Digital Commons Network^™

Clinical And Demographic Factors Associated With Peg-Asparaginase-Related Toxicities In Patients With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Priyadarshani Dharia

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Introduction: Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-asparaginase is one of the first-line drugs in pediatric ALL treatment. Although a complete and prolonged treatment with PEGasparaginase has been instrumental in improving the survival of ALL patients, it is associated with four common toxicities: hypersensitivity, hyperbilirubinemia, pancreatitis, and venous thromboembolism (VTE). PEG-asparaginase-related toxicities may require modifications and delays in treatment, which often leads to poor treatment outcomes. Previous studies of PEG-asparaginase-related toxicities have mainly focused on individual toxicities. Further, these studies were conducted in study populations which were predominantly self-reported non-Hispanic whites. Therefore, there is a gap in the knowledge regarding the cumulative burden of …

Characterizing Risk & Burden Of Lower Cranial Neuropathy (Lcnp) As Late Effect Among Oropharyngeal Cancer Survivors, Puja Aggarwal

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Lower cranial neuropathy (LCNP) is a rare but potentially disabling late effect of radiotherapy (RT) and other head and neck cancer therapies. Survivors who develop late LCNP may experience profound functional impairment with deficits in swallowing, speech, and voice. The aims of this research were: 1) to quantify the cumulative incidence of late LCNP and identify clinical predictors of late LCNP; 2) to investigate the impact of late LCNP on severity of cancer treatment-related symptoms, general functional impairment (GFI), and single item scores of the most severe symptoms; and 3) to quantify the association of late LCNP with swallowing-related …

The Associations Between Fat And Clinical Outcomes Among Lung Cancer Patients: Dietary Intake And Genetic Determinants, Fang Yu Lin

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Higher dietary fat intake and alterations in fatty acid metabolism may affect cancer development and progression. This dissertation conducted a series of studies examining whether dietary fat intake and genetic variants in fatty acid metabolism genes have an impact on clinical outcomes among non-Hispanic whites newly diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). First, a cohort of 2,262 NSCLC patients was prospectively examined for intakes of total, saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fat in relation to overall survival and recurrence. Dietary fat intake at diagnosis was assessed with a previously validated food frequency questionnaire and categorized by Dietary Reference Intakes. Multivariable …

Optical Spectrsocopy Of Murine Breast Tumor To Distinguish Indolent From Aggressive Disease, Joel Rodriguez Troncoso

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Breast cancer accounts for 30% of all cancer. Metastasis is the primary cause of death among breast cancer patients. Additionally, current molecular profiling methods such as Oncotype DX, which are expensive and not widely available at all clinical facilities, only determine the risk of recurrence after treatment. Therefore, there are no current method capable of identifying metastatic patients in advance.As a result, there is an unmet clinical need to develop a cost-effective prognostic to differentiate between indolent and aggressive breast tumors. In this study, we implemented diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) system to evaluate functional changes in tumor xenografts originated from …

Escape Puzzler, Shane Robertson

Masters Theses & Doctoral Dissertations

This project is a systems design project. The goal of the project was to complete an online game for the purpose of entertaining an end-user. There is also additional research potential with analyzing the end-user behavior. This project showcases various skills learned at Dakota State University. This project required systems analysis, research of information technologies, database design, and project management.

About 50% of the planning phase was dedicated to scanning the IT industry for various technologies. We researched web hosting providers that would support the technologies we wanted to use. Also, a survey of available game engines was conducted. Additionally, …

The Monkey Queen: Creating Cultural Connections Through Theatre For Young Audiences, Matt Loehrke

Master's Theses

Youth in America have access to numerous stories on stage, page, and screen, yet many of those tales originate from white, Euro-centric cultures. Current trends in American theatre often produce familiar scripts to present to their communities. Unfortunately, too often, stories from other cultures are not adapted and presented. This thesis seeks to provide a culture bridge by adapting one of China’s most beloved stories, The Monkey King, for a young American audience through the medium of Theatre for Young Audiences. Theatre is a great unifier; however, the most critical audience, the audience that will grow into the next generation …

Mathematical Modeling Of A Network Of Neurons Regarding Glucose Transport Deficiency Induced Epileptic Seizures, Ariel N. Leslie

Mathematics Dissertations - Archive

Epilepsy is a complex phenomena of a system of neurons simultaneously firing that are highly intensive and synchronized. Seizures are a common and well known physical feature for all types of epileptic disorders [8]. Epilepsy is known to be traced back to spatial and temporal patterns working in sequence. The rhythms, patterns, and oscillatory dynamics explain the mechanistic nature of neurons especially in absence seizures [37]. An electroencephalogram device (EEG) monitors the electrical activity within the brain using small electrodes, which measures voltage fluctuations on the scalp. Previous models such as Wilson-Cowan (1972) [34], introduced a model showing the dynamics …

Case Study Analysis Of Shared Visual Arguments And Propaganda Techniques Of Russian Propaganda Posters And Russian Internet Memes, Cindy D. Vasquez

Communication Theses - Archive

Rhetoric, the study of argument using logic, has been studied for centuries. However, there is some disagreement among scholars on whether or not argumentation can be applied to visual imagery. Images are noted to have more emotional appeal than text does. Visual propaganda was mass produced in the form of propaganda posters, most popularly in the early 20th century. In more recent times, the sharing of images has moved to social media, popularly through memes. This paper analyzes two Soviet propaganda posters produced by one Soviet publishing house, Litizdat, and two memes created by the Russian organization the Internet Research …

Acceptance Speech For Lifetime Achievement Award From Canadian Prison Lawyers Association, Michael Jackson Qc

Dalhousie Law Journal

Acceptance Speech for Lifetime Achievement Award from Canadian Prison Lawyers Association

Free Space Optical Communication, Anuj Gohil

Electrical Engineering

Communication is key to day to day activities for all companies and people. Wireless communication has made us expect more from our tools. Radio Frequency has been the preferred medium for a couple decades, but there is a need for faster secure communication. Free Space Optical Communication is an alternate wireless communication system which uses optics to create a link. It utilizes low-power and converts an analog signal into digital pulses which are transmitted across space to a receiver. Its only caveat is its vulnerability under atmospheric obstacles. The goal of this project is to create a free space optical …

Full, Conscious And Active Participation: Sunday Eucharist, Black Life And Theological Considerations, Kathleen Dorsey Bellow

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

The renewal of Catholic worship implemented through Vatican Council II instruction was designed to encourage the people of God towards “full, conscious and active participation” in liturgical celebrations. Their holistic engagement in liturgy is considered the best and most effective formation for the Christian life. This work presents Black Catholic theological reflections that connect “full, conscious and active participation” in Sunday Eucharist with the faithful’s weekday commitment to community-building that affirms Black life.

Let’S Be Friends: Black Theology, Climate Change, And Trust, Nathaniel Holmes Jr.

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

Climate change is a worldwide issue with ramifications for all ethnic groups. Yet, there is a dearth of engagement of climate change issues by Black theology and Black churches, even though the effects of climate change are predicted to affect African Americans and other racial minorities to a greater extent than other groups. Given the history of mistrust of the uses of scientific research and practices that have themselves caused negative impacts within the African American communities (e.g., Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment), this disconnect is not surprising. Furthermore, some view the attention given to anything other than criminal justice reform, police …

Freshwater Turtle Community Composition In Mined Land Strip Pit Lakes And The Effects Of Learned Trap Avoidance On Capture Rates Of Sternotherus Odoratus And Trachemys Scripta, Ethan Craig Hollender

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Turtles are among the most threatened groups of organisms on the planet and as such are in need of protected habitat where healthy communities can be maintained. The reclamation of land that was formerly the site of surface strip mining provides a matrix of reclaimed terrestrial landscapes rich with lakes and ponds that have the potential to function as such habitat. To determine the suitability of these habitats for turtle communities, I compared the turtle communities of strip pit lakes and natural lakes in southeastern Kansas. Of the seven species of aquatic turtle I encountered, Common Snapping Turtles (Chelydra …

Behavioral Aspects Of Chemoreception In Juvenile Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon Piscivorus), Chelsea E. Martin

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

For snakes, chemical recognition of predators, prey, and conspecifics has important ecological consequences. For example, detection of predator cues can reduce predation risk. Similarly, scent trailing of conspecifics to communal hibernacula can improve overwinter survival for neonates. I used y-maze choice trials to examine scent-trailing ability of 32 captive-born juvenile cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus) in two separate experiments. In conspecific trailing tests, subjects preferred to follow cues from their own mothers over a blank control cue, but also preferred to trail cues from unrelated adult females compared to cues from their own mothers. My results are consistent with previous …

Estimating Dry Matter Digestibility Of Forage In Equine Diets, Taylor N. Godwin

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Previous research indicates equine fecal inoculates produce comparable results to cecal fluid when used for in vitro procedures to analyze dry matter digestibility (DMD). Equine hindgut microbial populations represented in fecal samples have been shown to be affected by diet. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of diet on in vitro DMD when fecal samples from horses on varying starch and fiber diets were used as inoculates. Six mature Quarter Horses (BW 522 ± 45kg) were used in a crossover repeated measures design to compare the effects of a grain vs. all forage diets on the …

Harry Potter And Queering The College Classroom, Hannah Yanow

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation reimagines the college classroom through a queer pedagogical practice that, I argue, results in a queer space. Through a mixed method study that utilized duoethnography and student survey, I find that queer pedagogy, or the resistance of heteronormativity, challenging binaries, welcoming the student’s lived experience as fodder for learning academic concepts, paired with a beloved fantasy text such as Harry Potter, can be a medium with which to deconstruct the traditional college classroom and reconstruct a queer space that encourages student self-authorship and questioning of the traditional hierarchy in higher education. The data suggests that queering the college …

“Called Forth By Imminent Dangers”: The American Gothic In Mysteries Of Detection And Detective Fiction (1799-1929), Keli Masten

Dissertations

The period from 1799 through 1929 marks a remarkable era of development for gothic themes in American mystery and investigative fiction. From early “mysteries of detection” through more structurally formalized detective stories, this project examines the differences in the gothic modes and devices employed by Charles Brockden Brown, Edgar Allan Poe, Anna Katharine Green, Mark Twain, and Dashiell Hammett, and their significant contributions to the progression of the popular gothic detective genre. Through the study of each author’s specific style and focus, there is much to learn about literary development and cultural influence. All of the authors mentioned here address …

Smart Sensors With Dual Modes Of Signal Transduction For Monitoring Molecules Pertinent To Health And The Environment, Jared T. Wabeke

Dissertations

The dissertation focuses on the design and synthesis of smart materials for the detection of molecules pertinent to environmental protection and healthcare. The use of computational simulations is pivotal toward advancing molecular design for targeted applications. Research was conducted to investigate the use of simulations to develop novel sensors with dual modes of signal transduction. The molecular properties were determined using computational modelling, and then used to elucidate the binding mechanism of the corresponding sensor complexes. Several molecules were produced that respond to important organic analytes, such as glucose and fenthion, an organophosphorus pesticide. Glucose is an exceedingly important biological …

Aku Research 2019, Office Of Research And Graduate Studies

Office of Research and Graduate Studies

Content

- Messages

- AKU: Leadership in aligning research with the SDGs

- Nutrition survey highlights stunting crisis in Pakistan

- KITAB project: using machine learning on ancient texts

- Analysing policy to address the burden of NCDs

- ECD interventions for marginalised communities

- Gut bacteria: exploring new avenues in malnutrition

- Uncovering the expression of Islam in popular culture

- Identifying at-risk fetuses through artificial intelligence

- Detecting and combating XDR typhoid in Pakistan

- Reducing maternal and newborn deaths in Kenya

- Assessing the impact ofteachers’ low status on education

- High impact research

- Facilitating research …

The Relationship Between Biofilm Production And Human Respiratory Cell Attachment And Invasion By Acinetobacter Baumannii, Rachel A. Pearson

Theses and Dissertations

Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic gram-negative bacterial pathogen that causes many nosocomial infections in immunocompromised individuals. Common infections include catheter-associated urinary tract infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, skin and soft tissue infections, and bloodstream infections that often lead to septicemia. Increasing multidrug resistance (MDR) in A. baumannii warrants new approaches to understanding its virulence mechanisms and pathogenicity. As a first step in infection, A. baumannii can attach to host cells, providing a surface for the bacteria to grow and perhaps facilitating biofilm formation and subsequent tissue invasion. In this study, we evaluated antibiotic resistance and characterized biofilm formation, attachment, invasion, and surface …

Principals' Perceptions Of Brain-Based Learning, Tami Hudson Godman

Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed by the study was a lack of research on principal’s perceptions of brain-based learning and the potential impact on classroom instruction. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between the principal’s perceptions of brain-based learning and instruction at their schools. The following research has been conducted using a qualitative paradigm. A case study involved a focus group of 12 principals and additional interviews with four of those principals. The qualitative data were thematically coded to provide information on patterns and practices within a variety of schools in the area. The findings offer the educational …

A Descriptive Study Of Teacher Perceptions Of International Travel Outcomes, Michael Dale Green

Theses and Dissertations

People have been traveling internationally for hundreds of years seeking enlightenment. There is a plethora of research to discuss how travel has impacted them. However, travel research is lacking where the educational impacts on the educational experiences of teachers are concerned. The purpose of this study was to offer empirical evidence on whether the international travel outcomes appear to be a function of traveling abroad, according to teacher perception. Eleven teachers were interviewed using a semi-structured format. They were questioned concerning the effects of international travel on their personal and professional lives. The researcher analyzed the data by transcribing the …

Machismo And Consequential Aphrodisiac Consumption In Oaxaca, Mexico, Brianna M. Harguth

Honors Thesis

Aphrodisiacs have been used in many cultures around the world, including, but not limited to those of Greece, Egypt, Rome, and pre-Columbian societies. Aphrodisiacs are substances consumed to increase sex drive, sexual desire, and sexual performance. In Oaxaca, Mexico males are the primary people who consume aphrodisiacs, particularly Olive ridley sea turtles eggs, which are on the brink of extinction. One of the main reasons males consume these so-called aphrodisiacs is to combat erectile dysfunction, which impedes sexual performance. Many of the men who consume the Olive ridley sea turtle eggs possess traits associated with machismo, a form of masculinity …

Structure And Bioactivity Of A Rationally Designed Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Antagonist Targeting The Alpha-3 Beta-2 Subtype, Leanna Marquart

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The work presented in this thesis contributes to ongoing development of an efficient workflow for identification of lead compounds, based on the molecular scaffold of α-conotoxin MII, for drug therapies targeting nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are pentameric, ligand-gated ion channels with distribution throughout the central nervous system and are implicated in a variety of neurological diseases including schizophrenia, nicotine addiction, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. However, ligand effect on nAChR function is not well understood. Consequently, drug therapies for neurological diseases either do not exist, or have short-lasting efficacy and/or severe side effects. Barriers to the comprehension …

Perceived Impact Of Virtual Scenario-Based Branching Simulations Among Radiology Program Students, Kimberly Lynn Onstott

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The influx of medical technology and medical knowledge creates challenges for healthcare providers in maintaining up to date knowledge and skills for their practice. Healthcare educators are further challenged in that the goal is to encourage learners to become competent healthcare providers who are knowledgeable and skilled, self-directed, and who will think critically and ethically when faced with challenging situations. Advancing imaging technologies and new complex procedures in radiology increase the risk of harm for patients and providers as advanced imaging is often learned outside of a primary degree in radiology with real patients through on the job training. Online …

Monocyte Phenotype And Whole Blood Immune Response In Physically Active Chronic Cannabis Users And Non-Users, Jonathon K. Lisano

Dissertations

Some physically active individuals are now advocating for the use of cannabis with exercise for its potential to optimize the immune response. Yet, it remains to be seen whether the chronic use of cannabis products is linked to alterations in immune characteristics, such as monocyte phenotype and function in physically active individuals. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess resting concentrations of c-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), monocyte phenotype and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated production of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) following pre-treated with synthetic cannabinoid 2 (CB2) receptor agonist and antagonist in physically active individuals using cannabis products at least …

The Effectiveness Of Augmented Reality For Astronauts On Lunar Missions: An Analog Study, Godfrey Valencio D’Souza

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The uses of augmented reality and head-up displays are becoming more prominent in industries such as aviation, automotive, and medicine. An augmented reality device such as the Microsoft HoloLens can project holograms onto the user’s natural field of view to assist with completion of a variety of tasks. Unfortunately, only a little research and development has begun in the space sector for astronauts using these head-up displays. Future lunar missions could incorporate augmented reality for astronauts to ease task load and improve accuracy. This study evaluated the usability, subjective workload, and task performance of 22 participants using the Microsoft HoloLens …

Nurturing Community And Student Voice Through Communicative Language Teaching And Storytelling, Dana Behr

Master's Projects and Capstones

The purpose of this project is to provide an ESL curriculum design, for intermediate to advanced learners, that will facilitate the development of the students’ voice and encourage a sense of community through the medium of storytelling.

College Students With Physical Disabilities: An Exploratory Investigation Within Counselor Education, Adam Tolbert Wall

Dissertations

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, 2017a), there are over 19 million students who are currently enrolled in institutions of higher education. For the past 40 years, the number of students with disabilities attending colleges and universities has grown exponentially (NCES, 2017b). There is an abundance of research regarding many aspects of the experience of college students with a physical disability across social science, medical, and education literature; however, research targeted specifically at general counseling practitioners, counselor educators, and college counselors is relatively limited.

The purpose of this investigation was to study the inner lives of a …

Mapping Urban Performance Culture: A Common Ground For Architecture And Theater, Ting Chin, Christopher B. Swift

Publications and Research

Our co-taught course focuses on theater history, with an emphasis on performance architecture. Assignments are designed to illuminate the ways in which architectural design and technology inform performance practices and audience reception. The pivotal assignment for exploring interdisciplinarity is a three-week module on mapping historical theaters in New York City. Open-source Global Information Systems (GIS) software serves as a common mechanism for students to situate theatrical productions in the context of the built urban environment, deepening their understanding of the social, economic, and artistic forces that contributed to performance culture. Mapping is a shared pedagogy for analyzing and presenting research …