Chronic Behavioral And Cognitive Deficits In A Rat Survival Model Of Organophosphate Toxicity, Beverly Huang

Theses and Dissertations

Organophosphates (OPs) are a major class of pesticides and nerve agents that elicit acute toxicity by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase (AChE), the enzyme responsible for the degradation of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Acetylcholine accumulation following extensive AChE inhibition leads to an acute cholinergic syndrome characterized by autonomic dysfunction, involuntary movements, muscle fasciculations, respiratory distress, and seizures. Despite their classification as moderate to highly toxic, OP pesticides are the most widely used class of insecticides in the U.S., and are even more commonly used worldwide. Additionally, there is a growing concern that OP nerve agents could be …

Lost In Austen: An Immersive Approach To Pride & Prejudice, Erica Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

This paper is an account of the Theatre VCU mainstage production of Pride & Prejudice, in which I played the roles of Mrs. Bennet and of the vocal coach. In order to address the various skill levels of the cast, I planned to coach the production in a manner inspired by immersion language learning programs, with the cast speaking in dialect throughout the rehearsal process so as to learn the necessary vocal skills and to grow together as a theatrical ensemble. When the director of Pride & Prejudice was not receptive to this plan, I had to compromise and adapt …

Enhanced Epithelial-To-Mesenchymal Transition Associated With Lysosome Dysfunction In Podocytes: Role Of P62/Sequestosome 1 As A Signaling Hub, Guangbi Li

Theses and Dissertations

Autophagy is of importance in the regulation of cell differentiation and senescence in podocytes, the highly differentiated glomerular epithelial cells. It is possible that derangement of autophagy under different pathological conditions activates or enhances Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) in podocytes, resulting in glomerular sclerosis. To test this hypothesis, the present study produced lysosome dysfunction by inhibition of vacuolar- type H⁺-ATPase (V-ATPase) to test whether deficiency of autophagic flux enhances EMT in podocytes. By Western blot analysis, inhibition of lysosome function by V-ATPase inhibitor or its siRNA was found to induce a significantly enhanced EMT in cultured podocytes, as shown …

Sex Offender Management Policies And Their Unintended Cosequences: A National Survey Of The Perceptions Of Professionals, Corey Call

Theses and Dissertations

The mid-1990s brought sex offenders to the forefront of policy issues due to several highly publicized cases of abduction, sexual assault, and murder involving children. Following these cases, a number of sex offender management policies were passed to quell public concern over the safety of children due to sex offenders. Most notably, these new sex offender management policies mandated the creation of publicly available registries of sex offenders and enacted residence restrictions that forbid sex offenders from residing within certain distances from areas where children commonly congregate.

Although current sex offender management policies have been revealed to be largely ineffective …

Measuring Mental Health Provider Stigma: The Development Of A Valid And Reliable Self-Assessment Instrument, Jennifer L.K. Charles

Theses and Dissertations

Provider-based stigma is defined as the negative attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of mental health providers toward clients they serve. Often unintentional and unknowingly conveyed, this phenomenon has been indicated in previous research (e.g. Lauber, Nordt, Braunschweig, & Rössler, 2006; Nordt, Rössler, & Lauber, 2006; Hugo, 2001; Schulze, 2007). Other instruments crafted to measure provider stigma have utilized theory in their development, without incorporating the voice of the client (e.g. Wilkins & Abell, 2010; Kennedy, Abell, & Mennicke 2014). To better address the social injustice posed by provider stigma, the profession requires a valid and reliable measure, guided by theory, which …

Intrinsic Motivation And Information Systems Security Policy Compliance In Organizations, Yurita Yakimin Abdul Talib

Theses and Dissertations

Incidents of computer abuse, proprietary information leaks and other security lapses have been on the increase. Most often, such security lapses are attributed to internal employees in organizations subverting established organizational IS security policy. As employee compliance with IS security policy is the key to escalating IS security breaches, understanding employee motivation for following IS security policy is critical. In addition to several types of extrinsic motives noted in prior studies, including sanctions, rewards, and social pressures, this study adds that an important contributing intrinsic factor is empowerment. Per Thomas and Velthouse’s (1990) intrinsic motivation model, empowerment is the positive …

Peracetic Acid Sterilization Of Electrospun Polycaprolactone Scaffolds, Suyog Yoganarasimha

Theses and Dissertations

Sterilization of tissue engineered scaffolds is an important regulatory issue and is at the heart of patient safety. With the introduction of new biomaterials and micro/nano structured scaffolds, it is critical that the mode of sterilization preserve these built-in features. Conventional sterilization methods are not optimal for engineered polymeric systems and hence alternate systems need to be identified and validated. PCL is polyester with a low melting point (heat labile), susceptible to hydrolysis and is popular in tissue engineering. Electrospinning generates some nanoscale features within the scaffold, the integrity of which can be affected by sterilization method. Chapter 1 explores …

“Frailty, Thy Name Is Woman”: Depictions Of Female Madness, Julianna Little

Theses and Dissertations

Concepts of mental health and normality cannot be understood apart from cultural norms and values. The most significant of cultural constructions that shape our view of madness is gender. Madness has been perceived for centuries metaphorically and symbolically as a feminine illness and continues to be gendered into the twenty-first century. Works of art and literature and psychiatric medicine influence each other as well as our understanding and perception of mental illness. Throughout history, images of mental illness in women send the message that women are weak, dangerous, and require containment. What are the cultural links between femininity and insanity, …

Esthetic Preferences Of Maxillary Incisor Labiolingual Inclination Across Races, Elvi M. Barcoma

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

ESTHETIC PREFERENCES FOR MAXILLARY INCISOR LABIOLINGUAL INCLINATION ACROSS RACES

by Elvi Marie Barcoma, 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

Major Director: Bhavna Shroff, D.M.D., M.Dent.Sc, Program Director, Orthodontics

Objective: To determine if people of different racial backgrounds prefer different amounts of

maxillary incisor labiolingual inclination from a smiling profile view.

Materials and Methods: An electronic survey was created with smiling profile images of an African-American female and a White female with varying degrees of maxillary incisor labiolingual inclination. …

Restorative Characteristics Of Intrapulpally Cracked Teeth, Charles M. Beavers

Theses and Dissertations

Cracked teeth have long presented a diagnostic challenge. Previous investigators have considered possible predictive factors, many of which revolve around the tooth’s restorative characteristics. Few have investigated the restorative status of teeth with cracks extending into the pulp chamber. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the prevalence of the different types of restorations present in intrapulpally cracked teeth and determine any other restorative factors that may aid in predicting the presence or extent of an intrapulpal crack. Intrapulpally cracked molars requiring endodontic therapy at the VCU Graduate Endodontic Practice were included in this study. For each tooth, the …

In-Vitro Assessment Of A Novel Bracket's Effect On Resistance To Sliding, James Blackburn

Theses and Dissertations

Friction, binding and notching are the factors that contribute to resistance to sliding during orthodontic tooth movement. However, most attempts at reducing resistance aim only to reduce the archwire/ligature friction. In this study, a novel bracket with a unique design aimed to reduce all three components of resistance to sliding. Four types of brackets (passive and active self-ligating, traditionally ligated and the novel bracket, (n=5, each) were tested at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8ᵒ of tip on a 0.019 x 0.025”archwire. The resistance to sliding values were recorded. At 0ᵒ, the passive self-ligating and novel bracket showed reduced resistance …

Treatment Decisions Involving Teeth With Intrapulpal Cracks: A Survey Of Endodontists, Sheldon M. Sealey

Theses and Dissertations

There is no universal protocol for diagnosing, treating and managing cracked teeth. The purpose of this survey was to investigate the use of traditional methods of crack detection and to explore how treatment decisions were made using an intrapulpal crack classification. The electronic survey was sent to 1115 active members of the American Association of Endodontists (AAE) and The Digital Office (TDO^™) community. Comparisons were assessed using logistic or repeated-measures regression. The most often used diagnostic method was probing. When the crack involved one wall, 85% of respondents would complete root canal therapy > 50% of the time or …

African Sleeping Sickness In British Uganda And Belgian Congo, 1900-1910: Ecology, Colonialism, And Tropical Medicine, Dana Bivens

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis deconstructs the social, ecological, and colonial elements of the 1900-1910 Human African Trypanosomiasis (African Sleeping Sickness) epidemic which affected British Uganda and Belgian Congo. This paper investigates the epidemic’s medical history, and the subsequent social control policies which sought to govern the actions of the indigenous population. In addition, this paper argues that the failure to understand and respect the region’s ecological conditions and local knowledge led to disease outbreaks in epidemic proportions. Retroactive policies sought to inflict western medical practices on a non-western population, which resulted in conflict and unrest in the region. In the Belgian Congo, …

Peracetic Acid: A Practical Agent For Sterilizing Heat-Labile Polymeric Tissue-Engineering Scaffolds, William R. Trahan

Theses and Dissertations

Advanced biomaterials and sophisticated processing technologies aim to fabricate tissue-engineering scaffolds that can predictably interact within a biological environment at a cellular level. Sterilization of such scaffolds is at the core of patient safety and is an important regulatory issue that needs to be addressed prior to clinical translation. In addition, it is crucial that meticulously engineered micro- and nano- structures are preserved after sterilization. Conventional sterilization methods involving heat, steam and radiation are not compatible with engineered polymeric systems because of scaffold degradation and loss of architecture. Using electrospun scaffolds made from polycaprolactone (PCL), a low melting polymer, and …

Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Creating The Foundation For Collaboration Amongst The Arts Disciplines, Powered By Tectonic Theatre Project’S Moment Work, Tara B. Weintraub

Theses and Dissertations

During this course, upper-level VCUArts students are invited to join forces to become a part of a cross-disciplinary, ensemble-based exploration. Powered by Tectonic Theatre Project’s Moment Work, students will create new works and gain insight into the philosophies, purposes, and processes of Moment Work and other devised theatre techniques. The class will culminate in short, devised pieces, created and performed by the students. The focus of the class is on the creation of a harmonious ensemble amongst a varied group of young artists. I believe that in order to create a generation of innovative and forward-thinking artists, the segregation of …

The Editorial Double Vision Of Maxwell Perkins: How The Editor Of Fitzgerald, Hemingway, And Wolfe Plied His Craft, Rachel F. Van Hart

Theses and Dissertations

Scholars and literary enthusiasts have struggled for decades to account for editor Maxwell Perkins’s unparalleled success in facilitating the careers of many of the early twentieth century’s most enduring and profitable writers, among them F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Thomas Wolfe. This study seeks to penetrate that mystery by dissecting Perkins’s editorial practice and examining how he navigated the competing tensions between commercial success and aesthetic integrity in various circumstances. At play in the construction of his literary legacy are prevailing perceptions of authorship, complex interpersonal relationships, and the inherent battle between art and commerce. Focusing on his day-to-day …

Incorporation Of Molecular Diagnostics Into Medical Laboratory Science Curriculum: Clinical Facilities Expectations. An Asynchronous, Iterative, Online Delphi Study., Barbara Kraj

Theses and Dissertations

The medical laboratory science (MLS) profession is in need for published molecular diagnostics competency-based standards and curriculum. To assess their expectations of new MLS graduates, professionals performing and supervising performance of clinical molecular assays were surveyed to rate the importance of relevant cognitive and psychomotor learning objectives. A modified, asynchronous, iterative online Delphi process was utilized for assessment of consensus on the importance of the objectives. The survey was delivered through online REDCap application. Program directors of 221 MLS programs accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS) were asked to forward the first Delphi survey to …

Gas-Phase Reactions And Mechanistic Details Of Gold, Silver, And Iridium Complexes, Christopher Swift

Theses and Dissertations

The ever increasing demand for more efficient and environmentally benign routes for synthesizing target compounds, has led to the use of organometallic catalysts. This demand has created the need to understand the mechanistic details that are at work in these organometallic catalytic cycles. Along with this, there is a demand for new organometallic catalysts that are tailored for specific transformations. This presents a myriad of challenges for organometallic chemists. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to gain an understanding of the reaction mechanisms at work when the intermediates are too short lived to be observed in the condensed phase. It is …

Restoring Lateral Incisors And Orthodontic Treatment: Perceptions Among General Dentists And Othodontists, Matthew A. Sandretti, Bhavna Shroff, Steven J. Lindauer, Al M. Best

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify and compare preferences and perceptions of orthodontists and general dentists when restoring peg-shaped lateral incisors. The investigation sought to summarize these preferences with regard to treatment planning, tooth preparation and interdisciplinary communication. A pair of mailed and electronic surveys was distributed to 1,500 general dentists and orthodontists, respectively. The results indicated that general dentists perceived that general dentists held the primary decision-making responsibility, while orthodontists disagreed (P<0.0001). Orthodontists prioritized the treatment goals of Class I canine relationship and overbite/overjet more significantly than general dentists, whom valued tooth proportions more highly (P<0.0001). General dentists reported receiving significantly less input than orthodontists report seeking (P<0.0001).The consensus of both groups showed that the tooth should be positioned centered mesiodistally and guided by the gingival margins incisogingivally. Both groups agree that orthodontists must improve communication to improve treatment results.

Gender And Representative Bureaucracy: The Career Progression Of Women Managers In Male-Dominated Occupations In State Government, Velma J. Ballard

Theses and Dissertations

The tenets of representative bureaucracy suggest that the composition of the bureaucracy should mirror the people it serves including women in order to influence the name, scope, and implementation of public policies. Women are still underrepresented in mid-to-upper management in male-dominated occupations. When women are under-represented in mid-to-upper levels of management in government, there are implications regarding representative bureaucracy.

This study examined the career progression experiences of women who were successful in reaching mid-to-upper levels of management in male-dominated occupations in state government. Specifically, the study explored how women perceive various occupational factors including their rates of participation, experiences, gender, …

Examination Of Lower Extremity Mechanics During Three Landing Tasks And Injury Prediction Ability Of Those Models As Compared To A Functional Test, Timothy G. Coffey

Theses and Dissertations

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures are one of the most common knee ligament injuries suffered by both male and female athletes. These injuries are severe in nature and also have long-term impacts on activities of daily living. Significant research has been conducted utilizing a drop landing task to attempt to better understand the mechanics behind the injury and to help identify at-risk athletes for targeted intervention. However, there have not been any published standards for the height of the drop landing activity, and previous researchers have also raised some concerns about the ability of a drop landing task to replicate …

A Study Of Errors For 4d Lung Dose Calculation, Nahla K. Sayah

Theses and Dissertations

To estimate the delivered dose to the patient during intra-fraction or throughout the whole treatment, it is important to determine the contribution of dose accumulated at different patient geometries to the overall dose. Dose mapping utilizes deformable image registration to map doses deposited on patient geometries at different times. Inputs to the dose mapping process are the irradiated and reference images, the displacement vector field, and a dose mapping algorithm. Thus accuracy of the mapped dose depends on the DVF and dose mapping algorithm. Dose mapping had been the subject of many research studies however, up to now there is …

General Dentists' Role In Providing Care To Very Young Children:Pediatric Dentists' Perspective, Shinjni Razdan

Theses and Dissertations

To examine the pediatric dentists’ perspective on level of care to children 0-3 years old by general dentists, an electronic survey was sent out to 5185 AAPD members and 769 responded (response rate: 14.8%). Forty-six percent agreed with a general dentist providing a dental home to children 0-3 years old. Only 24% agreed that general dentists could perform complex restorative and behavior management procedures for 0-3 years old. Younger respondents, pediatric dentists who practice in rural areas or teaching pediatric dentistry, and those who perceived adequate exposure during dental school were more likely to agree on general dentists proving a …

Electronic Principles Governing The Stability And Reactivity Of Ligated Metal And Silicon Encapsulated Transition Metal Clusters, Marissa B. Abreu

Theses and Dissertations

A thorough understanding of the underlying electronic principles guiding the stability and reactivity of clusters has direct implications for the identification of stable clusters for incorporation into clusters-assembled materials with tunable properties. This work explores the electronic principles governing the stability and reactivity of two types of clusters: ligated metal clusters and silicon encapsulated transition metal clusters. In the first case, the reactivity of iodine-protected aluminum clusters, Al₁₃I_x^- (x=0-4) and Al₁₄I_y^- (y-0-5), with the protic species methanol was studied. The symmetrical ground states of Al₁₃I_x^- showed no reactivity …

The Effectiveness Of A Preventive Recall Strategy In Children Following Dental Rehabilitation Under General Anesthesia, Katherine A. Nordeen

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This was a pilot study to assess the impact of a preventive strategy following full-mouth dental rehabilitation (FMDR) under general anesthesia in children with early childhood dental caries.

Methods: Sixty-six patients completed FMDR and were included in the analysis. At the consultation visit, caries risk assessment (CRA) and dental exam information were recorded, and caregivers completed an oral health knowledge (OHK) questionnaire. Patients returned for a post-surgery and recall visit. Caregivers received oral hygiene instructions in a motivational-interviewing style.

Results:At the consultation visit all patients were high risk. At the post-surgery visit, only 47% remained high risk …

Modification And Evaluation Of A Brain Computer Interface System To Detect Motor Intention, Christopher V. Hagerty-Hoff

Theses and Dissertations

It is widely understood that neurons within the brain produce electrical activity, and electroencephalography—a technique used to measure biopotentials with electrodes placed upon the scalp—has been used to observe it. Today, scientists and engineers work to interface these electrical neural signals with computers and machines through the field of Brain-Computer Interfacing (BCI). BCI systems have the potential to greatly improve the quality of life of physically handicapped individuals by replacing or assisting missing or debilitated motor functions. This research thus aims to further improve the efficacy of the BCI based assistive technologies used to aid physically disabled individuals. This study …

Characterization Of Leukocyte-Platelet Rich Fibrin, A Novel Biomaterial, Fadi K. Hasan

Theses and Dissertations

Autologous platelet concentrates represent promising innovative tools in the field of regenerative medicine and are successfully used in oral surgery. Several commercial systems exist that generate various forms of platelet concentrates including Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF). The alpha- granules of entrapped platelets release a variety of peptide growth factors that promotes healing. Usually PRP is a suspension that can be injected into the site of injury or used as a gel with the addition of thrombin (PRP-gel). In contrast Choukroun’s L-PRF is a dense fibrin based biomaterial enriched with platelets and growth factors. The physical state of …

A Web Personalization Artifact For Utility-Sensitive Review Analysis, Long Flory Mrs.

Theses and Dissertations

Online customer reviews are web content voluntarily posted by the users of a product (e.g. camera) or service (e.g. hotel) to express their opinions about the product or service. Online reviews are important resources for businesses and consumers. This dissertation focuses on the important consumer concern of review utility, i.e., the helpfulness or usefulness of online reviews to inform consumer purchase decisions. Review utility concerns consumers since not all online reviews are useful or helpful. And, the quantity of the online reviews of a product/service tends to be very large. Manual assessment of review utility is not only time consuming …

A Perception Of Change, A Change Of Perception, Christopher D. White

Theses and Dissertations

Change is a constant reminder that permanence is the ultimate illusion. It is through the creation of hyper-realistic, ceramic sculpture that I explore the relationship between nature, humans, and the phenomenon of impermanence. I seek to expose the beauty that often results from decay while, at the same time, making my viewer question their own perception of the world around them. The juxtaposition of natural and man-made features in combination with the skewing of scale, proportion, and material, creates an altered perspective – forcing the viewer to look closer. By combining both human and natural elements within my work I …

Interplay Between Artemis And Tdp1 In Sensitivity To Radiomimetic Agents, Ajinkya S. Kawale

Theses and Dissertations

DNA double-strand breaks containing unligatable termini are potent cytotoxic lesions leading to cell death or growth arrest. Artemis, which is associated with the Non-Homologous End Joining (NHEJ) pathway, is the major end processing nuclease that resolves unligatable termini, especially the 3′ blocks, by nucleolytic trimming. Tyrosyl-DNA Phosphodiesterase 1 (TDP1) is an enzyme which is biochemically competent in 3′-phosphoglycolate processing. The purpose of this study is to investigate if TDP1 is an end-processing enzyme involved in the NHEJ pathway. Clonogenic Survival assays using shRNA-mediated TDP1 knockdown and Artemis knockout (Artemis-/-) in HCT116 cells showed increased sensitivity to Neocarzinostatin (NCS) and Calicheamicin, …