Digital Commons Network^™

Feedback And Innovative Work Behavior Among Local Government Employees In Korea: The Roles Of Trust In Supervisor, Affective Commitment, And Risk-Taking Climate, Hyeonuk Bak

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the mechanisms of how feedback from supervisor affects innovative work behavior among local government employees in Korea. Another purpose of this study is to explore the mediating roles of trust in supervisor and affective commitment, and the moderating role of risk-taking climate, using various theories, such as organizational support theory, social exchange theory, intrinsic motivation theory, and psychological climate theory.

The results from a cross-sectional study based on a sample of 1,699 local government employees from 65 local governments find that feedback from supervisor has a significant direct effect on innovative work …

The Effect Of Repeated Opioid Dosing On The Gut Microbiome, Anne K. Rowe

Theses and Dissertations

Opioids are prescribed to millions of people each year, especially to help patients cope with chronic pain, something from which more than a fifth of U.S. adults suffer (CDC). Unfortunately, opioid use and abuse has become a national emergency as the number of opioid prescriptions, opioid misuse, and opioid-related drug overdoses and death have drastically increased in the last twenty years (HHS). Because of the emergent state surrounding opioid use and misuse, the effects of opioids on all aspects of the human body has been an increasingly large focus of research scientists. This study focuses on the possible effect of …

The Committee On Taste And Leisure, Katherine E. Barrie

Theses and Dissertations

Within my studio practice I have been examining the aesthetics of leisure spaces, the implications of good and bad taste, and what it means to live one’s best life. Considering the history of design motifs and the influence of color upon the human psyche, my thesis exhibition of abstract paintings contains references to patterns, design movements, and modes of artifice that have historically been seen as brazen and tacky. These include nods to the Memphis Design group, faux marble, terrazzo, stucco, and artificial sand. Each has held an important place in the history of designed spaces, and at one time …

The Day Is Just Another Surface, Brooks M. Heintzelman

Theses and Dissertations

Within a practice founded on both typographic form and language, I have continued to push myself to make work that is more sensitive to place, more contextual, more (hopefully) generous toward a public audience. These pieces might serve as useful instruments of institutional critique, resources for comprehension, or moments in which to interrogate preconceived modes of seeing. I deploy original texts in public spaces in order that they might force viewers to decide how to personally resolve the content they encounter. Is it language or object? Literal or figurative? Graphic design or art? The further I develop this body of …

Competing Strength-Based Models Of Trauma And Suicidality In A High-Risk Primary Care Sample, Samantha Mladen

Theses and Dissertations

There is limited research on the relationship between trauma exposure, depression, and suicidality, particularly in high-risk primary care samples. The present study aims to: 1) characterize the prevalence of suicidality, depression, and trauma exposure in this sample; 2)develop and test models of the relationships between suicidality, depression, and trauma exposure in this sample; 3) augment the selected model with key protective factors, including social support and religiosity; and 4) further elaborate the nature of religiosity as a potential protective factor using the subscales of the Attitudes toward God scale, Anger toward God and Comfort with God.

Patients (n …

Class/Act Embodied Practices For Performative Pedagogy, Chauntee Irving

Theses and Dissertations

Class/Act: Embodied Practices for Performative Pedagogy is a personal and practical exploration of embodiment’s role in higher education acting pedagogy. In my thesis, I propose that embodied acting practices rooted in phenomenology and corporeal dramaturgy surpass conventional acting curricula. Embodied training is often confused with movement curricula and is regularly considered a shallow and/or unintelligent means to approaching acting work. However, I will argue the efficiency and effectiveness of embodied teaching techniques in four parts. Part One: Seeing is a retrospective of how my personal experiences outside of the classroom have drawn me toward embodied aesthetics. Part Two: Knowing unveils …

A View Into Reciprocity: Literature Review, Measurement Design, And Experiment, Kelly B. Green

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to discuss reciprocity and the role it plays in helping us understand interactions between parties in accounting settings. The concept of reciprocity states that individuals will reward kind behaviors and punish unkind behaviors. (Fisher et al. 2015; Fehr and Gächter 2000; Fehr and Gächter 1997). When trying to trace the origins of the theory of reciprocity, it is useful to track the initial constructs on which it is built from various literary sources. This process contributes to developing an understanding of how reciprocity is used to explain behaviors in the workplace. The notion of …

A Sacred Gift: Rebalancing Our Relationship With Water, Noora Naser Melhim

Theses and Dissertations

In the Middle East, and specifically Qatar, water has significant cultural history and preciousness as a commodity. Today, the rapid economic development has resulted in a disconnection from the past leading to subconscious overconsumption of water.

This thesis investigates water from the context of cultural relevance, by examining systems of distribution before and after the discovery of oil. It reinterprets the materiality of the traditional ceramic vessels used to contain and preserve water with the intention of using the natural properties of clay, such as cooling and filtering, to produce new artifacts. The intent of this research is to critically …

Arab Americanesque, Hannah W. Shaban

Theses and Dissertations

Culture, as defined by Edward Said, is a concept of identity selectively curated through imperialism. Through my ceramic practice, I explore what constitutes my cultural identity as a first generation Arab American. My work, primarily influenced by family narrative was initially expressed through investigations in the figure and viewer relationships with my sculpted figures. As my research progressed into Western Imperialism, I began noticing extensive evidence of colonialism’s lasting effects, especially within Western consumer markets. Interest in the writings of Said, works by French Orientalist painters, family memory, and a general displeasure with the plethora of Middle Eastern design used …

An Evaluation Of Induced Shear Stress On Endothelial Cellular Adhesion Molecules, Edward B. Crabb

Theses and Dissertations

The pathophysiology of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) is highlighted by vascular dysfunction and low-grade vascular inflammation. Furthermore, the site-specific distribution of atherosclerosis throughout the arterial vasculature is primarily determined by local hemodynamic force. Therefore, this dissertation outlines three experiments designed to investigate the role of acute mental and physical (i.e., aerobic exercise), and vascular wall shear stress (SS) on the inflammatory aspects of atherosclerosis. Chapter 2 examines the effect of acute laboratory-induced mental stress on intracellular pro-inflammatory signaling pathways in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Chapter 3 investigates the impact of acute laboratory-induced mental stress and maximal aerobic exercise on the …

Bending Educational Reality, Mariam Rafehi

Theses and Dissertations

Virtual reality (VR), an emergent technology, affords experiential content delivery in education by evoking emotive responses in users, which can be prohibitive via traditional media. This thesis explores VR for the development of grit – passion and perseverance, which are essential characteristics in education and long-term success. The research proposes design strategies to stimulate senses for emotional engagement and a physiological response. In the project, two interactive environments position the user in emotional states to build passion and perseverance. To develop passion, the virtual world is designed to engage in creativity using 3D-spatial audio and visual effects. In contrast, to …

Discriminating Between Technical And Global Competence In Cbt Programs For Youth Anxiety, Jennifer Cecilione

Theses and Dissertations

Therapist competence refers to the skillfulness and responsiveness demonstrated when delivering an intervention and is an important factor to consider in the training and evaluation of therapists. However, competence research is sparse, especially in the youth psychosocial treatment field. A primary discrepancy is whether technical (related to interventions associated with a specific treatment program) and global (general clinical expertise) competence can be measured as distinct dimensions of competence. The goal of the current study was to determine whether instruments of technical (Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Anxiety in Youth Competence Scale; CBAY-C; McLeod et al., 2018) and global (Global Therapist Competence Scale …

Aeg-1 Knockout Sensitizes Hepatocellular Carcinoma (Hcc) Cells To Ionizing Radiation, Maheen Khan

Theses and Dissertations

Liver cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-associated deaths globally, and among primary liver cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) encompasses 75-85% of all cases. HCC is a highly lethal disease due to limited treatment options – only a small subset of patients qualify for surgical resection or transplantation; the remaining patients often display resistance to radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Overexpression of the oncogene astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) is associated with poorer survival and increased tumor recurrence in HCC, and numerous studies show its role in initiation of hepatocarcinogenesis. A prior study also demonstrated AEG-1 expression inhibits senescence by diminishing the …

Regenerative Potential Of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Derived Exosomes, Andrew P. Wong

Theses and Dissertations

Bone defects are a pervasive complication arising from many clinical conditions, both mechanical and pathological. Current treatments for large bony defects focus on applying bone grafts or synthetic materials to the defect area. Cell-based—and especially stem-cell—therapies have advanced greatly thanks to increasing attention focused on their ability to generate new tissues in situ with biomechanical properties approaching that of native tissue, but they suffer from their own shortcomings as well. Exosomes have been shown to play critical roles in cell-signaling and tissue regeneration and are therefore potentially ideal therapeutic vehicles for treating bone defects. Exosomes are small microvesicles counted amongst …

Bantaba: Designing The Sacred Circle, Tashiara Scott

Theses and Dissertations

MOTIVATION In Richmond, there are 1.21 times as many African Americans as any other ethnic group. Yet 63.4% of African Americans live in poverty (Richmond, VA). African Americans face greater exposure to stress due to low socioeconomic status and poverty. In these communities, “discrimination and deprivation undermine individuals’ ability to accumulate the social and material resources to mitigate the effects of stress” (Brondolo, 2018). In this city’s African American community, where stress levels are high and consequential health concerns are prevalent, dance can be a remedy for managing stress and improving health (Hanna, 2006).

DESIGN PROBLEM How can an intentionally …

Light In Community: A Study In The Adaptive Reuse Of Sacred Space, Abigail Barras

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

MOTIVATION
American life is increasingly fragmented, leading to a sense of restlessness and disconnection. Much of that fragmentation can be traced to our pattern of architectural and sociological development, namely, the rise of the automobile suburbs in the 1950s and 60s and the abandonment of densely populated, human- scaled environments like that of the small town or city center (Oldenberg, 1999).

PROBLEM
Large numbers of architecturally significant buildings have fallen into disrepair over the years following the “white flight” of the 1960s and 70s, during which significant segments of investment dollars left city centers and followed to the suburbs …

In A Building, A Stairwell, A Room Speaks, Tsz Wai Wallis Cheung

Theses and Dissertations

Working toward a personal definition of womanhood while progressing with my research in feminist discourse, I frame biographical events alongside the intricate use of language surrounding feminist theory. Experimenting with material specificities that speak to my personal narratives and cultural significance, my work seeks to address the interlacing operations of subjectivity expanding on the intersection of class, gender and race.

The What If Collection, Aisha J. Daniels

Theses and Dissertations

The What If Collection is a visual narrative that confronts white supremacy, the social, economic, and political ideology used to subjugate black civilization via colonial rule and enslavement in history and via structural racism today. Many white people have been socialized into a racial illiteracy that fosters white supremacy. This racial illiteracy fails to realize and understand the destructive effects of Western dominance on the rest of the world, particularly on past and present Africa and her diaspora. In response, utilizing discursive design, the collection constructs a counter-story that depicts a shift in the power structure in which the white …

Weaponization Of Space: Subverting The Architecture Of Occupation, Majdulin Nasrallah

Theses and Dissertations

Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine and oppression of the Palestinian people has manifested itself in countless ways. The built environment, fueled by spatial theory, has been transformed into an instrument of war that serves a military agenda. In this context, the physical environment is not simply the arena of conflict, but a weapon wielded by occupying forces. This research investigates spatial control through seemingly mundane architecture and military practices, which are deployed deliberately to strangulate Palestinian livelihood and prosperity. Derived from Deleuze and Guittari’s delineation of smooth and striated space, with an emphasis on walls and barriers, this thesis subverts …

Examining Relationships Among Body Image, Sexuality, And Sexual Functioning In Women With Cervical And Endometrial Cancer, Christina Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Over 74,000 US women are diagnosed annually with endometrial or cervical cancers and experience significant treatment-related difficulties with body image, sexuality, and sexuality. The aims of the research were to examine relationships among body image, sexuality, and sexual functioning, and understand women’s views of these concepts. A novel theoretical framework encompassing these three concepts and contextual variables guided the research.

Methods: A non-experimental cross-sectional pilot study was conducted with pre-menopausal women in an academic medical center who had stages I-III cervical or endometrial cancer, were 3-36 months post-treatment, and had no mental health diagnoses. Participants completed the …

The Wheel House - An Intergenerational Space Creating Bonds Between At-Risk Teens And Seniors, Jessica M. Keegan

Theses and Dissertations

MOTIVATION

Two main groups in American society today are floundering: adolescent children of low income families and the elderly.

Between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00 p.m., one in five children are unsupervised. Left to their own devices, many become involved in negative behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse, sexual activity or in the worse cases, delinquency (Afterschool Alliance, 2016). It is proven that when children are alone after school, they not only miss out on valuable learning opportunities, but also their parents are affected as well by having to lose as many as eight work days annually to …

Out Of The Margins: Evolving Narrative Representation Of Women In Video Games, Rowan Lucas

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines narrative representation of female characters in video games and how game narratives and representations contribute to socio-cultural discourse. First, this thesis explores and defines the cultural background for female representation in video games. It then defines video games as a type of text and describes the features that are unique to games, such as the use of avatars, and what impacts these features have on game narratives. The thesis attempts to establish evidence of an evolutionary arc of comprehensive female representation in video games by first exploring historical female narrative tropes, and then comparing them to narrative …

Humans Aren't Boxes, Art Isn't Finite, Brianne Alta Humphreys

Theses and Dissertations

I am bored. All around me are systems that perpetuate repetitive, reductive, and mundane modes of living. In an attempt to counter a culture obsessed with singular ways of existence and bite-sized perfection, I utilize moving mediums of video and performance to dive head first into a vast array of sloppy sincerity. The crisp, white-washed, analytical, and restrictive is loudly replaced with the empirical, haphazard, and instinctual. My intention is to create and encourage raw, performative-based work that is as multifaceted as unbridled life itself. This alive and physical practice hosts a conglomeration of sweat, memories, heartbreaks, hymn singing, line …

Alcohol Use And Drinking Motives In Bereaved Undergraduates, Laura J. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effect of the experience of a loss on alcohol use and drinking motives in a college sample. Participants for this study were drawn from the “Spit for Science” project (Dick et al., 2014). The sample included 3,013 students (31.8% men, 68.2% women; 44.3% White, 21.1% Black, 19.6% Asian, 6.0% Latinx; mean age = 18.96; 16.2% bereaved) from Virginia Commonwealth University. Data were collected from participants’ freshman spring and sophomore spring time points on the Life Events Checklist, Alcohol Consumption items, and Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised. Participants who were bereaved between the freshman and sophomore timepoint did not …

The Walls We Put Up - Loneliness And Belonging In Urban Co-Living, Richard Rozewski

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Concurrent issues of social isolation and loneliness have long been recognized as problems that affect seniors but it is also being proven to affect young people as well, specifically with the rise of new technologies and a perception of connectedness. Co-living provides one alternative design solution to traditional housing models which can unlock a range of social benefits.

MOTIVATION

Loneliness is an unfortunate reality of modern life and it is something that most people experience at least once in their life (Cacioppo & Patrick, 2008). A study carried out by Berguno, Leroux McAinsh, Shaikh (2004), showed that 80% of …

Graphic Intimacies: Identity, Humor, And Trauma In Autobiographical Comics By Women Of Color, Francesca Lyn

Theses and Dissertations

Graphic Intimacies: Identity, Humor, and Trauma in Autobiographical Comics by Women of Color examines works of comics art about the lived experience of the comics’ creator. These graphic narratives address racialized difference and the construction of identity while also using humor to negotiate their narrations of traumatic events. I argue that these creators employ the structure of comics to replicate the fragmentary nature of memory. Comics allow for the representation of trauma as being intimately linked to corporeality. The comics medium allows creators to make visible and present fractured versions of the self, a product of traumatic fragmentation. Drawing traumatic …

Design And Testing Of An Agonist-Antagonist Position-Impedance Controlled Myoelectric Prosthesis, Christopher Aymonin

Theses and Dissertations

Intuitive prosthetic control is limited by the inability to easily convey intention and perceive physical requirements of the task. Rather than providing haptic feedback and allowing users to consciously control every component of manipulation, relegating some aspects of control to the device may simplify operation. This study focuses on the development and testing of a control scheme able to identify object stiffness and regulate impedance. The system includes an algorithm to detect the apparent stiffness of an object, a proportional nonlinear EMG control algorithm for interpreting a user’s desired grasp aperture, and an antagonistically acting impedance controller. Performance of a …

Lotion In Your Lungs, Raul H. De Lara

Theses and Dissertations

This is a document explaining in detail my artistic practice from childhood to the day I graduated VCU. It will perhaps only be understood by those who have themselves already felt such ways, or similar ways – words and ghosts are mostly invisible.

Effects Of The Self- Determined Learning Model Of Instruction On Goal Attainment And Self-Determination For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder., Meredith M. Moates

Theses and Dissertations

Even with current transition practice and service delivery requirements mandated for students with disabilities by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) participation in postsecondary education and employment for individuals with autism remains low (Shattuck et al., 2012; Newman, Wagner, Cameto, & Knokey, 2011). The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI; Wehmeyer, Palmer, Agran, Mithaug, & Martin, 2000). The intervention was designed to facilitate student development, and participation in community college course settings, increase academic and vocational goal attainment and self-determined behavior while decreasing support needs. The SDLMI …

An Investigation Of Neurological Soft Signs As A Discriminating Factor Between Veterans With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, And Co-Occurring Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder And Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, David J. Rothman

Theses and Dissertations

While multiple Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn veterans suffer from mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI), Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and co-morbid mTBI and PTSD, there remains difficulty disentangling the specific symptoms associated with each disorder using self-report and neurocognitive assessments. We propose that neurological soft signs (NSS), which are tasks associated with general neurologic compromise, may prove useful in this regard. Based on our review of the literature we hypothesized that individuals with PTSD would present with a greater number of NSS than controls or individuals with mTBI. Further, we hypothesized a synergistic effect, such that individuals with …