Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of Novel Anticancer Agents Targeting Glioblastoma, Kate Byrne

Theses

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive malignant grade IV brain tumour. It remains an incurable disease whereby the median survival rate is 15 months and 5.5 % of all patients survive five years post diagnosis. The current therapeutic strategies include the use of maximal safe surgical resection, radiotherapy, and the use of the gold standard chemotherapeutic, Temozolomide (TMZ), which is referred to as the “Stupp Protocol”. Earlier research identified two compounds, which are structurally different but exhibit a similar biological effect to Metformin, the first in-line treatment for type II diabetes. Combining drugs which target cell metabolism such …

An Exploration Of The Causes And Effects Of Interpersonal Conflict Related Stress Among A Self-Selected Cohort Of Second Level Teachers In Ireland, Patrick Bruce

Theses

Teaching has been classified by researchers as a high stress profession. Stress in teaching has been reported to have many negative health outcomes and also affects productivity. The literature also reports that stress in teaching is a difficult matter to resolve satisfactorily, with mixed outcomes from interventions. An emergent cause of work-related stress in education is IPC and this study sets out to investigate the prevalence of this underreported phenomena.

A sample of 25 teachers working in Irish second level schools were recruited. Semi structured interviews were conducted to report on the experiences of stress, it’s causes and effects both …

Pedagogical Approaches To Enhancing Student Self-Efficacy And Addressing Gender Inequality In Undergraduate Stem, Gintarė Lübeck

Theses

Previous research has shown that the success and retention of students in STEM university programmes are highly correlated with their self-efficacy beliefs, and women and gender minority students in STEM have been consistently found to possess lower self-efficacy than men. Since specific teaching and learning practices are known to contribute to increased self-efficacy and help diversify STEM education, this study sought to identify which pedagogical approaches are effective in creating a more equitable learning environment in introductory STEM classes by positively contributing to students’ self-efficacy. This study employed methodological triangulation and synthesised findings from self-efficacy questionnaires, classroom observations, and a …

The Role Of Mkp-2 In Cellular Senescence And Metabolic Function, Morgan Welch

Theses

Senescence is a state of permanent cell cycle arrest which stops proliferation. It is hallmarked by changes in proteins such as p21, p53, and p16, which are regulated by mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) which are regulated by MAPK Phosphatases (MKPs). One such MKP, MKP-2, has a paucity of information on its physiological function. To study MKP-2 in senescence, we used mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived from novel MKP-2 whole-body knockout mice. These MEFs were analyzed using senescence-associated β-galactosidase assays and immunoblotting approaches. It was found that there were reduced β-Galactosidase positive cells and reduced senescence phenotypes in the Mkp2 -/- …

Topological Interactions Of Spiky Particles With A Planar Wall, Elizabeth Andrew

Theses

Synthetic spiky colloids are attractive for different technologies, but quantifying the effect of orientation on the particle-surface interactions is still lacking and hinders the use of spiky colloids in different applications. This thesis tackles one of the main challenges in colloid science and engineering to describe the electrostatic and van der Waals interaction energies of a dilute suspension of spiky anisotropic colloids with a planar wall. The model reported here quantifies the DLVO interactions of a spiky particle with a planar wall, extending the surface element integration method and including the effects of particle position and orientation. The effect of …

Seasonal Vulnerability Of Snakes To Road Traffic At Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Jackson S. Schoettle

Theses

Snakes are important predators and prey in North American food webs that exhibit seasonal activity patterns in temperate regions. During periods of heightened activity, they will often utilize roads both for traveling from one habitat patch to another and/or for thermoregulation. In this thesis, I explore how human recreational activities impact the diversity and distribution of snake communities by examining the relationships between seasonality of human recreational activities and gravel road closures for waterfowl management on snake road mortality and activity at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in northern Alabama, USA. Many studies have investigated how snakes interact with paved roads, …

Exploring The Metabolic Capabilities And Biotransformation Potential Of Environmental Lactococcus Strains, Desirée Román Naranjo

Theses

The aim of this thesis is to characterize environmental Lactococcus strains to identify different and diverse metabolic capabilities that could be applied to microbial biotransformation, defined as the conversion of a cheap/waste substrate into a value-added product. Due to the increased amounts of food processing waste generated worldwide and the impact of climate change, new sustainable approaches are necessary to contribute to waste valorization and the circular bioeconomy. We ask to what extent and in what ways environment isolated Lactococcus strains could contribute to food biotransformation by metabolizing a different range of substrates. We do so to further understand and …

Nutrient Intakes, Compliance With Recommendations And Key Sources In Women Of Child-Bearing Age (18-50 Y) In Ireland, Abigail O' Mahony

Theses

Women’s pre-conceptional health (including nutritional status) is important for both the health of the individual themselves and also for the lifelong health of any occurring offspring. However, it has been estimated that up to 50% of pregnancies are unplanned, thus optimal nutritional status is important for all women of child-bearing age (WCBA) not just those with pregnancy intentions. Despite the accumulation of evidence of the importance of nutritional status at this life-stage, nutrient recommendations for WCBA for the most part don’t differ from recommendations for other population groups. The notable exception to this is that all WCBA are recommended to …

Genetic Selection For Improved Production Efficiency In The Mature Dairy Herd, Maeve Williams

Theses

Improving dairy cow production efficiency is highly desirable because of its well-documented impact on profitability and sustainability. Long-term gains in dairy cow production efficiency have already been delivered through genetic selection. Nonetheless, achieving further improvements in production efficiency could cement the economic and environmental efficiency of the dairy industry, globally. To date, several components contributing to production efficiency have been overlooked, with many studies focusing on dairy cow production efficiency over short periods rather than lifetime efficiency. Therefore, the objectives of this thesis were to quantify the genetic variance components of complementary dairy cow efficiency metrics; including dry matter intake, …

Identification And Creation Of Novel Bacteriocins With Potential Food And Clinical Applications, David Lynch

Theses

Bacteriocins represent a heterogeneous group of small, ribosomal-synthesized, potent antibacterial peptides produced by bacteria, capable of inhibiting bacteria both closely related or indeed those from other genera than the producer. In addition to their role as food preservatives, bacteriocins have potent activity against medically significant pathogens and are considered attractive alternatives to antibiotics, due to their inherent heat stability, potency at nanomolar scale, resistance to proteases and low levels of acquired resistance in commercial applications. The aim of this thesis was to identify, purify and bioengineer novel bacteriocins from Staphylococcus and Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB), with a view to expanding …

Investigating Optimal Lipid:Protein Profiles For Infant Milk Formula, Valentina Ivanova

Theses

From the early twentieth century onward, much research has focused on improving infant milk formula (IMF). During the development of IMF, breast milk is commonly considered as the reference and IMF manufacturers are thriving to mimic the composition and/or to match the functionality of breast milk as closely as possible. A variety of bioactive ingredients, found in human breast milk, have been isolated and investigated for their potential functionality and utilised in the production of IMF. This study evaluated the current knowledge on compositional differences between human breast milk and IMF, and recent advances and developments in IMF production. Following …

Assessing The Health Effects Of Climate Change, Social Vulnerability, And Environmental Justice In Camden County, New Jersey, Daniil Ivanov

Theses

Climate change negatively impacts health, while socially vulnerable and overburdened communities disproportionately experience climate change and negative health determinants. Camden County is used as a case study for analyzing environment, socioeconomics, and health. Environmental variables—PM2.5 and land cover of impervious surfaces, floodplains, and forests—were compared to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) at the census tract level, finding significant correlations between land cover, air quality, and the SVI. The overburdened communities defined by the NJ Environmental Justice Law experienced a significantly higher incidence of emergency department visitation for respiratory, circulatory, and mental illnesses than non-overburdened communities. Health outcomes were compared …

Development Of A Bio-Inspired Computational Astrocyte Model For Spiking Neural Networks, Jacob Kiggins

Theses

The mammalian brain is the most capable and complex computing entity known today. For many years there has been research focused on reproducing the brain's processing capabilities. An early example of this endeavor was the perceptron which has become the core building block of neural network models in the deep learning era. Deep learning has had tremendous success in well-defined tasks like object detection, games like go and chess, and automatic speech recognition. In fact, some deep learning models can match and even outperform humans in specific situations. However, in general, they require much more training, have higher power consumption, …

Electrostatic Behavior Of Dielectric Elastomer Actuators With Discrete Electrodes, Adam Foster

Theses

Over the past couple of years, the field of soft robotics has seen tremendous expansion. As humans are looking towards a more collaborative, symbiotic relationship robots, actuators that are compliant and that do not employ a rigid frame are essential. One type of actuator that is currently being proposed is the Dielectric Elastomer Actuator (DEA), which use Coulomb force of attraction between two electrodes to generate motion. DEAs are often referred to as artificial biological muscle because they share many of the properties of biological muscle (high energy density, compliance, natural damper). However, they do have some severe limitations that …

The Role Of Lipocalin 2 In Type 1 Diabetic Osteopathy, Rawan Mahmoud Bdair

Theses

Lipocalin 2 (LCN2), also known as neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), plays an important role in the innate immune response and functions as a growth factor. The role of LCN2 as an anti-inflammatory protein and its function in bone metabolism is poorly understood. It is hypothesized that the administration of Lipocalin-2 in diabetic and non-diabetic rats will positively improve the bone microstructure. This study investigated the effect of lipocalin2 on bone metabolism in type 1 diabetic osteopathy (T1DO). Three-month-old male Wistar rats (n=24) were obtained from the animal house facility at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) for this study. All animal …

Virtual Reality And Video Game Gatekeeping, Autumn Franke

Theses

This thesis focuses on the effects of the video game industry being the only influence on the development of virtual reality technology and the hindrance caused by it. The aim of this thesis is to discuss this flaw and recommend a different route to develop the technology through the education and medical fields instead of the video game industry.

The Impact Of The Male Gaze: Femininity And Female Sexuality In Shunga Prints Of The Edo Period, Meredith Keukelaar

Theses

The Edo period of Japan (1603-1868) was a time of great cultural and economic growth as the country flourished from political stability under the Tokugawa clan’s rule for over two centuries. During this time, many prints, illustrated books, and paintings were created, the most famous of which are known as ukiyo-e, or “pictures of the floating world.” A popular sub-genre of ukiyo-e were the erotic shunga prints, created by and primarily for men. While most of these prints were heterosexual in nature, there were still several works that depicted homosexual relations. The majority were of male homosexuality, but scenes of …

Light Scattering Study Of An Important Eye Lens Protein: Beta Crystallin, Malcolm F. Larose

Theses

Light scattering experiments were performed on bovine βH crystallin, an important protein component of the mammalian eye lens. Light scattering results are compared to simplified models for the free energy of mixing of β crystallins with water. The static light scattering data are well-represented by hard convex body equations of state having dimensionless non-sphericity coefficients of close to 2, compatible with prolate spherocylinders, and weight-average molecular weights ranging between 2−5×105 g/mole. Additionally, quasi-elastic light scattering data was obtained which shows that βH has a hydrodynamic radius near 7.3 nm. These experiments extend light scattering work on β crystallins well into …

Use Of Assemblage Structure, Abundance, And Year-Class Strength To Assess Fish Assemblage Responses To Water Level Fluctuations, Hannah Holmquist

Theses

Water level fluctuations can influence lateral connectivity of a water body; during high water levels, fish gain access to off-channel and floodplain habitats that can provide refuge for smaller fish and provide access to abundant aquatic and terrestrial prey. Water level dynamics play a critical role in ecosystem productivity and can have varying effects on biota. Modifications to water flow in Buttonland Swamp, located near the headwaters of the Lower Cache River in southern Illinois, were put in place to improve drainage and restore historical water levels; however, these alterations have disrupted the natural hydrologic dynamics and flood pulse processes, …

Spatial Response Of Bobcats And Coyotes To Resources And Human Modification In Illinois, Nicole Gorman

Theses

Mesocarnivores, including bobcats (Lynx rufus) and coyotes (Canis latrans), fill a unique ecological role throughout much of North America, where they were once influenced by larger predators, but are now the top predators where large carnivores have been extirpated. Their adaptability, generalist traits, and ability to coexist with humans to a greater extent than many species makes them an important subject for current predator research. In addition, their recent population recovery in the case of bobcats and historical range expansion in the case of coyotes make their study timely given a potential increase in their influence on their prey and …

Tracing The Roots Of Resistance, Collective Action And Solidarity Among Igbo Women, Sebastian Ukoh

Theses

Most societies have always achieved balance through some internal mechanisms. Achieving gender balance and drawing lines without letting what we may term the "stronger sex" domineer the "weaker sex" is not always easy. Among the Igbos of South Eastern Nigeria, the women have always pressed home their demands without fear. We will be looking at how they have done this for more than a century, especially at the onset of the British colonial enterprise.

Are Numerical Symbols Fundamental To Neural Computation?, Mirinda James

Theses

Abstract: Neuroclassicism is the view that cognition is computation and that core mental processes, such as perception, memory, and reasoning are products of digital computations realized in neural tissue. Cognitive psychologist C. R. Gallistel uses this classical framework to argue that all cognitive information processing is based on symbolic operations performed over quantitative values (i.e. numbers) stored in the brain, much like a digital computer. Assuming this hypothesis, he investigates how the brain stores quantitative information (i.e. the numerical symbols involved in neural computation). He claims that it is more plausible that memories for numbers are stored within molecular mechanisms …

The Effects Of Floral And Social Information On Bumblebee Forager Learning And Memory, Avery Hume Baker

Theses

Bumblebees rely on information gathered from their environment to make the best choices they can when foraging for pollen and nectar. The type of information gathered should influence how a bee learns and remembers it, but other factors such as the size of the bee’s brain may also play a role in the learning and remembering process. While social information learned from other organisms and information gathered directly from flowers can each be used alone to improve both the efficiency with which a bee learns to forage from a flower and how accurately and how long the bee remembers these …

Whole Genome Duplication Analysis Of The Invasive Lonicera Maackii (Amur Honeysuckle), Gaochan Wang

Theses

Invasive Lonicera maackii (L. maackii) is one of the highly successful and problematic bush honeysuckles found in the central and eastern of United States of America, which has been reported to pose a threat to native ecosystems by decreasing biodiversity. The mechanism by which L. maackii negatively impact environments is typically through either the direct effect of increased dominance or the indirect effect of territory modification. Numerous studies have documented the negative effects of L. maackii on native biota and the key traits such as seed dispersal, phenology, resistance to herbivory, rapid growth and environmental plasticity that contribute to invasion …

Taxonomic Revision And Morphometric Analysis Of Selected Anthurium (Araceae) Species From Bolivia And Peru, Daniel M. Tarazona Ocana

Theses

The genus Anthurium (Araceae) consists of around 1,200 species distributed in the Neotropics, particularly in Central and South America. The montane forests in the eastern flank of the Andes, ranging from northern Ecuador to central Bolivia; hereafter, the East Andes Gradient region, are particularly rich in terms of species diversity, and include an understudied group of Anthurium species endemic to the region. Within this group of species, some taxa are difficult to distinguish from each other mainly due to the lack of identification keys, incomplete species descriptions and unknown synonyms. In this study, a combination of traditional taxonomic techniques and …

A Patent-Based Approach To Understanding The Role Of University, Company, And Government Collaboration In Biotechnological Innovation, Rachel Strader

Theses

The biotechnology industry has shifted in recent years in corporate policy from a more traditional, closed research and development (R&D) model to an open innovation (OI) model, leading to increased collaboration between companies and academic institutions. The literature has reinforced this shift by demonstrating the role these collaborative relationships play in contributing to high-quality innovations. In this study, I use a unique dataset composed of biotechnology patents granted in the United States from 2000-2020 to examine the relationship between patent assignee and patent quality. Specifically, I measure patent quality using the number of forward citations and patent family size and …

Investigating The Role Of Irc20 And Cdc48 In The Maintenance Of Yeast Genome, Asma Albadi Alnuaimi

Theses

DNA, the basic unit of inheritance, is continuously exposed to numerous endogenous and exogenous damaging agents that compromise its function and adversely impact health. However, the cell has evolved intricate DNA repair mechanisms to mitigate the negative consequences of genomic instability. The repair of DNA double-strand break (DSB) is potentially accomplished by various mechanisms, including homologous recombination (HR). An HR-mediated DSB repair requires controlled regulation of repair proteins to ensure timely function. Posttranslational modifications (PTMs), such as ubiquitylation and SUMOylation, are regulatory mechanisms that significantly fine-tune proteins activities. Central to these processes is Rad52, a conserved oligomeric protein that forms …

Piezoelectric Enhanced Noninvasive Laser-Based Detection Of Multiple Vital Signs, Ahmed Saeed Dabi

Theses

In this study, a method for concurrent measurement of heart rate (HR) respiration rate (RR) and blood pressure (BP) using movements of the chest wall is proposed. Unlike conventional approaches that use only laser, in this approach a laser source is used to collect the piezoelectric sensor output without the need for probing. The chest wall movements are transduced using an optical ODSL 8 sensor and a piezoelectric taped to the patient’s chest. Measurement data is used for development of algorithms for estimation of HR, RR and BP. Next measurements are taken while the subjects are breathing and holding their …

Maternal Effects On Growth Parameters Of Chloris Gayana Under Co2 Enrichment, Ahmed Adnan Mohammed Mashli

Theses

Rhodes grass, Chloris gayana, is commonly used forage plant for grazers, livestock, and cattle. It significantly improves soil fertility and its overall structure by preventing nematode flourishment in soil. It is also used as a cover crop to upgrade soil health by reducing soil erosion and increasing water availability. The present study assessed the effects of CO₂ on the growth, development and maternal effects of C. gayana. The experimental setup was made in such a way that the potential impacts of CO₂ can be measured on the eco-physiological growth of C. gayana by studying successive generations. Generation 1 …

Heterodimerization Between Chemokine Receptors Cxcr4 And Ccr7 And Its Role In Cancer, Maryam Naveed Muhammad Tariq

Theses

In physiology, the functional and physical interactions between cell surface receptors for signal molecules such as hormones, neurotransmitters, and cytokines, provides an important mechanism of diversity and regulation of signal transduction. Therefore, investigating the functional interactions between these receptors is of great importance for understanding their role in physiology and pathophysiology with potential application in drug discovery. In this context, numerous evidences support the implication of two chemokine receptors, CXCR4 and CCR7, in many cancer types. In this study, we hypothesized that the functional, and perhaps the physical interaction, occurring between CXCR4 and CCR7 may constitute one of the key …