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Solitary Waves For Power Degenerate Non Linear Schro ̈Dinger Equation And Fourth Order Wave Equation., Vishnu Iyer Sep 2025

Solitary Waves For Power Degenerate Non Linear Schro ̈Dinger Equation And Fourth Order Wave Equation., Vishnu Iyer

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In this dissertation we prove the existence and stability of solitary waves for the power degenerate non linear Schr ̈odinger equation (2.1.1) and a fourth order wave equation (3.1.1). Construction of the waves are variational in nature. For the NLS we consider a semilinear Schr ̈odinger equation, driven by the power degenerate second order differential operator ∇ · (|x|2a∇), a ∈ (0, 1). We construct the solitary waves, in the sharp range of parameters, as minimizers of the Caffarelli- Kohn-Nirenberg’s inequality. Depending on the parameter a and the nonlinearity, we establish a number of properties, such as positivity, smoothness (away …

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Access To Care, Structural Barriers, And Recovery Identity In Mental Health And Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Yahya Alnashri Sep 2025

Access To Care, Structural Barriers, And Recovery Identity In Mental Health And Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Yahya Alnashri

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Substance use disorders (SUDs) remain one of the most pressing public health and economic challenges in the United States, with growing recognition that recovery is a multidimensional process shaped by clinical, social, and structural factors. This dissertation explores recovery at the levels of health policy, population, and experiential levels to assess gaps in access to recovery support services, identify patterns and predictors of recovery identity, and highlight the lived experiences of individuals with opioid use disorder. First, we evaluated whether state Medicaid expansion under the ACA (2010–2019) was associated with changes in the availability of consumer-run peer support services in …

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Leveraging Computational Modelling/Simulation, Machine Learning, And Additive Manufacturing For Customized Design Of Periodontal And Bone Tissue Scaffolds, Rakesh Pemmada Sep 2025

Leveraging Computational Modelling/Simulation, Machine Learning, And Additive Manufacturing For Customized Design Of Periodontal And Bone Tissue Scaffolds, Rakesh Pemmada

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The current dissertation presents an overarching pipeline for the development and production of custom-made scaffolds for periodontal tissue regeneration using finite element analysis (FEA), machine learning (ML), and additive manufacturing (AM).CAD anatomically realistic scaffolds were generated from CT-based maxilla and mandible models. The FEA simulation results under masticatory (100 N), parafunctional (500–550 N), and traumatic (800–850 N) loads showed region-specific distribution of stresses and strains, which guided structural reinforcement strategies. Over 1000 3D-printed PCL scaffolds were printed using various pore diameters (200–300 µm) and filament diameters. Five ML models were constructed for predicting print quality based on process factors. Classification …

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Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination: Implications For The Ecology, Evolution, And Conservation Of Sea Turtles, Forrest William Collins Sep 2025

Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination: Implications For The Ecology, Evolution, And Conservation Of Sea Turtles, Forrest William Collins

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For reptiles, their method of sex determination is temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). This is where the environmental temperature directly influences the sex ratio being produced within a clutch. For sea turtles, sex is determined within a thermosensitive period (TSP) in which incubation temperatures will result in either males (cooler), females (warmer), or 50:50 even sex ratio. For this dissertation, 2 species of sea turtles were evaluated for their TSD and its implications on their ecology, evolution, and conservation: the Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii). For the Hawksbill, a major rookery in the …

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Differential Susceptibility: How Parenting Behaviors Predict Adolescent Antisocial Behavior In The Context Of Candidate Plasticity Genes, Amanda Moore Sep 2025

Differential Susceptibility: How Parenting Behaviors Predict Adolescent Antisocial Behavior In The Context Of Candidate Plasticity Genes, Amanda Moore

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Adolescent antisocial behavior (ASB) has been consistently linked to parenting behaviors, yet individual variability in response to parenting remains poorly understood. Grounded in the differential susceptibility theory, this study examined how candidate plasticity genes interact with poor parenting to predict ASB in adolescents. A sample of 272 youth from the Birmingham Youth Violence Study provided genetic data and participated in two waves of behavioral and parenting assessments. Parenting behaviors were measured using a composite index of harsh, inconsistent, and low-nurturance parenting. ASB was assessed through self- and parent-reported measures of delinquency, aggression, and conduct problems. The study tested whether individual …

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Water Absorption, Surface Roughness And Flexural Strength Assessment Of Peek With And Without Aging., Pranjal Ramchandra Daundakr Sep 2025

Water Absorption, Surface Roughness And Flexural Strength Assessment Of Peek With And Without Aging., Pranjal Ramchandra Daundakr

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Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) has been the primary material for complete denture bases since its introduction in 1936 due to its esthetics, affordability, and ease of processing. However, PMMA demonstrates well-documented shortcomings, including relatively low flexural strength, high water absorption, and susceptibility to surface wear. These limitations lead to fractures, loss of occlusal vertical dimension (OVD), frequent relines, and compromised esthetics. Even advanced formats such as CAD-CAM milled and 3D printed PMMA remain prone to dimensional instability, microbial colonization, and long-term degradation. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK), a high-performance thermoplastic originally used in orthopedic and spinal implants, has recently been introduced into dentistry as …

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A Concurrent Mixed Methods Formative Process Evaluation Of A Telehealth Mental Health Awareness Program For People With Mobility Limitations, Sangeetha Mohanraj Sep 2025

A Concurrent Mixed Methods Formative Process Evaluation Of A Telehealth Mental Health Awareness Program For People With Mobility Limitations, Sangeetha Mohanraj

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People with mobility limitations face higher levels of mental health challenges and often face barriers to accessing mental health resources to overcome them. Raising mental health awareness and providing accessible resources are essential for improving the quality of life in this population. The NCHPAD’s (National Center on Health, Physical Activity, and Disability) GROWTH (Growing Resilience Out of Wellness and Thoughtful Habits) program is a telehealth mental health wellness program developed for individuals with mobility limitations. The primary objective of this dissertation is to conduct an process evaluation of the GROWTH pilot program using a mixed methods approach to assess its …

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Air Pollution And Environmental Injustice Are Related To Respiratory Complications In Individuals With Sickle Cell Disease, Kelsey M. Maclin Sep 2025

Air Pollution And Environmental Injustice Are Related To Respiratory Complications In Individuals With Sickle Cell Disease, Kelsey M. Maclin

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Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetically inherited blood disorder affecting people of African descent. SCD is characterized by painful episodes and an acute lung injury known as acute chest syndrome (ACS). Patients with SCD have a life expectancy <19 years compared to Blacks without SCD. There is minimal research investigating air pollution and health complications in SCD. The aims of this research were to investigate whether pulmonary function is affected by exposure to ambient air pollution, whether higher air pollution concentrations are associated with hospitalizations for ACS, and whether environmental injustice impacts the respiratory health of children and young adults with SCD. Air pollution data on the criteria air pollutants (CAPs) was obtained from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Patient health data were obtained from Children’s Hospital of Alabama electronic medical records. Logistic regression, distributed lag non-linear regression, Granger Causality, and Getis-Ord Gi* hot spot analysis were used to analyze our data. The EPA’s EJScreen tool was used as a measure of exposure to environmental injustice. ArcGIS was used to map the EJScreen data. Exposure to short-term air pollution is significantly associated with a reduction in pulmonary function in children and young adults with SCD. Children and young adults exposed to a one-unit increase in the monthly average concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2) experienced an increase in the odds of having abnormal pulmonary function. We observed the trends of each criteria air pollutant in our study to be closely aligned with the trends in the hospitalizations for ACS. Most of our study participants with a history of ACS lived in areas burdened by greater environmental injustices. Specifically, the hot spots for ACS overlapped with the hot spots for PM2.5. Unequal exposure to environmental injustices leads to increases in hospitalizations for respiratory complications in individuals with SCD. Reductions in air pollution could be greatly beneficial to the pulmonary function and overall respiratory health of individuals with SCD. Further research is needed to examine associations between air pollution and hospitalizations for ACS in individuals with SCD.

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Racial/Ethnic Heterogeneity In Women’S Aging Experiences Over Time: A Latent Transition Analysis, Joshua Christian Julian Lewis Sep 2025

Racial/Ethnic Heterogeneity In Women’S Aging Experiences Over Time: A Latent Transition Analysis, Joshua Christian Julian Lewis

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U.S. population aging and unprecedented racial/ethnic diversity will affect the types of social and healthcare services older adults need. These projections have renewed attention to healthy aging, which refers to the physiological/functional, psychological, and social capacity to maintain well-being. Extant research finds that most are aging unwell and through binary and biomedical operationalizations—which do not account for patterns of chronic conditions, disability, intersecting race / ethnic and gender inequality, socioculturally developed resources, and social relations—reifies the exceptions, typically men and non-Hispanic Whites, as the “aging well” benchmark. Integrating theoretical considerations of the life course, cumulative inequality, stress process, and limitations …

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Understanding The Functional Consequence Of Cul3 Deletion In The Mammalian Brain, Prathibha Sekar Sep 2025

Understanding The Functional Consequence Of Cul3 Deletion In The Mammalian Brain, Prathibha Sekar

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Polyubiquitination is a post-translational modification which often results in degradation of the ubiquitin-tagged protein. E3 ubiquitin ligases are multi-subunit protein complexes that assist in this ubiquitination process. Multiple genes that play a role in ubiquitination are implicated in autism spectrum disorder, a highly heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder. CULLIN3 (CUL3), a scaffolding protein part of the E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, is the product of a high-risk autism gene implicated across multiple large scale sequencing studies of autism patients. Additionally, CUL3 haploinsufficiency is associated with a syndromic disorder called NEDAUS (Neurodevelopmental disorder with or without autism or seizures) characterized by intellectual disability (ID), …

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Parenting And Parental Well-Being As Risk And Resilience Factors For Mental Well-Being In Adolescents With And Without Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Wanqin Yu Sep 2025

Parenting And Parental Well-Being As Risk And Resilience Factors For Mental Well-Being In Adolescents With And Without Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Wanqin Yu

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Parenting practices and caregiver well-being are widely recognized as key determinants of adolescent mental health. However, few studies have examined how these factors operate in the context of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), particularly through a risk and resilience framework. This study investigated how positive and negative parenting practices, caregiver well-being, and parenting stress relate to adolescents’ emotional well-being and internalizing problems. It also explored whether these variables differed between adolescents with and without NDDs. Participants included 105 adolescents aged 11–14 years (61.9% female; 52.4% diagnosed with an NDD) and their caregivers, drawn from a larger study on adolescent socio-emotional competencies. Caregivers …

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Mechanism Of Targeted Cancer Therapeutics-Induced Cardiotoxicity, Angelica Toro-Cora Sep 2025

Mechanism Of Targeted Cancer Therapeutics-Induced Cardiotoxicity, Angelica Toro-Cora

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Targeted cancer therapies are known to cause cardiovascular (CV) complications in human patients. Agents such as osimertinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), as well as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been demonstrated to induce severe cardiotoxicities, including heart failure and myocarditis. Nevertheless, the mechanisms of TKIs and ICIs-induced cardiotoxicity remain poorly understood. Herein, we developed the first in vivo preclinical model of osimertinib-induced cardiotoxicity using a transverse aortic constriction (TAC) mouse model. Osimertinib-treated mice displayed severe cardiac dysfunction, elevated markers of heart failure and fibrosis, and failed to undergo compensatory hypertrophic remodeling, resulting in cardiomyocyte death. Mechanistically, we identified suppression …

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Sex Differences In Symptom Presentation Among Children And Adolescents Referred For An Autism Spectrum Disorder Evaluation, Jeremy John Cottle Sep 2025

Sex Differences In Symptom Presentation Among Children And Adolescents Referred For An Autism Spectrum Disorder Evaluation, Jeremy John Cottle

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The current study aimed to examine item-level sex differences in the diagnostic evaluation of ASD traits for children and adolescents referred for an ASD evaluation. By including all those referred for an ASD evaluation, the study aimed to include females who may be mis- or under-diagnosed by current ASD diagnostic procedures. Participants included 458 children and adolescents who were referred for an ASD evaluation at a tertiary care clinic. In this sample, 118 participants (25.8%) were female, 282 (61.6%) were diagnosed with ASD, and the average age was 6.67 years (SD = 3.65). MIMIC models were used to examine differential …

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Calibrating A Holling-Tanner Model With Applications To S&P500 Forecasting, Jonathon Knowles Sep 2025

Calibrating A Holling-Tanner Model With Applications To S&P500 Forecasting, Jonathon Knowles

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The primary goal of this thesis is to improve upon existing dynamical system models in economics. Existing models utilizing Lotka-Volterra dynamics display a tendency to suffer from unrealistic forecasts dominated by exponential growth and decay. Additionally, current inverse methods are only applicable in differential equation systems with linear coefficients. In this body of work, we propose novel methods for handling these challenges.

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The Longitudinal Associations Between The Longitudinal Associations Between Parent Involvement And Academic Achievement In Elementary School Involvement And Academic Achievement In Elementary School, Makayla Elizabeth Warnecke Sep 2025

The Longitudinal Associations Between The Longitudinal Associations Between Parent Involvement And Academic Achievement In Elementary School Involvement And Academic Achievement In Elementary School, Makayla Elizabeth Warnecke

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Parent involvement has been positively linked to children’s academic outcomes (e.g., Chavkin, 1993; Eccles & Harold, 1993; Epstein, 1989, 1994; Hess & Holloway, 1984; Hobbs et al, 1984; U.S Department of Education, 1994). These outcomes include higher achievement test scores (Keith et al., 1986), better grades (NCES, 1985), and increased rates of secondary school completion (Chavkin & Williams, 1993; Delgado-Gaitan, 1988, 1992; Epstein, 1986, 1995; Angiano, 2004). However, gaps remain in the current state of research when investigating longterm implications. In a recent meta-analysis, researchers stated the lack of analyses using a longitudinal cross-lagged design as a future direction (Barger …

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Breath Acetone As A Biomarker For Concussion, Allyn Abadie Sep 2025

Breath Acetone As A Biomarker For Concussion, Allyn Abadie

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Concussions represent a critical public health concern, affecting millions annually yet remain challenging to diagnose and manage. Concussions involve a range of often invisible signs and symptoms. Traditional assessments rely heavily on subjective symptom reporting, with limited objective data which may complicate return-to-play decisions. Objective physiological biomarkers are needed to complement traditional methods, detect subtle disruptions, and improve decision-making. Following concussion, the brain undergoes a neurometabolic cascade involving disrupted glucose utilization, ionic imbalances, neurotransmitter release, and reduced cerebral blood flow. This cascade creates a metabolic crisis, potentially shifting energy metabolism toward alternative substrates such as ketones. Breath acetone, a measurable …

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Adult Role Transitions And Substance Use In Black And White Young Adults, Kristina Brooke Mcmahan Sep 2025

Adult Role Transitions And Substance Use In Black And White Young Adults, Kristina Brooke Mcmahan

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ADULT ROLE TRANSITIONS AND SUBSTANCE USE IN BLACK AND WHITE YOUNG ADULTS ABSTRACT Substance use, including alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis, often begins during adolescence and young adulthood, which is a developmental period marked by major life transitions such as graduating college, entering full-time employment, and parenthood. Adult role transition patterns may influence substance use and mental health outcomes; however, limited research has examined these associations in racially and socioeconomically diverse populations. The present study explored patterns of adult role transitions and their associations with substance use and mental health symptoms among young adults using data from Wave 4 of the …

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Exploring The Influence Of Leadership On The Organizational Performance Of Federally Qualified Health Centers In The United States Through The Lens Of The Upper Echelons Theory, Devdutt Shriram Upadhye Sep 2025

Exploring The Influence Of Leadership On The Organizational Performance Of Federally Qualified Health Centers In The United States Through The Lens Of The Upper Echelons Theory, Devdutt Shriram Upadhye

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This study examines the influence that leaders have on the performance of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in the US. The framework through which the study examines this relationship is the Upper Echelons Theory (UET), which posits that managers and leaders take actions that shape the organization they lead, and these actions are based on a confluence of experiential and characteristic factors. The current study focuses on a leader’s influence through three proxies, viz. educational background, role tenure, and sex, on the organizational performance of FQHCs. Performance is captured using both financial and quality metrics. Data for the study was …

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Duration Of Untreated Psychosis (Dup), Treatment Response, And Resting State Functional Connectivity In Antipsychotic-Naïve First-Episode Psychosis Patients, Hillary Patton Sep 2025

Duration Of Untreated Psychosis (Dup), Treatment Response, And Resting State Functional Connectivity In Antipsychotic-Naïve First-Episode Psychosis Patients, Hillary Patton

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Meta-analyses have found a consistent link between a longer duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and worse clinical outcomes but the specific pathophysiological processes from a neurobiological level remains unclear. The current study sought to determine the effects of DUP on functional connectivity measured with resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging and evaluated brain network FC as potential mediators in the relationship between DUP and treatment response following antipsychotic drug (APD) treatment. One hundred medication-naïve first- episode psychosis patients underwent a resting state fMRI scan. Signal from brain regions of interest from posterior cingulate (default mode network), anterior cingulate (salience network), …

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Randomized Control Trial Of A Novel Dental Gel As An Adjunct To Scaling And Root Planing In Subjects With Stage Ii & Iii Periodontitis, Efstratios Choreftakis Sep 2025

Randomized Control Trial Of A Novel Dental Gel As An Adjunct To Scaling And Root Planing In Subjects With Stage Ii & Iii Periodontitis, Efstratios Choreftakis

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Scaling and root planing (ScRP) is the gold standard for non-surgical periodontal therapy, yet no dentifrice has been definitively shown to improve its outcomes. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of LivFresh Dental Gel as an adjunct to ScRP in patients with Stage II and III periodontitis. Twenty-one participants were assigned to either a test group using LivFresh Dental Gel or a control group using a standard sodium fluoride dentifrice. Clinical parameters—including probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), gingival index (GI), plaque index (PI), and bleeding on probing (BOP)—were assessed at baseline, 30, 90, and 180 days. The …

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Immune And Endothelial Cell Mechanisms Of Cardiovascular And Kidney Disease Risk In Obesity, Claudia Edell Sep 2025

Immune And Endothelial Cell Mechanisms Of Cardiovascular And Kidney Disease Risk In Obesity, Claudia Edell

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Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease. Both inflammation and endothelial dysfunction are hallmark signs of adverse health outcomes in obesity. Previous data from our lab has shown that a 2-week time restricted feeding (TRF) intervention reduces kidney CD3+ (T) cells and fibrosis and improves endothelial function in a mouse model of diet induced obesity (DIO). There is little known about kidney damage and T cells in obesity. We hypothesized that TRF reduces kidney damage in obese mice through mitigating T cell inflammation. We use a 20-week DIO model, with 18 weeks of ad libitum …

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Racial Discrimination And Inflammation In Adolescence: Ethnic/Racial Processes As Moderators, Queenisha Crichlow Sep 2025

Racial Discrimination And Inflammation In Adolescence: Ethnic/Racial Processes As Moderators, Queenisha Crichlow

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Discrimination and other psychosocial stressors contribute to chronic disease by dysregulating neuroendocrine and immune systems, which often leads to increased levels of inflammation. Given that inflammation is a key biological pathway associated with the development of chronic diseases, it has been proposed as a potential mechanism linking racial discrimination to poorer health. Most studies linking racial discrimination with inflammation have focused on adults, despite the fact that children and adolescents also experience discrimination. This dissertation explores the association between racial discrimination and inflammation, measured via salivary C-reactive protein (CRP) and proinflammatory cytokines, among Black and Hispanic adolescents. It also examines …

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Identifying The Neurobiological Substrates Of Gulf War Illness, Chloe Lisette Jones Sep 2025

Identifying The Neurobiological Substrates Of Gulf War Illness, Chloe Lisette Jones

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Gulf War Illness (GWI) affects approximately 30% of veterans who served in the 1991 Persian Gulf War and is characterized by chronic pain and fatigue, as well as cognitive, mood, gastrointestinal, and respiratory symptoms. Animal research has suggested that GWI is caused by a combination of neurotoxicants such as nerve gas, anti-nerve agent pills, and pesticides, though a definitive pathophysiological model has not been established. In this human observational study, 20 veterans with GWI and 20 healthy Gulf War veterans (HV) underwent whole-brain magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to non-invasively measure several metabolites associated with neuroinflammation. Whole blood was also collected …

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A High-Salt Diet Modulates Renal Afferent Nerve Activity; Potential Role Of The Endothelin System, Jiaxi Shen Sep 2025

A High-Salt Diet Modulates Renal Afferent Nerve Activity; Potential Role Of The Endothelin System, Jiaxi Shen

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Hypertension is a prevalent disease around the world. Increased blood pressure leads to a higher risk of stroke and coronary heart disease. Diet, lifestyle, and gene regulation are potential causative factors, and salt-sensitive hypertension is one common types of hypertension. In response to a high-salt diet, blood pressure may elevate with increasing risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Endothelin-1, which binds to endothelin A (ETA) and B (ETB) receptors, is strongly involved in controlling the blood vessels and sensory nerve signaling pathway between the kidney and the central nervous system during high salt dietary challenge. The function of the ETB receptor …

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Myelin Mapping In Psychosis, Victoria Lynn King Sep 2025

Myelin Mapping In Psychosis, Victoria Lynn King

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It is well established that myelin in the central nervous system is an axonal insulator which speeds the conduction velocity of action potentials. However, its role in the cortex has also been shown to support metabolic demands and aid in cortical plasticity. Myelin develops throughout childhood and adolescence from sensorimotor areas to association areas and peaks during adolescence. Importantly, this is the same time that psychosis-spectrum disorders (PSDs) begin to present clinically; thus, given the critical role of myelination in shaping the mature cortex, disruptions in this process – particularly during adolescence – are thought to partially explain the onset …

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Moving Beyond M1/M2: Xenoline-Polarized Macrophages As A Physiologically Relevant Model Of Tumor-Associated Macrophages In Glioblastoma, Hasan Alrefai Sep 2025

Moving Beyond M1/M2: Xenoline-Polarized Macrophages As A Physiologically Relevant Model Of Tumor-Associated Macrophages In Glioblastoma, Hasan Alrefai

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Glioblastoma (GBM) remains one of the most treatment-refractory cancers, with few therapeutic advances translating into survival benefit. With a median survival of just 15-18 months, the need for effective therapies is urgent. A key obstacle is the underutilization of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in preclinical models. TAMs account for a sizable proportion of GBM by mass and drive malignant behaviors such as angiogenesis, invasion, and resistance to chemoradiotherapy, making them attractive therapeutic targets. Unfortunately, most in vitro GBM-TAM models are inadequate, as they fail to capture the cellular heterogeneity and microenvironmental interactions that drive tumor progression, therapeutic resistance, and immune evasion. …

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The Role Of Histone Deacetylase Complexes In Cardiomyocyes And Heart Diseases, Meimei Wang Sep 2025

The Role Of Histone Deacetylase Complexes In Cardiomyocyes And Heart Diseases, Meimei Wang

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Histone deacetylase complexes play pivotal roles in cardiac biology, however their specific functions in cell fate transitions and adult heart maintenance re-main unclear. We identified the role of HDAC complex in vitro during direct cardiac repro-gramming and in vivo through specific cardiomyocyte deletion of ELMSAN1, a core component of the MiDAC complex. We perform direct cardiac reprogram-ming using a polycistronic construct (hMGT133) expressing MEF2C, GATA4, TBX5, and miR-133. MEF2C expression peaked early, while cardiac markers such as cardiac troponin and α-actinin emerged by Day 9. HDAC1 levels and global histone acetylation (H3K9ac, H3K14ac, H3K27ac) declined over time. An RNAi screen …

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A Noncanonical Role Of T Follicular Helper Cells In Promoting Peripheral Tolerance By Supporting T Regulatory Cells, Shivangi Dave Sep 2025

A Noncanonical Role Of T Follicular Helper Cells In Promoting Peripheral Tolerance By Supporting T Regulatory Cells, Shivangi Dave

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T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are a specialized subset of CD4+ T cells that sup-port germinal center (GC) B cells and promote antibody (Ab)-mediated immunity. There is growing recognition of the heterogeneity and functional diversity of Tfh cells, supported by accumulating evidence that highlights their context-specific roles across a range of disease settings. While their contribution to B cell responses is well-established, our data demonstrate that Tfh cells have a broader and more dynamic function. In this study, we uncover a novel function of Tfh cells in maintaining immune homeostasis by supporting T regulatory cell (Treg) responses under normal physiological …

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Probiotic Biogeography In The Neonatal Intestine, Sierra Hansen Sep 2025

Probiotic Biogeography In The Neonatal Intestine, Sierra Hansen

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Neonatal infection remains a leading cause of both neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide, particularly in preterm infants. Probiotic bacteria have been demonstrated to protect against the development of neonatal intestinal dysbiosis, however, formulations and efficacy vary substantially, highlighting a critical gap in the current understanding of the mechanisms governing probiotic efficacy in this population. This gap is exacerbated by regulatory standards which favor economic expansion over scientific rigor. Furthermore, current studies on probiotic efficacy largely rely on indirect or relative readouts of intestinal bacterial burden. Herein, we directly quantify the probiotic effects of Ligilactobacillus murinus V10 and Escherichia coli Nissle …

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Structural Basis For Promoter Recognition By Pseudomonas Phage Dev Virion Associated Rna Polymerase, Brittney Bird Sep 2025

Structural Basis For Promoter Recognition By Pseudomonas Phage Dev Virion Associated Rna Polymerase, Brittney Bird

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Bacteriophage DEV, a member of the Schitoviridae family, encodes a large virion-associated RNA polymerase (vRNAP) and shows significant potential for use in phage therapy. However, many aspects of DEV’s biology remain poorly understood, especially how it regulates transcription once inside the host. Recent work in our lab suggests that gene product 71 (gp71) functions as a DNA-dependent vRNAP. Analogous to the vRNAP of coliphage N4, gp71 likely initiates transcription by recognizing single-stranded DNA templates that contain early gene hairpin promoters. Based on this, my working hypothesis is that specific interactions between gp71 and the DEV early promoters PE1 and PE5 …

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