Digital Commons Network^™

Detection Of Biomolecules Via Ocp Measurements Using Npg Electrodes, Borkat Ullah

Theses and Dissertations

In sensing application nanoporous gold (NPG) has attracted much attention. NPG is prepared by dealloying Au:Ag alloys. Characterization was done using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). In this work, the open circuit potential (OCP) of ferricyanide, cysteine, uric acid, and ascorbic acid was measured in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) and biofouling solution containing bovine serum albumin (BSA) at pH 7.4. OCP measurement has been hindered due to biofouling and surface passivation on the metal electrodes. By the use of the NPG electrodes, electrochemical activity can be maintained. From the OCP measurement of cysteine, …

Port To World, Samuel M. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Among those that are ill for long periods, there is often a mistrust created not only in one’s own body but in the institution that promises a cure to the malady. Often this stems naturally from the dogma of the institution paired with one’s desire for wellness, for the institution's goals are many besides the overall health of the patient. Even when a patient is cured of an ailment, this is often just the first step in the actual healing process. The body can quickly change, and the mind takes time to catch up with the body's condition. My work …

Paul By Paul By Paul, Paul Finch

Theses and Dissertations

In 2020 flamboyant fashion is associated with queer performativity. Psychologist Alan Downs and queer theorist madison moore understand this to be a response to a culture that is hostile to sexual behaviour and gender expression that falls outside a rigid binary. I study the history of flamboyant aesthetics and camp sensibilities from an intersectional perspective, and locate designers and artists who have produced clothes in ways that materialize the political implications of fashion. As a studio-based artist, I employ traditional sewing techniques, digital technologies, and performance to create clothes and new media works that demonstrate a circular understanding of time, …

The Heat Is On: Comparison Of Thermoregulatory Behavior In Parasitised Versus Unparasitized Caterpillars Of The Tobacco Hornworm, Manduca Sexta (L.) [Lepidoptera: Sphingidae], Jessica M. Johnston

Theses and Dissertations

Insect thermoregulatory research has demonstrated evidence of variation occurring within and among species with respect to infection, pathogens, and parasitism, but few studies have examined differences in thermoregulatory behavior in a host-parasite system with a coevolved symbiotic virus. I investigated the role of parasitism by Cotesia congregata (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on the thermoregulatory behavior of Manduca sexta (L.) (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) using an experimental design in a thermal gradient chamber and a complementary observational field study on wild M. sexta collected from tobacco farms. Parasitism and larval age were not found to have a significant effect on the preferred body temperature …

See As One, Min Haeng Kang

Theses and Dissertations

Everything that exists in the world is made from “nature.” Humans who initially coexisted with nature began to distinguish themselves from what is human and what is not. Unlike past systems that used to reuse all materials, Society so far has focused on maximizing economic profits along with advancing technology. As a result, the nature of the earth is being irrevocably destroyed, and I think the basis for this lies in the distinctions made between the human and the non-human.

I am always seeking to be in a state where I do not have an atman, like the Buddhist concept …

Novel Strategies To Overcome Carboplatin Resistance In Triple Negative Breast Cancer Using Patient Derived Xenografts, Mohammad A. Al Zubi

Theses and Dissertations

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients have a poor prognosis and rely on chemotherapeutic treatment as standard of care. Often, they develop chemotherapy resistance, which leaves them without more therapeutic options, like targeted therapy. New models have been developed to test targeted inhibitors in human tumors, and they are known as patient-derived xenografts (PDX). These tumors are obtained from patients, then established and maintained in mice where they areused for tumor studies. In this work, we characterized 14 PDXs for their primary tumor growth rate and investigated metastatic propensity using spontaneous and experiment metastasis models. We utilized RNA-sequencing to characterize contributions …

Analysis Of Stigmatic Content In State Mental Health Legislative Proposals, David L. Conley

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the proven effectiveness of mental health interventions, services remain limited across the country. Social workers have repeatedly advocated for increased funding, but mental healthcare gaps persist. Disparities could be addressed through the policy process, but critical proposals often do not pass. One of the biggest barriers is the concept of stigma, which could extend into legislatures and influence mental health-related policy outcomes as a form of structural stigma. Factors that influence legislator voting behavior are found in the literature, but studies have not explicitly focused on structural stigma or mental health-specific policy outcomes. Thus, the present study aimed to …

The Role Of Interleukin-18 In Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion, Yogesh Dhakal

Theses and Dissertations

Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) is one of the leading causes of morbidity for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in the western world. While mortality rates for AMI has reduced in the last 20 years due to advancements in clinical interventions, patients who have an AMI are significantly more likely to develop heart failure (HF) in the following years. Reperfusion of the ischemic tissue is a necessary procedure to restore blood delivery to cardiomyocytes, minimize myocardial dysfunction, and reduce infarct size. Still, the step of reperfusion itself induces myocardial damage in a phenomenon known as reperfusion injury. Considering that the degree of myocardial …

Can School Be A Source Of Trauma? Assessing Academic Traumatic Stress As A Mechanism Underlying The Health Outcomes Of Black Undergraduate Students, Ebony A. Lambert

Theses and Dissertations

Research examining Black students’ school experiences demonstrates that exposure to oppressive power dynamics in schools may lead to adverse physiological and psychological consequences. Recent conceptualizations in public discourse further posit that traumatic educational experiences, operationalized here as academic trauma or the cumulative toll of adverse and oppressive experiences in academic settings, may influence Black students’ wellbeing even after they have graduated. However, academic trauma has yet to be investigated empirically, and the health contributions of such educational harm remain unstudied. Moreover, little is known about how culturally-relevant personal characteristics (e.g., emotion regulation strategies) influence Black students’ reactivity to academic trauma. …

Taxa Specific Responses To Flooding Shape Patterns Of Abundance In A River Rock Pool Metacommunity, Charles R. Stunkle

Theses and Dissertations

Connectivity and habitat area are important landscape characteristics that drive patterns of abundance and diversity across scales. However, responses to connectivity and patch size are dependent on species traits. Riverine landscapes are highly dynamic both spatially and temporally with hydrologic connectivity being a major driver of abundance and diversity. Here we modeled densities of the Virginia river snail and skimmer dragonfly nymphys, two taxa with differences in their dispersal abilities and life histories, as a function of flooding, patch area, and season in over 300 riverine rock pools. We found key differences in how each taxon responded to these predictors …

Anti-Tumor Functions Of Sphingosine Kinase 1 And Sphingosine Kinase 2 In Breast Cancer Development, Melissa A. Maczis

Theses and Dissertations

Bioactive sphingolipid metabolite sphingosine-1‐phosphate (S1P) circulating levels have been implicated in breast cancer (BC) progression. BCs usually respond to 17β-Estradiol (E2) through canonical receptor ERα66 for genomic effects, however, E2 also triggers rapid, non-genomic responses. E2 has been shown to activate sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1), increasing S1P for S1P receptors signaling important for BC. The E2 receptor activating SphK1 has not been identified. We demonstrate triple negative BC cells, expressing only novel ERα splice variant ERα36, E2-induced SphK1 activation for S1P secretion. Tamoxifen, first-line BC endocrine therapy, an ERα66 antagonist but ERα36 agonist, activates SphK1 and increases S1P secretion in …

Focal Augmentation Of Somatostatin Interneuron Function And Subsequent Circuit Effects In Developmentally Malformed, Epileptogenic Cortex, Nicole Ekanem

Theses and Dissertations

Drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) is a common clinical sequela of developmental cortical malformations such as polymicrogyria. Unfortunately, much remains unknown about the aberrant GABA-mediated circuit alterations that underlie DRE's onset and persistence in this context. To address this knowledge gap, we utilized the transcranial freeze lesion model in optogenetic mice lines (Somatostatin (SST)-Cre or Parvalbumin (PV)-Cre x floxed channelrhodopsin-2) to dissect features of the SST, PV, and pyramidal neuron microcircuit that are potentially associated with DRE. Investigations took place within developmental microgyria’s known pathological substrate, the adjoined and epileptogenic paramicrogyral region (PMR). As well, microcircuit relationships within the previously unexplored range …

Solid Phase Extraction And High-Precision Mass Spectrometry Analysis Methods For Crassostrea Virginica Metabolome, Alyssa Darling

Theses and Dissertations

Metabolomics is the rapidly-growing field which focuses on the endpoints of biological processes, and has the capability to provide a snapshot of an organisms’ interaction with their environment on a molecular scale. The objective of the experiment herein was to develop a standard metabolic extraction technique coupled with ultrahigh-precision analytical tools to build a global metabolic pathway of the keystone species Crassostrea virginica. To achieve this, C. virginica whole-body samples were extracted using acetonitrile and methanol, then split into a dehydrated group and a diluted group. Following reversed-phase solid phase extraction (RP-SPE) of both groups, metabolites were identified using …

Spag17 Is Important For Protein Trafficking In Mammalian Spermiogenesis, Virali Bhagat

Theses and Dissertations

Spermiogenesis is the process through which undifferentiated germ cells develop into mature spermatozoa. While spermiogenesis is a very well-regulated process, the protein-protein interactions regulating it remain poorly understood. A knockout (KO) mouse for the ciliary protein SPAG17 was generated by our lab. Loss of SPAG17 has been shown to disrupt the transport of proteins important for acrosome biogenesis and manchette functions. With this information, we hypothesized that SPAG17 plays an essential role in protein trafficking during mammalian spermiogenesis. To further investigate this, immunofluorescence (IF) studies were performed in germ cells collected from both WT and SPAG17 KO mice to visualize …

Prediction Of The Vaginal Microbiome Using Urine Samples, Christopher R. Diachok

Theses and Dissertations

The vaginal microbiome is associated with women’s health, including but not limited to the pathogenesis of bacterial vaginosis, adverse pregnancy outcomes including preterm birth and sexually transmitted infections. However, there has been very limited research on the urinary microbiome and its relationship to the vaginal microbiome. We sought to predict the vaginal microbiome profile using clean catch urine samples from the same person. Here, paired vaginal and urine samples were collected and sequenced by 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. Alpha and beta diversity analysis showed that there was no significant difference between the paired vaginal and urine microbiomes. In fact, a …

Anticholinergic Burden And Risk Of Cognitive Impairment In Older Adults, Syeda Hashimi

Theses and Dissertations

Studies reveal that 10-27% of older adults chronically use anticholinergic medications. Increased cumulative anticholinergic burden scores are associated with increased risks of dementia. The mechanisms by which anticholinergic drugs negatively impact cognition remain elusive. However, researchers speculate that the drug’s impairment of cholinergic neurons promotes neuroinflammation.

We hypothesize that drugs with anticholinergic properties will induce inflammation in the brain. MCP1 and IL 6 are chemokines that contribute to neuroinflammation. We investigated the influence of diphenhydramine (Benadryl) on the production of MCP1 and IL-6 in Normal Human Astrocytes and Paroxetine on the production of MCP1 in Normal Human Astrocytes and Normal …

An Investigation Of Loss Of Control Eating Episodes And The Five Indicator Variables Of Loss Of Control Eating In A Non-Clinical Sample, Erica Goodman

Theses and Dissertations

Binge eating is common across both clinical and non-clinical populations; the diagnostic definition of binge eating has been scrutinized by extant literature in that findings have shown loss of control (LOC) to be more related to pathology than the amount of food consumed. The current study aimed to elucidate this notion further by investigating different types of LOC eating based on perception and amount of food consumed. College students (N = 227) completed self-report questionnaires assessing disordered eating, psychopathology, emotion regulation, impulsivity, quality of life, and self-esteem; 173 (76%) also completed an interview on typical and LOC eating in the …

The Value Of Existential Worlds: Creation And Validation Of A Measure To Explore The Four Existential Worlds, Matthew Robert Rozzi

Theses and Dissertations

The field of counseling psychology is increasingly focused on understanding clients in holistic and non-pathologizing ways. Existential theory provides the four-worlds model for exploring human existence in line with this modern psychological zeitgeist. In this model, humans are understood to exist simultaneously in four “worlds” or “dimensions”: physical (umwelt), social (mitwelt), psychological (eigenwelt), and spiritual/philosophical (uberwelt). This measure construction project is the first known study to examine the personal importance (value) of existing in each world. The Value of Existential Worlds (VEW) was created and psychometrically examined. From the initial 63-items, a shorter (20-item) version was created which demonstrated a …

Examining College Students’ Emotions And Alcohol Usage On A College Campus: Student Chemical Assessment And Review Program (Scarp), Thomas William Solem

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use and abuse is an important issue amongst college students, and the totality of impacts are still misunderstood. Identification of high-risk alcohol abuse problems leads universities to intervene; however, the emotional, personal, and academic impacts of such mandated intervention programs is unclear. Helping universities understand students’ alcohol abuse challenges can aid appropriate interventions, as well as improve student well-being and academic success.

The purpose of this study is to examine the Student Chemical Assessment Review Program (SCARP), specifically to explore its impacts on student variables (university motivation, readiness/importance of confidence to change, self-esteem, guilt, shame, depression, anxiety, and resiliency) …

Investigation Of The Neurological Manifestations Of Lyme Disease And The Impact Of Borrelia Burgdorferi On The Epigenetic Landscape Of Astrocytes, Derick Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Lyme disease, caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), is the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the United States – with 30,000 cases being reported to the CDC annually, though it is estimated that 300,000 individuals are infected each year in the U.S [1–4]. Due to the medical treatment of the disease, this equates to an estimated $712 million - $1.3 billion in medical costs each year [5]. Conclusively, due to the continued geographical spread and increasing incidence rate, Lyme disease is becoming a greater public health threat throughout the world.

The symptoms of Lyme disease can range from …

A Systematic Analysis Of Temporal Trends In Handgrip Strength For 2,584,978 Adults Between 1960 And 2017, Trevor James Dufner

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To systematically analyze temporal trends in handgrip strength (HGS) for adults.

Methods: Four electronic databases, along with researcher’s personal libraries, were searched up to August 2019 for studies reporting on temporal trends in mean HGS for apparently healthy adults who were broadly representative of their source population. Temporal trends in mean HGS were analyzed at the country-sex-age group level using sample-weighted linear or polynomial (quadratic or cubic) regression models.

Results: Data from eight studies/datasets were extracted to estimate trends in mean HGS for 2,584,978 adults aged 20–90+ years from 13 different countries (across three continents) between 1960 and 2017. …

Twice-Exceptional College Students Narratives: When Giftedness And Mental Health Intersect, Emily Dubord Hill

Theses and Dissertations

Gifted college students often arrive at universities with high GPAs and/or ACT/SAT scores. Their achievements in extracurricular activities such as in the arts, athletics, service, and leadership are well beyond the average student. To admissions representatives and faculty, these students look well-adjusted and successful on paper. However, many of these gifted college students come with unique challenges that go misunderstood, ignored, and underserved during their years in higher education—specifically involving their mental health.

There are copious amounts of literature on gifted K-12 students and their mental health behaviors but very limited research done on the gifted college student population. Although …

Recovering Lost Voices: The Rappahannock Tribe And The Jamestown Festival Of 1957, Woodie L. Walker Ii

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis employs the interdisciplinary methodologies of ethnohistory and oral history to examine the legacy of the 1957 Jamestown Festival through the experiences and memories of Rappahannock people. “Recovering Lost Voices: The Rappahannock Tribe and the Jamestown Festival of 1957” adds to the historiography of Virginia Natives by revealing that Rappahannock participation in the Jamestown Festival was the culmination of centuries of cultural preservation, greatly influenced and made immediate by their experiences in “Jim Crow” Virginia during the twentieth century. This research establishes that the enduring legacy of the Festival for the Rappahannock Tribe was political influence, culminating in state …

Synthesis And The Genetic Encoding Of Novel Lysine Post-Translational Modifications, Sahan A. Galbada Liyanage

Theses and Dissertations

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) play a significant role in regulating cell signaling and regulating the inner cellular environment. The study of PTMs and their primary biological functions is critical for the development of new medicines targeting the pathways and biomolecules responsible for the PTMs.

Previous studies revealed the direct coupling of the β -hydroxybutyryl lysine (K_BHB) modification with the gene expression. K_BHB in histone proteins links metabolism to epigenetics and gene expression and enables to study in-depth, how cell metabolism controls the gene expression and vice versa. Similar novel histone modification, K_Lac, attracts a special interest …

Environmental Governance For Whom? Examining The Political, Institutional, Fiscal, And Legal Determinants Of State Environmental Agency Budget Policy In The Us, Andrew R. Duggan

Theses and Dissertations

Budgets are a prospective tool of governance, and appropriations are a planning vehicle reflecting: bureaucracies’ values, complex interactions, collective preferences, political influences, and available resources. Research spanning 30 years finds that environmental pollution is a key determinant of environmental budgets in the US, though myriad factors, actors, and subsystems are important to consider. Due to federalism and devolution of responsibilities and authorities, environmental governance falls largely to the states. While the dynamics that shape state environmental budget policy have received scholarly interest, theoretically-driven examinations of environmental appropriations remain limited within the public budgeting and environmental policy literature.

Using panel data …

Behavior Change Techniques To Promote Smoking Cessation During Pregnancy: A Theory-Based Meta-Analysis, Caroline A. Orr

Theses and Dissertations

Despite significant progress, smoking during pregnancy remains one of the leading preventable causes of adverse fetal and maternal health outcomes. Using the current best practice standard of psychosocial counseling, only about one out of every 20 pregnant women quits smoking, and relapse rates are very high. Developing more effective interventions to promote smoking cessation during pregnancy is a critical public health priority that requires a thorough understanding of behavior change and its complex pathways and determinants. As such, the purpose of this three-part study was to conduct the first systematic theory-based evidence synthesis of smoking cessation interventions during pregnancy, and …

Predictive Ecology: Simulating Long-Term Changes In Forest Populations Responding To Various Reintroduction Methods Of The Bc3f3 American-Chinese Chestnut Tree., Shelby Dawn Young

Theses and Dissertations

Vida is an explicit biometric simulator tool used to predict multiple aspects of plant populations and community dynamics. Vida is a growth model combined with a reiterative algorithm. The software is written in Python and uses species-specific growth data to model virtual forest ensembles based on each species’ growth parameters. Biometric modeling tools like Vida are reliable because they are based on mathematically observed biological truths, of which scientists can use to enhance the predictive power of ecological approaches in different areas. These simulation outputs can be used to demonstrate the ways a forest grows over time. The user can …

Effects Of Violent And Nonviolent Life Stressors Among Urban Early Adolescents: Testing Competing Models Of Comorbid Distress And Externalizing Symptoms, Erin Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

The strong association between stressful life events and the wide-ranging spectrum of psychopathology has led some to advocate for the reconceptualization of traumatic stress. There has been a longstanding debate on whether these symptoms are best represented by using dimensional versus categorical approaches. Moreover, further understanding of the risk factors associated with various dimensions or patterns of comorbid emotional and behavioral problems could inform future research and intervention efforts. The current study tested competing variable- and person-centered approaches and examined how stressful life events are associated with different patterns of distress and externalizing symptoms among a predominantly African American and …

Effects Of Choice Orientation And Consensual Non-Monogamy On Relationship Quality, Meara Thombre

Theses and Dissertations

Consensual non-monogamy (CNM) is a style of sexual or romantic relationship that consensually includes more than two people. Despite a notable prevalence of CNM relationships in the United States, there is relatively little research on this population. While previous research generally finds similar levels of relationship quality to that of monogamist relationships, those in CNM relationships experience notable stigma and are an understudied population. The current study used the Maximization Paradox (Dar-Nimrod, Rawn, Lehman, & Schwartz, 2009) to investigate whether individual differences in choice orientation might impact relationship quality differently in CNM and monogamist relationships. Specifically, it investigated whether maximizers, …

Home Range And Habitat Selection Of Gray Wolves (Canis Lupus) On Red Lake Indian Reservation And Surrounding Areas, June Levin

Theses and Dissertations

Every animal requires space where they can perform activities to survive and reproduce. For land animals, components of space use include area and habitat. Because most land animals are living on a human dominated landscape, understanding home range area and habitat needs is critical to their conservation. This is particularly relevant for threatened or endangered species such as the gray wolf (Canis lupus). The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources estimates home ranges and habitat use of wolves in northwestern Minnesota; however, a subset of this population lives within the bounds of Red Lake Indian Reservation, where The Red Lake Band …