and parental incarceration. While regression analysis revealed racial sentencing disparity for length of sentence and type of sentence (p< .05 and p< .001 respectively), among non-racial characteristics, only education status prior to arrest proved a significant predictor for length of sentence (p≤ .001). African American drug offenders were more likely sentenced to indeterminate sentences as opposed to flat sentences and were less likely to receive short sentences of 0 to 4 years or medium sentences of 4 to 10 years as compared to long sentences of 10 or more years. Potential research implications include the necessity for additional research regarding racial sentencing disparity as length or type of sentences as opposed to disparity as a numerical or a percentage difference between racial groups as well as the utilizing of inmate data that encompasses recent changes in drug sentencing laws, e.g. crack cocaine versus powder cocaine. Future research might also consider the evolution of marijuana laws in the United States and the potential impact on racial sentencing disparity.

Journal Of Hip Hop Studies

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

No abstract provided.

Is Black Motherhood A Marker Of Oppression Or Empowerment? Hip-Hop And R&B Lessons About "Mama", Cassandra Chaney, Arielle Brown

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

A qualitative content analysis was conducted on the lyrics of 59 songs (40 Hip Hop songs; 17 R&B songs; 2 songs that represented the Hip Hop and R&B genre) from 1961-2013 to identify the ways that Black male and Black female artists described motherhood. The songs were determined by Billboard Chart Research Services, and Black Feminist Theory provided the theoretical foundation on which the themes were identified. Qualitative analysis of the lyrics revealed Black motherhood in R&B and Hip Hop to be based on the following four typologies: (1) Motherhood as Source of Emotional Comfort and Support; (2) Motherhood as …

Journal Of Hip Hop Studies

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

No abstract provided.

A Structure/Function Analysis Of Nhsl1b In Facial Branchiomotor Neurons, John Ojumu

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to identify critical regions of a novel gene, Nance-Horan syndrome-like 1b (nhsl1b). It was previously discovered that C-terminal truncation of the Nhsl1b protein in nhsl1b mutants resulted in a loss of migration in the facial motor neurons of the hindbrain (Walsh et al. 2011). As nhsl1b expresses many isoforms, multiple targets were investigated in order to determine which transcript bears the largest impact on the motor neurons. Using confocal microscopy to observe immunostained embryos, we examined a mutation in an nhsl1b transcript that encodes a WHD, a domain that is known to …