Digital Commons Network^™

Real Time Neurochemical Analysis Of The Brain For Pharmacological Treatments In Mood Disorders And Neurodegeneration, Anna Marie Buchanan

Theses and Dissertations

The monoamine, serotonin, is an important modulator in the central nervous system. It is believed to participate in a variety of functions ranging from moderating stress, promoting brain plasticity, and regulating sleep and appetite. Dysfunction of the serotonergic system has also been implicated in mood disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. While serotonin is of great interest to the research community, real-time in vivo serotonin dynamics remain understudied. This is because direct measurement of fast serotonergic transmission is analytically challenging. In 2009, the Hashemi lab pioneered the direct measurement of endogenously evoked serotonin using a method called fast scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV). …

The Criminalization Of Hiv And Hiv Stigma, Deanna Cann

Theses and Dissertations

In an effort to contain the HIV epidemic, lawmakers implemented various pieces of legislation across the United States, including laws that prohibit people living with HIV (PLHIV) from engaging in various behaviors without first disclosing their HIV-status. Public health scholars claim that this criminalization of HIV serves to increase stigma toward PLHIV, rather than prevent its transmission. Limited research has supported a connection between HIV exposure laws and increased stigma toward PLHIV. Still, researchers have yet to establish a causal relationship, and we know little regarding the mechanisms through which these laws serve to reproduce stigma. This study aims to …

Land, Racial Formations, And Power: Exploring The Network Of Power Relationships During Climate Change Planning In Coastal South Carolina, Teresa Norman

Theses and Dissertations

Climate change projections for the coastline of South Carolina predict that by mid-century there will be around 1.2 feet of sea level rise, and potentially up to 4 feet of rise by 2100. Additionally, climate change is linked to intensified hurricanes, a hazard for the South Carolina coastline every year. Both of these scenarios result in increases in the regularity and severity of coastal flooding, making the threat of permanent or temporary displacement (relocation) from coastal lands a reality. This is a particularly pressing matter for African American communities already made vulnerable by the long history of racial discrimination in …

Food Choice Decision-Making Among School-Going Adolescents Amidst The Nutrition Transition In Urban Accra, Ghana, Krystal Krsna Rampalli

Theses and Dissertations

Like many countries of the world, Ghana is experiencing a nutrition transition and rising non-communicable diseases. Adolescents are susceptible to diet-related health risks as they experience significant physical and psychological changes, which are happening in tandem with food environment changes, including widespread proliferation of large portion and package sizes of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods. Both local and multinational food and beverage companies have encouraged consumption of their products through various marketing tactics targeted directly to adolescents. Some of these tactics include the use of characters or celebrity endorsement, promotional discounts, and appeal to sociocultural values, including messages about body size preferences. …

A Novel Model To Study Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Differentiation, Austin N. Worden

Theses and Dissertations

The use of three-dimensional (3D) culture systems (hydrogels) and adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) in regenerative medicine to advance early-stage investigation and modeling of the mechanisms of diseases, treatments, targets, etc. has recently increased. ADSCs, specifically, are utilized due to their innate programming during embryogenesis and in adult tissues in addition to their ability to differentiate into mesodermal, endodermal, and ectodermal cell-specific lineages. Of importance is that these advancements do not involve a model specimen (i.e. mice or rats) and simulate the numerous conflicting signals a migrating cell is exposed to in vivo such as chemokines, extracellular matrix (ECM), growth factors, …

Value Creation Mechanisms In The Contemporary Art Market, Niharika Goel

Theses and Dissertations

As marketing theory has evolved, value co-creation has taken center stage in exchange processes. The goal of this dissertation, situated at the intersection of market systems and the visual art market, is to generate a deeper understand of the fundamentals of value co-creation at the level of practice, in part because the visual art world is organized as a Bourdieusian field of cultural production with its own set of rules, narratives, individuals and institutions. While individuals can effectively position themselves in this field to accumulate social capital, they are inextricably linked to others. Hence, it is imperative to understand the …

The Influence Of Adhd On Concussion In Ncaa College Athletes, Brett Steven Gunn

Theses and Dissertations

Evidence suggests attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be associated with an increased incidence of concussion; however, no study has cross-sectionally (Aim 1) and longitudinally (Aim 2) assessed the associations of ADHD with concussion. Additionally, there is reason to expect cognitive alterations following concussion in athletes with ADHD. Further, there is currently no study that has evaluated the influence of common medications often taken to mitigate some symptoms of ADHD, such as methylphenidate and amphetamines. Therefore, we sought to longitudinally assess cognitive profiles (Aim 3) of athletes with ADHD taking medication (ADHD+Rx) and not taking medication (ADHD_uRx) at baseline, 24-48 hours …

Let’S Be Friends: Examining Consumer Brand Relationships Through The Lens Of Brand Personality, Engagement, And Reciprocal Altruism, Daniel D. Haun

Theses and Dissertations

Brands have always exuded personality and status to consumers in order to promote a competent impression and induce positive perceptions and behaviors (Griskevicius, et al., 2007). In order for individuals to identify with brands, the brands must become more personable by consciously embodying a specific personality trait. Research has found that when a brand embodies a personality, there is an associated increase in consumer preference and usage (Sirgy, 1982), purchase choices for that brand (Ha & Janda, 2014; Gordon et al., 2016; Guèvremont & Grohmann, 2013; Swaminathan et al., 2009), and consumer preference and brand loyalty (Louis & Lombart, 2010; …

Assessing Stakeholder Needs And Preferences For Coastal Swimming Advisories In Charleston, South Carolina, Zachary Haynes Hart

Theses and Dissertations

The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act was established in 2000 to reduce the risk of illness among recreational users of beaches in the United States. Specifically, the Act provides coastal states and territories with annual grants to conduct routine water quality monitoring at beaches and to notify the public when pathogen levels exceed safe thresholds. Many coastal states use beach signs, agency websites, and press releases to notify the public, but a 2011 evaluation of the public notification component of the BEACH Act found that few states are choosing methods based on target audience characteristics and interests. …

Utilization Of Remote Sensing To Analyze Aedes Mosquito Egg Abundance With Combined Weather Variables In Two Southeastern Coastal Cities, Danielle M. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Several vector-borne diseases have recently resurfaced, and many have suddenly spread to new areas in the United States (U.S.) due to climate change and tropicalization. Two vectors of public health importance are Aedes aegyptiand Aedes albopictus. The Southeastern region of the U.S. appears to be a preferential ecological niche for both Aedes species. Aedes aegyptiand Aedes albopictus are highly susceptible to environmental conditions, such as humidity, precipitation, temperature. Remote sensing technology has proven to be useful for estimating vector populations. Miami-Dade County is an established hotspot for disease transmission. Charleston County is newly vulnerable due to similar …

Variations In Er Stress And Unfolded Protein Response Predict Disease Susceptibility, Youwen Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Numerous studies linked endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and unfolded protein response (UPR) to physiological responses to stress and various human pathologies, including metabolic disorders. Although variability in stress responses among individuals has been widely recognized, how such variations in the UPR affect susceptibility to diseases remains unknown. Using outbred deer mice as a model, we explored the consequences of the differential propensity to UPR at the transcriptomic, cellular, and organismic level.

Initially, we analyzed the correlation between several UPR-related genes in primary fibroblasts, at the whole transcriptome level, after ER stress induction. The analysis of correlated transcripts revealed that their …

The Development Of Novel Cdk8 And Cdk19 Inhibitors And Degraders As Potential Anti-Cancer Agents, Li Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

CDK8 and its homolog CDK19 are essential for transcription regulation and their dysregulation has been identified in numerous diseases, especially in cancers. CDK8 and CDK19 have been implicated in cancer development through their kinase activity and kinase independent functions. Despite the existing CDK8/19 inhibitors, there is still a need to develop novel CDK8/19 inhibitors with improved potency and PK profile. It is also necessary to develop CDK8/19 degraders that are able to eliminate the kinase-independent functions. Although two CDK8-degrading PROteolysis Activating Chimeras (PROTACs) have been reported, they have limited CDK8 degradation efficacy and no effect on CDK19. PROTACs with improved …

Investigation Of Distracted Driving Events In New Jersey, Ahmed Sajid Hasan

Theses and Dissertations

Every year, thousands of people die in the United States due to crashes involving distracted driving, with this cause contributing to 25% of all fatal traffic crashes in New Jersey in particular. Over the past several years, various techniques (e.g., surveys, crash reports, videos, and simulations) were developed and implemented by the transportation safety community to identify and evaluate distracted driving events. However, these methods collect cross-sectional data on individual subjects and do not provide the actual number of distractions on the road. To fill this gap, this study collected longitudinal data on distracted driving events in the state of …

Delivery Optimization And Evaluation Of Biomechanics Of An Injectable Nucleus Pulposus Replacement Device, Zachary Rustin Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Lower back pain effects up to 80% of people at some point in their life, a majority of cases being the result of degenerative disc disease. Treatment options for degenerative disc disease are limited, jumping from physical therapy to major spinal fusion and total disc replacement surgery with little to no approaches in between. Furthermore, surgical treatments have not shown to be more effective than conservative treatments and reducing pain and disability over the long term. Hydrogels have shown promise as a potential nucleus pulposus replacement device. Their properties are controllable and can be implanted into the body through minimally …

Behavioral Effects Of Novel Treatments For Pain And Alcohol Use Disorder, Christa Marie Donegan

Theses and Dissertations

Opioid use disorder (OUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are pressing public health problems in the United States that require new pharmacotherapies to be explored. Current FDA-approved treatment options for these two disorders are only moderately effective. Thus, there is a demand for the identification of new targets for drug development. Previous research initiatives have shown that when morphine is co-administered with the novel imidazodiazepine, MP-III-024, synergistic effects in models of analgesia and antinociception are produced. Our research efforts were concerned with understanding if morphine in combination with MP-III-024 produced synergistic effects in measures of undesirable pharmacological responses: opioid side …

Identifying Inhibitors Targeting The Nonstructural Protein 15 And Main Protease Of Coronaviruses Using Molecular Docking And Molecular Dynamics Simulation, Nakoa Kristen Webber

Theses and Dissertations

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in 2020 has impacted daily life globally for over a year. While multiple vaccines have been authorized for emergency use and one oral medication has entered clinical trials, we are still seeking antiviral drugs for a long-term treatment for SARS-CoV-2 as well as other coronaviruses. Computational drug screenings of two SARS-CoV-2 protein target candidates are presented in this thesis: the nidoviral RNA uridylate-specific endoribonuclease (Nsp15) and the main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2. Nonstructural proteins of coronaviruses were selected as targets as they are more conserved across coronavirus strains than …

Labeling And Characterization Of Exosomes To Elucidate Their Cellular Uptake Within Tumor And Stromal Cells, Rabab Hamzah

Theses and Dissertations

Exosomes are natural nanoparticles released by all eukaryotic cells studied thus far and a wide range of different biological fluids. Their components are derived from parent cells and can be transferred to other cell types and locations in an organism which makes exosome a promising nanosized-agent to treat and diagnose various diseases. Several research studies have been done to load exosomes with drugs and nucleic acids to develop a number of new therapeutic nano-vehicle. A few research studies have been done to combine these natural nanoparticles (exosomes) and artificial nanoparticles to develop a new theranostic nano-agent. In this research, we …

Mechanical And Material Characterization Of Advanced Materials For Tissue Regeneration, Bailey Kylara Ricketts Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

In natural disasters and military deployment operations, injury to long bone can cause extensive damage and be difficult to treat and heal quickly. Explosive devices and trauma often produce long-bone (>2-cm length) wounds that are more complicated than common fractures. Due to the size and complexity of these injuries, they can be difficult to treat in a battlefield environment and take a long time to heal completely and properly. Even after the long healing period, these injuries often require rehabilitation to strengthen the muscles that have weakened in the wounded limb. For military applications especially, these effects can put …

Fabrication And Comparative Study Of Horizontal And Vertical Electrospun Protein-Polysaccharide Nanofiber Biomaterials, Ashley Rivera-Galleti

Theses and Dissertations

The use of biocompatible and biodegradable composite materials for biomedical applications has attracted the attention of many researchers in the past few years. In this study, we fabricated nanofibers of silk fibroin and cellulose and its derivatives to amalgamate their unique properties into a single material. The production of these nanofibers via electrospinning is of particular interest, and whereas several studies have been done on normal nanofibers, the formation of branched nanofibers is an exciting area not currently explored. Blend solutions are formed by dissolving silk and cellulose/cellulose acetate in formic acid separately and mixing to achieve the desired ratios. …

Investigation Of The Role Of Hydrophobic Amino Acids On The Structure-Activity Relationship In Ponericin L1 From Neoponera Goeldii, Nicholas Patrick Schifano

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the increase prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) antibiotic alternatives have been of great interest. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and polymers like polymethacrylates that mimic AMPs are two non-traditional antimicrobial agents that have been investigated thoroughly over the years as a potential solution to the AMR problem. This study will further the understanding of the L1 peptide by investigating the role hydrophobic amino acids have on the antimicrobial activity. Biophysical and microbiological techniques were utilized to show that the L1 hydrophobic derivative showed enhanced binding to anionic lipid bilayers while maintaining low hemolytic activity. This study also elucidates the effect …

Drugs That Protect Against Protein Aggregation In Neurodegenerative Diseases, Samuel Kakraba

Theses and Dissertations

Cytotoxic protein aggregation is characteristic of age-associated neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Huntington’s disease (HD), and Parkinson’s disease (PD). This thesis focused on identification of small molecules that are effective at reducing cytotoxic protein aggregation as potential drugs for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. SH-SY5Y-APPSw neuroblastoma cells were used as a model of amyloidopathy to identify lead candidates. The lead candidates were further characterized in Caenorhabditis elegans strains CL4176 (an AD model that accrues amyloid deposits and develops progressive paralysis with age), and AM141 (a model of HD-like aggregation, which displays fluorescent aggregates in muscle followed by progressive paralysis). …

Engineering A High-Throughput Screening Platform For Assessing Developmental Neurotoxicity Throughout Head- Regeneration In Schmidtea Mediterranea, Johnathan James Morris

Theses and Dissertations

The increase in commercially used chemicals that are inadequately evaluated for safety and risk to development has created a reticent threat to human health. Addressing these deficiencies is compounded by limited methodologies to determine the etiology of exposure-related developmental neurotoxicity (DNT). Current means of assessing DNT are largely retrospective and limited by the expensive, time-consuming, and labor-intensive use of laboratory animal models, thereby motivating a global research effort to produce alternative chemical screening assays. In this work, we have developed a novel high- throughput platform that serves as a new tool to evaluate the effects of exogenous chemical exposure on …

Beyond The Mathematics Major: Identifying The Pedagogical Content Knowledge Exhibited By Preservice Secondary Mathematics Teachers, Steven R. Turner

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) held by secondary mathematics preservice teachers. Task-based interviews were conducted to determine whether evidence of PCK exists in preservice teachers and, if so, what form that evidence took. Participants included preservice teachers near the end of their coursework and mathematics majors, whose experience ranged from having completed the calculus sequence to their first year in graduate school. Some experienced teachers were also included, allowing a comparison of their knowledge with the other groups. In this study I seek to gain a better understanding of the …

Verification And Validation Of Radiation Protection Factors From Monte Carlo Simulations, William J. Erwin

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation describes the verification and validation of methods for producing radiation protection factors (RPFs) using experiments and Monte Carlo N-Particle 6 (MCNP6) simulations. RPF validation of a steel enclosure using a plutonium-beryllium source produced a validated RPF with statistically significant agreement between neutron MCNP6 models and experiments and a gamma protection factor (GPF) with statistically significant agreement to the measured GPF. Efforts to validate more complex enclosures using the Fast Burst Reactor (FBR) yielded the first-ever direct measurements of this reactor’s prompt gamma emission spectrum and revealed irreconcilable differences between the FBR facility-provided source spectrum and spectrometer measurements, resulting …

The Banality Of Corporate Evil, Amina Dessouki

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis critiques the notion of corporate social responsibility (CSR) through tracing the multiple dynamics between a multinational corporation and a development consultancy working on a recycling project in collaboration with the Zabaleen in Mansheyet Nasser, Egypt. The thesis looks at the ways in which actors negotiate their different positions, the harmonies and discordances that unfold through various agendas coming together, the silences produced, and the ways in which structural violence is intensified under the guise of development. The thesis contrasts the detached efforts of corporate workers and development consultants with the lives of the zabaleen, who live in a …

Insights Into Halophilic Microbial Adaptation: Analysis Of Integrons And Associated Genomic Structures And Characterization Of A Nitrilase In Hypersaline Environments, Sarah Sonbol

Theses and Dissertations

Hypersaline environments are extreme habitats that can be exploited as biotechnological resources. Here, we characterized a nitrilase (NitraS-ATII) isolated from Atlantis II Deep brine pool. It showed higher thermal stability and heavy metal tolerance compared to a closely related nitrilase.

We also studied integrons in halophiles and hypersaline environments. Integrons are genetic platforms in which an integron integrase (IntI) mediates the excision and integration of gene cassettes at specific recombination sites. In order to search for integrons in halophiles and hypersaline metagenomes, we used a PCR-based approach, in addition to different bioinformatics tools, mainly IntegronFinder.

We found that integrons and …

Heterogeneity In Multiple Inositol Polyphosphate Phosphatase1 (Minpp1): Identification And Characterization Of An Isoform-2 In Exosomes, Mohd Zubair

Theses and Dissertations

In pursuit of understanding the heterogeneity and physiological significance of multiple inositol polyphosphate phosphatase 1 (Minpp1), we have studied its isoforms for distinct motifs, subcellular distribution, and enzymatic potential. Initially, we took a Bioinformatics & Computational Biology approach exploring the proteome diversity of the Minpp1 utilizing the current NCBI database. We noticed three different minpp1 variants translated into three isoforms of Minpp1 proteins with varying molecular weight. A link between the minpp1 variant-2 gene and ER-stress, using real-time PCR, suggests a functional similarity between minpp1 variant-1 and variant-2. A detailed study on motifs revealed Minpp1 isoform-2 as the only other …

Straight White Men's Geosocial App Preferences: Exploring The Effects Of Race, Sean Aaron

Theses and Dissertations

Geosocial apps on mobile phones use location data to introduce many young adults to other people to initiate various types of relationships. This study examined how established racial preferences affect Straight White Men's (SWM) selection decisions of potential partners in a pseudo-geosocial app when controlling for age, attractiveness, and other profile factors of potential matches. A sample comprising exclusively of SWM was selected because historically, this demographic has benefited most from gender and racial inequalities (Thompson, 2009), and they make up the largest portion of people in interracial relationships in the United States (Livingston & Brown, 2017). We found that …

Inflammation And Altered Signaling In Obstetric Pathologies, Ya-Fang Tsai

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research project was to elucidate the molecular interactions and detail the signaling pathways in obstetric pathologies. This work first seeks to understand inflammation related complications relevant to obstetrics. Prior research in our lab identified the implications of the receptor of advanced glycation end products (RAGE) during inflammatory response in the placenta. Current work identified the presence of DNA double-strand breaks (DNA-DSBs) in inflammation associated pregnancy complications of preeclampsia (PE) and preterm labor (PTL) and demonstrated the positive role of RAGE in repairing the damage. The confluent relevance of disrupted mitochondrial function and inflammation has been recognized …

El Testimonio Literario Traducido: Retos Y Desafíos., Jocelyn Madelein Silva

Theses and Dissertations

Translation is one of the oldest professions in the history of humanity. Without it, it would be impossible to access other civilizations historical, social, and cultural records. The most translated text worldwide is the Bible. One of the literary genres that has not received much attention is the testimony. This literary genre is important because it provides a voice to those who do not have it. In this thesis, four testimonies from Puentes, a Mexican-Chicano journal of literature, culture, and art, are translated into Spanish. Besides the translations, this thesis addresses the history of translation and the testimony as a …