Digital Commons Network^™

Interstitial Inorganic Phosphate As A Tumor Microenvironment Marker For Tumor Progression, Andrey A. Bobko, Timothy D. Eubank, Benoit Driesschaert, Ilirian Dhimitruka, Jason Evans, Rahman Mohammad, Elena E. Tchekneva, Mikhail M. Dikov, Valery V. Khramtsov

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Noninvasive in vivo assessment of chemical tumor microenvironment (TME) parameters such as oxygen (pO2), extracellular acidosis (pHe), and concentration of interstitial inorganic phosphate (Pi) may provide unique insights into biological processes in solid tumors. In this work, we employ a recently developed multifunctional trityl paramagnetic probe and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technique for in vivoconcurrent assessment of these TME parameters in various mouse models of cancer. While the data support the existence of hypoxic and acidic regions in TME, the most dramatic differences, about 2-fold higher concentrations in tumors vs. normal tissues, were observed for interstitial Pi …

Divergent Human Cortical Regions For Processing Distinct Acoustic-Semantic Categories Of Natural Sounds: Animal Action Sounds Vs. Vocalizations, Paula J. Webster, Laura M. Skipper-Kallal, Chris A. Frum, Hayley N. Still, B Douglas Ward, James W. Lewis

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

A major gap in our understanding of natural sound processing is knowledge of where or how in a cortical hierarchy differential processing leads to categorical perception at a semantic level. Here, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) we sought to determine if and where cortical pathways in humans might diverge for processing action sounds vs. vocalizations as distinct acoustic-semantic categories of real-world sound when matched for duration and intensity. This was tested by using relatively less semantically complex natural sounds produced by non-conspecific animals rather than humans. Our results revealed a striking double-dissociation of activated networks bilaterally. This included a …

Inferring The Impact Of Regulatory Mechanisms That Underpin Cd8+ T Cell Control Of B16 Tumor Growth In Vivo Using Mechanistic Models And Simulation, Davis J. Klinke, Qing Wang

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

A major barrier for broadening the efficacy of immunotherapies for cancer is identifying key mechanisms that limit the efficacy of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. Yet, identifying these mechanisms using human samples and mouse models for cancer remains a challenge. While interactions between cancer and the immune system are dynamic and non-linear, identifying the relative roles that biological components play in regulating anti-tumor immunity commonly relies on human intuition alone, which can be limited by cognitive biases. To assist natural intuition, modeling and simulation play an emerging role in identifying therapeutic mechanisms. To illustrate the approach, we developed a multi-scale mechanistic model …

Vascular Endothelial Over-Expression Of Human Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase (Tie2-Seh Tr) Attenuates Coronary Reactive Hyperemia In Mice: Role Of Oxylipins And Ω-Hydroxylases, Ahmad Hanif, Matthew L. Edin, Darryl C. Zeldin, Christophe Morisseau, John R. Falck, Mohammed A. Nayeem

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Cytochromes P450 metabolize arachidonic acid (AA) into two vasoactive oxylipins with opposing biologic effects: epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) and omega-(ω)-terminal hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs). EETs have numerous beneficial physiological effects, including vasodilation and protection against ischemia/reperfusion injury, whereas ω-terminal HETEs induce vasoconstriction and vascular dysfunction. We evaluated the effect of these oxylipins on post-ischemic vasodilation known as coronary reactive hyperemia (CRH). CRH prevents the potential harm associated with transient ischemia. The beneficial effects of EETs are reduced after their hydrolysis to dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids (DHETs) by soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH). ω-terminal HETEs are formed by ω-hydroxylase family members. The relationship among endothelial over-expression …

Genetic Association Of Mmp10, Mmp14, And Mmp16 With Dental Caries, D D. Lewis, J R. Shaffer, E Feingold, M Cooper, M M. Vanyukov, B S. Maher, R L. Slayton, M C. Willing, S E. Reis, D W. Mcneil, R J. Weyant, A R. Vieira, M L. Marazita

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which degrade extracellular proteins as part of a variety of physiological processes, and their inhibitors have been implicated in the dental caries process. Here we investigated 28 genetic variants spanning the MMP10, MMP14, and MMP16 genes to detect association with dental caries experience in 13 age- and race-stratified () samples from 6 parent studies. Analyses were performed separately for each sample, and results were combined across samples by meta-analysis. Two SNPs (rs2046315 and rs10429371) upstream of MMP16 were significantly associated with caries in an individual sample of white adults and via meta-analysis across 8 adult samples after …

Topical Application Of The Anti-Microbial Chemical Triclosan Induces Immunomodulatory Responses Through The S100a8/A9-Tlr4 Pathway, Nikki B. Marshall, Ewa Lukomska, Ajay P. Nayak, Carrie M. Long, Justin M. Hettick, Stacey E. Anderson

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The anti-microbial compound triclosan is incorporated into numerous consumer products and is detectable in the urine of 75% of the general United States population. Recent epidemiological studies report positive associations with urinary triclosan levels and allergic disease. Although not sensitizing, earlier studies previously found that repeated topical application of triclosan augments the allergic response to ovalbumin (OVA) though a thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) pathway in mice. In the present study, early immunological effects following triclosan exposure were further evaluated following topical application in a murine model. These investigations revealed abundant expression of S100A8/A9, which reportedly acts as an endogenous ligand …

Pyrolysis Gas As A Carbon Source For Biogas Production Via Anaerobic Digestion, Yeqing Li, Dongfang Su, Sen Luo, Hao Jiang, Mingyu Qian, Hongjun Zhou, Jason Street, Yan Luo, Quan Xu

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Carbon is an important resource for anaerobes to enhance biogas production. In this study, the possibility of using simulated pyrolysis gas (SPG) as a carbon source for biogas production was investigated. The effects of stirring speed (SS), gas holding time (GHT), and H2 addition on biomethanation of SPG were evaluated. The diversity and structure of microbial communities were also analyzed under an illumina MiSeq platform. Results indicated that at a GHT of 14 h and an SS at 400 rpm, SPG with up to 64.7% CH4could be bio-upgraded to biogas. Gas–liquid mass transfer is the limitation for SPG biomethanation. For …

A Preliminary Genome-Wide Association Study Of Pain-Related Fear: Implications For Orofacial Pain, Cameron L. Randall, Casey D. Wright, Jonathan M. Chernus, Daniel W. Mcneil, Eleanor Feingold, Richard J. Crout, Katherine Neiswanger, Robert J. Weyant, John R. Shaffer, Mary L. Marazita

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background. Acute and chronic orofacial pain can significantly impact overall health and functioning. Associations between fear of pain and the experience of orofacial pain are well-documented, and environmental, behavioral, and cognitive components of fear of pain have been elucidated. Little is known, however, regarding the specific genes contributing to fear of pain. Methods. A genome-wide association study (GWAS; ) was performed to identify plausible genes that may predispose individuals to various levels of fear of pain. The total score and three subscales (fear of minor, severe, and medical/dental pain) of the Fear of Pain Questionnaire-9 (FPQ-9) were modeled in a …

Original Paper Cell Free Dna As A Marker Of Training Status In Weightlifters, Jeremy A. Gentles, William G. Hornsby, Christine L. Coniglio, Andrew R. Dotterweich, Jon A. Miller, Charles A. Stuart, Michael H. Stone

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The purpose of this investigation was to elucidate the changes in cf-DNA as it relates to fluctuations in resistance training workloads and intensities. The relationship between cell free DNA (cf-DNA), C-reactive protein (CRP), creatine kinase (CK), testosterone (T), cortisol (C), testosterone-cortisol ratio (T:C), body mass and body composition were also examined. Eight weightlifters (5 males and 3 females, age = 25 ± 3.5 yr, body mass = 88.3 ± 22.7 kg, height = 173.8 ±8.4 cm) volunteered to participate in this study. Venous blood samples, body mass and body composition were taken six times, each corresponding to the end of …

Morphological And Chemical Properties Of Particulate Matter In The Dammam Metropolitan Region: Dhahran, Khobar, And Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Bassam S. Tawabini, Taoreed T. Lawal, Abdulaziz Shaibani, Ashraf Farahat

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Characteristics of airborne particulate matter (PM) as well as its levels in air samples collected from selected sites within cities of Dhahran, Khobar, and Dammam, in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, are investigated. Concentration levels of the 10 microns’ PM (i.e., PM10) are determined using the gravimetric technique. Morphological and chemical characteristics of the PM collected from the sampling cities are studied using Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF). Moreover, levels and types of hazardous materials related to these samples are assessed using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Results revealed that …

Law-Based Arguments And Messages To Advocate For Later School Start Time Policies In The United States, Clark J. Lee, Dennis M. Nolan, Steven W. Lockley, Brent Pattison

Homeland Security Publications

The increasing scientific evidence that early school start times are harmful to the health and safety of teenagers has generated much recent debate about changing school start times policies for adolescent students. Although efforts to promote and implement such changes have proliferated in the United States in recent years, they have rarely been supported by law-based arguments and messages that leverage the existing legal infrastructure regulating public education and child welfare in the United States. Furthermore, the legal bases to support or resist such changes have not been explored in detail to date. This article provides an overview of how …

Inseparable Faith: Exploring Manifestations And Experiences Of Faith-Work Integration In Young Alumni From A Christian University, Emilie Hoffman

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

The integration of faith and work refers to the manner in which individuals reconcile meaning sets and worldviews with their work. In the two most recent decades, discussion on the involvement of religion, faith, and spirituality in the workplace has increased in popularity in the United States (Hammond, Stevens, & Svanoe, 2002; Hillman, 2005; Kidwell, 2014). While recent studies describe the characteristics of an individual’s integration of faith and work and influences on the same, research measuring the extent or trends of integration is lacking. Further, studies predominately focus on the impact of congregation, religious attendance, or workplaces on faith-work …

The Quiet Call: A Grounded Theory Exploration Of Vocational Development And Introversion In College Students, Alex T. Crist

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

Vocational development is the process of understanding one’s calling through various internal and external influences. While vocation is an increasingly popular research topic, research has not addressed how one’s personality shapes his or her vocational development. Therefore, the purpose of the research was to explore the vocational development of introverted college students. Using a two-part qualitative study, 101 participants provided online essays, and 9 participants participated in face-to-face interviews in order to understand the influences and process of introverts seeking to discover their vocation. Results suggested various external and internal influences of vocational development, as well as the perceived relationship …

Benefits And Level Of Satisfaction A First-Year Orientation Program Delivers For Freshmen In College, Katie Evensen

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

Freshmen beginning their undergraduate education enter with various backgrounds and understanding of what college expectations will be. Institutions must properly ease first-year students into this new transition in their life. One way to help a first-year student transitioning into college is with a first-year orientation program. First-year orientation programs provide unique space for students to adjust well to their institution. Orientation provides time prior to the academic year beginning to allow first-year students to meet their peers, better understand the transition into college, become familiar with campus, feel comfortable with interacting with faculty, staff and administration, and learn more about …

"It Feels A Bit Like Imposter Syndrome": Examining The Issue Of Masculinity And Depression In Male College Students, Wil Story

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine how male students navigate depression and masculinity while at their respective institutions. The study explored the topic through analyzing quantitative survey data from the studied university, in addition to hearing male students’ experience with depression and masculinity and considering university counselors’ expert opinions about patterns they observe in male students. The study was guided by the following research questions:

1. Does depression influence how one perceives his own masculinity?
2. Does an individual’s view of masculinity influence their willingness to seek professional help for depression?

Major findings surrounding depression and masculinity include depression’s affects …

Investigating The Antibacterial Properties Of Mollusks Native To The Boston Harbor And Wood Neck Beach: Developing A Comparative Study Between Mytilus Edulis And Ensis Directus, Nasreen Al-Qadi

Student Library Research Awards

Honorable Mention for 2017. Paper written for course BISC 210. Supporting faculty: Jeff Hughes.

Adulting Is Hard: Anxiety And Insecurity In The Millennial Generation’S Coming Of Age Process, Amy Johnson

Honors Thesis Collection

Although ubiquitous in the media, sociological analyses of the Millennial generation are sparse. This thesis places Millennials at the intersection of modernity and generational theories by analyzing the generational identity and coming of age processes of modern young adults in conjunction with the anxieties, insecurities, and existential concerns that accompany their transition into adulthood. Data was collected in Northern California using in-depth interviews with 25 young adults between the ages of 17 and 27. Despite being members of the same generation, their experiences are not easily generalizable due to the increasing importance of identity factors such as race, gender, and …

Examining The Role Of Phosphorylation On Interactions Between The Cardiac Potassium Channel Alpha-Subunits Herg And Kvlqt1, Medeea Popescu

Honors Thesis Collection

KvLQT1 and hERG are the α-subunits of the voltage-gated K⁺ channels which carry the cardiac repolarizing currents IKs and IKr, respectively. These currents function in vivo with some redundancy to maintain appropriate action potential durations (APDs) in cardiomyocytes. As such, protein-protein interactions between hERG and KvLQT1 may be important in normal cardiac electrophysiology, as well as in arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. Previous phenomenological observations of functional, mutual downregulation between these complementary repolarizing currents in transgenic rabbit models and cell culture have motivated our investigations into interactions between hERG and KvLQT1. These data suggest that a dynamic physical interaction …

Syntheses Of Methylisoquinoline Derivatives For Incorporation Into Photolabile Aryl Azide T-0632 Analogs To Explore The Glp-1r Active Site, Laura Bancroft

Honors Thesis Collection

Type II diabetes is a disease that begins as insulin resistance in the tissues of the body and over time, the insulin-producing β cells in the pancreas become so stressed that they cannot adequately produce insulin. Decreased β cell functionality leads to states of hyperglycemia where blood glucose levels are dangerously high, leading to complications such as heart attack and stroke. In order to develop treatments for this disease, the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) has been identified as a medicinal target. Studies of the binding of GLP-1R have taken many directions, including X-ray crystallography and computational modeling. Also, peptide-based treatments …

Creating From The Margins: Exploring The Role Of Art In Asian American Activism, Allyson Ang

Honors Thesis Collection

This project explores the role of art (in particular, visual art and poetry) in contemporary Asian-American activism. Can art be considered a form of activism? How are artists and activists pushing back against the stereotype of Asian-Americans as the passive, apolitical, “model minority”? By interviewing contemporary Asian-American artists whose work has a political focus, as well as conducting my own in-depth analyses of poetry and visual art by these same artists, I will explore the relationship between art and activism for AsianAmericans today. I will also contextualize the current wave of Asian-American activism within the history of Asian-American identity and …

Investigating The Molecular Mechanism Of Dcm-Mj-I-21 As An Agent In Combination Chemotherapy Against Human Pancreatic Cancer, Emma Goodman

Honors Thesis Collection

Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths, with a 1-year survival rate of 29% and a 5-year survival rate of 7%. Pancreatic cancer often goes undiagnosed until its late stages, at which point treatment options become limited to chemotherapy and radiation therapy, which are often ineffective at substantially prolonging life. Thus, there is a pressing need for improved pharmacologic treatment for pancreatic cancer. DCM-MJ-I-21, a compound developed in our laboratory, exhibits cytotoxicity against the human pancreatic cancer cell line PANC-1, with preferential cytotoxicity under nutrient deprived conditions, which mimic the tumor microenvironment. This study investigated the mechanism …

Voice, Silence, & Testimony: Recovering Feminist Voices In Italian Poetry And Autobiography, Cynthia Yoke

Honors Thesis Collection

It is no secret nor a provocative assertion that men’s voices, primarily white, European, have prevailed throughout history. These voices tend to represent the inventors, the geniuses, the colonizers, the conquerors, the artists, the poets, and other “winners” of history. They are voices so loud and so pervasive that they effectively drown out any evidence of an utterance made by a subordinate “other.” But just because these voices and their narratives have been suppressed by the persistent noise of dominant institutions of power and their associated discourses does not mean that these voices cease to exist and to matter. In …

Investigating The Effects Of Oxidative Lesions And Base Pair Mismatches On Duplex Stability Using Dna Hairpins And Optical Tweezers, Leah Furman

Honors Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

Glutamate Transporters In Caenorhabditis Elegans: The Implications Of Transporter Deletions On Behavior, Learning, Memory, And Addiction, Moriah Harling

Honors Thesis Collection

Glutamate is a critical neurotransmitter involved in excitatory synaptic transmission, cognition, memory, and learning. Although much research has been conducted to examine glutamatergic signaling pathways, the functional role of glutamate transporters (GLTs) in behavior, learning, and memory remains largely unexplored in Caenorhabditis elegans. We tested wildtype C. elegans and C. elegans with GLT deletions on a battery of behavioral tests including analysis of spontaneous locomotion, response to a mechanosensory stimulus, response to an aversive chemical, and chemotaxis in response to a chemoattractant and a chemorepellent to examine how different transporters affect basic behaviors. Thus far, we have examined C. …

Being In-Between: Narratives Of Identity And Community By Chinese American Adoptees, Isabelle St. Clair

Honors Thesis Collection

Chinese American adoptees’ lived experiences provide a unique lens through which to view and understand Asian American identity and U.S. race relations. Chinese adoptees are transnational, transracial adoptees who have crossed borders of nationhood, culture, race, ethnicity, and class, as most are adopted into white, well-off families. Yet even though all these ‘border crossings’ take place, it remains uncertain as to how the adoptees fit into the image of the U.S. and negotiate their multiple, in-between identities. In this senior thesis, I explore how adoptees situate themselves within the United States and within the Chinese American adoptee community. I share …

Conductive Polymer Nanofibers As A Platform For Both Stimulating And Measuring Differentiation In Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells, Alexis Lowe

Honors Thesis Collection

Oligodendrocytes are specialized glial cells that insulate neuron axons in the central nervous system with a vital proteolipid sheath called myelin. Oligodendrocytes in the adult brain are derived from oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), and their differentiation into mature oligodendrocytes can be observed in vitro; however, this process is incomplete as myelin wrapping cannot be observed when there are no physical structures in culture with which developing OPCs can interact. The development of artificial axon surrogates aims to address this problem by developing geometric and mechanical mimics of axons from materials. The work presented here describes the development of a …

Stumbling Onto New Ideas: Technical Structure And Interactional Norms On Online Social Media, Julia Chmyz

Honors Thesis Collection

In its early stages, the Internet was viewed as an open forum for sharing and learning. Now, with a few dominant social media sites mediating most web access and the popular conception of these sites as polarizing filter bubbles, the promise of the open web appears to have been compromised. However, users of the microblogging website Tumblr do not experience this effect, instead encountering new ideas and topics alongside the content with which they intend to engage. Through a survey of over 250 Tumblr users, computational analysis of blogs, and interviews with users, my thesis seeks to uncover why Tumblr …

Does Developmental Pollen Stress Affect The Performance Of Inspector Honey Bees (Apis Mellifera)?, Anita Yau

Honors Thesis Collection

A critical task performed by honey bee workers is foraging for nectar and pollen to produce honey and bee bread, a colony’s only two sources of nutrients. Pollen in particular serves as the primary source of essential proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals for colony members, especially during larval development. However, colonies can become pollen stressed for many reasons including habitat loss, natural fluctuations in pollen availability, or stressful management practices. Previous work in this lab has shown that adult workers reared under pollen-limited conditions were developmentally stunted and relatively inactive foragers and waggle dancers compared to adult workers reared with …

Investigating The Protein Corona Of Novel Nanovehicles In Model Biological Fluids, Amal Cheema

Honors Thesis Collection

Although the behavior of nanomedicines is well characterized, understanding of the difference between the synthetic and biological identity of nanoparticles (NPs) is limited. To expand our knowledge base, we probe the stability of NPs and protein corona formation in increasingly in vivo-like conditions. The protein corona consists of various proteins at different relative abundances, rapidly forming when NPs are exposed to protein-rich environments. We begin our investigation through the synthesis and conjugation of 11.2 nm, citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Coating AuNPs with low fouling polymers, such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) or poly-EK (PEK), increases the biocompatibility, biodistribution, and physiological …

Children Of Rose Rock, Amandine M. Fromont

Honors Thesis Collection

This project gathers a collection of short stories interconnected around the fictive town of Rose Rock, Maine. The various characters’ intertwining stories serve to create a growing image of the town, its colonial history, and rich tradition. In particular, each story includes a character who grew up in this town, and how this influences the character’s decisions and behavior.