Digital Commons Network^™

Is Proximity Enough? A Case Study Examining A College Access Program On The Grounds Of Public Housing On The West Coast, Nicole S. Berry

Theses and Dissertations

The issue of college access for students from low-income communities has been a longstanding challenge in American higher education. Despite numerous efforts to address the gaps in college attendance and graduation rates between students from low-income and more affluent communities, the problem remains present. This has led to a need for an in-depth analysis of college access programming explicitly tailored to low-income communities, particularly those residing in public housing authorities. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD, 2016) has recognized this need by funding and piloting college access programs in several public housing authorities around the United States. These …

Cultural Responsiveness Training In Teacher Preparation Programs: A Qualitative Case Study, Loraine Keriece Richardson Mccray

Theses and Dissertations

The American education system has experienced a change in the racial and ethnic background of the student population nationally and in the Long Island, New York region. Yet, the teaching population remains mostly white and female. Teacher preparation programs train teachers in content, pedagogy, and adolescent development. During the training, teachers need to develop their ability to connect and understand their students' cultural and racial norms that may not exist in their program of study. This is no fault of the teacher or program but may be an inherent piece missing from the systems established to credential preservice educators. With …

The Personal Journey Of Individuals Self-Disclosing Their Disability Status Within An Urban Postsecondary Environment, Nelson Carrillo

Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative narrative study was conducted on the personal journey of individuals self-disclosing their disability status within an urban postsecondary environment. The study was intended to uncover the personal journey of students with disabilities self-disclosing their disability status within an urban postsecondary environment. Through semi-structured interviews and targeted journal responses, it explored the students’ lived experiences of seeking out and using accommodations and the students’ perceptions of faculty members’ use of universal design for instruction and universal design for learning. The findings demonstrated that a community-based institution that values diversity among professors, faculty members, and students is an environment that …

Molecular Dynamics Study Of Alpha-Synuclein Repeat Mutations And Sars-Cov-2 Nucleocapsid Linker Phosphorylation, Coby Yeung

Theses and Dissertations

The study aimed to utilize molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to investigate intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) molecules and regions, focusing on IDPs such as alpha-synuclein and the SAR-CoV-2 nucleocapsid linker segment and their variants. Methodologically, the research employed MD simulation with implicit solvent methods, GaMD enhanced sampling, Python-based analysis, and VMD visualization. The study's significance lies in revealing structural dynamics insights of IDP regions. Key findings include the average structures of target sequences from k-means clustering analysis. The impact of mutations in alpha-synuclein KTKEGV repeat mutations is also revealed. Mutations introducing hydrophobic residues, like KGV and KLK, increased surface hydrophobicity, with …

Coping With The Covid-19 Pandemic: Examining Meaning-Making In A Socioecological Framework, Emilia Eva Mikrut

Theses and Dissertations

During 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a threatening, unpredictable, and uncontrollable stressor. Meaning-making, or one’s ability to make sense of a stressful life event, integrate the event into one’s narrative of the world and meaning in life, and accordingly revise life goals, is a salient intrapsychic process contributing to psychological adjustment in the face of very stressful or traumatic experiences such as chronic health issues, interpersonal grief, and natural and man-made disasters. Early findings provide evidence for the critical role of meaning-making in coping with stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Though meaning-making is a universal process, one’s capacity …

Paresthesia Due To Peripheral Neuropathy: Anxiety And Wellbeing, Nikolas Cirillo

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Neuropathic pain has been linked with mental health concerns such as anxiety and wellbeing, but specific symptoms of neuropathic pain have had much less attention than the construct as a whole. Paresthesia, meaning “abnormal sensation” (tingling, numbness, pins and needles, impaired sensation, and itching) is a neuropathic pain symptom. Tissue compression is the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy (PN) as well as paresthesia. This study aimed to test the following hypotheses: (1) if paresthesia due to PN is positively correlated with anxiety, negatively correlated with wellbeing, and if (2) anxiety and (3) wellbeing varied significantly by level of …

Pharmacokinetic Modeling Of Metonitazene And Isotonitazene Using In Vitro And In Vivo Models And Comparison To Human Postmortem Casework, Justine P. Sorrentino

Theses and Dissertations

Metonitazene and isotonitazene are two benzimidazole opioids that are contributing to the opioid crisis nationwide. Limited pharmacokinetic data has been published on these nitazene compounds, therefore this study sought to determine if these two structurally similar opioids would have comparable half-lives and clearance utilizing in vitro and in vivo models. Using the data determined in the pharmacokinetic study, and by testing human postmortem cases, this study aimed to inform interpretation of these drugs detected in human casework. Sample analysis for all aspects of the study was performed utilizing LC/MS/MS. In vitro pharmacokinetics of both drugs were examined using a human …

Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes Increases Kidney Toxicity In Rats Exposed To Ochratoxin A, Belkys Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the rising occurrence of diabetes in the population and the prevalence of OTA exposure via ingestion of contaminated foodstuffs, there is a need to assess the possible renal interaction of a diabetic disease state in concurrence with OTA exposure. Sprague Dawley rats were treated with streptozotocin to induce experimental diabetes and then orally exposed to 0.5 mg/kg body weight OTA once a day for 21 days. Renal biomarkers and light microscopy were evaluated to assess the interaction between diabetic nephropathy and OTA exposure. LLC-PK1 proximal tubule cells were used as an in vitro model to assess the potential …

Exposure To Dithiocarbamate Fungicide Ziram Results In Hepatic And Renal Toxicity In Long-Evan Rats, Jeffrey Chen

Theses and Dissertations

Ziram is a broad spectrum fungicide that is used on a variety of crops. It has been shown to display a wide array of toxicological effects, however, there is still a scarcity of mechanistic data regarding how it facilitates those effects. One of its presumed mechanisms of toxicity is due to the production of oxidative stress. However, whether the production of oxidative stress is due to its dimethyldithiocarbamate backbone, its metal moiety, or a combination of both, is still unknown. Contributing to the production of oxidative stress is ziram’s ability to alter essential metal homeostasis through transchelation of other essential …

Determination Of Genetic Variation In Opioid-Resistant Hospice Patients Using A Pharmacogenomics Approach, Daniel Bianculli

Theses and Dissertations

Managing pain requires a delicate balance between the advantages of opioid analgesia and the possible adverse effects. This balance becomes even more difficult in hospice and palliative care environments where dosage regimens are frequently ambiguous. Some hospice patients experience opioid resistance, in which opioids no longer produce an analgesic effect on a patient. Evidence-based analyses frequently omit this vulnerable population, resulting in a need for concrete procedures. The emergence of pharmacogenomic analysis and personalized treatment presents a solution to this problem by using each patient's genomic data to interpret opiate dosing. This pharmacogenomic study aimed to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) …

Production Of Vp3-Only Aav2 Vlp In E. Coli, Chengyu Fu

Theses and Dissertations

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a widely used vector for gene therapy. However, few studies have focused on producing AAV-based virus-like particles (VLP) in E. coli. This project aimed to express VP3 of AAV2 or co-express VP3 of AAV2 with other proteins, such as E. coli chaperones and/or assembly-activating protein (AAP) in E. coli under different expression conditions and explore the potential to produce VP3-only VLP of AAV2 in situ in E. coli. The constructed plasmid pET15ΔHis-VP3 was used to express VP3 under different conditions. The results demonstrated that most expressed VP3 was in inclusion bodies in all tested conditions. Although …

Defining Scribbles: How Do Early Childhood Teachers Perceive Scribbles As A Part Of Emergent Literacy?, Sandy Dellalonga

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to understand early childhood teachers’ perceptions surrounding the topic of childhood scribbles as they relate to emergent literacy. Sociocultural theory provided a foundation for this research because of its focus on relationships between children, other children, and teachers to foster learning experiences (Gee, 2011; Vygotsky, 1978, 1998). Additionally, social semiotic theory also guided this research because childhood scribbles represent children’s “signs” which can also influence communication and literacy skills (Kress, 1997). The participants were nine preschool, transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade teachers (N=9) who volunteered to complete an open-ended survey, follow-up …

Identity Denial And Food Choice: Do Chinese Americans Reassert Their American Identity Through Food?, Shelagh Mahbubani

Theses and Dissertations

Food choice is impacted by a variety of different factors, including cultural, social and socioeconomic (Chen & Antonelli, 2020; Contento, 2008; Rozin, 2015). Food choice has a major impact on an individual’s health, and research has shown an association between the prototypical “American diet” and an increased risk for health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and stroke (Liu et al., 2020). One important social factor that can influence food choice is the desire to appear as a prototypical member of a social group (Cruwys et al., 2012). For example, when an individual’s social identity is questioned (identity threat), they may …

Evaluation Of Microglia’S Structural Variations Within An Organotypic Hippocampal Slice Model After Regionalized Toxic Injury, Jesus Antonio Trejos

Theses and Dissertations

The dendritic cells of the CNS, the microglia (MG), are an initiation point of the immunological response within the post blood-brain barrier (BBB) compartment. Microglia morphology drastically changes in response to cell stress to a much different non-dendritic morphology. This investigation postulates that if the first MG responses to toxic injury are isolated and studied in greater morphological detail there is much to be learned about MG metamorphosis from a baseline (M2) to an activated (M1) state. The organotypic hippocampal slice was the experimental setting used to investigate microglial response to toxic injury. This isolates dendritic cellular responses and associated …

Insulin And Dma Suppress The Innate Immune Response Against Aav, Tianxiang Qi

Theses and Dissertations

Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) is extensively utilized in various clinical trials and approved gene therapies. Despite its widespread use, the immune response to AAV vectors remains a significant limitation. Extensive research has been conducted to mitigate adaptive immune challenges, such as pre-existing antibodies and inhibiting the adaptive immune response. This study, however, centers on the innate immune response elicited by AAV, exploring the modulatory effects of insulin and DMA. Initially, we examined the impact of DMA and insulin on the human liver cell line Hep3B and the human macrophage cell line U937 by culturing together in transwell inserts. Following stimulation with …

Interplay Between Rna Editing And Alternative Splicing Modulates Biophysical And Pharmacological Properties Of The Ion Channel Cav1.3, Willy Munyao

Theses and Dissertations

Alternative splicing and adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing are post-transcriptional mechanisms that promote proteomic diversity in the brain. The impact of RNA editing on brain physiology is underscored by its association with the etiology and pathogenesis of various neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. Alternative splicing of exon 43 within the CaV1.3 C-terminus produces long (CaV1.3L) and short (CaV1.343S) variants exhibiting distinct gating and pharmacological properties. While the physiological role of CaV1.3 A-to-I RNA editing in brain function is still unfolding, recent findings indicate that unedited CaV1.3 channels display larger calcium influx and enhanced neuronal excitability, suggesting that A-to-I RNA editing may act …

Exploring Science And Mathematics Teachers’ Professional Identity Development During Arts Integration Processes, Lulu Sun

Theses and Dissertations

Currently, studies on STEAM education or arts integration focus on students’ experiences rather than teachers’ challenges. Thus, the purpose of this dissertation is to set an example for policymakers, educators, and researchers, to provide better support for art-integrated mathematics and biology teachers by understanding their professional identity growth and their informal art learning. In this qualitative study, I employ case study as my research methodology by conducting interviews, observation, and physical artifacts. My sample consists of a high school mathematics teacher and a biology teacher who bring art to the teaching. My research findings highlight the significance of artistic thinking …

Mobocertinib Antagonizes Multidrug Resistance In Abcb1- And Abcg2-Overexpressing Cancer Cells, Xingduo Dong

Theses and Dissertations

The resistance of cancer cells to multiple drugs, known as multidrug resistance (MDR), remains a significant obstacle that leads to the ineffectiveness of cancer chemotherapy. The overexpression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, particularly ABCB1 and ABCG2, has been strongly correlated with MDR. There is an urgent need to explore and identify novel inhibitors targeting ABCB1 and ABCG2 to overcome the related MDR. Mobocertinib (TAK-788) is an orally administered, irreversible EGFR/HER2 inhibitor approved for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 20 insertion mutations. This study …

Combined Cytotoxicity Of The Herbicide Glyphosate And The Fungicide Mancozeb In Mouse Neuroblastoma Cells, Heidi Ebid

Theses and Dissertations

The herbicide glyphosate and the fungicide mancozeb are globally applied on a variety of agricultural crops. Residues of both pesticides are frequently detected in food and water. Combined exposure to both compounds is therefore possible. Glyphosate and mancozeb have been separately investigated in previous studies and were shown to induce neurotoxicity. The current study investigates the cytotoxicity of different glyphosate and mancozeb combinations including mixture of mancozeb + glyphosate, combination of mancozeb followed by glyphosate and combination of glyphosate followed by mancozeb and compares neurotoxicity seen with the combinations to that of glyphosate or mancozeb using mouse neuroblastoma Neuro-2a cells. …

Community Violence Exposure And Externalizing, Destiny Avila

Theses and Dissertations

The present study tested whether total lifetime exposure to violence and exposure as a witness and victim were associated with externalizing behavior concurrently and one-year later in a sample of pubertal-aged youth. Participants included 125 youth (n = 68 girls) who were recruited from small cities and rural communities (Susman et al. 2007). Girls were ages 8, 10, or 12 years old (M = 10.09 years, SD = 1.64) and boys were ages 9, 11, or 13 years old (M = 10.94 years, SD = 1.61). Youth were predominantly Caucasian or White and non-Hispanic (89.5%), but the sample also included …

A Qualitative Inquiry To The Impact Of Peer Teaching On Undergraduate Chemistry Students, Marcus Sambar

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the impact of peer teaching on undergraduate STEM majors, particularly those who serve as peer teachers for introductory chemistry courses. While previous research has predominantly focused on the benefits of peer tutoring for the tutored students, the reciprocal impact on peer teachers remains underexplored. The main purpose of this study is to quantify the differences between peer teachers and comparable students who do not engage in teaching, with a specific focus on problem-solving approaches and the ability to explain STEM concepts. The assessment included coding students' work to reveal strategy use and provide a means of comparison …

Synthesis Of Leishmania Spp Antigens For The Development Of Vaccine Candidates, Dipesh Budhathoki

Theses and Dissertations

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by the protozoan parasite of the genus Leishmania. Presently no vaccine against Leishmaniasis is available, so there is a need for new anti-leishmanial treatments, including an effective preventive vaccine. We focus on developing vaccine candidates based on leishmania’s cell surface carbohydrate antigens. Saccharides heavily envelop the cell surface of Leishmania, lipophosphoglycan (LPG) becoming a significant glycan in most leishmania species. Its intrinsic antigenicity makes this polysaccharide a useful target for developing conjugated vaccine candidates against all leishmaniasis variants. In this report, we present our progress towards the synthesis of the fragments of LPG …

Black Males’ Experiences Of Resilience: A Narrative Study On College Students Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Keshia R. Graham

Theses and Dissertations

Black men’s resilience has historically been discussed, interwoven, and disguised by deficit-based models rather than strength-based ones. The current study examined Black men's resilience using a strength-based model for Black male students in higher education institutions. Specifically, the experiences and resilience of Black men before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were explored. This study targeted Black male students from an urban institution, with the aim to find out what key elements supported their resilient behavior throughout the most challenging times in their college career. The African American Male Theory and Resiliency Theory used as the theoretical framework. A narrative methodology …

Adaptive Multi-Label Classification On Drifting Data Streams, Martha Roseberry

Theses and Dissertations

Drifting data streams and multi-label data are both challenging problems. When multi-label data arrives as a stream, the challenges of both problems must be addressed along with additional challenges unique to the combined problem. Algorithms must be fast and flexible, able to match both the speed and evolving nature of the stream. We propose four methods for learning from multi-label drifting data streams. First, a multi-label k Nearest Neighbors with Self Adjusting Memory (ML-SAM-kNN) exploits short- and long-term memories to predict the current and evolving states of the data stream. Second, a punitive k nearest neighbors algorithm with a self-adjusting …

Investigating The Ultrafast Dissociation Dynamics Of Energetic Materials Using Femtosecond Time-Resolved Mass Spectrometry, Jacob M. Shusterman

Theses and Dissertations

Shock initiation of energetic materials produces cations and anions that can contribute to initial endothermic chemical reactions which lead to detonation. Hence, knowledge of the initial dissociation pathways of ionized energetic molecules is important for advancing the understanding of initiation mechanisms and meeting longstanding goals of the Department of Defense. Despite their potential importance, these transient charged species are difficult to detect in detonation experiments and are often ignored in molecular dynamics modeling of shocked energetic materials. However, the technique of pump-probe femtosecond time-resolved mass spectrometry (FTRMS) paired with complementary theoretical calculations can be used to elucidate initial unimolecular dissociation …

Prosthetic Attention In Upper Limb Loss: User Experiences, Clinical Perceptions, And Developing Candidate Items, Tanu Bhargava

Theses and Dissertations

The human hand is a powerful tool essential for performing a range of tasks from simple to complex, and it plays a crucial role in social interactions and environmental engagement. Upper limb (UL) loss disrupts these functions and significantly impacts daily life. Prosthetic devices can partially restore these abilities and improve quality of life, but they lack the intuitive control and sensory feedback of natural hands. Consequently, operating a UL prosthesis requires substantial attentional demands, a factor that potentially contributes to high rates of device dissatisfaction and disuse. For UL prosthesis users, managing attentional resources is critical to efficiently controlling …

Sphingosine Kinase 2 Depletion Dysregulates Hepatic Redox Metabolism And Enhances Inflammation In Early Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (Mash), Kaitlyn Georgene Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) currently affects one in three people worldwide; its prevalence is growing alongside other cardiometabolic disorders. Aberrations to redox and sphingolipid metabolism contribute to MASLD pathologic progression. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is an active lipid, meaning that S1P participates in biochemical processes within the cell. S1P is generated by two distinct isoenzymes, sphingosine kinase (SphK)1 and SphK2. The localization of the SphK enzyme dictates S1P function. While cytosolic SphK1-generated S1P is well-characterized, nuclear and mitochondrial SphK2-generated S1P is less known. Moreover, SphK2 depletion effects on cellular redox processes and inflammation are not well-defined.

This study defines the …

The Role Of Hdac6 In Periodontal Inflammation, Hannah S. Lohner

Theses and Dissertations

Periodontal disease is a polymicrobial infection-induced chronic inflammatory disease and results in irreversible tissue damage and bone loss. While bacteria play a large role in the initiation of this disease, excessive and prolonged inflammatory immune responses are fundamental for its progression, making host directed therapy (HDT) a possible and potentially valuable treatment. Histone Deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) is an enzyme that removes acetyl groups from both histone and non-histone proteins, giving it a potential role in regulating inflammation initiated by pathogenic oral bacteria. Previous studies indicated that HDACs act as a bivalent regulator in inflammatory responses; however, the role that HDAC6 …

Plk1 Overexpression Drives Tumorigenesis In A Prostate Cancer Mouse Model, Emile Kachouh

Theses and Dissertations

Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men worldwide, and the development of resistance to existing treatments necessitates the exploration of new therapeutic strategies, including combination therapies. This study investigates the role of Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), located on chromosome 16p12.2, as an oncogene in prostate cancer. We generated a transgenic mouse model with prostate-specific overexpression of PLK1 to closely mimic human prostate cancer progression. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis was employed to characterize the molecular profile of PLK1, revealing its implication in multiple pathways. To further elucidate the functional consequences of PLK1 overexpression, we confirmed phenotypic progression …

The Effect Of Local Anesthesia When Used In Dental Restorative Cases Under General Anesthesia On Control Of Postoperative Comfort, Elizabeth S. Kleefisch Dds

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose:

To determine the effect of local anesthesia on postoperative comfort in patients undergoing dental care under general anesthesia.

Methods:

This study was modeled as a double-blinded randomized control trial. Patients included healthy children under the age of 6 years scheduled for restorative dental treatment under general anesthesia (GA). Patient behavior was evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively using the Faces, Legs, Activity, Cry and Consolability (FLACC) or other pain score and postoperatively using the Parent’s Postoperative Pain Measure (PPPM). Intraoperatively, participants followed a standardized general anesthesia protocol and were given either local anesthetic (LA) infiltration using 2% Lidocaine 1:100,000 Epinephrine by …