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Pwatem: an anthology of literature and art (2025)
Get PDFPwatem is an anthology of literature and art from undergraduate students at Virginia Commonwealth University. Pwatem publishes poetry, prose and art of all kinds from talented undergraduate students of all majors.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/poi/1020/thumbnail.jp
Virginia Commonwealth University Professional Bulletin (2025)
Get PDFProfessional programs bulletin for Virginia Commonwealth University for the academic year 2025-2026. It includes information on academic regulations, degree requirements, course offerings, faculty, academic calendar, and tuition and expenses
Targeting Bcl-xL to eliminate chemotherapy-induced tumor dormancy and prevent relapse in aggressive breast cancer
No full textChemotherapy-induced tumor dormancy remains a major barrier to curative cancer therapy, as residual dormant tumor cells can evade treatment and drive metastatic relapse. However, the survival mechanisms that enable these dormant tumor cells to persist are poorly understood. In this study, we identify Bcl-xL, an anti-apoptotic protein, as a potential target to eliminate chemotherapy-induced dormant tumor cells in multiple breast cancer models. These dormant cells, especially in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) models 4T1 and MDA-MB-231, consistently exhibited sustained Bcl-xL expression as a dominant survival factor in chemotherapy-induced dormancy, while other anti-apoptotic proteins like Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 remained low or unchanged. Importance of Bcl-xL in facilitating dormant cell survival was seen by shRNA-mediated knockdown of Bcl-xL in neu-positive (neu+) MMC cells, which resulted in significantly enhanced chemotherapy-induced apoptosis and inhibited relapse both in vitro and in vivo. The selective Bcl-xL inhibitor A-1331852 replicated these effects in TNBC and neu+ MMC cells. A-1331852, when administered transiently during low-dose chemotherapy shows better efficacy than long term continuous administration, which results in activation of alternative escape strategies like rescue of anti-apoptotic protein, survivin. While systemic delivery suppressed tumor relapse, it was associated with high off target toxicity. In contrast, local delivery through intertumoral administration efficiently inhibited growth while mitigating off target toxicity but failed to prevent lung metastases. This highlights the need for tumor-targeted systemic delivery. These findings position Bcl-xL as a tractable therapeutic target in residual breast cancer and support the development of spatially selective, perioperative Bcl-xL inhibition strategies to eradicate dormant disease and prevent recurrence in aggressive subtypes like TNBC
Bugs in the flux: links between arthropod diversity and spatial variation of soil respiration in a temperate forest
No full textSoil respiration (Rs) is the largest terrestrial flux of carbon (C) to the atmosphere, with heterotrophic contributions to Rs varying spatially and temporally. While microbes are the primary and most thoroughly studied source of soil heterotrophic respiration (Rh), contributions from higher trophic organisms, including arthropods, are rarely quantified and poorly understood. Arthropod abundance and diversity correspond with variation in soil microclimate, which is influenced by site factors including canopy structure, site productivity, and disturbance. However, the extent to which these site factors influence arthropod abundance and diversity, and consequently, spatial variation in Rs is not known. The objective of our study was to evaluate whether arthropod abundance and diversity affect Rs through the cascading effects of disturbance and site productivity on canopy structure and soil microclimate. Our study leveraged the Forest Resilience Threshold Experiment, a large-scale manipulation of disturbance severity with tree mortalities of 0%, 45%, 65%, or 85% replicated across four different landscape ecosystems. Using structural equation modeling, we evaluated linkages between spatially paired measurements of in situ Rs, arthropod abundance and diversity via pitfall traps, soil moisture and temperature, and canopy structure and pre-disturbance biomass. Our findings suggest disturbance severity and pre-disturbance biomass have direct positive effects on canopy structural complexity, leading to downstream effects on soil moisture. Soil moisture was negatively linked to Shannon arthropod diversity, which was positively correlated with Rs. Mean Rs during our sampling campaign was 7 µmol CO2 m-2 sec-1, and a single unit increase in Shannon arthropod diversity corresponded with an increase in Rs of 2 µmol CO2 m-2 sec-1. We conclude that site productivity and disturbance has interacting and cascading effects on Rs through arthropod diversity, establishing arthropod diversity as an informative and critical constraint to consider when scaling spatially-variable Rs to the ecosystem level
Beyond Homogeneity: Exploring Causal Heterogeneity in Psychopathology
Get PDFTraditional models in psychiatric research often impose assumptions of causal homogeneity, treating population-level associations as reflective of uniform underlying mechanisms. This dissertation challenges that assumption by introducing statistical and machine learning frameworks designed to detect and model causal heterogeneity in the development of psychopathology. Central to this approach is the advancement of finite mixture structural equation modeling (FM-SEM) to identify latent subgroups characterized by distinct, and sometimes opposing, causal pathways.
The dissertation comprises three integrated empirical studies. The first introduces mixDoC, a finite mixture extension of the classical Direction of Causation (DoC) model applied to twin data, enabling the detection of subpopulations with divergent causal directions between executive function and internalizing symptoms. The second presents mixCLPM, a longitudinal mixture model that captures subgroup-specific temporal dynamics and cross-lagged influences. The third transitions to a predictive modeling framework using Tabular Variational Autoencoders (TVAEs) to generate synthetic data, improving the detection and prediction of developmental risk profiles.
Across these studies, findings demonstrate that traditional modeling approaches often obscure meaningful subgroup variation, potentially leading to inaccurate or incomplete inferences about etiology. By integrating causal modeling, longitudinal analysis, and synthetic data–enhanced prediction, this work provides a unified methodological framework for studying psychiatric heterogeneity and supports ongoing efforts in precision psychiatry
A novel statistical learning framework to uncover clinically significant spatial ecotypes with single cell spatial multiomics data
Get PDFAdvancements in high-plex spatial omics technologies have revolutionized our ability to map cellular organization and interactions within tissues at near single-cell resolution. However, analyzing and integrating these complex, multi-dimensional datasets requires robust, scalable, and interpretative computational tools. This thesis introduces “A novel statistical learning framework to uncover clinically significant spatial ecotypes with single cell spatial multiomics data”, a comprehensive framework designed to facilitate accurate cell type annotation, spatial neighborhood mapping, intercellular communication analysis, and translational applications. Key innovations include TACIT, an unsupervised machine learning algorithm capable of precise cell type and state deconvolution across diverse tissues; STARComm, a scalable system for identifying spatial co-location of cell-cell communication in both 2D and 3D tissues; and AstroSuite, an integrated platform that combines these tools with advanced visualization and drug-target prediction modules. Applications to human oral mucosa, salivary glands, and cancer tissues demonstrated the pipeline’s capacity to generate detailed tissue atlases, uncover microenvironmental features, and identify potential therapeutic targets. The integrated approach offers opportunities for personalized medicine, enabling tissue-specific biomarker discovery, tailored treatment strategies, and improved prognostic assessments. Overall, this work advances the field of spatial omics by bridging molecular profiling with clinical translational science, fostering the development of precision therapeutics in complex tissue landscapes
Sound Adaptation: How the 1940s Radio Show Established the Superhero Across Media
No full textComic book film and media studies have become more prevalent in the 21st century, as the superhero genre has proven sustainable on both movie screens (the Marvel Cinematic Universe series of around forty films) and in television and streaming shows (the four seasons of Superman and Lois on The CW network). Those studies, however, have yet to take an in-depth view of the earliest superhero media of radio, particularly the eleven years\u27 worth of Superman radio shows, and its role in the superhero\u27s development through adaptation and transmedia. This dissertation analyzes the adaptation practices behind the Superman/The Adventures of Superman (collectively from 1940-1951) and The Blue Beetle (1940) radio shows to emphasize the comic book superhero\u27s early development in media. In doing so, I apply theory from both adaptation and transmedia against the backdrop of the respective comic book history
Integrative Multi-Omics Dissection of Pathogenic Mechanisms in Chronic Liver Diseases
No full textPrimary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic cholestatic liver disease characterized by multifocal bile duct inflammation, fibrosis, and progression to cirrhosis and liver failure. Currently, there are no effective pharmacological therapies. Although ursodeoxycholic acid has been used to improve bile flow, it does not alter disease course or prevent the need for liver transplantation, which carries a recurrence rate of up to 30%. A deeper understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying PSC is essential for developing targeted therapies.
This dissertation investigates two key factors in PSC pathogenesis: sex-dependent immune differences and the spatially dynamic and cell specific roles of the long non-coding RNA H19, which has been shown to exacerbate PSC progression. Using the Mdr2 knock out (Mdr2KO) mouse model, a retrospective human cohort analysis (TriNetX), spectral flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and qRT-PCR, we identified several sex-specific immune alterations that may contribute to the disparity in PSC incidence and progression between males and females.
In parallel, we explored H19-mediated transcriptional changes using single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNAseq) and spatial transcriptomics (GeoMx Whole Transcriptome Atlas). We found that H19 deletion induces distinct cell-type- and region-specific transcriptional changes in hepatocytes, cholangiocytes, and macrophages. To further understand disease mechanisms, we trained several cell-type specific machine learning models that accurately predict healthy vs. disease-associated cell states (all AUCs \u3e 0.87 when tested against a public human dataset) and classified H19-associated transcriptional changes across several cell types.
To expand spatial insights, we developed a novel computational package for predicting protein-level ligand-receptor interactions between cell types in segmented spatial transcriptomic datasets, including GeoMx. Finally, we conducted an independent analysis of serum bile acid pool alterations across the spectrum of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) using targeted LC-MS/MS.
Together, these studies provide new insights into the immune, transcriptional, and spatial regulators of liver disease progression, with a focus on PSC, offer new computational tools for future spatial liver research, and identify the significance of bile acid metabolism in ALD
S18, E07: US Virgin Islands (Aired 2/20/2025)
Get PDFThe US Virgin Islands are the topic of the fifth in this series, with Aughie and Nia discussing the rich history of the islands.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/civil_discourse/1262/thumbnail.jp
Faculty Recital, Sheri Oyan, saxophone
Get PDFFaculty RecitalSheri Oyanwith quux collectiveSunday, March 23, 2025 at 4:00 p.m.Sheri Oyan: soprano saxophone, bass guitarRoland Karnatz: clarinet, didgeridoo, thereminIvy Haga: bassoon, percussionSteve Bider: alto saxophone, drumsJason Scott: tenor saxophone, percussionGregory Wrenn, baritone saxophone, percussionSonia Vlahcevic Concert HallW.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts922 Park Avenue | Richmond, Virgini