Digital Commons Network^™

Elucidating The Effect Of Surface Modifications On Nanomaterial Function, Nicholas Langer

Dissertations (1934 -)

Nanoparticles (NPs) are an exciting class of materials with unique properties that inspire their use in sensing, catalysis, optoelectronic devices, and more. NPs are frequently coated in organic molecules, termed ligands, to increase their stability, but ligands also influence NP catalytic activity and their interactions with neighboring molecules. To fully realize the potential of nanomaterials as key components in novel complex systems, a more nuanced understanding of the relationships between NPs, ligands, and their surrounding microenvironment is critical. After a brief review of the NP field in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 begins the investigation of structure-function relationships with a cross-class …

Mechanisms Of Neuromuscular Fatigability In Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis, Mitra Rouhani

Dissertations (1934 -)

Subjective fatigue and pain are commonly reported in people with MS (pwMS), as is neuromuscular fatigability. The dynamometry protocols used to measure neuromuscular fatigability in pwMS varied substantially in terms of components, leading to inconsistent findings regarding the extent of neuromuscular fatigability and its central and peripheral mechanisms in pwMS compared to non-MS controls. This dissertation aimed to compare neuromuscular fatigability and its underlying mechanisms following a sustained maximal to intermittent submaximal ankle dorsiflexion in pwMS, grouped by disease severity, and non-MS controls. Additionally, we aimed to determine the impact of physical activity, muscle oxidative capacity, and exercise-induced pain on …

Investigating The Dynamic Response Of Surrogate Energetic Systems With Variable Geometric Complexity, Rafee Mahbub

Dissertations (1934 -)

The goal of this research is to understand the dynamic behavior of functional meso-structures fabricated with a surrogate energetic material, sugar and binder, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in order to control the sensitivity of the system. The approach begins with investigating the dynamic response of PDMS and generating an Equation of State (EOS) model. Experiments were performed in a one-dimensional reverse plate impact configuration at velocities ranging from 29 m/s to 377 m/s. A linear shock velocity, particle velocity fit was applied to the Hugoniot data which resulted in a Hugoniot slope of 2.17 and Hugoniot intercept of 1112 m/s. The calibration …

Place In Luke-Acts: A Geocritical Reading Of Synagogue, House, And Temple, Daniel Mueller

Dissertations (1934 -)

The subject of this study is place in Luke-Acts. Unlike previous studies that examine single places, either large regions or individual types of places in the narrative, I approach place with both a particularized and an integrated vision. I study places that are small enough to participate in the narrative and then integrate them into a coherent narrative map. I examine place as it is written by Luke and as it is read by the reader. This study is guided by the relatively new method of geocriticism and, deriving from this, five working hypotheses about narrative place: 1) the author …

Situation Awareness Preparation And Prebriefing: Fostering The Cognitive Processes Of Thinking Like A Nurse In Simulation, Amanda Lynn Potter

Dissertations (1934 -)

Situation awareness (SA) is linked with actionable decision-making and clinical judgment in nursing practice. The cognitive processes used in developing SA, outlined in Endsley’s (1995) model, is the framework underpinning this study and are interwoven into the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (NCJMM). Cultivating these cognitive processes through prebriefing and simulation designed to intentionally develop SA, is a recommended practice currently seen in aviation and military training. There is a lack of vigorous research testing whether a specific intervention during clinical simulation can develop SA in nursing students. In addition, fostering SA in the …

Vol 69 #2, Melanie Argo

MPLA Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Democracy And Defections, Madhav Khosla, Milan Vaishnav

Faculty Scholarship

Within comparative constitutional law, there is an emerging consensus that political fragmentation has weakened political parties and hindered the functioning of legislative bodies. This article examines legal efforts to curb fragmentation in parliamentary systems by prohibiting floor crossing, or “defections” — a constitutional approach that concentrates power within party leaders. It conducts a detailed case study of India, exploring what is arguably the most exten¬sive experiment in anti-defection law and its impact on accountability and representation. The article goes on to analyze similar laws in Israel and South Africa, highlighting the challenges of self-regulation. After evaluating the limitations of narrow …

The Missing Half: Revisiting Monetary Remedies To Redress Racial Segregation, Olatunde C.A. Johnson

Faculty Scholarship

This Essay considers whether courts should have awarded monetary remedies in housing desegregation cases. By examining the relief awarded in public housing desegregation cases brought in United States federal courts between 1966 and 1994, this Essay reveals the limitations of the almost exclusive reliance on forward-looking integration relief as a remedy. The Essay argues that there is a “missing half” of remedies that courts never awarded: compensatory damages for the loss of wealth and opportunity caused by housing segregation. Forward-looking remedies that promised integration have often gone unfulfilled. Understanding these “missing” damages is crucial given recent Supreme Court rulings on …

The Judicial Method In Copyright, Shyamkrishna Balganesh

Faculty Scholarship

This Essay, delivered as the 2023 Brace lecture, examines the role of the real unsung heroes of the modern U.S. copyright system: the federal judiciary. For the longest time, discussions of copyright policy and reform in the U.S. have altogether neglected the role that courts are meant to play in working copyright’s substantive and procedural rules. These discussions have instead assumed a norm of passivity from courts, who are presumed to either engage in a mechanical application of the statute’s text to decide disputes or instead make the law incrementally in common law style. In this Essay, I argue that …

Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents: Liquid-Liquid Extraction Of Organic Water Pollutants, Abigail Louise Maletta

Masters Theses

Pollution is a topic of significant research within the scientific community. The massive demand for industrial processes to deliver the technology and resources we rely on has opened numerous avenues for pollutants to enter the environment, affecting air, water, soil, and the food chain. Oftentimes, these pathways are intertwined, and the interplay between water and air currents spreads pollution globally, creating a cascade of environmental impacts. Water, a vital resource for all forms of life, is particularly susceptible to industrial pollution. Among the most prevalent water pollutants are heavy metals, such as lead and mercury, and organic compounds, often released …

La Mosca- Spring 2024, Clay Cofre

La Mosca

Contributors: Leslie Lozada, Syed Faisal Mahmood, Zach Haber, Michael Sullivan, Joseph Ward, Robby Ker, Reginald BoClair, Clay Cofre, Sam Lohmann, Danielle Fontaine, Pedro Son of Pedro, Kristen Tabernilla, Phil Kostov, Jennifer Karp, Jasmine Rodriguez, Thalia Piseaux Ochoa, Benny Rios

Minimally Invasive Therapies In The Treatment Of Arthropathy, Steven Bateman

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

This literature review explores the efficacy of minimally invasive therapies that precede and delay surgical intervention in adult patients experiencing functional limitations and pain in major joints. The effectiveness of physical therapy and injections such as corticosteroids, hyaluronic acid, platelet-rich plasma, and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) was evaluated. A comprehensive search of PubMed utilizing MeSH terms yielded 114 relevant studies, which were screened based on inclusion criteria of human studies published within the past five years. Keywords included mesenchymal stem cells, stem cells, mesenchymal, arthroplasty, and joints. Producing few results, inclusion criteria were later expanded to include studies within the …

Lifestyle Changes And Medication Vs. Medication Alone: Symptom Control Of Parkinson Disease, Rachel Duncan

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Parkinson disease is multifactorial and predominantly effects the geriatric population. The mainstay of treatment for patients diagnosed is currently symptomatic treatment with dopamine replacement. The goal of this literature review is to identify possible lifestyle modifications that can delay progression of the disease or help prolong OFF time of symptoms. Lifestyle modification predominantly considered during this review included diet and physical activity. Included in the study were MIND, Mediterranean, and DASH diets. Considering the role of medication in this disease levodopa, dopamine agonists, monoamine oxidase B inhibitors and the addition of ropinirole to levodopa and their efficacy in treating parkinsonian …

Efficacy Of Platelet Rich Plasma Injections To Combat Chronic Tendinopathies, Rachel Kisse

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

➢ Tendinopathy is a clinical syndrome marked by persistent localized pain and tendon thickening, stemming from repetitive overuse. It poses diagnostic and management challenges due to its chronic nature..

➢ This literature review was performed to inform clinicians about the properties, safety, and efficacy of PRP injections as an adjunctive therapy in chronic tendinopathies, specifically the epicondylar and Achilles tendons. A comprehensive review of 12 clinical trials, exploring the efficacy of PRP injections was performed. The primary focus of this review looked into the trends in efficacy, including pain reduction and activity improvement, using various functional assessment scales like the …

Mobilized Healthcare: The Future Of Accessible Medicine, Zachary Carlson

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

This paper discusses the impact that Mobile Integrated Healthcare teams can have in our health system. It is well known that there are communities that benefit from MIH teams such as rural or underserved areas; however, this paper discusses a variety of other demographics that may benefit from implementation of MIH teams. It will also evaluate how MIH teams alter patient Emergency Department (ED) visits, hospital admissions, facility spending, and patient outcomes. MIH is a form of preventative medicine that may be better optimized by healthcare facilities going forward, and this article helps to weigh the pros versus cons of …

Let’S Move! Benefits Of Exercise Compared To Ssris (Escitalopram) For The Management Of Depression: Research From 2020 And Beyond, Brianna Droessler-Aschliman

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Purpose: Determine the effectiveness of exercise as either monotherapy or in combination with SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) for the management of major depressive disorder.

• Studies gathered for this review came from the following databases: PubMed, SpringerLink, Academic Search Ultimate, Academic Search Complete, and CINAHL.

• Review of current research that was completed between the years 2020-2023 that consisted of either clinical trials, RCTs, or meta-analysis. • Upon completion of the literature review: exercise is equivocal to SSRIs as a treatment option. While this is a significant finding, the benefits of exercises are more consistent in those that …

Convolutional Spiking Neural Networks For Intent Detection Based On Anticipatory Brain Potentials Using Electroencephalogram, Nathan Lutes, V. Sriram Siddhardh Nadendla, K. Krishnamurthy

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Spiking neural networks (SNNs) are receiving increased attention because they mimic synaptic connections in biological systems and produce spike trains, which can be approximated by binary values for computational efficiency. Recently, the addition of convolutional layers to combine the feature extraction power of convolutional networks with the computational efficiency of SNNs has been introduced. This paper studies the feasibility of using a convolutional spiking neural network (CSNN) to detect anticipatory slow cortical potentials (SCPs) related to braking intention in human participants using an electroencephalogram (EEG). Data was collected during an experiment wherein participants operated a remote-controlled vehicle on a testbed …

Illegal Contracts And Agreements: A New Standard For Prostitution And Marijuana Agreements, Doug Rendleman

Washington and Lee Law Review

Agreements exchanging sex for money and those involving marijuana may encounter illegality defenses in court. Granting a legal remedy for breach of an agreement that exchanges seriously illegal consideration would lower the court’s public standing and endanger its legitimacy. On the other hand, the spectacle of a buyer claiming its own illegality to escape paying its seller troubles courts.

Lord Mansfield stated the illegality defense in Holman v. Johnson: “No Court will lend its aid to a man who founds his cause of action upon an immoral or an illegal act.” Yet he rejected the illegality defense in that case …

Supporting Healthy Futures: Capitalizing On Medicaid’S Epsdt Medical Necessity Standard, Teressa Colhoun

Washington and Lee Law Review

Youth mental health is in crisis. Children report increased rates of suicidal ideology, depression, and anxiety. Diagnosis rates soar. Pediatric mental health care remains difficult to access. When services are accessible, they are costly—often sending families into medical debt.

This Note discusses Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (“EPSDT”) benefit. Specifically, it studies the EPSDT benefit’s creation, structure, and administration. This Note focuses on the context in which the EPSDT benefit operates, particularly how health care financing models impact benefit administration. It suggests that the EPSDT benefit has the capacity to address crucial gaps in pediatric mental health …

An Investigation On The Intricacies Of Epigenetic Modulations In The Pathogenesis Of Human Papillomavirus-Associated Cervical Cancer: A Comprehensive Meta-Narrative Synthesis, Jade Carolina Cabello, Marcella Victoria Ras, Katelyn Thy Nhung Tran, Athit Voytas

Research Methods Poster Session 2024

Abstract

Objective: To conduct a meta-analysis of the available and relevant literature on E1/E2 genes and their affect on the epigenetics of Human Papillomavirus caused uterine cervical cancer.

Background/Significance: Human Papillomavirus is strongly linked to cervical cancer, and cervical cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer in women. 99.7% of patients with cervical cancer have a “high risk HPV genotype” which factors greatly into the causation if their diagnosis. The HPV vaccine that came out in 2006 has greatly decreased cervical cancer in the population as well as increased the preventative chances of highly susceptible individuals.

Methods: To …

Escaping From Myth: Denver’S Reclamation Of Love In Toni Morrison’S Beloved, Lainey Terfruchte

Audre Lorde Prize

No abstract provided.

Sinning As Empowerment: Reclaiming God As A Black, Queer Woman In Alice Walker’S The Color Purple, Bethany Abrams

Audre Lorde Prize

In this paper, the author embarks on the task of re-imagining the seven sins of Christianity in the context of Alice Walker's The Color Purple, specifically in relation to the character Shug Avery.

Araneum - Spring 2024

Araneum: Richmond Journal of American & Global Affairs

Richmond Journal of American and Global Affairs

Attendance At Virginia Academy Of Science Meetings: A Report Of The Panel Discussion Held By The Chemistry Section Of The Virginia Academy Of Science, Tom Devore

Virginia Journal of Science

Since the attendance in the Chemistry Section at the Virginia Academy of Science (VAS) spring meetings has not returned to the numbers attending prior to the cancellation of the 2020 meeting due to the Covid pandemic, a roundtable discussion was held as part of the 2023 VAS Annual Meeting at the College of William and Mary on May 25, 2023 to discuss possible ways to increase attendance at future meetings. This is a report of the topics discussed and the suggestions made.

Table Of Contents

Virginia Journal of Science

Table of Contents created for the Special Centennial Issue of Virginia Journal of Science, the Official Journal of the Virginia Academy of Science.

Together Through A Labyrinth: Reenacting A Sacred Ball Game In The Medieval Studies Classroom, Sarah B. Lynch

All Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Blockchain Voting Machines: An Approach To Election Security, Zane Taylor Hollandsworth

Senior Honors Theses

Blockchain is a popular technology that has found itself as the proposed solution to a variety of technological problems. In the case of voting machines, blockchain seems to show promise based on its unique attributes of immutability and decentralization. Reviewing the state of current voting machines, there is a displayed lack of support for direct-recording electronic (DRE) voting machines in the general population due to the many controversies. By looking into the functionality of proposed blockchain systems and creating an implementation to test the functionality of a blockchain voting system while taking the data on voting machines into consideration, it …

Shepherding Sisters: Mentoring Within Residence Halls, Hallie Brenner

Christian Ministries Senior Capstone

Shepherding Sisters is a ministry which seeks to connect upperclassmen with lowerclassmen within all-female residence halls in a mentoring relationship. In order for spiritual formation and spiritual friendship to take place in all-female residence halls, upperclassmen will be trained and equipped in order to shepherd their sisters in Christ.

Harvest Workers Ministry: Creating Passionate Life-Long Disciples By Nurturing Faith Development And Individual Callings Of Adolescents, Sam Wolowski

Christian Ministries Senior Capstone

“6 out of 10 twentysomethings who were involved in church during their teen years will fail to maintain their active spirituality during their years of adulthood” (Robbins 17). Even the majority of adolescents involved in the church eventually separate from their faith and faith community. David Kinnaman, the president of Barna Group, explains that more than 50 percent of teenagers and young adults who are not committed Christians report that their former faith community (e.g., church, parish, etc.) did not help them understand their purpose and view their gifts and passions as part of God’s calling (159). The separation of …

The In Vitro Investigation Of Natural Products And Derivative Compounds As Potential Treatment Of Colorectal Cancer, Dominick C. Buccitti Iii

Master’s Theses - College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Objectives: To design analogs of natural products with known anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities. Then assess the effects of the compounds on the cell viability of the HCT116 colorectal cancer cell line. Rationale: Analogs of natural products isolated from plants consumed in our diet and with reported anticancer activity, will potentially have activity against colorectal cancer. Methods: Analogs of stilbenes and anethole were synthesized in one step through Wittig reactions. Analogs of caffeic acid were synthesized in one-step reactions using caffeic acid as starting material, N, N′-Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) and amines of varying sizes and polarities. The compounds were isolated using automated …