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Parakupa Vena - Fall From The Highest Point, Mariana Parisca Englert

Theses and Dissertations

This document is a collection of the ideas and research that drive my artistic practice. My research focuses on investigating the power structures, historical roots, and existential implications of the current Venezuelan economic crisis, one of the most drastic economic collapses of modern times. The ideological rifts created in the Cold War era created a deep anti-socialist sentiment that inhibits our ability to responsibly acknowledge global interdependence. I visualize collective belief systems that gain power from their proposed neutrality. I point to the existence of value beyond the parameters and measures of global capitalism that encourage dependence. I see the …

Spooky Stuff, Petra A. Szilagyi

Theses and Dissertations

A real imaginal exploration of the aesthetics of the supernatural.

Chupa Chuparosas Y Chupacabras, Ruben U. Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

A Rascuache Nahual that uses therianthropy on the border between the US and Mexico border.

How Many Licks, Ashley Goodwin

Theses and Dissertations

Arts communities are currently reevaluating and restructuring power dynamics within their systems to accommodate a broader range of experience and subjectivity. However, the forces of control are still largely dictated by a broader patriarchal culture. This complicated, tangled dynamic is the focus of my research. Female artists who make work about men or about patriarchy more generally, are consistently subjected to its influence as the dominant cultural experience—the invisible “truth” that everything either is, or acts in reaction to its position. In reality, patriarchy is no longer gender specific. I will be addressing my relationship to it as well as …

The Impact Of Aging And Mechanical Injury On Alveolar Epithelial And Macrophage Responses In Acute Lung Injury And Inflammation, Michael S. Valentine

Theses and Dissertations

Patients with severe lung pathologies, such as Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), often require mechanical ventilation as a clinical intervention; however, this procedure frequently exacerbates the original pulmonary issue and produces an exaggerated inflammatory response that potentially leads to sepsis, multisystem organ failure, and mortality. This acute lung injury (ALI) condition has been termed Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury (VILI). Alveolar overdistension, cyclic atelectasis, and biotrauma are the primary injury mechanisms in VILI that lead to the loss of alveolar barrier integrity and pulmonary inflammation. Stress and strains during mechanical ventilation are believed to initiate alveolar epithelial mechanotransduction signaling mechanisms that contribute …

Non-Invasive Retrieval Of Prefabricated Zirconia Crowns With Er,Cr:Ysgg Laser From Primary And Permanent Teeth, Connor W. Mccall Dds

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Compromised tooth structure on permanent and deciduous teeth in the pediatric population is increasingly being restored with tooth-colored prefabricated zirconia crowns. These restorations may need to be removed or replaced with permanent crowns. The purpose of this in vitro study was to explore the use of an Er,Cr:YSGG laser for removal of prefabricated zirconia crowns cemented with RMGI as a non-invasive alternative to rotary instruments.

Methods: Thirteen permanent and 12 primary molars were prepared to dentin and prefabricated zirconia crowns were passively fitted and cemented with two resin modified glass ionomer cements. The irradiation parameters for ErCR:YSGG were 4.5 …

Preventative And Therapeutic Effects Of Bmsc Exosome On Periodontal Disease, Jin Ha Kim

Theses and Dissertations

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease caused by the imbalance between host immune response and bacterial infection. Strategies to manage the uncontrolled, excessive immune response and to promote tissue healing are in great demand. Therapies based on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising and the clinical effects of MSCs are largely mediated by their secretome, especially exosomes. Previously, we isolated and purified exosomes secreted by human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSC). These exosomes have proliferative, chemotactic, anti-inflammatory and anti-osteoclastic function in vitro. In this study, we had two hypotheses: 1) hBMSC exosomes would prevent periodontal inflammation and alveolar bone loss …

Kcc2: A Novel Therapeutic Target To Rescue Gabaergic Dysfunction And Behavioral Deficits Induced By Hiv And Opiate Use, Aaron J. Barbour

Theses and Dissertations

With adherence to combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), HIV infection can be considered a controllable chronic condition, but quality of life issues remain. The preeminent of which, HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), encompasses an array of neurological complications and has persisted despite cART implementation. The symptoms of HAND can be exacerbated by opiate use, a common comorbidity for people infected with HIV (PWH). While neurons are not infected by HIV, they incur sublethal damage, with γ-amino butyric acid- (GABA)ergic function being particularly vulnerable to viral and inflammatory factors released by infected/affected glia. This dissertation presents studies on novel organoid and dissociated primary …

Characterization Of The Tsc/Dyrk1a Interaction, Supriya Joshi

Theses and Dissertations

The Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) includes TSC1, TSC2 and the TBC1D7 subunits that together function as a principal inhibitor of the mTOR protein kinase complex 1 (mTORC1). mTORC1 is a master regulator of cell growth and proliferation that responds to signaling cues such as growth factors and nutrient availability. Proteomic studies in our lab revealed an interaction between the TSC subunits and DYRK1A, a ubiquitous protein kinase encoded by a gene located in the Down syndrome (DS) region on human chr21. In this study, we sought to validate the interaction of the TSC components with DYRK1A and to determine the …

A Randomized Trial Of Cbt4cbt For Women In Residential Treatment For Substance Use Disorders, Sydney S. Kelpin

Theses and Dissertations

Women with substance use disorders (SUD) face unique barriers to substance use treatment, and as a result, are less likely than their male counterparts to seek treatment for the disorder. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based treatment known to reduce relapse rates by teaching clients to recognize and respond to their cues for substance use. Recent research suggests CBT may be particularly of benefit to women. Despite the effectiveness of CBT, its dissemination in clinical practice is limited due to a range of barriers (e.g., time, cost). Computer-based training for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT4CBT) offers an opportunity to improve …

Cyberbullying: School Administrators' Perceptions Of Law And Prevalence, And Their Roles In Prevention, Intervention And Discipline, Suzan Gragg Denby

Theses and Dissertations

This study was aimed at investigating secondary school administrators’ experiences with and their perceptions of cyberbullying, as well as their intervention and prevention procedures. As technology has become ubiquitous in our society, students’ use has increased and impacted the school environment. Given the potential for cyberbullying and the negative effects of such, schools harbor the responsibility to prevent and intervene in such occurrences. This can be a tricky process.

This study included 12 administrators of secondary schools across eight school divisions in Virginia. Through an interview process, administrators spoke of their experiences with technology and cyberbullying incidents, and how they …

The Effects Of Autophagy And Senescence On Sensitivity To Cisplatin In Head And Neck Cancer, Zara H. Siddiqui

Theses and Dissertations

While current treatments in cancer, such as chemotherapy and radiation, can generally be effective in eliminating disease in patients, there also exists the possibility of recurrence of cancer cells over time. In patients diagnosed with locally advanced head and neck carcinoma, about 50-60% develop a loco-regional recurrence within two years, and 20-30% of patients develop metastatic disease at distant sites in the body [5]. On a cellular level, one mechanism for this survival may be that natural mechanisms such as autophagy and senescence play a role in allowing cells to survive after undergoing treatment. One standard of care chemotherapy for …

Exploring The Heteromeric Interface Of The 5-Ht2a-Mglu2 Receptor Complex, Mohamed Aarif Abdul Kareem

Theses and Dissertations

Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder characteristic of several neurotransmitters including dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate being in imbalance. Early therapies focused solely on dopamine antagonism and second-generation antipsychotics focused on the dopamine and serotonin systems and their respective G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) proteins. Although debate for dimerization of certain classes of GPCR exist, the establishment of an mGlu2-5-HT_2A heterocomplex, which is implicated in schizophrenia is of interest. Previous studies have used a mutation-based approach to identify transmembrane domain 4 (TM4) as the domain responsible in mGlu2 for mediating heteromerization before narrowing down the individual amino acids responsible for …

The Effect Of Virtual Reality Glasses On The Behavior Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In The Dental Setting, Robert Lunka

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The study investigated if viewing a simulated dental exam on virtual reality glasses between two visits would desensitize participants with autism spectrum disorder to the dental environment and improve their anxiety and behavior.

Methods: This randomized prospective cohort study compared behavior between a Control Group and Experimental Group who wore the glasses between visits. Blinded raters watched video recordings of participants and assessed behavior using the Venham scale. Heart rate and post-visit questionnaires completed by guardians were also analyzed.

Results: Five subjects were enrolled (two in the Control and three in the Experimental groups). The median heart rate at …

A Comparison In Pediatric Dental Website Design From A Guardian And Pediatric Dentists’ Perspective., David M. Voth

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This project aims to determine which aspects of pediatric dental practice websites are preferable to the guardians of pediatric dental patients and which of these aspects are currently available to guardians on the websites of pediatric dental practices across the United States. The comparison will reveal if practice websites are meeting the needs of the guardians of pediatric dental patients. Our hope is to provide meaningful guidance to pediatric dentists designing new practice websites and to provide the guardians of pediatric dental patients with an appealing online experience during their use of the aforementioned websites. Methods: A survey with …

Synthesis Of Supported Metal Nanoparticles On High Surface Area Supports For Application In Energy Conversion And Heterogeneous Catalysis, Nazgol Norouzi

Theses and Dissertations

Precise control of metal nanoparticles’ size, composition, and dispersity over high surface area supports are highly desirable to address current challenges in energy storage and conversion as well as catalytic processes involving precious metals. Therefore, developing viable synthetic routes that enable new catalytic systems derived from inexpensive transition metals or limited use of precious metals is vital for clean energy applications such as fuel cells and rechargeable batteries or affordable drugs in the pharmaceuticals arena. In addition to metal components of heterogeneous catalysts, the catalyst support is an integral part of catalyst design as it can impart both physical stability …

Internalizing Data Collection: Personal Analytics As An Investigation Of The Self, Neal R. Swisher

Theses and Dissertations

Personal analytics, aka self-tracking, is the practice of using a digital device to track aspects of behavior, such as exercise habits, heart rate, sleep patterns, location, diet, and a host of other data points. This dissertation is an exploration of “self” in self-tracking, informed by theories of subjectivity, autonomy, power and knowledge. As a technological intervention, self-tracking devices change how we experience our own body and behavior. They also serve as methods to digitize human behavior. This data is combined with other data and processed using computational methods. Self-tracking devices are both personal and bureaucratic. They are devices used for …

A Theoretically-Based Mixed Methods Approach To Examining Mental Health Disorders And Help-Seeking Behaviors Among University-Enrolled African American Men, Kofoworola D.A. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies show that African American men in college are disproportionately experiencing high levels of psychological distress, increasing their risk of developing mental health symptoms associated with depression and anxiety. Despite being at higher risk for developing mental health symptoms, university-enrolled, African American men are not seeking help even when experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety, impacting their academic performance. The evidence base describing mental health symptom prevalence and evidence-based prevention strategies among university-enrolled, African American men is limited. To that end, this dissertation work utilized a concurrent, mixed methods approach, theoretically-based in the Social Ecological Model (SEM), to …

Discerning The Spectroscopic Properties And Chemical Reactivity Of Bioinspired Metallocomplexes, Ashley K. Forney

Theses and Dissertations

In Nature, metalloenzymes catalyze a variety of thermodynamically demanding reactions with remarkable performance under mild, physiological conditions. This innate ability is a driving force for the development of nature inspired, synthetic analogues that are robust and can catalyze a variety of organic transformations. This work involves the successful syntheses of four coordinate, bioinspired complexes, [M^II(n-DOB)] (M = Ni, Co, and Cu; n = 12 and 13), which have been characterized by NMR, ESI-MS, UV/Vis, EPR, and CV. Spectroscopic evidence presents the generation of reactive metal-(di)oxygen species that display amphoteric reaction behavior, making these rarities among inorganic oxidants. These …

Regulation Of Vascular And Lymphatic Endothelial Barrier Function By Sphingosine-1-Phosphate, Jacqueline Bellaci

Theses and Dissertations

Endothelial cells play an important role in maintaining homeostasis, and disruption of the endothelial barrier have been linked to a number of different pathologies, including cancer metastasis. The vascular endothelial barrier is known to be regulated by a variety of factors, including sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a bioactive lipid metabolite, which has been shown to improve barrier function. However, most studies to date have been focused on the vascular endothelium, and the regulation of the lymphatic endothelial barrier has not been thoroughly investigated. We found that prior to any stimulation the lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) had a lower trans-endothelial resistance (TER) in …

Fargo: Growing Upward: A Neon Living Wall, Benjamin Kumpula

Landscape Architecture Theses

There is an emotional connection humans have with plants and the aesthetics of natural elements that can directly influence our mood, productivity, and overall happiness. Emotional factors can directly impact and change a person’s attitude, direct our perspective of the world, and can affect the people around us. The aesthetics of plants have an emotional impact that is amplified in the built environment and can be used to develop a solution to improve current methods of introducing living walls. Living walls have been a way to introduce natural elements into urban settings that would otherwise have limitations by environmental factors, …

Emulsion Stability Of Heavy Oil With Surfactants And Nanoparticles, Zainab Abdulmohsein, Baojun Bai, Parthasakha Neogi

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The recovered crude oil is often in form of an emulsion and the recovery is cut off when water to oil ratio exceeds a certain amount. The emulsions vary from water-in-oil to oil-in-water and the step that follows is to coalesce droplets to get two continuous liquids. Difficulties arise when the oil contains emulsifiers. There are naturally occurring surfactants, or the oil recovered is by enhanced oil recovery techniques which have additives that stabilize the droplets. We have considered below a heavy oil (viscosity 650-750 mPa.s) containing one of the three surfactants: a nonionic surfactant or a cationic surfactant or …

Mother Knows Best: A Brief Examination Of The 1982- 2019 Us Mass Shootings Data From Mother Jones’S Investigation, Gordon A. Crews, Garrison A. Crews

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

In the aftermath of the movie theater mass shooting in July of 2012 in Aurora, Colorado, Mother Jones magazine created one of the first open-source databases documenting mass shootings in the United States. They focused on documenting rampage shootings in public places which resulted in four or more victims killed by the attacker(s). Their initial database consisted of incidents between 1982 and 2012, then an additional 54 cases were added to this data base of incidents which occurred between 2013 and August 2019. The purpose of this chapter is to analyze the incidents gathered in this complete database from 1982 …

Utilizing Economic Ties With China: Brazilian Economic Development Policy In The Age Of Bolsonaro, Aotian Zheng

Pepperdine Policy Review

On October 24, 2019, Brazilian President Bolsonaro made his first official visit to China since the start of his presidency. During his speech at the Brazil-Chinese Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum, Bolsonaro claimed that China and Brazil "were born to walk together," stating that the two governments are "completely aligned in a way that reaches beyond our commercial and business relationship" (Bloomberg, 2019). Considering Bolsonaro’s past as a right-wing politician who openly identifies himself with U.S. President Donald Trump, his transformation from radical basher of the Chinese economic presence in Brazil to an advocate of the Sino-Brazilian economic relationship is …

Los Murciélagos (Chiroptera) Del Caribe De Honduras Y Nicaragua: Una Comparación Sobre Su Diversidad En Cinco Diferentes Coberturas Vegetales, Arnulfo Medina-Fitoria, Hefer Daniel Ávila-Palma, Marcio Martínez, Diego Iván Ordoñez-Mazier, Manfredo Alejandro Turcios-Casco

Neotropical Biodiversity

Estudiamos la diversidad de murciélagos en cinco diferentes coberturas vegetales del Caribe hondureño y nicaragüense: bosque maduro (BM), bosque secundario (BS), bosque ripario (BR), tacotales o guamiles (TG) y áreas abiertas (HA); determinando aspectos ecológicos y de conservación para todo el paisaje. Realizamos un esfuerzo de muestreo de 1.362 horas/red durante el cual se capturaron 2.170 individuos pertenecientes a 57 especies que representan el 39,3% de las especies de murciélagos centroamericanos. La zona evaluada presenta una alta variedad de ecosistemas, que albergan especies propias del Caribe centroamericano, incluyendo especies en riesgo como el murciélago blanco hondureño, Ectophylla alba, catalogada en …

Anticipating Accommodation, Jennifer B. Shinall

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

In theory, a reasonable accommodation mandate can remedy worker marginalization by requiring employers to make small adjustments in the workplace that have big payoffs for employees. But in reality, a reasonable accommodation mandate may be an empty promise. Reasonable accommodation is the hallmark feature of the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA "), yet decades of empirical studies indicate that wage and employment outcomes of disabled individuals have not improved--and may have even worsened--since the Act's passage. Economists have been quick to blame the reasonable accommodation mandate for the ADA's failure, but they have lacked sufficient data to discern both what …

Investigation Of Glutamate Carboxypeptidase Ii Roles In The Folate Cycle Dependent Reproduction And Development Of Caenorhabditis Elegans, Jessica M. Derham

Masters Theses

Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) is a transmembrane, zinc metallopeptidase that is expressed in a wide range of organisms, including roundworms, mice, and humans. In humans, GCPII is primarily expressed in the prostate, kidneys, small intestine, and central nervous system. Within the small intestine, the expected function of GCPII is to aid in the absorption of dietary folate from the intestinal lumen. GCPII cleaves excess glutamates from folate to yield monoglutamated folate which is then readily transported into the enterocyte. Folate can then be used through the one carbon metabolic cycle for the synthesis of nucleotides, conversion of homocysteine to methionine, …

Reprograming Neuronal Cells By Overexpression Of Fibroblast-Specific Transcription Factors, Abdulmohsen Alanazi

Masters Theses

In mammals, a complex system of regulatory signals distinguishes tissues, structures and functions. Combinations of transcription factors and co-factors regulate activation and repression of genes that result in cellular differentiation. Whole genome arrays allow the monitoring of genomic expression in specific tissues. Fibroblast microarray studies have shown candidate genes that may be involved in fibroblast identification, including genes that express transcription factors Prrx1, Snai2 and Twist1. A previous study showed that the Prrx1 and Snai2 could reactivate a fibroblast phenotype in hybrid cells that had lost fibroblast identity. Furthermore, overexpression of these factors in liver-derived cells strongly repressed liver gene …

Representations Of Africa In Us Media: A Semiotic Analysis Of Ebola: The Doctor’S Story And Body Team 12, Olubusola Akinpelu

Masters Theses

The Western media has often been criticized for biased coverage of happenings in and around Africa. The 2014 Ebola outbreak created a lot of media attention for West Africa, and by extension, the entire continent. This study examined to what extent postcolonial discourses were infused in two films from the HBO Trilogy: Ebola: The Doctor’s Story (2015) and Body Team 12 (2015). To analyze these texts, I took a semiotic approach by identifying, describing and interpreting the signs in both films, to discuss the postcolonial discourses in three broad themes. Ebola: The Doctor’s Story (2015) was analyzed in the …

Panhellenic Women's Leadership Development And Self-Efficacy, Caitlyn Gastfield

Masters Theses

Substantial research has been done on self-efficacy as well as a growing amount of research on women in leadership. This qualitative study examined the perceived relationship between leadership development opportunities given to Panhellenic women and their perceived level of self-efficacy. Three semi-structured interviews were conducted at a regional, mid-sized institution in the Midwest with undergraduate women holding leadership positions in their respective Panhellenic organizations. The results found in this study support many of the previous findings in research in relation to the importance of leadership development and self-efficacy. Many types of leadership development opportunities emerged, from informal peer support to …