Digital Commons Network^™

Early Career Physical Therapy Faculty Networking And Scholarly Productivity: A Mixed-Methods Study, Betsy J. Becker

Theses & Dissertations

While it is well-known that physical therapist (PT) faculty must retain a scholarly agenda, few report being activity engaged and many programs have low scholarly dissemination. There is evidence that knowledge of the make-up of a faculty network leads to improved performance and innovation. The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods study was to explore agency (behaviors and perspectives about career advancement) and the professional network structure and composition of early career PT faculty as they relate to scholarly activity. This dissertation research study included 50 early career faculty who worked in accredited entry-level physical therapy programs.

The quantitative …

Delivery Of Microrna With Cxcr4-Targeted Nanoparticles In Metastatic Cancer Treatment, Ying Xie

Theses & Dissertations

Metastasis is the main contributor to cancer-associated deaths. Inhibition of CXCR4 emerged as one promising approach in metastatic cancer therapy. MiRNAs represent a new class of therapeutics for cancer treatment through RNA interference-mediated gene silencing. Polymeric CXCR4 antagonist (PCX) is a dual-functional polycation to inhibit CXCR4 and deliver nucleic acids. This dissertation hypothesized that blockade of CXCR4 by PCX combined with delivery of miRNA cooperatively enhances metastatic cancer therapy.

In chapter 1, an overview of CXCR4 inhibition, miRNA delivery and CXCR4 targeted nanomedicine in cancer therapy is given.

Chapter 2 reports that PCX can effectively deliver miR-200c mimic and that …

Development Of Chloroquine-Containing Hpma Copolymers For Drug Delivery, Fei Yu

Theses & Dissertations

Abstract

Development of Chloroquine-containing HPMA Copolymers for Drug Delivery

Fei Yu, Ph.D.

University of Nebraska Medical Center, 2018

Supervisor: David Oupický, Ph.D.

Synthetic polymers have been extensively explored for improved delivery of anticancer agents. Polymers can be designed as either carriers of existing drugs or as polymeric drugs with intrinsic pharmacological activity. Advantages of such polymeric drugs include common positive features of polymer-drug conjugates, such as targeted delivery of drugs, altered pharmacokinetic and biodistribution, improved drug safety, but also favorable pharmacological activities due to multivalent receptor-ligand interactions.

Chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) are safe drugs that have been in clinical …

Development Of Glucocorticoid Prodrug For The Treatment Of Lupus Nephritis, Xiaobei Wang

Theses & Dissertations

Nephritis is one of the major complications of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). While glucocorticoids (GC) are frequently used as the first line treatment for lupus nephritis, long-term GC usage is often complicated by severe adverse effects. To address this challenge, we have developed a polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based macromolecular prodrug (ZSJ-0228) of dexamethasone, which self-assembles into micelles in aqueous media. When compared to the dose equivalent daily dexamethasone 21-phosphate disodium (Dex) treatment, monthly intravenous administration of ZSJ-0228 for two months significantly improved the survival of lupus-prone NZB/W F1 mice and was much more effective in normalizing proteinuria, with clear histological evidence …

Delineation Of New Mechanisms Of Dna Double Strand Break Repair, Songli Zhu

Theses & Dissertations

DNA damage is frequently induced in cells by both endogenous and exogenous agents. DNA damage, particular double strand breaks (DSBs) may lead to genomic instability, and the progression of cancer, aging, neurodegeneration, and other human diseases. The cell employs two major DSB repair pathways, including homologous recombination (HR) and Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), but the detailed mechanisms of DSB repair remain to be further revealed.

In the first part of this study, we characterized a plasmid-based assay to investigate NHEJ repair in Xenopus egg extracts. Our data argued for a preference for the precise repair by the NHEJ machinery and …

Development Of Macromolecular Prodrugs For The Treatment Of Chronic Inflammatory Pain, Laura Weber

Theses & Dissertations

Chronic pain afflicts millions of people worldwide. Particularly, the inflammatory conditions in the incurable disease rheumatoid arthritis (RA) generate persistent pain in its sufferers, for which a number of different analgesics have been prescribed, such as glucocorticoids (GCs) and opioids. However, administration of these pain- mitigating pharmaceutics is implicated in the development of adverse systemic effects due to their non-specific tissue distribution and quick excretion, eliciting the need for high dosing frequencies. To address this issue, this thesis is focused on the development of prodrugs based on a macromolecular design approach to instill preferential inflammation-targeting and retentive properties to common …

Quantification Of Lutein + Zeaxanthin Presence In Human Placenta And Correlations With Blood Levels And Maternal Dietary Intake, Melissa Thoene

Theses & Dissertations

Lutein + zeaxanthin are carotenoids most recognized in eye health, but less is known about their status and transfer during pregnancy. While quantified in maternal and umbilical cord blood, they have never been analyzed in placenta tissue. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation is to firstly quantify lutein + zeaxanthin concentrations in human placenta and to later correlate with levels in maternal dietary intake, maternal serum, and umbilical cord blood. Proportions of lutein + zeaxanthin will also be compared within diet, placenta, maternal serum, and umbilical cord blood among additionally analyzed carotenoids including lycopene, β-cryptoxanthin, α-carotene, and β-carotene. Lutein + …

Association Between Systemic Inflammation And Nutritional Compounds In Maternal-Infant Dyads, Jessica N. Snowden

Theses & Dissertations

Many events during pregnancy and early infancy can affect infant brain development. Inflammation during pregnancy, around delivery and during early infancy appears to adversely affect infant brain development. As the brain is rapidly growing and developing from conception through early childhood, it is particularly vulnerable during this time to inflammatory insults, which may be exacerbated or ameliorated by nutritional factors. Inflammatory compounds, as well as many nutritional compounds, can be either pro- or anti-inflammatory. These compounds are of particular importance in preterm infants, who are at risk of deficiency in anti-inflammatory micronutrients typically stored as a result of prenatal maternal …

Effects Of Class Ii Correctors And Functional Appliances On The Periodontal Health Of The Mandibular Incisors – A Prospective Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (Cbct) Study, David C. Duevel

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of Class II correctors and functional appliances on the dentoalveolar support of the mandibular incisors during orthodontic treatment. Twenty six patients who were treated with a Forsus^TM, Herbst, or MARA participated this study. Lateral cephalometric radiographs, limited field-of-view CBCTs, and periodontal measurements were collected both the day of appliance activation and day of appliance deactivation. Ten hard tissue measurements on all four mandibular incisors were collected at each time point on CBCT images. Bone thickness increased at 6 and 9 mm apical from the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) on …

The Opposing Roles Of Glun2c And Glun2d Nmda Receptor Subunits In Modulating Neuronal Oscillations, Zhihao Mao

Theses & Dissertations

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are ligand-gated ion channels consisting of two GluN1 subunits and two other subunits from among GluN2A-2D and GluN3A-3B subunits. NMDARs play critical roles in synaptic plasticity, learning and memory, and higher brain function such as cognition and perception. Dysfunction of NMDARs (hyper-function and hypo-function of NMDARs) are related to various diseases, including stroke, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, and others. However, to date, NMDARs antagonists have mostly failed in clinical trials due to adverse effects.

NMDARs antagonists replicate the core symptoms of schizophrenia which may underlie its ability to alter neuronal oscillations in the neural circuitry of different brain …

Neuronal And Glial Expression Of Glun2c And Glun2d Nmda Receptor Subunit Mrna In Different Regions Of The Mouse Forebrain, Hassan Alsaad

Theses & Dissertations

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are a subtype of glutamate receptors that are widely expressed in the brain, where they mediate critical functions. While the actions of the predominate GluN2 NMDAR subunits, GluN2A and GluN2B are relatively well understood, the function of GluN2C and GluN2D in the telencephalon is largely unknown. To better understand the possible role of GluN2C and GluN2D subunits, we used fluorescence in situ hybridization together with multiple cell markers to define the distribution and type of cells expressing GluN2C and GluN2D mRNA. Also, a GluN2C-KO mouse was used as a negative control.

GluN2C mRNA expression was only found …

Developing Of Micellar Drug Carriers For The Treatment Of Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis, Tong Liu

Theses & Dissertations

Breast cancer (BC) remains one of the most frequently diagnosed cancer worldwide. Bone is one of the most common sites and often the first clinical indication of metastatic progression of BC. Current treatments including radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy are rarely curative with limited effect in overall survival. The challenge is true especially for patients with triple-negative BC that are not responsive to receptor-targeted therapy, or patients who had exposure to chemotherapy before and might already gain the resistance to some of the drugs.

Here we took advantage of the aminobisphosphonate, alendronate (ALN), that can bind to the bone mineral efficiently …

Development Of The University Of New Mexico Spectrometer For High-Resolution Fission Product Yield Data, Richard Emery Blakeley

Nuclear Engineering ETDs

Well-defined fission product yield data has been of increasing interest in various applications within the nuclear industry. With this need in mind, a fission fragment mass spectroscopy system was designed and developed at the University of New Mexico in collaboration with the Los Alamos National Laboratories with a stated goal of attaining a mass resolution of ≤ 1 % (FWHM/centroid) for light fragments and near 1 % for heavy fragments. The mass spectrometer utilized in this work consists of a transmission time-of-flight detection system to measure fission product velocity and an axial ionization chamber to measure the fission product energy, …

Identification Of Knee Gait Waveform Pattern Alterations In Individuals With Patellofemoral Pain Using Fast Fourier Transform, Kristin D. Morgan, Brian W. Noehren

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is one of the most common overuse injuries of the knee. Previous research has found that individuals with PFP exhibit differences in peak hip kinematics; however, differences in peak knee kinematics, where the pain originates, are difficult to elucidate. To better understand the mechanism behind PFP, we sought to characterize differences in knee gait kinematic waveform patterns in individuals with PFP compared to healthy individuals using fast Fourier transform (FFT). Sixteen control and sixteen individuals with PFP participated in a fast walk protocol. FFT was used to decompose the sagittal, frontal and transverse plane knee gait waveforms …

Under Pressure: Tailored Cpr With Stress Management For Formerly Incarcerated Individuals, Amanda Lee

Master's Projects and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to increase rates of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training and bystander response to Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). This was accomplished by providing a short, one hour adapted CPR course with a stress management component targeting common barriers (e.g. psychological concerns) to bystander response for formerly incarcerated individuals at the Delancey Street Foundation.

Methods: The CPR course was adapted based off a literature review on the learning needs and preferences of this population. Data collection included:1) instructor evaluation of skills based on oral and simulation examination by students (adapted from the standard American Heart Association …

Defying The Gravity Of Falls On Msu, Alvin Joseph Abad

Master's Projects and Capstones

Falls are a leading cause of injury and death for adult males in the United States and have been an ongoing problem on the Medical Surgical Unit (MSU). Therefore, the aim of this project is to increase fall prevention education and communication on MSU in order to ultimately improve fall rates. Although there are currently fall prevention processes already in place, these may not be sufficient as demonstrated by recent fall metrics. Many RNs on MSU are fairly new nurses; and their enthusiasm and adaptability may be an advantage for this evidence-based project. Furthermore, the management team seems to be …

Battlefield Mementos Care Of And Restitution Of Japanese 'Good Luck Flags' And Cultural Heritage Objects From War In Museum Collections, Andrew Armstrong

Master's Projects and Capstones

In World War II one of the most common objects found on the battlefield in the Pacific Theater was that of the Japanese Yosegaki Hinomaru or “Good Luck Flag” These objects were some of the most looted items from the war and soon found themselves in the possession of veterans of World War II and their families. In the past few decades as these veterans pass, increasing numbers of veterans and their families attempt to return the flags to Japan, or museums in the United States, believing they are the most suited to care for such objects. However this presents …

Bankruptcy Declaration

Catholic Dioceses in Bankruptcy

Declaration of bankruptcy of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, filed on December 14, 2018.

Now Hiring: Exploring Deportee Transnational Identities And Socio-Economic Reintegration In Baja California, Mexico’S Call Center Industry, Brenda Vargas

Master's Theses

The anti-immigrant rhetoric in the U.S. intensified deportation, including that of Mexican and Salvadorian migrants with some having served in the U.S. military. Despite weak social connections and explicit/structural barriers in Mexico, many deportees make the decision to stay in Mexico. The focus of this thesis is male deportees belonging to the “1.5 generation,” aged late 20’s-early 60’s, who, after spending their childhood and adulthood in the U.S., have undergone deportation and are faced with social and economic reintegration in the northern border area of Baja California, Mexico. Through 15 in-depth semi-structured interviews, I explore transnational identity negotiations that impact …

From La Costa Chica To Pasadena: Transnational Racial Politics Of Afro-Mexicans, Antonio Rodriguez-Santiago

Master's Theses

The ethnographic research in this thesis focuses on one group of Afro-Mexicans who migrated to Pasadena, California, from Mexico’s Costa Chica, on the Pacific Coast of Oaxaca and Guerrero, the area where a social movement for Afro-Mexican recognition and collective rights was founded in 1997. This study, using a framework of racial theory, examines the process of racial formation in a transnational setting, which has made this group different in many ways from the Black residents who remain in the Costa Chica. The study also considers how mestizaje, the Mexican national racial ideology that endorses a mixed-race society while …

On Education And Family: Testimonios Of Latina Immigrant Daughters, Monica Chavez

Master's Theses

Latina college students must balance the needs of family while navigating pursuit of a college degree. Using testimonio, I explore how family and self-identity influenced the educational journeys of four Latinas who attended and graduated college in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Utilizing the frameworks of mestiza consciousness and subject formation, I uncover the ways their status as first-generation college student, second-generation immigrant daughter, and Latina manifested expectations (from family and self) and feelings of apprehension and loneliness that came to define their college experience. Through the process of testimonio and critical selfreflection, solidarity can be established and the process …

A Discourse Analysis Of Diversity And Inclusion Terminology In The High-Tech Industry, Michelle Nader

Master's Theses

The field of Diversity and Inclusion is a growing interest within the High-Tech industry, particularly within the San Francisco Bay Area of California. To combat misconceptions of Diversity and Inclusion, this thesis aims to define and analyze the language used at 20 companies in the High-Tech sector. The trends, nuances, and practices of how companies use language in their programming and data dictates the direction of the company. This thesis investigates the underlying complexities of where Diversity and Inclusion is within the industry today and goals for the future. Findings from this research suggest that companies can strengthen their Diversity …

Electropolymerization Of Polyaniline In The Presence Of Ferricyanide: Electrochemical, Spectroscopic And Gravimetric Studies, Lucas Marinelli

Master's Theses

In this work, ferricyanide-doped polyaniline (PANI) is electropolymerized by constant current and cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements with simultaneous monitoring of mass changes using electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (eQCM). Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and CV measurements confirm the incorporation of the ferricyanide into the film and indicate modified electrical conductivity. UV-Vis absorbance spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy confirm the conducting ‘emeraldine-salt’ state and confirm the presence of polarons, i.e. charge carriers.

The addition of ferricyanide during electropolymerization of the PANI film results in an increase of polymerization rate as confirmed using eQCM. A decrease in counter ion ingress/egress and an …

The Integration Of Syrian Refugees In Turkey Via Education, Aysenur Hacioglu

Master's Theses

The Syrian conflict, which was initiated as a pro-democratic movement against Bashar Assad’s government, has displaced millions of people both internally and externally. Since the beginning of the conflict, 6.6 million people are internally displaced, while 5.6 million people seek refuge in other countries. Many Syrians scattered to neighboring countries, principally Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. Turkey, who shares the longest borderline with Syria, hosts 63 percent of the total number of Syrian refugees, currently at more than 3.5 million (UNHCR, 2018b). However, Turkey as the country with the highest number of refugees in the world does not legally …

Finding And Making Home: Poems And Reflections Of Undergraduate Children Of Immigrants, Gladys Perez

Master's Theses

The number of children of immigrants within the United States has grown over the past few decades and more so we are seeing a greater number of these children pursuing a higher education. With a growing number of undergraduate children of immigrants growing, there is a need to understand how they see themselves as a part of the United States. Previous studies take into consideration how these students navigate higher education, however, there is a lack of research on these students’ larger understanding of belonging within the overall nation. Poetry as data and a process was the grounding methodology that …

Catholic School Teachers' Attitudinal Beliefs About Linguistic Diversity, Katie Trautman

Master's Theses

As the population of young Catholics becomes increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD), Catholic schools must work to become more responsive to the needs of CLD students in order to uphold the tenets of Catholic social teaching and to sustain enrollment in Catholic schools. Catholic school teachers need to become more prepared to serve students from various linguistic backgrounds. As a component of this preparation, teachers must demonstrate positive beliefs toward linguistic diversity and students’ backgrounds as teachers’ attitudes toward students greatly impacts students’ learning and identity development. Using Catholic social teaching as a lens, this study investigated Catholic school …

The Spirit Is Willing, But The Flesh Is Weak: Contemporary Pan-Africanism And The Challenges To A United States Of Africa, Adesola Adeyemo

Master's Theses

Establishing a ‘United States of Africa’ to the average individual is deemed as a mythical idea in contemporary Africa, irrespective of the popularity of this idea several years ago. Today, the idea is idealized as overambitious – considering the balkanized state of the continent post-colonialization. Because of this, attempts made since then have favored enforcing regional integration over continental integration. Undeniably, this idea would not have come into being if it wasn’t for the concept of Pan-Africanism - which has for long guided the political and socio-economic policies created on the continent. The goal of this research is …

Afterschool Educators' Teaching Practices Through Tinkering: Nurturing Student Collaboration, Engagement, And Development Of Self-Confidence, Lianna Kali

Master's Theses

Since the early 2000s constructionist pedagogy has become an increasingly popular trend in both formal and informal science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) learning environments to support transformative educational outcomes through the making of personally meaningful objects and artifacts. But with this rise in popularity comes a challenge for educators: understanding what are the teaching practices that are most effective in a maker-centered learning environment to support student learning. Through an ethnographic case study of the teaching practices in a tinkering afterschool program, this study examines the core pedagogical facilitation moves of tinkering educators and investigates how those moves …

Inside The Virtual Ambazonia: Separatism, Hate Speech , Disinformation And Diaspora In The Cameroonian Anglophone Crisis, Sombaye Eyango Jules Roger

Master's Theses

This study examines the dynamics of the anglophone separatist claims in Cameroon, the so-called “Anglophone Crisis”. I focus on explaining why the separatist claims reemerged in 2016 after being shut down for about 20 years. It explains how the Anglophone separatist revendications have sustained over time despite the extremely centralized power of the Paul Biya government.This paper first argues that the Anglophone Crisis is more than an identity struggle between Anglophone/Francophone Cameroonians, but rather a conflict about historical and institutional grievances, political competition, and regional politics involving the neighboring state of Nigeria.

Second, it verifies the hypothesis that the sustainability …

Detection And Melting Of Surface-Bound Dna Using A Purely Electrochemical Approach, Denny Ho

Master's Theses

In this thesis, we demonstrate an electrochemical approach for monitoring the electric-field induced melting of surface-bound double-stranded DNA. The electrochemical routine involves repeated chronoamperometry pulses to melt the duplex and square wave voltammetry to monitor the extent of melting. We utilize a scanning potential and constant potential technique to generate melting curves and access the stability and kinetics of the DNA duplexes. Our method uses a mixed monolayer of thiol-modified DNA oligomers and mercaptohexanol on gold electrodes, are subsequently incubated with target DNA covalently modified with electroactive methylene blue. Under room temperature, 10 mM Tris, and optimized electrochemical parameters, DNA …