Digital Commons Network^™

Examining The Efficacy Of Digital Treatments For Nightmares, Katrina Joy Speed

Theses and Dissertations

Sleep concerns are prevalent and can have a detrimental impact on the overall functioning of an individual. Nightmares, specifically, have been tied to a myriad of adverse mental health outcomes and are known to exacerbate other medical/mental health symptoms. Further, nightmares appear to persist after treatment of other concerns such as posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety. Although many treatments exist for nightmare disorder and posttraumatic nightmares, only Imagery Rehearsal Therapy has continuously been cited as first line treatment (Morgenthaler et al., 2018). Mobile health (mHealth) technology has emerged as a viable avenue for exploration in the mental health field as …

(Meso-Tetra(N-Methyl-4-Pyridyl)Porphyrin)Manganese(Iii) Iodide: A Water Stable Catalyst For The Aziridination Of Olefins, Daniel Karl Wolgemuth

Theses and Dissertations

Aziridines are important building blocks for the synthesis of a wide range of organic compounds, including biologically active compounds and pharmaceuticals. The development of more cost-effective catalysts for atom transfer reactions is a continuing area of research in chemistry. Transition metal complexes have been shown to catalyze the aziridination of olefins, however, most require expensive metal ions or complex ligands. Meso-tetra(N-methyl-4-pyridyl)porphyrin (TMPyP4) is a highly charged, planar ligand that has been used to support manganese(III) in complexes like Mn[TMPyP4]I5. Herein we report the optimization of the reaction conditions for the aziridination of olefins in water and buffered solutions catalyzed by …

Bret Assays To Determine Altered Function Of A D2dr Variant In G Protein-Independent And -Dependent Pathways, Alex R. Kunz

University Honors Theses

G protein-dependent and independent signaling pathways perform crucial roles in dopamine-related physiological and pathological processes. A pivotal role of dopamine in the CNS is the control of locomotion; disruption to dopaminergic systems, such as reduced striatal D2 receptor availability, contributes to the development of movement disorders. Affected members of a family with dystonia, a movement disorder, are heterozygous for a SNP in exon 4 of D2DR (c.634A>T p.I212F), a missense variant located within the third intracellular loop; specifically, the variation is in the middle of a short stretch of residues that have been found to be critical for binding …

The (Mis)Use Of One-Way Anova Testing In Sociology Research Papers And Their Implications, Nancy Yang

University Honors Theses

Null hypothesis testing has been used increasingly over previous years. Many papers have been released critiquing the use and interpretation of these tests, particularly in the fields of medicine and other physical sciences. This study considers the use of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) testing, a type of null hypothesis test, in sociology research papers. In this study, peer reviewed research articles have been gathered and analyzed based on their misuse and misinterpretation. Common misuses include proof of the null hypothesis and lack of further explanation of statistically significant results in relation to argument of the research. These interpretations, or lack …

Theft And Mutilation On The Use Of Library Resources In Nigerian Academic Libraries., Idakwo Innocent

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The ability of the library to meet the needs of its teeming users is greatly dependent on the availability of information resources. Theft and mutilation are serious factors that hamper not just availability but usability of information resources. This paper discussed some of the causes of theft and mutilation to include high cost of books, lack of photocopying machine, lack of electronic security measures, and lack of proper monitoring of students, porous library security system, and unavailability of online databases among others. This study also revealed that theft and mutilation of information resources has lots of negative impact on the …

Seasonal And Diurnal Patterns Of Pollens And Their Relations With Asthma And Allergies, Jeremy Rivera Sánchez, Benjamin Bolaños Rosero, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

According to the CDC, 22.4% of the population in Puerto Rico suffers from asthma, increasing in children to a 25.3%. Allergic asthma is a respiratory condition caused by allergens such as mite- dust, fungal spores, and pollen. Asthma symptoms can include lack of air and chronic cough. Biological airborne particles may produce proteins with allergenic potential that at high levels may trigger asthma in susceptible individuals.

To determine the role of tree pollen in asthma, we analyzed the daily data collected from 2015 to 2017 with a Burkard volumetric air sampler located 73 meters above sea level at the San …

Investigating The Aquatic Ecosystem Of The Kenektok River In Quinhagak, Alaska, Ashley Forbes, Noehealani Antolin, Carolee Dodge Francis

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Water quality is defined by several characteristics: chemical, physical, biological, and radiological. Water quality is important in Alaskan communities due to the reliance of subsistence hunting like fishing to meet cultural and spiritual needs. A healthy aquatic system is achieved when water quality is not altered or disturbed. The objective of this project is to determine the water quality of the Kenektok River in Quinhagak, Alaska. The La Motte Water monitoring kit was used in this project to determine any chemical, physical, biological, and radiological disturbances. Three water samples were taken from different locations, approximately 1 meter apart, along the …

Preliminary Assessment Of Growing Oyster Mushroom, Pleurotus Sajor-Caju On Coconut Husk Substrate Supplemented With Different Amounts Of Copra Cake, Unaisi Grace Kuilamu, Vincent Enriquez, Ma

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Mushroom cultivation is a newly introduced technology in the Marshall Islands to promote food security and community health due to its soluble fiber content and nutritive values. Mushroom is also known to have naturally occurring beta-glucans that could prevent high cholesterol and some other non-communicable disease (NCDs). Majuro Atoll has an ample amount of coconut husk and copra cake, a by-product from Tobolar Copra Processing Plant. The study aimed to assess the possibility of using copra cake for mushroom cultivation.

The capability of oyster mushroom in utilizing coconut by-product was assessed in terms of mycelial growth, number of fruiting body, …

A Case Study On The Implementation Of Additional Daily Physical Activity Beyond The State-Required Guidelines, Frances Eugenia Phipps

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to provide an in-depth understanding of teachers’, principals’ and educational stakeholders’ viewpoints of students in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades pertaining to the incorporation of additional daily physical activity into the school day above the state-mandated 30 minutes in an elementary school in rural Western North Carolina. Research questions included: How does additional daily physical activity implemented in the school day influence student cognitive development? Why has additional daily physical activity time been incorporated into the school day? How does extended play benefit students beyond cognitive impact? Personal semi-constructed interviews with 11 …

Factors Influencing Graduate Program Choice Among Undergraduate Women, Bryna J. Harrington, Halei C. Benefield, Brooke C. Matson, Rebecca E. Hamlin, Jennifer E. L. Diaz, Grace E. Mosley, Rushina Cholera, Audrey R. Verde

Cooper Rowan Medical Journal

Context: Despite equal enrollment proportions in MD and PhD programs, there are fewer women than men in MD-PhD programs and academic medicine. Factors important in degree program selection, including the perception of gender disparities, among undergraduate students were characterized.

Methods: In 2017, pre-health students at four public North Carolina universities were invited to participate in an online survey regarding career plans, decision factors, and perceptions of gender disparities in MD, PhD and MD-PhD pathways. The authors characterized factors important to program selection, and evaluated the association of intended graduate program with perceived gender disparities using Fisher’s exact tests.

Results: …

Tumor Microbiome Diversity And Composition Influence Pancreatic Cancer Outcomes, E. Riquelme, Yu Zhang, Liangliang Zhang, M. Montiel, Michelle Zoltan, W. Dong, Pompeyo Quesada, I. Sahin, V. Chandra, Anthony San Lucas, Paul Scheet, Hanwen Xu, Samir M. Hanash, Lei Feng, Jared K. Burks, Kim Anh Do, Christine B. Peterson, Deborah Nejman, Ching Wei D. Tzeng, Michael P. Kim, Cynthia L. Sears

Faculty Publications

Most patients diagnosed with resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) survive less than 5 years, but a minor subset survives longer. Here, we dissect the role of the tumor microbiota and the immune system in influencing long-term survival. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we analyzed the tumor microbiome composition in PDAC patients with short-term survival (STS) and long-term survival (LTS). We found higher alpha-diversity in the tumor microbiome of LTS patients and identified an intra-tumoral microbiome signature (Pseudoxanthomonas-Streptomyces-Saccharopolyspora-Bacillus clausii) highly predictive of long-term survivorship in both discovery and validation cohorts. Through human-into-mice fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiments from STS, LTS, or control …

A Pilot Randomized Trial Of A Medication Possession Intervention To Improve Medication Adherence And Health Outcomes Of Patients With Heart Failure After Hospital Discharge, Lila De Tantillo

Open Access Dissertations

Heart failure is a chronic disease that increases mortality, reduces quality of life, and increases health care system costs. About 6.5 million people in the United States and 26 million worldwide have heart failure. Patients with heart failure often take multiple prescription medications. Medication adherence is crucial to improving health outcomes, but patients face multiple barriers to medication adherence. The World Health Organization (2003) describes these barriers as patient factors, therapy-related factors, condition-related factors, social/economic factors, and health care/system factors, and recommends medication adherence interventions address multiple barriers simultaneously. To date, there are no studies of medication possession interventions for …

Vitamin D Supplementation And Prevention Of Type 2 Diabetes, Anastassios G. Pittas, Bess Dawson‑Hughes, Patricia Sheehan, James H. Ware, William C. Knowler, Vanita R. Aroda, Irwin Brodsky, Lisa Ceglia, Chhavi Chadha, Ranee Chatterjee, Cyrus Desouza, Rowena Dolor, John Foreyt, Paul Fuss, Adline Ghazi, Daniel S. Hsia, Karen C. Johnson, Sangeeta R. Kashyap, Sun Kim, Erin S. Leblanc, Michael R. Lewis, Emilia Liao, Anne Peters, Lawrence S. Phillips, Richard Pratley, Philip Raskin, Neda Rasouli, David Robbins, Clifford Rosen, Ellen M. Vickery, Myrlene Staten, Jason Nelson

United States Department of Veterans Affairs: Publications

BACKGROUND

Observational studies support an association between a low blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D level and the risk of type 2 diabetes. However, whether vitamin D supplementation lowers the risk of diabetes is unknown.

METHODS

We randomly assigned adults who met at least two of three glycemic criteria for prediabetes (fasting plasma glucose level, 100 to 125 mg per deciliter; plasma glucose level 2 hours after a 75-g oral glucose load, 140 to 199 mg per deciliter; and glycated hemoglobin level, 5.7 to 6.4%) and no diagnostic criteria for diabetes to receive 4000 IU per day of vitamin D3 or placebo, regardless …

Poo Power: Revisiting Biogas Generation Potential On Dairy Farms In Texas, Justin R. Benavidez, Anastasia W. Thayer, David P. Anderson

Applied Economics Faculty Publications

Biogas created from anaerobic digestion on dairy farms can be used to generate electricity, produce coproducts, and reduce reliance on off-farm inputs. We incorporate risk into simulation models representing dairy farms in Texas and demonstrate the profitability of new anaerobic digester installation. Based on this market, results indicate projects that have low investment costs, receive grant support for construction, utilize coproducts, or have some combination of these factors have higher net present value at the end of the study period; however, even with generous grant support and high electricity prices, projects with average investment costs remain unprofitable.

Endothelial Iqgap1 Regulates Leukocyte Transmigration By Directing The Lbrc To The Site Of Diapedesis, David P. Sullivan, Prarthana J. Dalal, Fanny Jaulin, David B. Sacks, Geri Kreitzer, William A. Muller

Publications and Research

Transendothelial migration (TEM) of leukocytes across the endothelium is critical for inflammation. In the endothelium, TEM requires the coordination of membrane movements and cytoskeletal interactions, including, prominently, recruitment of the lateral border recycling compartment (LBRC). The scaffold protein IQGAP1 was recently identified in a screen for LBRC-interacting proteins. Knockdown of endothelial IQGAP1 disrupted the directed movement of the LBRC and substantially reduced leukocyte TEM. Expression of truncated IQGAP1 constructs demonstrated that the calponin homology domain is required for IQGAP1 localization to endothelial borders and that the IQ domain, on the same IQGAP1 polypeptide, is required for its function in TEM. …

Body Issues: More Anatomists Are Needed To Close The Primary Care Gap, Matt Windsor

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Inspiration For The Future: The Role Of Inspiratory Muscle Training In Cystic Fibrosis., Ren-Jay Shei, Robert L Dekerlegand, Kelly A Mackintosh, John D Lowman, Melitta A Mcnarry

Department of Physical Therapy Faculty Papers

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited, multi-system, life-limiting disease characterized by a progressive decline in lung function, which accounts for the majority of CF-related morbidity and mortality. Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) has been proposed as a rehabilitative strategy to treat respiratory impairments associated with CF. However, despite evidence of therapeutic benefits in healthy and other clinical populations, the routine application of IMT in CF can neither be supported nor refuted due to the paucity of methodologically rigorous research. Specifically, the interpretation of available studies regarding the efficacy of IMT in CF is hampered by methodological threats to internal and external …

Forecasting Dengue Fever In Brazil: An Assessment Of Climate Conditions, Lucas M. Stolerman, Pedro D. Maia, Nathan Kutz

Mathematics Faculty Publications - Archive

Local climate conditions play a major role in the biology of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the main vector responsible for transmitting dengue, zika, chikungunya and yellow fever in urban centers. For this reason, a detailed assessment of periods in which changes in climate conditions affect the number of human cases may improve the timing of vector-control efforts. In this work, we develop new machine-learning algorithms to analyze climate time series and their connection to the occurrence of dengue epidemic years for seven Brazilian state capitals. Our method explores the impact of two key variables—frequency of precipitation and average temperature—during a …

Gardner-Webb Science Professors Help Alumnus Pursue Goal Of Becoming A Dentist, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

When he was 10, Joshua McKoy wanted to be like his brother and become a dentist. Looking back, the 2018 alumnus of Gardner-Webb University realizes his reasons were superficial. “It wasn’t until 11th or 12th grade that dentistry became a passion for me,” McKoy reflected. “My best friend got braces.”

Advances In Management Of Neuropsychiatric Syndromes In Neurodegenerative Diseases, Jeffrey Cummings, Aaron Ritter, Kasia Rothenberg

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Purpose of Review Neuropsychiatric syndromes (NPS) are common in neurodegenerative disorders (NDD). This review describes the role of NPS in the diagnosis of NDD, criteria for the diagnosis of NPS, management of NPS, and agents in clinical trials for NPS. Recent Findings NPS play an increasingly important role in the diagnosis of NDD. Consensus diagnostic criteria have evolved for psychosis, depression, agitation, and apathy in NDD. With one exception—pimavanserin is approved for the treatment of hallucinations and delusions in Parkinson’s disease—there are no drugs approved by the FDA for treatment of NPS in NDD. Trials show that atypical antipsychotics reduce …

Engineering Dna Recognition And Allosteric Response Properties Of Tetr Family Proteins By Using A Module-Swapping Strategy, Rey P. Dimas, Benjamin R. Jordan, Xian-Li Jiang, Catherine Martini, Joseph S. Glavy, Dustin P. Patterson, Faruck Morcos, Clement T.Y. Chan

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The development of synthetic biological systems requires modular biomolecular components to flexibly alter response pathways. In previous studies, we have established a module-swapping design principle to engineer allosteric response and DNA recognition properties among regulators in the LacI family, in which the engineered regulators served as effective components for implementing new cellular behavior. Here we introduced this protein engineering strategy to two regulators in the TetR family: TetR (UniProt Accession ID: P04483) and MphR (Q9EVJ6). The TetR DNA-binding module and the MphR ligand-binding module were used to create the TetR-MphR. This resulting hybrid regulator possesses DNA-binding properties of TetR and …

Leveraging Synthetic Root-Soil Systems To Quantify Relationships Between Plant Traits And The Formation Of Soil Organic Carbon, Bonnie G. Waring

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

2019-08-08 Agenda Book, Morehead State University. Board Of Regents.

Morehead State Board of Regents Agenda Books and Meeting Minutes

Agenda booklet for the Board of Regents for August 8, 2019. Included in the booklet are the meeting minutes from June 6, 2019.

Monitoring Hydrologic Factors Influencing Bog Turtle Persistence At A Site In Connecticut, Julie Webb

Master's Theses

A calcareous fen that supported one of the few populations of bog turtles (Glyptemys muhlenbergii) in Connecticut has been shown by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to have declined with no sitings reported since 2004. This study evaluates the current hydrology of the fen in question to provide insight as to why it may be no longer habitable. Possible reasons for turtle decline identified at the outset of the project included salt contamination from deicing of a state road, periodic flooding from seasonal storms, nutrient and pesticide runoff from the draining farms, potential drying …

Tidally Resolved Carbon And Nutrient Exchange Through Eastern Long Island Sound, Allison L. Byrd

Master's Theses

Long Island Sound (LIS) is an urbanized estuary that undergoes seasonal hypoxia in its western and central regions. Approximately 90% of the water exchange between LIS and the adjacent continental shelf, the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB), occurs at the eastern LIS (ELIS) boundary. The contribution (import/export) of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) from ELIS to the MAB has not been well constrained, though it is important for the management of LIS and coastal biogeochemical budgets. As a tidal estuary, sampling efforts are subject to a degree of natural variation that is currently not well quantified. To assess the …

Predicting The Effects Of Supplemental Epa And Dha On The Omega-3 Index, Rachel E. Walker, Kristina Harris Jackson, Nathan L. Tintle, Gregory C. Shearer, Aldo Bernasconi, Serge Masson, Roberto Latini, Bobak Heydari, Raymond Y. Kwong, Michael Flock, Penny M. Kris-Etherton, Anne Hedengran, Robert M. Carney, Ann Skulas-Ray, Samuel S. Gidding, Antonella Dewell, Christopher D. Gardner, Marlene Grenon, Barbara Sarter, John W. Newman, Theresa L. Pedersen, Mark K. Larson, William S. Harris

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Background: Supplemental long-chain omega-3 (n–3) fatty acids (EPA and DHA) raise erythrocyte EPA + DHA [omega-3 index (O3I)] concentrations, but the magnitude or variability of this effect is unclear.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to model the effects of supplemental EPA + DHA on the O3I.

Methods: Deidentified data from 1422 individuals from 14 published n–3 intervention trials were included. Variables considered included dose, baseline O3I, sex, age, weight, height, chemical form [ethyl ester (EE) compared with triglyceride (TG)], and duration of treatment. The O3I was measured by the same method in all included studies. Variables were selected …

Microsatellite Markers In Spanish Lime (Melicoccus Bijugatus Jacq., Sapindaceae), A Neglected Neotropical Fruit Crop, Jaime Martinez-Castillo, Renee S. Arias, Ruben H. Andueza-Noh, Matilde M. Ortiz-Garcia, Brian M. Irish, Brian E. Scheffler

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Spanish lime (Melicoccus bijugatus Jacq.) is aNeotropical fruit tree cultivated, mainly, in orchards for self-consumption or local sale. The genus Melicoccus includes other nine species with edible fruits, some of these species are at risk of extinction. Like for the vast majority of tropical fruit trees, there is no information on the genetic diversity of Spanish lime and its related species, and this is mostly due to the lack of molecular markers. The objectives of this study were to present the first microsatellite markers developed for Spanish lime, testing its usefulness on a sample of cultivated accessions, as well as …

Synthesis, Characterization And Selected Application Of Chitosan-Coated Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles, Hany A. Elazab Dr

Chemical Engineering

In this research, we report an efficient method to prepare highly active chitosan-coated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles by implementing co-precipitation technique which is used for waste water treatment applications. Chitosan-coated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized using TEM, XRD, and XPS. A comparative study has been made between chitosan powder and chitosan coated with magnetic nanoparticles with respect to the rate of adsorption of copper from aqueous solution. It was also experimentally verified that chitosancoated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles are much more effective in adsorption of heavy metals than chitosan powder and it takes just few minutes instead …

Foodai: Food Image Recognition Via Deep Learning For Smart Food Logging, Doyen Sahoo, Hao Wang, Ke Shu, Xiongwei Wu, Hung Le, Palakorn Achananuparp, Ee-Peng Lim, Hoi, Steven C. H.

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

An important aspect of health monitoring is effective logging of food consumption. This can help management of diet-related diseases like obesity, diabetes, and even cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, food logging can help fitness enthusiasts, and people who wanting to achieve a target weight. However, food-logging is cumbersome, and requires not only taking additional effort to note down the food item consumed regularly, but also sufficient knowledge of the food item consumed (which is difficult due to the availability of a wide variety of cuisines). With increasing reliance on smart devices, we exploit the convenience offered through the use of smart phones …

Predicting Pelargonium Responses To Climate Change In A Biodiversity Hotspot Throughout South Africa, Tanisha Marie Williams

Doctoral Dissertations

Climate change is causing major shifts in species distributions, which fundamentally alters the species composition and functioning of biological communities across the globe. Projections suggest that by 2100 up to one of every six species will become extinct. Such drastic changes will have significant impacts on biodiversity patterns and ecosystem functioning. Ecologists are faced with the pressing work of trying to understand how plants will respond to changing and increasingly stressful environments. To predict the long-term effects and magnitude of species responses, it is imperative that species adaptive responses are understood across the entirety of their geographic ranges. My dissertation …