Digital Commons Network^™

Synthesis And Modeling Of Manganese Ferrite Nanoparticles For Magnetic Hyperthermia Applications, Margaret E. Thornton

Theses and Dissertations

Biologically targeted magnetic hyperthermia (MH) is a promising cancer therapeutic that is both non-invasive and has the potential to serve as a single-modality cancer treatment. MH operates through the elevation of temperatures between 40-43 °C to induce apoptosis in malignant tumor cells, while the small size of the magnetic nanoparticles preserves the healthy surrounding tissue. At present, MH is limited by low heating efficiency and heterogenous outcomes, and treatment requires direct-injection of the nanoparticles, excluding deep-tissue and metastatic tumors from the therapy. The most popular candidates for MH are the spinel ferrites iron oxide and manganese iron oxide (MFO). These …

Analysis Of Microdroplets And Microorganisms By Single Entity Electrochemistry, Junaid U. Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

Single Entity Electrochemistry (SEE) is an emerging electrochemical technique that has been used to characterize discrete entities by measuring the change in current or potential during individual stochastic events (collision or adsorption) of an entity with an ultramicroelectrode (UME) of similar dimensions. The shape and magnitude of the SEE signal depend on the underlying mechanism of interaction with the UME surface. There is a critical need for quantitative models that correlate the SEE signal with properties of the entity-UME system, including effects of acquisition instrumentation, to prevent misinterpretation of data.

This research focused on integrated experiments and simulations to quantify …

Processes Underlying Black American College Students’ Mental Health: Examining The Roles Of Mental Health Literacy, Ethnic-Racial Identity, And Mental Health-Related Behaviors, Chloe Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Addressing the mental health of college students is a persistent and increasing priority (Auerbach et al., 2018), especially among Black American individuals. Given prevalent mental health disparities, it is critical to understand the association between Black American emerging adults’ mental health literacy (MHL) and mental health outcomes including promotive mental health-related behaviors (MHRBs) and symptoms (i.e., anxiety and depressive symptoms), and the modifiable underlying factors that inform them. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991) and the Identity-based Motivation theory (Oyserman & Yoder, 2007), the present study aimed to examine the relation between mental health literacy and mental …

The L1-Norm Regularized L1-Norm Best-Fit Line Problem And Applications, Xiao Ling

Theses and Dissertations

The best-fit subspace or low-rank approximation of a data matrix revolves
around the norm approximation technique. l²-norm criterion is probably the most
widely used norm for fitting subspaces. As the computational power increases, the
l¹-norm analogue has recently gained attention from the academic community. It is
widely agreed that the l¹ norm is insensitive to outliers, compared to its l² variant.
Because of the polyhedral structure interrelated with linear programming (LP),
the l⁰ norm is commonly relaxed into the l¹-norm problem to induce sparsity in
models. In this work, we examine …

Estimating The Statistics Of Operational Loss Through The Analyzation Of A Time Series, Maurice L. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

In the world of finance, appropriately understanding risk is key to success or failure because it is a fundamental driver for institutional behavior. Here we focus on risk as it relates to the operations of financial institutions, namely operational risk. Quantifying operational risk begins with data in the form of a time series of realized losses, which can occur for a number of reasons, can vary over different time intervals, and can pose a challenge that is exacerbated by having to account for both frequency and severity of losses. We introduce a stochastic point process model for the frequency distribution …

Family Relationships And Academic Performance Via Belongingness Among Cuban Medical Students: Examining Family Legacy And Sex As Moderators, Maria J. Cisneros-Elias

Theses and Dissertations

Medical diplomacy is a foundational part of Cuban domestic and foreign policy (Feinsilver, 2010). Cuba has an abundance of doctors, encouraged by the country’s free medical education program (Hand et al., 2020), and has made a significant impact with its well-established healthcare system, provision of healthcare for all of its citizens, and healthcare support internationally. The current study aims to focus on processes underlying Cuban medical students’ academic performance, as they are a critical component of this successful system, and a population that has received limited empirical attention. Thus, the current study used path analyses to examine the relations between …

Antiviral Effects Of Metalloshielding: Differential Antiviral Activity Of Polynuclear Platinum And Cobalt Compounds, Mary Zoepfl

Theses and Dissertations

The majority of antiviral drug development has focused on virus-specific discovery targeting discrete steps in the individual life cycles. Although great strides have been made for a number of clinically relevant diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus, influenza virus, and hepatitis B, broad spectrum antivirals do not exist. Broad spectrum antivirals would offer (1) treatment for viruses without specifically-targeted antivirals, (2) treatment for viruses which have developed resistance to their available treatments, and (3) a rapidly deployable treatment option in viral epidemics. Many viruses including human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), HIV, and SARS-CoV-2. rely on heparan sulfate (HS), a highly sulfated glycosaminoglycan …

Molten Salt Technologies For Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles And Molten Salt Reactors, Dimitris Killinger

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation provides five topics—an assessment of different monitoring and analytical techniques often cited in the literature for molten salt systems and designs for nuclear engineering applications. First, we explored commonly used materials for quasi-reference electrodes in molten chloride salts. Second, the limitations of the electrochemical analysis known as cyclic voltammetry due to the concentration of uranium(III) present were being investigated. Third, we provided an experimental assessment on the development of a spectroelectrochemical cell for interrogating various spectroelectrochemical techniques, namely chronoabsorptometry and chronofluorometry, and their limitations due to the presence of uranium(III) ions. Fourth, a study on the corrosion resistance …

Puddlefist, Dylan Ahern

Theses and Dissertations

This written thesis focuses on my MFA thesis exhibition, Puddlefist. It begins with an introduction to both the artworks and my artistic approach, then discusses the text Transcendental Black Metal by Hunter Hunt-Hendrix, which serves as a larger reference point for the work. The latter part of this written thesis is a narrative influenced by the convergence of the sculptures that comprise the exhibition. I consider it a form of endurance writing that exercises motifs of noise, mantra, and monotony. In the section entitled Puc and Yellow, NPC (non-playable character) dialogue from the video game Fallout: New Vegas is transcribed …

Metamosque – Envisioning The Mosque As A Virtual Public Space, Alaa Albarazy

Theses and Dissertations

Historically, the mosque was not only a space for a communal prayer but also a place for building a community. Today, however, with conflicts and diseases fragmenting society, people are less able to gather physically in large spaces. Out of necessity, people rely on technology to get together and interact virtually. In this context, my research challenges the notion of the mosque as a physical space, proposing, instead, its extension into virtual space. Recent global events pose the question: Can the metaverse offer an opportunity for the mosque to reassert itself as a public space. I propose that a MetaMosque …

Removal Of Prefabricated Zirconia Crowns From Primary Anterior Teeth With Er,Cr:Ysgg Laser Compared To A High-Speed Handpiece: An In- Vitro Study, Andrew Crowell

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the time and pulpal temperature changes associated with the removal of prefabricated zirconia crowns from primary anterior teeth using an Er,Cr:YSGG laser compared to a rotary hand-piece.

Methods: This in-vitro study was conducted using extracted primary incisors. Teeth were prepared and restored with prefabricated zirconia crowns (NuSmile^®, Houston, TX, USA) sizes 4 and 5 cemented with resin-modified glass-ionomer cement. Restored teeth were stored in a humidor for at least 48 hours prior to removing crowns from the teeth using either an air-rotary hand-piece (HG, N=17) or erbium, chromium: …

Automated Conjecturing On The Independence Number And Minimum Degree Of Diameter-2-Critical Graphs, Joshua R. Forkin

Theses and Dissertations

A diameter-2-critical (D2C) graph is a graph with diameter two such that removing any edge increases the diameter or disconnects the graph. In this paper, we look at other lesser-studied properties of D2C graphs, focusing mainly on their independence number and minimum degree. We show that there exist D2C graphs with minimum degree strictly larger than their independence number, and that this gap can be arbitrarily large. We also exhibit D2C graphs with maximum number of common neighbors strictly greater than their independence number, and that this gap can be arbitrarily large. Furthermore, we exhibit a D2C graph whose number …

Challenges Among Latine Daca Recipients And Anxiety: A Systematic Meta-Analytic Review, Isis A. Garcia-Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Immigrant-origin Latine young adults (ILYAs) face a challenge that is specific to their developmental period. As ILYAs transition from high school to beyond (e.g., workforce, college, etc.), they begin to grapple with participating in normative experiences for all young adults in the U.S. (e.g., obtaining a driver’s license, getting their first job at 16). The lives of ILYA, particularly those who are DACAmented or DACA eligible, are characterized by the legal and social contradiction that arises from growing up in the U.S. yet facing barriers to full participation in U.S. society. The nonexistent synthesis of the exponentially growing literature in …

Reclaiming The Appropriated Space Through Care, William P. Glaser

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis navigates the complex and (at times) frustrating experience of balancing caregiving and art making while attempting to converge both practices into one. The collaboration of caregiving and art making serves as a potential solution for those that struggle with the seemingly unreconcilable stratification of both activities.

Exploring Dynamic Navigation For Palatally Impacted Canine Uncovery Surgery., Daniel Joseph Hall

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The objective of this study was to compare the exposure/uncovery of palatally impacted canines via the use of dynamic navigation guidance to the traditional freehand approach. Outcomes evaluated include the time to plan and perform exposure, area/size of initial access to locate the impacted tooth and the final size of the osteotomy to completely uncover the impacted tooth.

Methods: In order to simulate various frequently encountered clinical scenarios, three different model types were used. Six plastic models of each model type were fabricated from epoxy resin. Each model contained 2 bilaterally, palatally impacted canines, that were randomly embedded in …

Empowerment In Adolescents And Young Adults With Cystic Fibrosis, Rachel Holder

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence and young adulthood is a pivotal time for individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) that is characterized by increased self-management, transition to adult-oriented healthcare, and often a decline in treatment adherence and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (Abbott et al., 2015; Modi et al., 2008). The literature regarding which factors are important for readiness to transition, treatment adherence, and HRQoL is limited in this population. However, empowerment has emerged as a salient construct in other disease groups (Acuña Mora et al., 2019; Burström et al., 2019; Kaal et al., 2017). As such, this thesis determined the convergent validity of the …

Madeleine Béjart: La Femme Galante, Katherine E. Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

The 17th Century marked the beginning of women professionally joining the acting profession and as such brought about change in the career opportunities for women. Madeleine Béjart was one of these actresses who is notorious for her liaison and working relationship with famed playwright, Molière. Through this personal relationship her role in history was relegated to that of mistress and the scandal concerning Molière’s wife Armande who is speculated to either be Madeleine's daughter or sister. By using historical and biographical information on Madeleine along with two works of Molière in which she originated roles, I will explore the intricacies …

Detection And Reporting Of Child Abuse And Neglect: A Survey Amongst Pediatric Dental Care Providers In The United States, Daniel J. Lander

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to survey pediatric dental care providers in the United States to evaluate their knowledge in the detection and reporting of child abuse and neglect (CAN). Methods: This study has been modeled as a cross sectional- survey based research study. Email invitations were sent to pediatric dentists, orthodontists, and others who work in pediatric dental practices in the United States through email lists of the American Association of Pediatric Dentists (AAPD) and the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO). The survey completion page included sample text and the public survey link for providers to use …

Spectrum Of Shit, Hannah Hiaasen

Theses and Dissertations

Contending with the loss of a parent to a mass shooting in their workplace, a newsroom, I find myself suspended in time, in an office. Post-its, fans, button-ups, snow globes, clipboards, reporters notebooks, scrap paper, jot downs, keyboards hold me up. I crave the comfort of repetitive cumulative hand work. Quilting, weaving, and cutting away help me breathe, haptically process and memorialize these grieving objects, this grieving person. Weed-wacking towards intimacy, my work employs a range of materials to mourn the mundanity of a workday, fantasize transformative justice, and steward embodied grief to the surface. My only speed is slow-- …

How Is Biophilic Urbanism Being Used In Planning To Rejuvenate Post-Industrial Cities?, Andrea A. Kerley

Theses and Dissertations

ARE POST-INDUSTRIAL CITIES USING BIOPHILIC URBANISM TO MERGE NATURE AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT? A PLAN EVALUATION OF FOUR U.S. LEGACY CITIES

By Andrea (Andi) Ames Kerley, Master in Urban and Regional Planning

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Urban and Regional Planning, at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2020.

Major Director: Megan Z. Gough, Associate Professor, L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs,

Urban and Regional Studies and Planning

The re-imaging of U.S. post-industrial cities from desolate, impoverished, and polluted areas to unique, equitable, and environmentally aware cities …

Flourish: Exploring Healing Environments In A Residential Treatment Setting, Emily D. Kalafian

Theses and Dissertations

The following project explores the ways in which our environments promote healing and support recovery through the design of a residential center for eating disorder recovery. The center will serve 8-10 young women as they seek recovery from restrictive forms of eating disorders. The center will accommodate the necessary staff personnel as well as spaces for supporting activities and wraparound services. The project intends to create a place for healing that feels safe, warm, and considers patients’ needs for autonomy, dignity, and a sense of control amidst disorder. This is a place to create meaningful relationships and to participate in …

Cadent Diffusion: Permeating The Membrane, Isabella M. Kubo

Theses and Dissertations

cadent diffusion: permeating the membrane explores and documents KUBO's journey of cultivating a sustainable and curious artistic practice during their Master’s program in Richmond, Virginia (Powhatan Land) from the Fall of 2020 to the Spring of 2022.

KUBO's practice is the affirmation between life and change in an attempt to work along the forces of singularity; to free lines, scores, concepts, and events from structures that otherwise bind them.The cadent diffusion is the rhythm in this force. Or perhaps, it is the force itself.

Wet, Flowering, Dry, Caroline A. Minchew

Theses and Dissertations

Wet, flowering, dry is a series of photographic works that explore how vernal pools are a macrocosm for holding memory and a site of omnipresent solitude and decay. This installation distills an embodied and ephemeral experience of how we are grounded in a network of invisible connections with our surroundings. This network becomes evident through biological, historical, and field research conducted at the vernal pools for over a year. Through slow observation and consideration of how multiple stories of place can weave together into a larger parable, Wet, flowering, dry reveals how the life cycle of a vernal pool is …

Until Its Calmness Can Claim You, Gabrielle Mchugh

Theses and Dissertations

This is an invitation to pause //

This is an externalization of my inner landscape, a highlight of what I value in my everyday and what comprises my lexicon of a sacred space. The following is a journey of nets, quiet, the sacred, space, and the in-between; where I share research and questions that are the foundation for my thesis work, Until Its calmness can claim you.

// This is an invitation to find moments of quiet in the noise

Until One Resembles The Other, Chad E. Mundie Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

A written accompaniment to Chad Mundie’s thesis exhibition titled Until One Resembles the Other, conceived during the years 2021-22 and installed at The Anderson Gallery, Richmond from April 9-22nd.

The following writing explores themes of labor within the home, generational knowledge, interiority, exteriority, and emotional residue through a series of essays surrounding areas of interest within my practice. The writing concludes with documentation of the show and an accompanying explanatory text.

Traumatic Brain Injury-Induced Changes Of Immune/Inflammatory Response In The Context Of Predisposition Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Alexandra Pedin

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a progressive neurogenerative disease that affects millions globally. At this time there are no effective treatment options as the primary cause for AD is not fully understood. In addition to old age, genetic predisposition, and certain health conditions, traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been identified as a risk factor for AD. While the pathway that links TBI to AD is still largely unknown, the neuroinflammatory response to both conditions has been connected to the NLRP3 inflammasome. Due to its role in the innate immune system and proinflammatory cytokine mediation, the NLRP3 inflammasome could be a potential …

Dregs / Lessons From The Things Around Us, Juan-Manuel Pinzon

Theses and Dissertations

The writing in Lessons From the Things Around Us is in support of the work in my MFA thesis show, dregs. I detail the progression of my making and thinking over the last two years. I expand on the material and personal relationships that have manifested themselves in the work and influenced my approach to the things that surround me. Finally, I point to a more expansive definition of Craft, rooted in its material sensibilities, and the possibilities already present in the field that this definition creates.

Defiantly Childlike: Using Aesthetic Resistance To Heal, Sarah K. Reagan

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines an alternative processing mechanism surrounding the act of healing after traumatic experiences in life. Using a methodology of iterative patterning and tool-pathing, a collection of inflatable garments and wooden mannequins analyzes defense mechanisms learned in early childhood development. This work highlights an essential body of recent scholarship that takes cuteification seriously to restore a childlike approach to mastering fear. This paper will review the definitions of cuteness and childlike humor and then describe how visual culture has implemented these components to subvert established power.

Evaluating Long-Range Transportation Plans For Mainstreaming Of Climate Adaptation Among Virginia Mpos, Sebastian L. Shetty

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the strides made towards addressing climate change through greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction strategies, it has become increasingly apparent that attempting to mitigate the crisis in such a manner alone is insufficient. This thesis joins a growing body of research on how our societies must adapt to a changing climate, contributing more evidence on common barriers to adaptation and how they might be overcome. Through an attempt to evaluate the progress made towards mainstreaming, or integrating, climate change concerns into five Virginia MPOs’ long-range transportation plans (LRTPs), this study provides support for prior hypotheses around the potential for MPOs …

Characterization Of Piezo2 Involvement In Stress-Induced Alterations To Gi Function And Nociception, Cristina Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder marked by visceral hypersensitivity and changes in bowel function.Visceral sensation is initiated in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) by primary afferent nerves that detect and transduce chemical and mechanical stimuli into electrical signals which relay to the central nervous system (CNS). The aim of this investigation was to characterize the role of Piezo2, a mechanically sensitive ion channel, located in nociceptive sensory afferents in the regulation of GI function in mice subjected to Water Avoidance Stress (WAS). Initially, body weight growth, colonic transit time, and somatic von Frey filament testing …