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Encapsulation Of Lactobacillus Reuteri Dsm 17938 In W/O/W Emulsion: Influence Of Oil Type On Viability And Oxidative Stability, Nora Mohamed Alantali May 2025

Encapsulation Of Lactobacillus Reuteri Dsm 17938 In W/O/W Emulsion: Influence Of Oil Type On Viability And Oxidative Stability, Nora Mohamed Alantali

Theses

Probiotics, known for their wide range of health benefits, have been gaining recognition on their effects on the gut-brain axis. This axis, operated via various pathways, can be modulated by the type and functions of probiotics found in the gut microflora. However, probiotics face several stress factors before reaching the gut which hinders them from being functional. The main objective of this thesis was to construct a stable double-emulsion-based delivery system for probiotics, which can act as a barrier against the harsh conditions of the digestive system. Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 was loaded in a water-in-oil-in-water Pickering double emulsion system, …


Educational Empowerment: Building Connections Through Interventions, Melanie V. Partida May 2025

Educational Empowerment: Building Connections Through Interventions, Melanie V. Partida

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project explores the intersection of substance use disorder (SUD) recovery and educational empowerment, focusing on the clients and peer supporters at Janus of Santa Cruz. The initiative developed an educational support model to enhance recovery through access to adult education, vocational training, and reliable study environments. Utilizing structured surveys, the project identified the educational barriers faced by peer supporters and clients, such as limited access to internet connectivity, mental health challenges, and a lack of awareness regarding local resources. In response, this project included the creation of a comprehensive educational resource directory and a Peer Mentorship Model, enabling …


Multiparametric Mri Scoring System Of The Pancreas For The Diagnosis Of Chronic Pancreatitis, Temel Tirkes, Dhiraj Yadav, Darwin L Conwell, Xuandong Zhao, Anil K Dasyam, Vivek Gowdra Halappa, Aashish Patel, Zarine K Shah, Jordan Swensson, Naoki Takahashi, Sudhakar Venkatesh, Ashley Wachsman, Liang Li, Kristofer Jennings, Yunlong Yang, Phil A Hart, Stephen J Pandol, Walter G Park, Santhi Swaroop Vege, Mark Topazian, Paul R Territo, Scott A Persohn, Dana K Andersen, Evan L Fogel, Consortium For The Study Of Chronic Pancreatitis, Diabetes, And Pancreatic Cancer (Cpdpc) May 2025

Multiparametric Mri Scoring System Of The Pancreas For The Diagnosis Of Chronic Pancreatitis, Temel Tirkes, Dhiraj Yadav, Darwin L Conwell, Xuandong Zhao, Anil K Dasyam, Vivek Gowdra Halappa, Aashish Patel, Zarine K Shah, Jordan Swensson, Naoki Takahashi, Sudhakar Venkatesh, Ashley Wachsman, Liang Li, Kristofer Jennings, Yunlong Yang, Phil A Hart, Stephen J Pandol, Walter G Park, Santhi Swaroop Vege, Mark Topazian, Paul R Territo, Scott A Persohn, Dana K Andersen, Evan L Fogel, Consortium For The Study Of Chronic Pancreatitis, Diabetes, And Pancreatic Cancer (Cpdpc)

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Ductal features alone may not offer high diagnostic sensitivity or most accurate disease severity of chronic pancreatitis (CP).

Purpose: Diagnose CP based on multiparametric MRI and MRCP features.

Study type: Prospective.

Population: Between February 2019 and May 2021, 46 control (23 males, 49.3 ± 14.1 years), 45 suspected (20 males, 48.7 ± 12.5 years), and 46 definite (20 males, 53.7 ± 14.6 years) CP patients were enrolled at seven hospitals enrolled in the MINIMAP study. CP classification was based on imaging findings and clinical presentation.

Field strength and sequences: 1.5 T. T1-weighted (T1W) spoiled gradient echo, T1 map with …


Further Delineation Of The Scaf4-Associated Neurodevelopmental Disorder, Cosima M Schmid, Anne Gregor, Anna Ruiz, Carmen Manso Bazús, Isabella Herman, Farah Ammouri, Urania Kotzaeridou, Vanda Mcniven, Lucie Dupuis, Katharina Steindl, Anaïs Begemann, Anita Rauch, Aude-Annick Suter, Bertrand Isidor, Sandra Mercier, Mathilde Nizon, Benjamin Cogné, Wallid Deb, Thomas Besnard, Tobias B Haack, Ruth J Falb, Amelie J Müller, Tobias Linden, Chad R Haldeman-Englert, Charlotte W Ockeloen, Francesca Mattioli, Alexandre Reymond, Nazia Ibrahim, Shagufta Naz, Elodie Lacaze, Jennifer A Bassetti, Julia Hoefele, Theresa Brunet, Korbinian M Riedhammer, Houda Z Elloumi, Richard Person, Fanggeng Zou, Juliette J Kahle, Kirsten Cremer, Axel Schmidt, Marie-Ange Delrue, Pedro M Almeida, Fabiana Ramos, Siddharth Srivastava, Aisling Quinlan, Stephen Robertson, Eva Manka, Alma Kuechler, Stephanie Spranger, Malgorzata J M Nowaczyk, Reem M Elshafie, Hind Alsharhan, Paul R Hillman, Leslie A Dunnington, Hilde M H Braakman, Shane Mckee, Angelica Moresco, Andrea-Diana Ignat, Ruth Newbury-Ecob, Guillaume Banneau, Olivier Patat, Jeffrey Kuerbitz, Susan Rzucidlo, Susan S Sell, Patricia Gordon, Sarah Schuhmann, André Reis, Yosra Halleb, Radka Stoeva, Boris Keren, Zainab Al Masseri, Zeynep Tümer, Sophia Hammer-Hansen, Sofus Krüger Sølyst, Connolly G Steigerwald, Nicolas J Abreu, Helene Faust, Amica Müller-Nedebock, Frédéric Tran Mau-Them, Heinrich Sticht, Christiane Zweier May 2025

Further Delineation Of The Scaf4-Associated Neurodevelopmental Disorder, Cosima M Schmid, Anne Gregor, Anna Ruiz, Carmen Manso Bazús, Isabella Herman, Farah Ammouri, Urania Kotzaeridou, Vanda Mcniven, Lucie Dupuis, Katharina Steindl, Anaïs Begemann, Anita Rauch, Aude-Annick Suter, Bertrand Isidor, Sandra Mercier, Mathilde Nizon, Benjamin Cogné, Wallid Deb, Thomas Besnard, Tobias B Haack, Ruth J Falb, Amelie J Müller, Tobias Linden, Chad R Haldeman-Englert, Charlotte W Ockeloen, Francesca Mattioli, Alexandre Reymond, Nazia Ibrahim, Shagufta Naz, Elodie Lacaze, Jennifer A Bassetti, Julia Hoefele, Theresa Brunet, Korbinian M Riedhammer, Houda Z Elloumi, Richard Person, Fanggeng Zou, Juliette J Kahle, Kirsten Cremer, Axel Schmidt, Marie-Ange Delrue, Pedro M Almeida, Fabiana Ramos, Siddharth Srivastava, Aisling Quinlan, Stephen Robertson, Eva Manka, Alma Kuechler, Stephanie Spranger, Malgorzata J M Nowaczyk, Reem M Elshafie, Hind Alsharhan, Paul R Hillman, Leslie A Dunnington, Hilde M H Braakman, Shane Mckee, Angelica Moresco, Andrea-Diana Ignat, Ruth Newbury-Ecob, Guillaume Banneau, Olivier Patat, Jeffrey Kuerbitz, Susan Rzucidlo, Susan S Sell, Patricia Gordon, Sarah Schuhmann, André Reis, Yosra Halleb, Radka Stoeva, Boris Keren, Zainab Al Masseri, Zeynep Tümer, Sophia Hammer-Hansen, Sofus Krüger Sølyst, Connolly G Steigerwald, Nicolas J Abreu, Helene Faust, Amica Müller-Nedebock, Frédéric Tran Mau-Them, Heinrich Sticht, Christiane Zweier

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

While mostly de novo truncating variants in SCAF4 were recently identified in 18 individuals with variable neurodevelopmental phenotypes, knowledge on the molecular and clinical spectrum is still limited. We assembled data on 50 novel individuals with SCAF4 variants ascertained via GeneMatcher and personal communication. With detailed evaluation of clinical data, in silico predictions and structural modeling, we further characterized the molecular and clinical spectrum of the autosomal dominant SCAF4-associated neurodevelopmental disorder. The molecular spectrum comprises 25 truncating, eight splice-site and five missense variants. While all other truncating variants were classified as pathogenic/likely pathogenic, significance of one C-terminal truncating variant, one …


Patterns Of Fire History And Vegetation Changes In The Last 5000 Years: A Paleoecological Study Of Iquitos, Annabel Zwarts May 2025

Patterns Of Fire History And Vegetation Changes In The Last 5000 Years: A Paleoecological Study Of Iquitos, Annabel Zwarts

Theses and Dissertations

The vegetation of the Amazonian rainforest is hypothesized to have been shaped by pre-Columbian activities, such as burning and palm management to various extents. Management of palms is hypothesized to have caused some of the most useful species to become hyperdominant in Amazonia. This study investigated the extent to which human activities over the past 5000 years affected palm abundances in mature lowland rainforests near Iquitos, Peru. I used phytoliths and charcoal from soil cores to determine the history of local floras, and modern palm surveys to compare modern phytolith occurrence with modern vegetation. Because pre-Columbian activity clustered along the …


Emotional Outbursts In Latinx Autistic Youth With Intact Or Non-Intact Families; Frequency, Severity, And Socio-Demographic Correlates, Sandra Lucia Masso Hernandez May 2025

Emotional Outbursts In Latinx Autistic Youth With Intact Or Non-Intact Families; Frequency, Severity, And Socio-Demographic Correlates, Sandra Lucia Masso Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, communication, and restricted repetitive behaviors. One of the core difficulties in individuals with ASD is related to emotional outbursts. Emotional outbursts (EO) are behavioral episodes in response to situations, environmental and physiological stimuli that occur in an extreme, unpleasant, sometimes aggressive way, often disproportionate to the context. Considering the impacts that EO’s can cause in populations with neurodevelopmental disorders and on the well-being and mental health of parents/caregivers, the need arises to evaluate these populations. Due to the core characteristics of ASD (such as a rigid mentality, …


Neural Patterns Reflect Semantic Representation In Novice Sign Language Learners, Megan E. Hillis May 2025

Neural Patterns Reflect Semantic Representation In Novice Sign Language Learners, Megan E. Hillis

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

How do novice language learners represent semantic information in their new language? The extent to which languages are supported by distinct or overlapping neural representations in bilinguals has been the topic of much research, but less is known about how new knowledge is integrated into established representational networks, especially at the earliest stages of language acquisition. Furthermore, most investigations have compared languages which share a modality (spoken). Signed languages can provide insight into language unconfounded by perceptual qualities that spoken languages share. Chapter 1 presents an initial study in which hearing English-speaking non-signers learned a set of nouns in American …


Consultation Summary For Proposed Declared Pest Rates 2025/2026, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia May 2025

Consultation Summary For Proposed Declared Pest Rates 2025/2026, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

Under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (BAM Act) the State raises a Declared Pest Rate (DPR) from land or leaseholders (hereafter landholders) in prescribed areas (DPR Areas) and matches the funds raised from the rate dollar-for-dollar.

The combined funds are made available to Recognised Biosecurity Groups (RBGs) who provide support to landholders to fulfil their obligations under the BAM Act to manage widespread and established declared pests on their land. A community-led and coordinated approach is considered the most effective way to support landholders to manage these types of pests.

Each year, the Minister for Agriculture and Food …


Sheep And Goat Industry Funding Scheme 2023-24 Annual Report, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia May 2025

Sheep And Goat Industry Funding Scheme 2023-24 Annual Report, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

I am pleased to present the 2023-24 annual report for the Sheep and Goat Industry Funding Scheme (Sheep and Goat IFS) to our participants, key stakeholders in the Western Australian (WA) sheep and goat industry, and the Minister for Agriculture and Food.

The WA sheep and goat industry has faced a challenging year. After a period of relative stability between 2010 and 2019, the WA flock has continued to decline since 2020, reaching its lowest point since 1952. This downward trend is expected to continue due to local factors such as increased turn-off and seasonal conditions, further compounded by political …


Volatile Organic Compounds And Their Relation To Sympathetic Activation And Autonomic Balance In Humans., Cameron Kyle Stopforth May 2025

Volatile Organic Compounds And Their Relation To Sympathetic Activation And Autonomic Balance In Humans., Cameron Kyle Stopforth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a multifaceted pathology that affects almost half of Americans ≥20 years old. One modifiable risk factor associated with CVD is air pollution exposure. The intricacy of air pollution exposure and CVD can make it difficult to elucidate on the multitude of mechanisms underpinning these associations. In this dissertation, we selected a relevant exposure (i.e., volatile organic compounds (VOC)) and an intermediate outcome (i.e., autonomic balance) that may represent one of these pertinent mechanisms. We tested the central hypothesis that higher VOC exposures would lead to increased sympathetic activation and autonomic imbalance. Aim 1 (Chapter III …


The Effects Of Geographic Isolation And Anthropogenic Activity On The Social Behavior Of Caribbean Green Monkeys., Rose Amrhein May 2025

The Effects Of Geographic Isolation And Anthropogenic Activity On The Social Behavior Of Caribbean Green Monkeys., Rose Amrhein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Green monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeaus) arrived to the Caribbean with the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Since then, they have experienced unique environments to those of their native ranges in West Africa. Additionally, recent taxonomic changes within the genus make previous knowledge about the species hard to determine to be accurate. In this dissertation, I both assess some of the effects the island environment may have had on monkey behavior as well as build on the understanding of their vocal communication across three islands: Barbados, St. Kitts, and St. Martin. In chapter one, I investigate how human activity in Barbados affects …


Seasonal And Temporal Influences On Successful Crossing Rates By Ungulates Of A North Utah Wildlife Overpass, Blake Ledbetter May 2025

Seasonal And Temporal Influences On Successful Crossing Rates By Ungulates Of A North Utah Wildlife Overpass, Blake Ledbetter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Encroachment of human infrastructure fragments wild landscapes and introduces a suite of negative impacts for humans and wildlife. In Utah, roadways threaten migratory ungulates by creating a barrier to movements and preventing access to seasonal migration routes. To mitigate these conflicts, state transportation agencies often install wildlife crossing structures to allow animals to safely cross over or under roadways. Selecting the proper crossing structure requires consideration of the species of interest, landscape, location, and structural dimensions. Often there is balance between the optimal location, the dimensions of the crossing structures, and what is feasible given the landscape. In 2018, the …


The Effect Of Dietary Protein Source On Gut Health, Spencer Lawson Schow May 2025

The Effect Of Dietary Protein Source On Gut Health, Spencer Lawson Schow

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

We investigated the impact of protein source in a western-style diet on colon cancer, colitis, and the gut microbiome. The Western dietary pattern is energy-dense, low in fiber, and has a sub-optimal micronutrient profile. Our group has formulated the Total Western Diet (TWD) that emulates the Western dietary pattern using survey data (NHANES), and we have demonstrated that this diet increases gut inflammation and colorectal cancer relative to a healthy control diet (AIN-93G), which is optimized for mouse health. However, the effect of protein source in the TWD and its effects on gut health have yet to be investigated.

Recent …


Minimizing Secondary Spinal Cord Injuries With Hypertonic Saline., Francisco A. Cortez-Thomas May 2025

Minimizing Secondary Spinal Cord Injuries With Hypertonic Saline., Francisco A. Cortez-Thomas

Master of Engineering Theses

Spinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts white matter, causing periaxonal swelling, axonal degeneration, and impaired function. To examine vascular edema’s role, we developed a 3Dprinted dual-compartment imaging chamber to mimic and manipulate interstitial and vascular fluid dynamics in real time. We hypothesized that hypertonic saline (HTS) in the "vascular" chamber would osmotically shift fluid from the periaxonal space and preserve myelinated fibers after SCI. Using two-photon excitation microscopy, we imaged myelin and axons ex vivo in Thy1YFP+ transgenic mice following C5 contusive SCI and assessed three clinically relevant HTS concentrations versus normal saline for their effectiveness in mitigating periaxonal swelling …


Tracking Fall Migration With The Motus Wildlife Tracking System: The Fate Of Window-Struck And Captive-Raised Passerines, Cailin O'Connor May 2025

Tracking Fall Migration With The Motus Wildlife Tracking System: The Fate Of Window-Struck And Captive-Raised Passerines, Cailin O'Connor

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Many species of North American passerines migrate along the Atlantic flyway in the fall to reach winter habitats in the southeastern United States, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Birds face many perils along their journeys including window strikes, which kill over one billion birds per year in the United States alone. Some birds survive the impact and may continue their migration. These birds may suffer delayed mortality or show aberrant migration due to injuries. This research seeks to understand if window-struck birds that initially survive bird-building collisions survive into the future and, if so, if they migrate effectively. …


Utility Of John Deere's See & Spray Ultimate In Southern U.S. Row Crops, Tristen Avent May 2025

Utility Of John Deere's See & Spray Ultimate In Southern U.S. Row Crops, Tristen Avent

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Row crop producers across the southern United States are observing a boom in technological advancement to improve operational efficiency. Additionally, environmental concerns and reduced profit margins drive the adoption of targeted pesticide application technologies like the John Deere See & Spray. This technology is relatively new, introduced in 2022, and producers need more insight into the shortcomings, potential herbicide savings, and the economic benefits of adoption. Since 2021, research has been conducted in Keiser, AR, with additional collaborative projects in Mississippi, North Carolina, Indiana, and Illinois. Five different objectives were addressed in this research: 1) to determine the impact of …


Identification Of Antigens For Food Allergy And Food Allergen Detection, Ellenor Sell May 2025

Identification Of Antigens For Food Allergy And Food Allergen Detection, Ellenor Sell

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Antibody-based allergen testing is an essential part of allergen management in the food industry. These methods directly detect one or more molecules of the allergenic foodstuff (target’ molecule(s)) and the presence of the allergenic foodstuff is inferred. The identity of these target molecules is crucial to the performance of the method and the interpretation of results. The goal of this study was to develop protein/antibody capture methodology for the identification of antibody binding partners using mass spectrometry.

This study is broken down into three separate projects: the characterization of the antigen-antibody complexes present in sandwich ELISAs, LFDs, and human sera. …


Functional Analysis Of Chromatin Remodeler Csb In Parp1/2- Mediated Oxidative Dna Lesion Repair, Rabeya Bilkis May 2025

Functional Analysis Of Chromatin Remodeler Csb In Parp1/2- Mediated Oxidative Dna Lesion Repair, Rabeya Bilkis

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

The ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler Cockayne syndrome protein B (CSB) is essential for maintaining genome integrity. Mutations in CSB are the primary cause of Cockayne syndrome (CS), a premature aging disorder with severe sun sensitivity and neurodevelopmental symptoms. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the disease etiology remain poorly understood. Given the critical roles of oxidative stress in aging and neurodegenerative disorders, this research sought to determine the mechanisms of CSB’s functions in oxidative DNA damage repair.

In the first aim, we investigated how CSB participates in PARP1/2-mediated oxidative DNA repair. We showed that PARP1 and PARP2 recruit CSB to oxidized chromatin …


Variations In Sensory And Emotional Responses To Gluten-Containing And Gluten-Free Cookie Products Under Blind And Labeled Conditions, Eniola Ola, Han-Seok Seo May 2025

Variations In Sensory And Emotional Responses To Gluten-Containing And Gluten-Free Cookie Products Under Blind And Labeled Conditions, Eniola Ola, Han-Seok Seo

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The gluten-free food market is expanding rapidly. However, consumer acceptance and emotional responses to gluten-free food, especially commercially available products, have received relatively underexplored. This study aimed to determine how consumer perceptions, acceptance, and emotional responses differ between gluten-containing (C) and gluten-free (F) chocolate chip cookies from three brands under both blind and labeled conditions. In the labeled condition, 84 participants without celiac disease evaluated 3 F cookies labeled "gluten-free" and 3 C cookies presented without claims on a plain white card. In the blind condition, they tested the six cookies without labels. Participants provided hedonic ratings, Just-About-Right (JAR) ratings, …


Igtp: Learning Interpretable Cellular Embedding For Inferring Biological Mechanisms Underlying Single-Cell Transcriptomics, Kang-Lin Hsieh, Kai Zhang, Yan Chu, Lishan Yu, Xiaoyang Li, Nuo Hu, Isha Kawosa, Patrick G Pilié, Pratip K Bhattacharya, Degui Zhi, Xiaoqian Jiang, Zhongming Zhao, Yulin Dai May 2025

Igtp: Learning Interpretable Cellular Embedding For Inferring Biological Mechanisms Underlying Single-Cell Transcriptomics, Kang-Lin Hsieh, Kai Zhang, Yan Chu, Lishan Yu, Xiaoyang Li, Nuo Hu, Isha Kawosa, Patrick G Pilié, Pratip K Bhattacharya, Degui Zhi, Xiaoqian Jiang, Zhongming Zhao, Yulin Dai

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Deep-learning models like Variational AutoEncoder have enabled low dimensional cellular embedding representation for large-scale single-cell transcriptomes and shown great flexibility in downstream tasks. However, biologically meaningful latent space is usually missing if no specific structure is designed. Here, we engineered a novel interpretable generative transcriptional program (iGTP) framework that could model the importance of transcriptional program (TP) space and protein-protein interactions (PPI) between different biological states. We demonstrated the performance of iGTP in a diverse biological context using gene ontology, canonical pathway, and different PPI curation. iGTP not only elucidated the ground truth of cellular responses but also surpassed other …


Pastoral Land Condition: Kimberley Land Condition Standards, Robert Sudmeyer, Rick Fletcher, Kathryn Ryan, Matthew Fletcher, Charles Martin, Philip Thomas, Karen Holmes, Karyn Reeves, Wayne Fletcher May 2025

Pastoral Land Condition: Kimberley Land Condition Standards, Robert Sudmeyer, Rick Fletcher, Kathryn Ryan, Matthew Fletcher, Charles Martin, Philip Thomas, Karen Holmes, Karyn Reeves, Wayne Fletcher

Natural resources published reports

This report outlines the conceptual basis and quantitative land condition standards that define acceptable pastoral land condition for the Kimberley, Western Australia (WA), to meet the regulatory requirements of the Land Administration Act 1997 and the Soil and Land Conservation Act 1945.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) develops regional-level pastoral land condition standards for WA to implement the Framework for sustainable pastoral management – Revised edition, which is designed to address the Office of the Auditor General’s recommendations to improve the management of pastoral lands in WA. The application of these standards is expected to …


Safety, Efficacy, And Adjacent-Level Fracture Risk Following Vertebral Augmentation And Radiofrequency Ablation For The Treatment Of Spine Metastases In Patients With Cancer, Jeremiah Stringam, Koustav Pal, Andrew Niekamp, Rahim Jiwani, Iwan Paolucci, Joshua D Kuban, Zeyad Metwalli, Steven Huang, Peiman Habibollahi, Stephen Chen, Steven Yevich, Milan Patel, Sumit K Subudhi, Matthew Campbell, Amol Ghia, Claudio Tatsui, Rahul A Sheth May 2025

Safety, Efficacy, And Adjacent-Level Fracture Risk Following Vertebral Augmentation And Radiofrequency Ablation For The Treatment Of Spine Metastases In Patients With Cancer, Jeremiah Stringam, Koustav Pal, Andrew Niekamp, Rahim Jiwani, Iwan Paolucci, Joshua D Kuban, Zeyad Metwalli, Steven Huang, Peiman Habibollahi, Stephen Chen, Steven Yevich, Milan Patel, Sumit K Subudhi, Matthew Campbell, Amol Ghia, Claudio Tatsui, Rahul A Sheth

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of vertebral augmentation (VA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for treating pathologic spinal fractures in patients with cancer and adjacent fracture risk following treatment.

Materials and Methods: This single-institution retrospective study, conducted from January 2017 to September 2020, included patients with cancer who underwent percutaneous VA with or without spine RFA for pathologic spine compression fractures. The primary outcome was pain reduction, assessed using the 10-point visual analog scale before the procedure, at first follow-up, and 2–4 weeks after the procedure. Logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with epidural cement leak.

Results: …


The Multilayered Transcriptional Architecture Of Glioblastoma Ecosystems, Masashi Nomura, Avishay Spitzer, Kevin C Johnson, Luciano Garofano, Djamel Nehar-Belaid, Noam Galili Darnell, Alissa C Greenwald, Lillian Bussema, Young Taek Oh, Frederick S Varn, Fulvio D'Angelo, Simon Gritsch, Kevin J Anderson, Simona Migliozzi, L Nicolas Gonzalez Castro, Tamrin Chowdhfury, Nicolas Robine, Catherine Reeves, Jong Bae Park, Anuja Lipsa, Frank Hertel, Anna Golebiewska, Simone P Niclou, Labeeba Nusrat, Sorcha Kellet, Sunit Das, Hyo Eun Moon, Sun Ha Paek, Franck Bielle, Alice Laurenge, Anna Luisa Di Stefano, Bertrand Mathon, Alberto Picca, Marc Sanson, Shota Tanaka, Nobuhito Saito, David M Ashley, Stephen T Keir, Keith L Ligon, Jason T Huse, W K Alfred Yung, Anna Lasorella, Roel G W Verhaak, Antonio Iavarone, Mario L Suvà, Itay Tirosh May 2025

The Multilayered Transcriptional Architecture Of Glioblastoma Ecosystems, Masashi Nomura, Avishay Spitzer, Kevin C Johnson, Luciano Garofano, Djamel Nehar-Belaid, Noam Galili Darnell, Alissa C Greenwald, Lillian Bussema, Young Taek Oh, Frederick S Varn, Fulvio D'Angelo, Simon Gritsch, Kevin J Anderson, Simona Migliozzi, L Nicolas Gonzalez Castro, Tamrin Chowdhfury, Nicolas Robine, Catherine Reeves, Jong Bae Park, Anuja Lipsa, Frank Hertel, Anna Golebiewska, Simone P Niclou, Labeeba Nusrat, Sorcha Kellet, Sunit Das, Hyo Eun Moon, Sun Ha Paek, Franck Bielle, Alice Laurenge, Anna Luisa Di Stefano, Bertrand Mathon, Alberto Picca, Marc Sanson, Shota Tanaka, Nobuhito Saito, David M Ashley, Stephen T Keir, Keith L Ligon, Jason T Huse, W K Alfred Yung, Anna Lasorella, Roel G W Verhaak, Antonio Iavarone, Mario L Suvà, Itay Tirosh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In isocitrate dehydrogenase wildtype glioblastoma (GBM), cellular heterogeneity across and within tumors may drive therapeutic resistance. Here we analyzed 121 primary and recurrent GBM samples from 59 patients using single-nucleus RNA sequencing and bulk tumor DNA sequencing to characterize GBM transcriptional heterogeneity. First, GBMs can be classified by their broad cellular composition, encompassing malignant and nonmalignant cell types. Second, in each cell type we describe the diversity of cellular states and their pathway activation, particularly an expanded set of malignant cell states, including glial progenitor cell-like, neuronal-like and cilia-like. Third, the remaining variation between GBMs highlights three baseline gene expression …


Deciphering The Longitudinal Trajectories Of Glioblastoma Ecosystems By Integrative Single-Cell Genomics, Avishay Spitzer, Kevin C Johnson, Masashi Nomura, Luciano Garofano, Djamel Nehar-Belaid, Noam Galili Darnell, Alissa C Greenwald, Lillian Bussema, Young Taek Oh, Frederick S Varn, Fulvio D'Angelo, Simon Gritsch, Kevin J Anderson, Simona Migliozzi, L Nicolas Gonzalez Castro, Tamrin Chowdhury, Nicolas Robine, Catherine Reeves, Jong Bae Park, Anuja Lipsa, Frank Hertel, Anna Golebiewska, Simone P Niclou, Labeeba Nusrat, Sorcha Kellet, Sunit Das, Hyo-Eun Moon, Sun Ha Paek, Franck Bielle, Alice Laurenge, Anna Luisa Di Stefano, Bertrand Mathon, Alberto Picca, Marc Sanson, Shota Tanaka, Nobuhito Saito, David M Ashley, Stephen T Keir, Keith L Ligon, Jason T Huse, W K Alfred Yung, Anna Lasorella, Antonio Iavarone, Roel G W Verhaak, Itay Tirosh, Mario L Suvà May 2025

Deciphering The Longitudinal Trajectories Of Glioblastoma Ecosystems By Integrative Single-Cell Genomics, Avishay Spitzer, Kevin C Johnson, Masashi Nomura, Luciano Garofano, Djamel Nehar-Belaid, Noam Galili Darnell, Alissa C Greenwald, Lillian Bussema, Young Taek Oh, Frederick S Varn, Fulvio D'Angelo, Simon Gritsch, Kevin J Anderson, Simona Migliozzi, L Nicolas Gonzalez Castro, Tamrin Chowdhury, Nicolas Robine, Catherine Reeves, Jong Bae Park, Anuja Lipsa, Frank Hertel, Anna Golebiewska, Simone P Niclou, Labeeba Nusrat, Sorcha Kellet, Sunit Das, Hyo-Eun Moon, Sun Ha Paek, Franck Bielle, Alice Laurenge, Anna Luisa Di Stefano, Bertrand Mathon, Alberto Picca, Marc Sanson, Shota Tanaka, Nobuhito Saito, David M Ashley, Stephen T Keir, Keith L Ligon, Jason T Huse, W K Alfred Yung, Anna Lasorella, Antonio Iavarone, Roel G W Verhaak, Itay Tirosh, Mario L Suvà

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The evolution of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-wildtype glioblastoma (GBM) after standard-of-care therapy remains poorly understood. Here we analyzed matched primary and recurrent GBMs from 59 patients using single-nucleus RNA sequencing and bulk DNA sequencing, assessing the longitudinal evolution of the GBM ecosystem across layers of cellular and molecular heterogeneity. The most consistent change was a lower malignant cell fraction at recurrence and a reciprocal increase in glial and neuronal cell types in the tumor microenvironment (TME). The predominant malignant cell state differed between most matched pairs, but no states were exclusive or highly enriched in either time point, nor was there …


Glutamate Gating Of Ampa-Subtype Iglurs At Physiological Temperatures, Anish Kumar Mondal, Elisa Carrillo, Vasanthi Jayaraman, Edward C Twomey May 2025

Glutamate Gating Of Ampa-Subtype Iglurs At Physiological Temperatures, Anish Kumar Mondal, Elisa Carrillo, Vasanthi Jayaraman, Edward C Twomey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) are tetrameric ligand-gated ion channels that mediate most excitatory neurotransmission1. iGluRs are gated by glutamate, where on glutamate binding, they open their ion channels to enable cation influx into postsynaptic neurons, initiating signal transduction1,2. The structural mechanics of how glutamate gating occurs in full-length iGluRs is not well understood. Here, using the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid subtype iGluR (AMPAR), we identify the glutamate-gating mechanism. AMPAR activation by glutamate is augmented at physiological temperatures. By preparing AMPARs for cryogenic-electron microscopy at these temperatures, we captured the glutamate-gating mechanism. Activation by glutamate initiates ion channel opening that involves all ion …


Knowledge And Perceptions About Feeding And Growth In Infants And Young Children Among Early Interventionists, Kayla Chambers May 2025

Knowledge And Perceptions About Feeding And Growth In Infants And Young Children Among Early Interventionists, Kayla Chambers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nutrition plays a vital role in early childhood, where rapid growth and development occur. This study investigates Early Interventionists’ (EIs) nutrition knowledge and perceptions of nutrition-related concerns in children receiving services through the Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS). An electronic survey was distributed to EIs in Tennessee to assess their nutrition knowledge and perceptions and to identify nutrition concerns. Findings revealed that most EIs have never received any nutrition education, despite being asked for nutrition guidance by families and being open to nutrition-related training. The EIs reported seeing nutrition concerns such as growth delays, food refusal, and picky eating, but …


The Reliability And Validity Of Accelerometry And Gnss, Christine Coniglio May 2025

The Reliability And Validity Of Accelerometry And Gnss, Christine Coniglio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation seeks to evaluate the reliability, validity, and utility of accelerometers and GNSS in sport-like scenarios, assess accelerometry-derived metrics and GNSS for distance prediction, and explore how accelerometer placement, specifically chest and back, affect the detection of various locomotor events. In Study I, the purpose was to investigate the accelerometer reliability and predictive capabilities of accelerometers and GNSS to predict a known distance. Thirty physically active female participants (mean height = 163.6 ± 6.8 cm, mean weight = 57.8 ± 8.7 kg) completed jogging trials over two courses (5m and 20m). Each participant wore two tri-axial accelerometers (100Hz) and …


Unraveling The Unknown: Characterization Of A Novel Antimicrobial Compound Found In Klebsiella Pneumoniae, Jasmal Cruz Perez May 2025

Unraveling The Unknown: Characterization Of A Novel Antimicrobial Compound Found In Klebsiella Pneumoniae, Jasmal Cruz Perez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Klebsiella pneumoniae, a pathogenic bacterium resistant to numerous antimicrobials, is a worldwide health issue due to its ability to cause healthcare-associated diseases such as pneumonia and urinary tract infections. This study investigated an antimicrobial compound secreted by K. pneumoniae. The compound was found to possess inhibitory activity against Enterobacteriaceae members, including other Klebsiella pneumoniae strains, Citrobacter freundii, and Enterobacter cloacae. The inhibitory activity is mediated via a secreted protein that is active across a wide range of pH and temperature conditions. Higher concentrations of the compound enhanced antimicrobial activity. The antimicrobial protein suppressed biofilm formation during both …


Investigating The Effect Of Fasting On Senescent Cells In Nothobranchius Furzeri Fish, Israel A. Akinola May 2025

Investigating The Effect Of Fasting On Senescent Cells In Nothobranchius Furzeri Fish, Israel A. Akinola

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Senescent cells (SCs) have been documented to accumulate with age in the organism. Recent studies have shown that reducing the number of SCs in an organism result in tissue rejuvenation and extension of life expectancy. Intermittent fasting is reported to have multiple health benefits and is speculated to reduce the burden of SCs. Nothobranchius furzeri are a new model organism for studying aging and for which there are short- and long-lived strains available. We hypothesize that long- and short-lived strains of N. furzeri will accumulate SCs at different rates; and that fasting will reduce the burden of SCs.

The results …


Assessing The Implicit Prices Of Health And Wellness Product Attributes In Pet Food: A Hedonic Analysis Approach, Lonnie Hobbs Jr., Andrew Anderson May 2025

Assessing The Implicit Prices Of Health And Wellness Product Attributes In Pet Food: A Hedonic Analysis Approach, Lonnie Hobbs Jr., Andrew Anderson

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Faculty Publications and Presentations

Here we examine product attributes present in dry dog food to show there exist potential price premiums and discounts associated with health and wellness attributes in dry dog food. The findings indicate price premiums are associated with attributes related to digestion and allergy care. Pricing discounts are found to be associated with immune support and dental attributes. The results of this study are anticipated to be a starting point for more sophisticated and dynamic analysis of pricing and willingness-to-pay studies in the pet food industry.