Digital Commons Network^™

Wiped Clean, Elizabeth H. Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

It seems that all forms of pain, quotidian and monumental, are catalogued in the same muted and inaccessible space in our memory. In my installation Wiped Clean, I question whether human capacity to externalize physical trauma is aided by a the physical design of our institutions. I examine the architectures and structural mechanisms that mediate traumatic and intimate experiences with our bodies, and explore the potential of self-formation within these conditions.

The Japanese Experience In Virginia, 1900s-1950s: Jim Crow To Internment, Emma T. Ito

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis addresses how Japanese and Japanese Americans may have lived and been perceived in Virginia from 1900s through the 1950s. This work focuses on their positions in society with comparisons to the nation, particularly during the “Jim Crow” era of “colored” and “white,” and after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. It highlights various means of understanding their positions in Virginia society, with emphasis on Japanese visitors, marriages of Japanese in Virginia, and the inclusion of Japanese in higher education at Roanoke College, Randolph-Macon College, William and Mary, University of Virginia, University of Richmond, Hampden-Sydney College, and Union …

Biochemical Analysis Of Putative Single-Stranded Nucleic Acid Binding Proteins In Porphyromonas Gingivalis, Steve H. Kokorelis

Theses and Dissertations

Proteins that bind to both DNA and RNA embody the ability to perform multiple functions by a single gene product. These nucleic acid binding proteins in prokaryotes can play a vital role in many cellular processes, including replication, transcription, gene expression, recombination, and repair, to name a few. Nucleic acid binding proteins have unique functional characteristics that stem from their structural attributes that have evolved in a widely-conserved manner. In Escherichia coli (E. coli), the highly-conserved histone-like protein, HU, which predominates as a heterodimer of HUα and HUβ, has been found to bind to both dsDNA and ssDNA. …

Nanocomposite Bioelectronics For Biopotential Enabled Prosthesis, Dong Sup Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Soft material-enabled electronics can demonstrate extreme mechanical flexibility and stretchability. Such compliant, comfortable electronics allow continuous, long-term measurement of biopotentials on the skin. Manufacturing of the stretchable electronic devices is enabled by the recent development combining materials transfer printing and microfabrication. However, the existing method using inorganic materials and multi-layered polymers requires long material preparation time and expensive processing cost due to the requirement of microfabrication tools and complicated transfer printing steps. Here, this study develops a new fabrication method of soft electronics via a micro-replica-molding technique, which allows fast production, multiple use, and low cost by avoiding microfabrication and …

The Role Of Mindfulness In The Regulation Of Behavior Among Those Prone To Negative Urgency, Alexandra M. Martelli

Theses and Dissertations

Negative emotions can be challenging to regulate, and for some individuals can lead to failures of behavior regulation. The present study is an initial effort to explore the role that mindfulness may play in fostering effective behavior regulation among those prone to high negative urgency (NU). Eighty undergraduate students were recruited based on their high or low scores of NU. First, participants completed a self-report measure of mindfulness (Mindful Attention Awareness Scale; MAAS), an Emotional Go/No Go task in an fMRI scanner, and then reported alcohol consumption. Results showed that those with high in NU had low levels of mindfulness …

Sound Perception:Encapsulating Intangible Voice Memories In A Physical Memento, Mona Mahmoud Makhlouf

Theses and Dissertations

We live in a very busy world with a variety of sensory stimulation including the olfactory, visual, tactile, and auditory. The five senses are triggered by our surroundings and help us to form meaning about the world.ⅰ Based on where someone grows up, she or he is introduced to various sites and sounds, affecting how they interpret the world. Sounds relate meaning through the association between hearing, memory and an event. Hearing is one of the learning processes, in which individuals give, receive, and store information. We typically rely on our five senses, which contribute to the process of understanding, …

Characterizing The Role Of Key Planar Cell Polarity Pathway Components In Axon Guidance, Grayland W. Godfrey Ii

Theses and Dissertations

An essential process to the development of the neural network of the nervous system is axon guidance. The noncanonical Wnt/Planar Cell Polarity pathway has been identified as an integral component in controlling the projection of axons during axon guidance. Prickle, ROR1 and ROR2 are PCP related proteins that do not have clearly defined roles in the process. This study aims to use zebrafish CoPA neurons as a model to study the roles of Prickle, ROR1, and ROR2 in axon guidance. Using in situ hybridization, morpholino knockdown, and CRISPR/Cas9 loss of function experiments were able to identify ror1, ror2 and …

Quantitative Analysis And Process Of High Speed Live Cell Interferometry Measurements, Daniel Guest

Theses and Dissertations

The application of auto focus, using an optical beam deflection technique, to existing live cell interferometry measurements was developed and examined. The benefit to relevant experiments, currently being performed, is shown as well as its performance across various magnifications. Enough information is given so that the system can be reproduced to fit any end users needs.

Niche Conservatism Or Divergence: Insights Into The Evolutionary Histories Of Pinus Taeda, Pinus Rigida, And Pinus Pungens, Constance E. Bolte

Theses and Dissertations

Environmentally related selective pressures and community interactions are well-documented drivers for niche differentiation, as natural selection acts on adaptive traits best fit for survival. Here, we investigated niche evolution between and within Pinus taeda, Pinus rigida, and Pinus pungens and sought to identify which climate variables contributed to species divergence. We also sought to describe niche differentiation across genetic groupings previously identified for P. taeda and P. rigida. Ecological niche models were produced using Maximum Entropy followed by statistical testing based on a measure of niche overlap, Schoener’s D. Both niche conservatism and niche divergence were …

Effect Of Charged Species On The Gradient Properties, Kayesh Ashraf

Theses and Dissertations

Surface chemical gradients are materials that exhibit continuous, gradually varying chemical or physical properties along and across the length of a substrate. As a result, each point on the gradient surface can represent an individual sample. They are broadly classified as chemical and physical gradients depending upon the properties that the gradient exhibits. A physical gradient involves a continuous variation of physical properties such as surface roughness and film porosity on the micrometer scale. Chemical gradients involve a gradual variation of chemical properties such as polarity, acidity and basicity, etc. Such gradients have found various applications in cell adhesion, nanoparticle …

Re-Exploring My Identity As A Japanese Woman, Fumi Amano

Theses and Dissertations

This document contains reflections on my motivations and the personal decisions made in the realization of selected works leading up to and including my thesis exhibition "Voice". The following text shares the many and varied connections between my life and art-making. My issues in my personal relationships with others has spilled out from my heart and turned into these works. I'm continuously expressing the unsuccessful attempts we make at developing true bonds that bridge the gaps between people.

Combining Noxa-Inducing Drugs With Abt-263 To Efficiently Increase Cell Death In Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (Hnscc), Sung Woo Kim

Theses and Dissertations

Head and neck cancer is the sixth leading cancer worldwide. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) accounts for more than 90% of incident cases. Despite intense, multimodality treatment regimens for HNSCC including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, little progress has been made over the past 30 years in improving overall survival rates. Tumor cell death induced by both conventional and targeted chemotherapy is often mediated by the BCL-2 family-dependent mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. However, initiators of this apoptotic pathway, such as p53, are more than 50% of the time mutated or deleted in HNSCC rendering the disease refractory to treatment. To …

Hydrogen Peroxide And Pharmacological Agent Modulation Of Trpv2 Channel Gating, Tuoxin Cao

Theses and Dissertations

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 2 channel (TRPV2) is a Ca²⁺-permeable ion channel that is highly expressed in leukocytes but is also present in skeletal and cardiac muscle and endocrine cells. The TRPV2 function is implicated in a number of physiological processes, including bacterial phagocytosis, pro-inflammatory cytokine production, cardiac hypertrophy, and cancer development. TRPV2 knockout mice exhibit a high incidence of perinatal mortality, arguing that the channel plays essential roles in physiology. Despite the importance of TRPV2 for normal homeostasis, the mechanisms that control TRPV2 gating in response to pharmacological agonists, heating, membrane stretch, bioactive lipids and reactive oxygen …

Sustainable Adapted Treatments For Eating Disorders: The Role Of Cultural Adaptation In Prevention, Sarah J. Javier

Theses and Dissertations

Despite demonstrating eating disorder rates equivalent to White women, African American and Asian American women are less likely to seek treatment and are more likely to terminate treatment prematurely. One of the most successful programs for eating disorder prevention has only focused on surface-level cultural adaptations. Prevention literature maintains that deep-structure cultural adaptation (e.g., integrating cultural values and beliefs) can enhance outcomes for ethnic minorities. This dissertation examined the feasibility of Sustainable Adapted Treatments for Eating Disorders (SATED), a pilot intervention that included a culturally- targeted pre-treatment to an eating disorder dissonance-based intervention. A sample of 72 women (ages 18-30) …

Negotiating Desire: Resisting, Reimagining And Reinscribing Normalized Sexuality And Gender In Fan Fiction, Charity A. Fowler

Theses and Dissertations

Fan studies has examined how fan fiction resists heteronormativity by challenging depictions of gender and sexuality, but to date, this inquiry has focused disproportionately on slash, to the exclusion of other genres of fan fiction. Additionally, scholars disagree about slash’s subversive effects by setting up a seemingly stable dichotomy—subversive vs. misogynistic—where one does not necessarily exist.

In this project, I examine multiple genres of fan fiction—namely, slash arising from bromances; femslash from female friendships; incestuous fan fiction from dysfunctional familial relationships; and polyamorous fics. I chose fics from four televisions shows—NBC’s Revolution, MTV’s Teen Wolf, the CW’s The …

Tissue Factor Expression, Regulation, And Signaling In Human Airway Cells, Michael D. Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Rationale: Tissue Factor (TF) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that canonically functions as the initiator of the coagulation cascade. Increased levels of TF have been associated with inflammatory airway diseases. Since lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is known to elicit and inflammatory response in airway epithelium, we hypothesized that airway epithelial cells release TF when exposed to LPS. Since TF aids in local wound healing, we also hypothesized that inhibition of TF would decrease NHBE growth. The specific aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of LPS exposure on TF production and release from airway epithelia and determine the signaling pathways involved. …

Short-Term Effects Of Nutrients On A Barrier Island Grassland Community, Ashley Moulton

Theses and Dissertations

Increased nutrient availability globally has the potential to affect community functional composition of plants in nutrient limited environments, such as coastal grassland systems. Stability of these systems are threatened worldwide by urbanization, as well as effects of sea level rise and increased frequency and intensity of storms, and atmospheric N deposition, associated with climate change. Annual net primary productivity (ANPP), species composition, and functional traits (community weighted specific leaf area (CWSLA), leaf area index (LAI), growth form and photosynthetic pathway) were measured across four treatments to assess multiple resource limitation of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and functional community response …

Sleep Disturbances And Depression: The Role Of Genes And Trauma, Mackenzie J. Lind

Theses and Dissertations

Sleep disturbances and insomnia are prevalent, with around 33% of adults indicating that they experience at least one main symptom of insomnia, and bidirectional relationships exist with common psychopathology, particularly major depressive disorder (MDD). However, genetic and environmental (e.g., traumatic event exposure) contributions to the etiology of these phenotypes are not yet well understood. A genetically informative sample of approximately 12,000 Han Chinese women aged 30-60 (50% with recurrent MDD) was used to address several gaps within the sleep literature. Sleep disturbances were assessed in all individuals using a general item addressing sleeplessness (GS). A sleep within depression sum score …

Protective Factors In The Association Between Child Sexual Abuse And Telomere Length In Adults, David Sosnowski

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to examine if childhood sexual abuse (CSA) was associated with decreases in mean telomere length (TL), and if social support and/or optimism moderated this association. The study included 99 Caucasian female monozygotic twins, ranging in age from 19-48 (M_age = 30.5, SD = 7.8) at Time 1. Linear mixed effects models were employed to test study hypotheses. Analyses with all participants did not detect an effect of CSA exposure or severity on mean TL, nor were there effects with optimism. However, in analyses that only included women exposed to abuse, increases …

Sol-Gel Chemistry: An Advanced Technique To Produce Macroscopic Nanostructures Of Metal And Semiconductor Colloids, Lamia Nahar

Theses and Dissertations

The fascinating physical properties that arise in materials limited to dimensions of 1-100 nm have gained noteworthy interest from the scientific community. Accordingly, there has been a lot of attention paid to the synthesis of discrete nanoparticles (NPs) and they are being investigated for a range of advanced technologies. Nonetheless, efficient use of nanomaterials in device applications require them to be assembled into solid state macro-structures while retaining their unique, nanoparticulate properties. To date, most commonly investigated assembling techniques include: covalent coupling of NPs surface groups, control evaporation of the solvent to produce ordered supercrystals or non-ordered glassy films, and …

Theatrical Texts And Contexts: Poe And Hawthorne’S Fictional Women, Savannah M. Singletary

Theses and Dissertations

Edgar Allen Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne are arguably two of the most highly read and heavily debated nineteenth-century antebellum authors in America. Their writings fascinate readers, while their character depictions, particularly their characterizations of fictional women, prompt intense academic debate. This thesis examines the previously less-studied historical developments surrounding Poe and Hawthorne in the antebellum era that shaped their approach to writing fiction. In particular, this study scrutinizes the effects of the development of a newly popular art form, ballet, the ascendency of female authorship, and the impact of American theatrical reform upon antebellum authors’ authorial faculties, especially Hawthorne and …

Po2 Dependence Of Oxygen Consumption In Skeletal Muscle Of Diabetic And Non-Diabetic Rats, Alexander C. Liles

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

PO₂ DEPENDENCE OF OXYGEN CONSUMPTION IN SKELETAL MUSCLE OF DIABETIC AND NON-DIABETIC RATS

By: Alexander C. Liles

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at the Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2017

Advisor: Roland N. Pittman, Ph.D.

Department of Physiology and Biophysics

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major medical problem around the world, affecting nearly 6% of the world’s population. This study was an attempt to better understand physiological changes the disease may cause to the microcirculation and more specifically, to …

A Novel Synthesis And Subsequent Decyclization Of Iminothiozolidinones: Expansion Of Thiourea Chemistry For Biological Applications, Constance D. Franklin

Theses and Dissertations

Small molecule synthesis has become a valuable tool in the study of biological systems. Biologically active compounds can be designed based on well-characterized endogenous systems or they can be found through the screening of large libraries of small molecules. This work involves the development of a small library of cyclic thiourea-based small molecules by use of an unreported synthetic pathway. Briefly, parent thioureas were cyclized by reaction with bromoacetyl bromide, and one or two isomeric heterocycles were found to form. Further studies indicated that the reaction could be easily manipulated by temperature or solvent to effectively control the product distribution. …

Active Design: Creating A Blue Zones Model For Interior Environments, Alexis Holcombe

Theses and Dissertations

How might interior environments play a role in promoting life long well being? According to Passarino, et al., genetic variety only accounts for about 25% of the variation of human longevity. A combination of diet, environment and exercise comprise the greatest factors. The amount of time Americans spend indoors presents a challenge to increasing physical activity: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that Americans spend 93% of their lives indoors (Roberts, 2016). Therefore, if physical activity is crucial to living longer, the design of interior environments could logically be a critical factor in promoting natural movement and sustaining lifelong well-being. …

The Lens Of Trauma: Montage Poetics In H.D.’S Trilogy, Emily Olsen

Theses and Dissertations

Though H.D.’s direct involvement in film was limited to a brief six-year period between the wars, I argue that the theory of cinematic montage inevitably impacted H.D.’s insight into war and trauma during the final years of World War II. Montage first emerged in the wake of World War I from a particular need to psychologically engage the post-war citizen. As I explain, montage transformed the passive viewer into an active participant, allowing victims of war-shock to confront and communicate trauma. When H.D. witnessed the desolated cityscape of London 25 years later during World War II — “a city of …

Synchrony And Concordance: A Multilevel Analysis Of The Effects Of Individual Differences During A Co2 Challenge, Rachel E. Wallace

Theses and Dissertations

Emotion theories posit that emotion systems (e.g., behavior, self-report, physiology) should be related when an emotion is being elicited because this serves an adaptive purpose and allows the individual to respond appropriately to the present situation. Oftentimes, this coherent relationship is not found, and research has hypothesized that the type of analyses used and lack of examination of individual differences could be affecting this relationship. Most studies examine the relationship between emotion systems between-subjects when within-subjects analyses may be more appropriate. The present study examined the relationship between self-reported distress (SUDS) and heart rate, and whether trait differences of anxiety …

Separate And Equal: Power Dynamics Between Women Sleeping With Women Partners, Helen Virginia Mays

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the power dynamics in relationships between women who sleep with women (WSW). Using private, semi-structured interviews, the areas of financial and sexual power were explored. A total of 10 participants were interviewed individually using a snowball sample. Previous literature has shown that WSW partners are egalitarian, meaning both partners share in the decision making, with respect to household chores and other decisions in the home (Blumstein & Shwartz, 1984; Kurdeck, 2006). Instead of WSW following gender scripts like some heterosexual partners, WSW couples decide roles by preference, choice and after discussing what …

A Range-Wide Assessment Of Migratory Connectivity For The Prothonotary Warbler Using Stable Hydrogen Isotopes, Jessica Reese

Theses and Dissertations

Populations of many species of migratory birds are declining, and an understanding of how populations are linked between the breeding and nonbreeding grounds is necessary in order to determine drivers of declines. While all current tracking technologies to study the movements of small songbirds are limited by their coarse resolution, tracking birds by measuring stable isotopes in keratin offers an advantage because it requires only a single capture and is cost-effective, which leads to robust sample sizes. While this tracking method is accurate, stable hydrogen isotope values measured in feathers (δ²H_f) are known to be variable …

Read-In Arts, An Liu

Theses and Dissertations

As interior designers, we strive to design everything for our clients, from complex environments to the joinery of a chair. We rarely consider inviting our clients or the users to join us in finishing the space.

Read-In workshop is not a school, but a kind of home, a home belonging to children, which provides the possibilities for children to play, to learn, to occupy, to personalize, and to share. An emotional space that will not limit the user, but keep inspiring them. It helps children notice, think, and grow.

Half of the interior space will be a fixed design, designed …

Sub For More, Chelsea Lee

Theses and Dissertations

This written thesis unpacks the thoughts and motivations behind the decisions I have made in my artistic practice that have ultimately culminated in my M.F.A. Thesis Exhibition: Sub for More. By merging images of my own work as well as internet sourced images of the culture that drives my work, I have created a platform to begin to understand my experience during graduate school. This text examines and explores my belief in the inherent power in pop culture, my obsession with fame, celebrity, and my self-identity as a participant in current pop-culture.