Digital Commons Network^™

Global Health Financing Of Diagonal Interventions: Building Resilient And Sustainable Health Systems In Sub-Saharan Africa, Lucy Kim

Master in Public Policy Theses

Background: Global health financing has historically prioritized disease-specific “vertical” programs over broader “horizontal” strengthening of general health systems. Vertical programs in HIV have led to unprecedented reductions in mortality worldwide, but HIV remains a significant public health threat in sub-Saharan Africa, where vertical strategies have long been criticized for creating fragmented health systems. In response, global health strategies have shifted towards combining vertical investments with broader horizontal activities, commonly referred to as “diagonal” programming. While evidence suggests that diagonal programming has the potential to create more resilient and sustainable health systems, evaluating its value for money is challenging due to …

Assessment Of The Bioremediation Potentials Of Biosurfactant-Producing Bacterial Strains Recovered From Spent Engine Oil-Contaminated Environments In Southwest Nigeria, Nafisa Mohammed Babayola, Nasiru Bright Lecky, Chinweizu Obioma Onumaegbu, Olufunmiso Olusola Olajuyigbe, Martins Ajibade Adefisoye

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

Environmental pollution from hydrocarbons and their derivatives is predominantly of anthropogenic origin, occurring mainly during mining, transportation, and storage. This often in an annual release of substantial amounts of pollutants into the environment. The effective restoration of petroleum-contaminated environments requires a series of interventions to remediate soil to its natural state. This study aimed to isolate and characterize biosurfactant-producing bacterial strains with potential bioremediation capabilities to assess the potential application for remediating soils polluted with spent engine oil in the Remo district, Ogun State. Bacterial isolates were recovered from soil samples collected from spent engine oil contaminated sites, using standard …

In Vitro Reversal Of Abc Transporter Mediated Multidrug Resistance In Human Ovarian And Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Models, Alison K. Kellom, Pia D. Vogel

Biological Sciences Theses and Dissertations

One of the major causes of treatment failure in aggressive cancers is multidrug resistance (MDR), which is linked to the overexpression of membrane efflux proteins that export chemotherapeutics from cancer cells. This mechanism prevents chemotherapeutic drugs from reaching cytotoxic concentrations intracellularly, allowing the cancer to survive. Two primary mediators of this mechanism are P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and Breast Cancer Resistance Protein (BCRP). P-gp and BCRP are transmembrane ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters that are frequently overexpressed in MDR cancers. They utilize the binding and hydrolysis of ATP to transport a diverse range of amphipathic molecules of varying size (Schinkel and Jonker, 2003), …

From Cranes To Clinics: Genomic Epidemiology At The Human-Animal Interface, Sarah Shrum

Biology ETDs

Emerging infectious diseases represent a significant, increasing threat to human life, economic stability, and global security. The One Health framework, which promotes human health and wellness through the understanding that animal, environmental, and human health are interwoven, is critical to understanding pathogen emergence and transmission. This is underscored by the fact that roughly 60% of all human pathogens and 75% of emerging infectious disease are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted from animals to humans.

The work presented in this dissertation integrates genomic epidemiology, ecological analysis, and One Health Surveillance approaches to characterize cross-species circulation of opportunistic yeast pathogens (Candida …

What Is Mine, Yours And Ours: Bodily Metaphor And Neuropsychology, Alicia K.E Parham

Art Theses and Dissertations

Mapping the landscape of the brain has taken human lifetimes to navigate, both structurally to understand how our biological functions interact and functionally as our thoughts and emotions shape our existence. Neurological stimulus and response inform our reality, shape our thinking, and affect our bodies in profound physiological ways. Our nervous system acts as a bridge from what we experience physically to what we feel emotionally, through the sending of electrical signals to all parts of our body.

My art practice explores the interactions of neuroscience with outside stimuli. It is rooted in the personal: learning that a neurological condition …

Scb252 Fundamentals Of Biotechniques Laboratory Manual, Na Xu, Hanqi Ye

Open Educational Resources

This laboratory manual for SCB252: Fundamentals of Biotechniques provides an integrated, hands-on introduction to core concepts and methods in modern biological research using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. The manual emphasizes laboratory safety, research integrity, and responsible conduct of research, alongside foundational experimental skills. Students are guided through key biological techniques including fly husbandry, genetic crosses, mutant analysis, microscopy, DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), gel electrophoresis, sequencing technologies, and bioinformatics tools such as BLAST and genome databases. Advanced modules introduce gene structure annotation, RNA-seq data analysis, and primer design, while fluorescence microscopy and protein analysis techniques further expand …

The Extraction And Chemical Characterization Of The Avian Pigments Turacin And Turacoverdin, Sarah R. Bekkali

Honors Scholar Theses

Bird coloration is a trait that extends beyond mere aesthetics as it has an extensive range of biological significance. Plumage patterns and hues can influence camouflage, mate choice, social dominance, and physiological performance. Bird fitness, their ability to survive and reproduce, is greatly dependent on color. Melanins, carotenoids, and pterins are well-studied pigment systems that are commonly found across many avian species’. Alternatively, porphyrin-based pigments are rare and less-studied as they only found in turacos a sub-Saharan African bird belonging to the family Musophagidae. This thesis focuses on two pigments of interest: turacin, the deep crimson-red pigment found in …

Exploring The Biological Basis For Exercise Neuroprotection In Parkinson’S Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study Of Exercise And Physical Activity On Inflammatory Cytokines And Neurotrophins, Leah Isabelle P. Alegre, Jacob M. Brewer, Adeline Florschutz, Kate E. Hamiltonthompson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Regular exercise and physical therapy are known to increase production of neurotrophins, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and anti-inflammatory cytokines. These changes combine to theoretically protect and slow the progressive loss of neurons in Parkinson’s disease (PD). The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of exercise and physical activity on various anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory cytokines and neurotrophins in people with PD (PwP). This was a cross-sectional design involving PwP (n=37), aged 43-85 years, who participated in two 30-minute bouts of exercise (with brief rest breaks during and pre/post blood draws) separated by a week. Measures collected prior …

Junctional Actin As A Mechanical Hub For Supracellular Actomyosin Force Transmission During Apical Constriction, Jasneet Brar

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Apical constriction is a conserved morphogenetic mechanism that drives epithelial folding during development. During ventral furrow formation in Drosophila melanogaster, contractile actomyosin networks generate forces that reduce apical cell area resulting in tissue invagination. For these cell-scale forces to produce coordinated tissue-scale changes, contractile networks must be mechanically integrated across neighboring cells. Although adherens junctions are known to mediate this coupling, it is unclear how junctions are integrated into cortical actin cytoskeleton, which directly determines cell, and consequently tissue, shape. This thesis tests the hypothesis that supracellular actomyosin organization during apical constriction depends on distinct adherens junction based mechanical couplings: …

Methylation-Dependent Regulatory Pathway That Governs The Stability Of The Sox Family Proteins And Related Developmental Regulators, Keshari Gayathri Rajawasam

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The SRY (Sex-determining Region Y) protein is a transcription factor encoded on the Y chromosome and is the key regulator responsible for initiating male sex determination in mammals. During early embryonic development, SRY activates the genetic program that leads to testis formation by promoting the expression of downstream genes involved in male gonadal differentiation. Mutations or dysregulation of SRY can lead to disorders of sex development such as male-to-female sex conversion and hermaphroditism, highlighting its critical role in sex determination.

SRY belongs to the SOX (SRY-related HMG-box) family of transcription factors, which includes the proteins SOX1, SOX2 and SOX3. These …

Examining Demographic And Contextual Differences In Stress-Related Sport Interference Among U.S. Collegiate Sport Participants, Heather Tran

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Collegiate athletes experience a range of stressors that may interfere with sport performance; however less is known about how stress-related sport interference varies across demographic groups and contexts. Guided by the transactional model of stress and coping, this study examined differences in stress-related sport interference by gender, race/ethnicity, and year in school, as well as across situational contexts (training, competition, and life outside of sport). Data were drawn from a secondary dataset of 288 collegiate sport participants who completed the Sport Interference Checklist (SIC). Independent samples t-test and analyses of variance (ANOVA) were used to examined demographic differences, and a …

Accuracy Of Parameter Estimation For A Simple Gene Regulatory Network Model Is Sensitive To Network Motif, Number Of Parameters Estimated, And Magnitude And Direction Of Regulatory Relationships, Nikki C. Chun, Kam Dahlquist

Honors Thesis

A gene regulatory network (GRN) is a set of transcription factors that regulate the expression of genes encoding other transcription factors. The dynamics of a GRN explain how gene expression changes over time. GRNmap is a MATLAB software package that uses ordinary differential equations to model dynamics of small-scale GRNs. We used the program to estimate production rates, expression thresholds, and regulatory weights for each transcription factor in three related literature-derived GRNs based on yeast cold shock microarray data previously collected in the Dahlquist Lab. We noticed large differences in estimated weight values when 1-2% of the expression values were …

Skin Of Frog And Scale Of Dragon: Nutritional Cues, Life Cycle Kinetics, And Secretome Dynamics In Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis, Naomi C. Okada

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nearly 50% of amphibian species are at risk of extinction, making them the most threatened group of vertebrates on the planet. A major driver of these declines is the pathogenic chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which causes the fatal skin disease chytridiomycosis. Since its discovery in the late 1990s, Bd has been directly implicated in the extinction of 90 species of amphibians and the declines of hundreds more. Despite this devastating ecological impact, relatively little is known about its basic cellular biology.

Bd has a multi-stage asexual life cycle consisting of a motile and infectious zoospore, which encysts (into a …

Potential Innate And Adaptive Roles Played By Γδ T Cells In A Bacterial Immunization Model, Lee Anne Talbot

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Francisella tularensis is a highly infectious intracellular bacterium and the causative agent of tularemia, with pulmonary infection resulting in severe disease and high mortality if untreated. While protective immunity to F. tularensis has been largely attributed to CD4⁺ T cell–mediated IFN-γ responses, the contribution of γδ T cells to mucosal immunity and vaccine-induced protection remains poorly defined. The objective of this study was to characterize the role of γδ T cells during primary pulmonary infection with F. tularensis live vaccine strain (LVS) and following intranasal immunization with inactivated F. tularensis (iFt) prior to LVS challenge.

Using a murine intranasal infection …

Community Development Professionals’ Perceptions Of Agritourism In Mississippi, Emma Jane Berry

Theses and Dissertations

Agritourism has emerged as a strategy for supporting rural economies, strengthening community identity, and increasing agricultural literacy. Although prior research has examined agritourism operators and visitors, limited attention has been given to the perceptions of community development professionals who influence local planning and program support. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory study was to examine community development professionals’ perceptions of agritourism’s role in community development, economic growth, and agricultural literacy in Mississippi. Guided by Social Exchange Theory, data were collected through two semi-structured virtual focus groups with 12 professionals representing Extension, tourism, economic development, and Main Street organizations. Data were …

Evaluating The Spray Patterns Of Boomless Spray Nozzles At Increasing Application Speeds, Thomas Hayden Duncan

Theses and Dissertations

Boomless nozzles have been largely ignored in spray studies, resulting in limited understanding of their spray patterns and how they are affected by operating parameters. A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of application speed on the performance of four boomless nozzles. Dyed water was applied to Kromekote® paper to assess spray distribution based on coverage data at three speeds, and MSMA was applied to a mixed turf stand to evaluate the effect of speed on performance. Overlap simulations were done to evaluate how uniformity could be improved, and nozzle performance was compared to manufacturer claims. Spray patterns of …

Characterizing The Microbial Structure And Function In Black Soldier Fly Digested Dairy Manure And Subsequent Larvae, Branden N. Pierce

Theses and Dissertations

This work examined the microbial structure and gene expression found in Black Soldier Fly larval guts and their frass when reared on dairy cattle manure that had been amended with either R. rhodococcus 21198, P. polymyxa 8158, or both and compare the results to larvae reared on untreated manure. First an overview of literature surrounding projected global food supplies and the possible use of insects to either increase them or mitigate the environmental effect of producing said supply. A cellulose degradation assay was performed to assist in determining which bacterial species to use as amendments. Characterization of the microbial communities …

Harnessing Mechanobiology Of Resident Stem Cells To Refine Cell Based Therapeutics, Dakota R. Kamm

WUSM Theses and Dissertations – All Programs

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are resident cells residing with many adult tissues such as adipose tissue and bone marrow that have the potency for multiple lineage differentiation as well as the capacity to secrete a litany of beneficial factors to maintain homeostasis and promote tissue repair. Since 1995, MSCs have been used therapeutically to treat a variety of conditions from osteoarthritis to heart disease to muscle pathologies. Great leaps have been made in improving MSC-based therapies through optimization of culture methods and select enrichment of cellular subpopulations. More recently, the physical microenvironment of tissue in vivo and culture conditions in …

Thrombin-Induced Myofibroblast Differentiation Is Regulated By Myocardin And Novel Effector Genes In Ipf Fibroblasts, Christiana Okeke

Biotechnology Theses

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease characterized by fibroblast activation, excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, and irreversible respiratory decline. In this study, we investigated the role of myocardin and its downstream effectors, RGS5, DLGAP5, and TAGLN, in thrombin-induced myofibroblast differentiation and ECM remodeling using primary human IPF fibroblasts. Myocardin knockdown significantly attenuated thrombin-induced expression of profibrotic genes, including FN1, COL1A1, PAI-1, ACTA2, and CNN1, as well as the novel effectors RGS5, DLGAP5, and TAGLN, confirming myocardin as a central regulator of fibrotic signaling. Silencing RGS5 produced minimal effects on gene and protein expression despite minor downward …

First Recombinant Expression, Purification, And Film Formation Of A Single Solitary Bee Silk Protein From Osmia Lignaria, Oran Wasserman, Kristin K. Durrant, Jackson J. Morley, Paula E. Oliveira, Mallory R. Wootton, Brianne E. Bell, Ethon D. Van Noy, Randolph V. Lewis, Justin A. Jones

Biology Student Research

Solitary bees account for most described bee species worldwide, with many spinning silk fibers to form protective cocoons during development; however, solitary bee silk proteins remain largely unexplored in recombinant systems and biomaterial fabrication. Here, we report the first recombinant expression and biomaterial formation from a solitary bee silk protein. Osmia lignaria silk fibroin 2 (OligF2) was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) using an expression and purification scheme adapted from a recombinant hagfish intermediate filament (rHIF) workflow, yielding 0.34 g/L at ~70% purity. The purified OligF2 protein was cast into films at 0.75% and 1% (w/v). …

Care As Method: Sound, Duration, Relation In Contemporary Art Practice, Violet L. White

MFA in Visual Art

Abstract Care as Method: Sound, Duration, and Multispecies Relation in Contemporary Art Practice

This thesis proposes care as a method of artmaking, not a subject, theme, or aesthetic position, but the actual structural logic through which a body of work is built, sustained, and understood. Working at the intersection of ecological art practice and relational aesthetics, it asks what happens when the encounter at the center of the work is not between two people but between species, infrastructures, and histories of use and what obligations that encounter generates.

The argument is developed through six interconnected works: installations, sound compositions, sculptures, …

Behavioral Science Applications In Collegiate Athlete Nutrition And Sleep: A Scoping Review, Maryam Yuhas, Katherine M. Kidwell, Olivia Moskuna, Rajib Mandal, Jessica L. Garay

Nutrition - All Scholarship

Nutrition and sleep are key health behaviors supporting athletic performance. Collegiate athletes in the United States (U.S.) are at high risk of insufficient dietary intake and nightly sleep given the competing demands of elite sports and academics. Researchers have developed interventions to improve collegiate athletes’ sleep and nutrition, either individually or collectively. However, progress in understanding how best to create sustained behavior change in this population has been slow. This may be due to the lack of application of behavioral science principles such as lack of a guiding theory, effective strategies, and consideration of implementation contexts. This scoping review takes …

Nitrogen Limitation Adaptation (Nla) Modulates Phosphorus And Iron Homeostasis During Boron Toxicity In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Doğa S. Kayihan, Ümi̇t Bariş Kutman, Emre Aksoy, Ceyhun Kayihan

Turkish Journal of Botany

Boron (B) toxicity is a major abiotic stress factor that impairs plant growth and disrupts nutrient homeostasis. The Nitrogen Limitation Adaptation (NLA) gene has been implicated in nutrient regulation; however, its role under B toxicity remains unclear. In this study, the physiological, biochemical, and nutrient responses of wild-type (Col-0) and nla mutant Arabidopsis thaliana were investigated under mild (1 mM H3 BO3 ; 1B) and severe (2 mM H3 BO3 ; 2B) B toxicity conditions. Excess B reduced fresh weight and photosynthetic pigment levels in both genotypes; however, nla mutants exhibited lower malondialdehyde accumulation under 1B, indicating a delayed oxidative …

In Vitro Modeling Of Macrophage And Cd8+ T Cell Activation: Evaluating Immortalized Cell Lines For Use In Undergraduate Immunology Laboratories, Lucy Groothuis

Masters Theses

The immune system is a complex, highly coordinated network of cells and signaling molecules that protects the body from infection and disease. Immunology is therefore a fundamental component of undergraduate education for students pursuing careers in medicine and biomedical research. Despite its importance, many undergraduate immunology courses lack a laboratory component. To address this gap, we developed an open-access immunology laboratory manual and evaluated its ability to generate meaningful data using primary murine cells and commercially available cell lines. Given the cost and logistical constraints of using mouse models in an undergraduate laboratory setting, we evaluated whether immortalized cell lines …

Genetic Variation In Crops Of The Second Millennium Bce Revealed By Ancient Dna Analysis, Asi̇ye Uluğ, Funda Özdemi̇r Deği̇rmenci̇, Çi̇ğdem Kansu, Christina Luke, Christopher H. Roosevelt, Zeki̇ Kaya

Turkish Journal of Botany

For millennia, the Anatolian plateau has functioned as a major migratory corridor between Africa, Asia, and Europe and has subsequently been shaped by shifting settlement patterns, ranging from small communities to complex urban and imperial systems. These processes were closely associated with the development and diversification of agricultural practices. Archaeobotanical investigations at Kaymakçı, a Middle and Late Bronze Age (ca. 3500 years BP) site located in the middle Gediz Valley of western Anatolia, have provided substantial evidence of crop cultivation in the region. In this study, genetic variation in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), bitter vetch (Vicia …

Improved Nutritional Value Of Spinach (Spinacia Oleracea L.) Through Moderate Salinity-Induced Regulation Of Vitamin C And Folate Pathways, Laleh Ahmadi, Hanieh Mohajjel Shoja, Elham Mohajel Kazemi, Maryam Kolahi

Turkish Journal of Botany

Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress affecting over 20% of cultivated and 33% of irrigated lands worldwide, significantly limiting crop productivity and nutrient biosynthesis. Vitamin C and folate are crucial antioxidants in plant stress tolerance and human nutrition; however, their regulation under salt stress remains unclear, particularly in leafy vegetables. This study evaluated the effects of different salinity levels (0, 50, 150, 250, and 350 mM NaCl) on physiological traits, antioxidant activity, vitamin C and folate accumulation, and the expression of related biosynthetic genes in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.). High salinity (250–350 mM) reduced growth, leaf area, and pigment …

Identification Of Qtls And Molecular Markers Associated With Gray Mold Resistance In Grape, İlknur Polat, İbrahi̇m Çeli̇k, Onur Ergönül, Asli Polat, İlker Kurbetli̇, Görkem Sülü, Ayfer Daldal, Hali̇l İbrahi̇m Uzun

Turkish Journal of Botany

Grape (Vitis vinifera L.) is an economically important fruit that is both consumed fresh from the vine and used in the production of raisins, wine, and vinegar. One of the main factors limiting grape production is gray mold, caused by the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea. The cultivation of mold-resistant grape cultivars represents the most effective strategy for disease management; however, molecular tools to aid in the breeding of B. cinerea-resistant grapes remain limited. The present study maps the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with B. cinerea resistance in grape using an F1 population derived from a reciprocal cross between the …

Incorporating The Use Of Puppets And Puppetry-Based Approaches In Nutrition: A Scoping Review Of Interventions, Basil H. Aboul-Enein, Nada Benajiba, Majd Jan, Sarah Ali Alasmari, Patricia J. Kelly, Stephen F. Gambescia, Elizabeth Dodge

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

Puppetry-based activities could serve as a low cost and manageable intervention in improving health-related outcomes. This review aims to identify the research to date and gaps in practice of the role and application of puppetry interventions in nutrition education. A scoping review was conducted using the PICOS framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, identifying studies across eight databases between January, 1980 and July, 2025.Twenty-five studies were identified, with the majority (n = 19) aimed at pre-school and school-aged children. Fifteen studies used quasi-experimental, pre-post designs. The use of hand and finger puppets was common, as well as videos and puppet theatre. …

Leveraging Mobile Health To Prevent Coronary Artery Disease Through Physical Activity Promotion Among Underserved Youth, Alina Yang, Jessh M. Mavoungou, Matthew C. Miller, Zarmina Amin, Zan Gao

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Coronary artery disease (CAD) develops earlier than often recognized, with underserved youth facing disproportionate cardiometabolic risk. Low participation in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (PA) is a key driver. This viewpoint explores how mobile health (mHealth) technologies can serve as tools to increase PA engagement among underserved youth, guided by a combined Self-Determination Theory and RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) framework. It highlights current barriers to mHealth adoption, limited cultural relevance, engagement challenges, and accessibility gaps, and presents key considerations for designing culturally informed, age-tailored, and youth-centered mHealth interventions. Overall, the paper calls for a more inclusive and targeted approach …

The Brain Breakdown: Bringing Neuroscience To A Broader Audience, Katharine Buehrig

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Neuroscience is a rapidly growing field, which needs to continue becoming more accessible and understandable to younger generations. Expanding access to neuroscience through different modes, such as podcasts, brings the discipline to a broader audience. Podcasts allow listeners to follow an outlined learning path they can pursue on their personal timeline. High school students often do not have access to neuroscience specific materials within their standard science curriculum. To address this knowledge gap, I collected questions about neuroscience from high school students across four schools in the United States to develop an understanding about what they are interested in learning. …