55453 research outputs found
Sort by
Junior Recital, Anais Knight, alto saxophone, video
No full textJunior Recital videoAnais Knight, alto saxophoneJames O\u27Brien, pianoFriday, November 21, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.Recital HallJames W. Black Music Center1015 Grove Avenue | Richmond, VirginiaThe presentation of this junior recital will fulfill in part the requirements for the Bachelor of Music degree in Education. Anais Knight studies the alto saxophone with Dr. Sheri Oyan
Low-Cost Temperature Monitoring and Control for Microwave Solid Reactor
No full textA low-cost and fully controllable microwave reactor was developed using accessible and commercially available equipment for use in laboratory scale solid state chemistry. The design used a magnetron as the source of electromagnetic radiation to heat the sample. A domestic microwave cavity was repurposed as the resonance chamber to ensure safe confinement of electromagnetic radiation while providing a sufficiently large volume for solid samples and reaction vessels. The power delivery to the magnetron was modulated by an inverter circuit with sufficiently high response time to be controlled with a PWM signal from a microcontroller. An IR sensor was implemented to both monitor and provide a signal for a feedback control loop. Paired with the rapid power modulation of the inverter circuit, heating rate and temperature can be controlled allowing for reliable chemical processing in a wide range of temperatures. To allow for facile control and monitoring of chemical processes in real time, a user interface was implemented to change important process parameters, monitor temperature and power use, and store data from runs for further analysis. To ensure longevity of the reactor, a cooling loop was implemented to cool the magnetron from overheating. The performance was demonstrated using a dehydration reaction of nickel oxalate dihydrate in anhydrous nickel oxalate. Results demonstrate reliable heating of samples for kinetic analysis. Overall, this work provides an accessible and modular platform of a microwave reactor that has applications in kinetic reaction analysis and intensification of solid-state chemical processing
Tate Speech: Radicalizing Rhetoric and Multi-Level Marketing Recruitment Strategies in the Manosphere
No full textMy study aims to uncover the discursive elements behind the gendered recruitment strategies that influencers in the manosphere use to pipeline men and boys into their multi-level marketing (MLM) companies. In the manosphere, male supremacy is presented as desirable and subversive, and MLMs take advantage of emotional and economic instability. My study examines the Twitter (X) account of the popular manosphere influencer Andrew Tate as I trace his rhetoric along a three-pronged gendered recruitment framework, a framework originally developed around women selling essential oils online and funneling their followers into radical alt-right politics. What are the similarities and differences in MLM recruitment strategies for men versus women? And how does Tate’s rhetoric and methods recruit followers, get them “hooked” on his content, and subsequently downline them into his own MLMs and the manosphere more broadly? My findings suggest that the downlining functions differently inside the manosphere, with Tate positioning himself as the ultimate source of knowledge and power. I call this gendered strategy of recruitment and radicalization “manlining.” This study addresses the rise in misogynistic behaviors among men both online and off and will hopefully begin to fill a gap in literature on masculine-coded MLMs
Catalytic and Upscaling Behaviors of Resorcinol-Formaldehyde and Natural Polymer Gels
No full textThis dissertation investigates the synthesis, characterization, and scale-up of aerogels derived from both synthetic resorcinol–formaldehyde (RF) and natural polymer (pectin) systems. The work focuses on developing cost-effective, industrially scalable fabrication routes that maintain high surface area, low thermal conductivity, and structural integrity. Phenolic RF aerogels were synthesized using catalysts including sodium silicate, diethylenetriamine (DETA), and 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) under freeze-drying and ambient pressure drying (APD) conditions. APTMS-based systems achieved surface areas above 600 m²/g with 30 to 50 percent lower shrinkage than conventional formulations. Camphene was introduced as a novel APD solvent, producing aerogels with pore architectures comparable to freeze-dried materials and thermal conductivities as low as 23 mW/m·K (R ≈ 4.1 per inch).
Biopolymer-based pectin aerogels were synthesized using sodium silicate as both catalyst and silicate source, enabling drying via tert-butanol or camphene. These gels achieved surface areas up to 80 m²/g, densities of 0.12 g/cm³, and thermal conductivities near 27 mW/m·K. BET and BJH analyses confirmed mesoporosity (10 to 40 nm), while SAXS and SEM verified structural uniformity.
Both aerogel systems were successfully upscaled to 14 cm × 14 cm × 1 cm panels through mold-assisted gelation and controlled solvent exchange. Cost modeling indicates that large-scale pectin aerogel production with greater than 99.9 percent solvent recovery can be economically competitive with commercial thermal insulators. This research bridges laboratory-scale synthesis and industrial feasibility, providing mechanistic and process insights essential for scalable, sustainable aerogel manufacturing
Assessing Trunk Compliance Index during expected and unexpected trunk perturbations in participants with and without non-specific low back pain
No full textMany studies have documented changes in motor control among individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Some research indicates that pain causes increased cocontraction of trunk muscles, leading to overall stiffening in various directions. Conversely, other studies suggest that CLBP may decrease muscle coactivation and subsequent instability. Methods for assessing trunk stiffness include biomechanical spine modeling, though this approach has limitations due to generalized anatomical features and complexity. The Trunk Compliance Index (TCI) is a biomarker measuring trunk compliance (i.e., 1/stiffness) by evaluating left shoulder displacements relative to normalized force across the frontal, sagittal, and transverse planes through direct trunk measurements. Our goal was to determine whether TCI varies across six directions during unexpected and maximally resisted multi-directional trunk perturbations in participants with CLBP and healthy (H) controls. Additionally, we hypothesized that sex would influence TCIs in unexpected trials. The study involved 40 participants, including 22 with chronic low back pain (CLBP) (average age 34.27 years; 50% female) and 18 healthy controls (average age 29.55 years; 50% female). A total of 30 sudden, multidirectional perturbations were applied to the trunk using a puller motor system, covering six directions across the sagittal, frontal, and horizontal planes. These perturbations were randomized, with each direction repeated five times. Subsequently, a second set of 30 sudden, expected (participants aware of the timing and direction, and instructed to brace their trunk maximally before each impulse. The data were assessed with six separate linear mixed models, followed by ANOVAs, with interactions examined using pairwise comparisons. The study confirmed the main effects of perturbation types (expected, unexpected) across all TCIs for both sexes and groups, except for LSB. Interestingly, no main effect of group (LBP, H) on TCIs was observed. Sex differences in TCI measurements across six directions were not significant, except for LSB in CLBP, where females showed higher stiffness than males. No significant TCI differences were found between CLBP and H groups at rest or during maximal stiffness in any direction. While previous findings of differing TCIs at rest between CLBP and H were not supported, the study reaffirmed higher stiffness in females with CLBP compared to males in the LSB direction. Overall, results suggest that CLBP does not increase trunk stiffness and provide valuable insights into spinal stiffness, which could enhance interventions for CLBP
Orientia tsutsugamushi Ankyrin Effector Proteins Inhibit NF-kB via a Conserved Lamin-Binding Domain
No full textOrientia tsutsugamushi is a neglected obligate intracellular bacterium that causes scrub typhus, a globally emerging potentially lethal vector-borne disease. O. tsutsugamushi remodels its intracellular environment using ankyrin repeat (AR)-containing effectors (Anks). Many Anks carry the same functional domains consisting of N-terminal ankyrin repeats, an intervening sequence region (ISR), and an F-box motif located within the poorly characterized Pox protein Repeats of ANkyrin C-terminal (PRANC) domain. Nuclear factor kappa-b (NF-kB), a central activator of innate and adaptive immunity, is inhibited by Orientia Ank1 and Ank6 which bear these domains. The precise mechanism is unknown but requires the ISR, PRANC, and F-box domains. Here, we show that unlike cowpox virus, which produces effectors with similar domain architecture, Orientia Ank1 and Ank6 do not block immunity by inhibiting necroptosis, nor do they inhibit NF-kB solely through blocking degradation of the NF-kB inhibitor p105. We discovered that four different O. tsutsugamushi strains inhibit NF-kB using a cohort of ten Anks that inhibit NF-kB nuclear accumulation. NF-kB inhibition requires a fully functional C-terminally placed F-box or a PRANC domain plus a novel functional region, the lamin-binding domain (LBD), which binds lamin A and its phosphorylated variant, pSer22-lamin A. Lamin A activates NF-kB by an unknown mechanism and pSer22-lamin A promotes chromatin accessibility to transcription factors. We revealed that O. tsutsugamushi globally reduces chromatin accessibility particularly at binding motifs for the NF-kB coactivator activator protein 1 (AP-1). These data yield new insights into host cell biology and reveal a novel mechanism for pathogenic NF-kB inhibition
RAMS in Research: A Guided Journey through the McNair Scholars Summer Program
Get PDFThis paper examines the significance of mentoring relationships in higher education, particularly for first-generation college students. Drawing on extensive literature, we highlight how effective mentorship enhances student success by fostering trust, belonging, and self-efficacy. The McNair Summer Research Program serves as a case study, featuring the collaboration between McNair Scholar Cindy Vigil and her mentor, Dr. RaJade M. Berry-James. This partnership focused on analyzing homicide rates in El Salvador, emphasizing key factors such as population, poverty, and government-negotiated truces. Through a comprehensive analysis of data from 1994 to 2019, Cindy refined existing research methodologies and gained valuable insights into the dynamics of crime. The mentorship experience not only bolstered her analytical skills but also facilitated meaningful discussions about social issues, reinforcing her commitment to impactful scholarship. Furthermore, our findings reveal the mentoring spillover effect, demonstrating how the benefits of effective mentorship extend beyond the individual mentee, positively influencing peers and the broader academic community. Ultimately, we underscore the transformative potential of mentor-mentee relationships, illustrating how shared experiences and mutual support can create pathways for lifelong learning and professional growth
Climate change-induced shifts in Mediterranean fungal fruiting phenology and productivity
Get PDFWe used a 29-year dataset of mushroom fruiting from the Pinar Grande forest in northern Spain to investigate the effects of climate change on the phenology, productivity, and diversity of mycorrhizal and saprotrophic mushrooms. We investigated the long-term trends in fruiting season length, yield (by count, total weight, and average weight), and genus richness. Additionally, we identified associations between monthly temperature and monthly precipitation with these fungal responses across functional groups: mycorrhizal, saprotrophic, litter-decaying saprotrophic, and wood-decaying saprotrophic mushrooms, and the economically-important edible genera Boletus and Lactarius. We found that autumnal season length in the Pinar Grande has shortened over time across functional groups, apart from wood-decaying saprotrophs. Litter-decaying saprotroph genus richness trended slightly upwards over the course of the study period. Higher precipitation July through September was generally a predictor of longer fruiting seasons and higher yields across functional groups, while high temperatures during these times were generally negatively associated with mycorrhizal season length and productivity, and positively associated with saprotroph season length and productivity. The dependence of mushroom fruiting on weather depended on their functional group: the fruiting responses of mycorrhizal fungi and litter-decaying saprotrophs were more closely tied to weather than that of wood-decaying saprotrophs. We conclude that increasing temperatures and decreasing precipitation alter mushroom fruiting in the Mediterranean region, particularly through the declining length of the fruiting season across functional groups and decreasing productivity of edible fungi, which carries potential consequences for both local forest ecosystems and myco-economies
The Impact of Media Specialists\u27 Credibility on Interaction and Trust of the Saudi Public: A Study on Saudi Users of the �� Platform
No full textThis study investigates the influence of media specialists on the �� platform regarding public knowledge and engagement in Saudi Arabia, focusing on credibility, trust, and audience interaction. A survey of 314 Saudi users revealed that perceived credibility significantly drives content consumption and engagement. Additionally, frequent interaction with and reliance on media specialists for information was associated with higher knowledge acquisition. The study underscores the importance of strategic content creation, audience engagement, and analytics while addressing challenges such as misinformation. By implementing trust-building strategies, media specialists can help foster well-informed digital communities. This research extends the concept of credibility theory to social media and offers practical insights; however, limitations include reliance on self-reported data and a focus exclusively on Saudi �� users, which may restrict broader applicability
Using A Dimension Reduction Approach to Parse Heterogeneity in Dietary Restriction
Get PDFDietary restriction, the problematic reduction of caloric or macronutrient intake, is a critical eating behavior occurring transdiagnostically across eating disorders and subclinical disordered eating. The definition of dietary restriction is highly heterogeneous, and restriction is often conflated with other distinct constructs, such as dietary restraint. The current practices related to the definition and measurement of dietary restriction have notable flaws, negatively impacting the ability to identify and establish risk, diagnosis, and treatment of eating disorders. There is also limited evidence that commonly-used dietary restriction measures can validly predict food choice and objective intake. These issues raise questions about whether dietary restriction is a unitary construct or multiple distinct constructs that may be differentially related to adverse outcomes. This thesis examined these issues by performing secondary dimension reduction data analysis from adult participants (N = 89), including individuals with acute anorexia nervosa (AN; n = 18), weight-restored anorexia nervosa (AN-WR; n = 40), and healthy controls (HCs; n = 31), to identify factors of dietary restriction and their relations to clinical variables. First, dimension reduction was performed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) on participants’ item-level responses to several measures associated with dietary restriction and restraint to capture different facets of restrictive eating. Subsequently, linear regression analyses examined the relations between resulting dimensions and short- and longer-term indices of objective restriction and affective symptoms. The EFA yielded a two-factor structure wherein one factor comprised cognitive and behavioral elements of dietary restriction (i.e., Cognitive and Behavioral Restriction factor) and the second factor comprised affective and behavioral elements of dietary restriction (i.e., Affective Restriction). Both factors predicted caloric intake, but the Cognitive and Behavioral Restriction factor predicted lower caloric intake (B = -175.63, SE = 63.89, p = .008), whereas the Affective Restriction factor predicted higher caloric intake (B = 354.65, SE = 161.90, p = .032). Only the Cognitive and Behavioral Restriction factor predicted cross-sectional BMI (p = .005). Both factors predicted cross-sectional depressive symptoms (ps = p = .005). Neither factor predicted follow-up BMI (ps = .740 to .799) affective symptoms (ps = .061 to .904). These findings provide additional evidence to support the multi-dimensional nature of restrictive eating, suggesting that the construct of restrictive eating may comprise cognitive, behavioral, and affective elements that may be associated with differential outcomes