Digital Commons Network^™

Monitoring 2019 Bonnet Carré Spillway Impacts - Final Report, J. Read Hendon, Jerry D. Wiggert, Jill Hendon

Faculty Publications

Due to the multiple and extended openings of the Bonnet Carré Spillway in 2019, the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) was tasked by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources to conduct ecological sampling in the Mississippi Sound and adjacent waters. in an effort to better understand the impacts of the extensive freshwater diversion of Bonnet Carré Spillway operations on Mississippi's coastal and marine resources. The period of performance for this project was June 1, 2019, to August 31, 2019. This technical report summarizes the three months of weekly surveys and analyses, over June - August 2019, conducted by the University …

Development Of Extracellular Vesicle Isolation And Model Systems Toward Early Ovarian Cancer Diagnostics, Tyler Slonecki

All Dissertations

Ovarian cancer (OC) is characterized by late stage discovery and low survivability. However, when diagnosed early (Stages I or II) the 5-year survival rate is 92% up from 29%.5 The extreme dichotomy in survivability is what makes OC a prime candidate for early diagnosis techniques. Exosomes, a subtype of extracellular vesicles, may bridge the gap between early and late diagnosis, but are lacking consistent isolation and detection technologies. Here poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) capillary channeled polymer (C-CP) fibers employing an HIC protocol are investigated as a novel exosome isolation method and a quick, inexpensive, and easy-to-use platform for OC diagnosis. The …

Spectroscopic Insights Into The Nano-Bio Interface: Implications And Applications, Wren E. Gregory

All Dissertations

Due to their extraordinary physical, optical, and chemical properties, nanomaterials continue to show great prowess in all varieties of research ranging from energy storage to targeted drug therapy. Specifically, their small size (comparable to biomolecules) and the functional diversity of their surfaces have instigated breakthroughs in the medical field for their use as diagnostic imaging agents, drug delivery vectors, and more. As they become more commonplace and the race continues to test their limits in biomedicine it is imperative that their underlying properties and interactions with biological milieu are thoroughly studied to ensure safe and ethical practices in application. It …

Inquiry Complete: Experiences And Positive Career Outcomes Among Creative Inquiry Participants, John Morgan

All Dissertations

Participation in undergraduate research has been shown to improve students’ abilities and increase their interest in pursuing post-graduate education. However, previous research has focused on differentiating between participants and non-participants, not necessarily within-program differences that can affect these outcomes. In Creative Inquiry at Clemson University, student participants can assist with projects in a wide variety of fields and experience team-based learning with close mentor supervision. This dissertation sought to expand the undergraduate research literature by showing how positive development students experienced as part of their time in undergraduate research led to beneficial psychological and career-related outcomes following graduation. The results …

Validation Of Physically Heat-Treated Process For Poultry Litter And Analysis Of Microbial Community Of Animal Waste-Based Soil Amendments Using Sequencing Approach, Hongye Wang

All Dissertations

Biological soil amendments of animal origin (BSAAO), such as animal waste or animal waste-based composts, commonly used as organic fertilizer, may contain human pathogens such as Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. To reduce harmful microorganisms, animal waste can be treated by composting or other validated scientific methods. But insufficient treatment may introduce pathogens into agricultural fields. As a nutrient-rich fertilizer, poultry litter may also contain human pathogens with Salmonella spp. as a primary focus. Physical heat treatments can kill Salmonella in poultry litter with or without the composting process, but validation studies or guidelines are still needed for the litter processing …

Smart Motor Syringe System, Conard Chan, Jenny Chiao

Electrical Engineering

Syringe pumps are widely used in many research applications especially in the applications that need precise control. Today most medical research utilizes syringes to control the fluid being pumped to the experiment objects. In most cases microscopic or nano-scopic motion control is required to acquire optimal results, such application includes purification of DNA/RNA from contaminants[1]. The high precision required to control the syringe pump makes it difficult to perform manually. This paper focuses on the design of an intelligent syringe pump motor control system to achieve reliable and precise control for biomedical experiments. This project improves medical research quality with …

Injustice Is An Underlying Condition, Yael Cannon

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Race, poverty, and zip code serve as critical determinants of a person's health. Research showed the links between these factors and poor health and mortality before COVID-19, and they have only been amplified during this pandemic.

People of color experience higher rates of asthma, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. People of color who live in poverty are even more likely to suffer from poor health; they face a “double burden” of health disparities associated with both racial and socioeconomic marginalization. Neighborhoods with concentrated poverty and with residents who are primarily people of color have even faced a life …

What Can Covid-19 Teach Us About Using Ai In Pandemics?, Krzysztof Laudanski, Gregory Shea, Matthew Dimeglio, Mariana Rastrepo, Cassie Solomon

Division of Internal Medicine Faculty Papers & Presentations

The COVID-19 pandemic put significant strain on societies and their resources, with the healthcare system and workers being particularly affected. Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers the unique possibility of improving the response to a pandemic as it emerges and evolves. Here, we utilize the WHO framework of a pandemic evolution to analyze the various AI applications. Specifically, we analyzed AI from the perspective of all five domains of the WHO pandemic response. To effectively review the current scattered literature, we organized a sample of relevant literature from various professional and popular resources. The article concludes with a consideration of AI's weaknesses …

Fantasy And Realism In Contemporary Ecuadorian Literature (1976-2006), Kimberly E. Contag

MSU Authors Collection

My purpose in this book is not to assess how well Ecuadorian literature fits into the broad Latin American literary scene or the global scene in particular, but instead to read and analyze how Ecuadorian writers communicate ideas about the world they live in through realism and fantasy. It is the nature of Ecuadorians to express their experience in these terms to portray a unique and multifaceted voice. To that end, I propose a model for analyzing the function of fantasy and realism in literature, principally in the novel, short story, flash fiction, poetry, flash poetry, and theater, and offer …

A Meta-Analysis Of Gender Gap On The Fci In High School And College Introductory Physics Courses In The Us And International Countries., Polin Yadak

Doctoral Dissertations

This meta-analysis synthesized research on gender gap in the Force Concept Inventory (FCI). The main goal of the present meta-analysis was to identify the moderator variables that mediate effect size differences. Furthermore, the statistical significance of the average effect sizes was investigated. The inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis resulted in 22 empirical research articles that studied gender gap and reported the number of male and female students in the study. The included articles reported multiple studies; therefore, there were 34 studies on pretest and 43 studies on the posttest FCI. The average effect size for the pretests was 0.62 and …

Taking Nitrogen By Storm: Spatial And Temporal Controls On Nitrogen Processing In A Small Reservoir, Eliza Balch

Master's Theses and Capstones

Nitrate inputs pose a threat to aquatic ecosystems, leading to eutrophication, algal blooms, and habitat loss in downstream coastal marine and estuarine habitats. Rivers and streams can attenuate nitrogen between inputs and coastal outputs, moderating ecosystem harm. While nitrogen dynamics in streams and rivers have been studied for decades, less is known about the wetlands through which they flow, namely small reservoirs. Storms can have a large influence on nitrogen processing in reservoirs through hydrologic changes and introduction of new solute sources, but are poorly understood. To understand the spatial and temporal variability of nitrogen processing in a small reservoir, …

Using Stable Isotopes To Determine Dominant Methane Production Pathways Of Thaw Ponds In A Subarctic Peatland, Kathryn Ann Bennett

Master's Theses and Capstones

Arctic and subarctic ecosystems are currently warming faster than any other region of the globe, accelerating seasonal permafrost thaw. As thaw progresses, small water bodies can form due to slumping of the peatland surface. These ponds emit methane (CH4), a strong, radiatively important trace gas, predominantly through ebullition (bubbling). Two different types of methanogenic Archaea present in these systems produce CH4 through their respective production pathways: acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. The acetoclastic pathway forms CH4 using CH3COOH, an organic carbon (C) source while hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis uses CO2, an inorganic C source. Stable isotopes can be used to characterize the relative …

Quantifying The Effects Of Land Use And Flow Regime On Metabolism In New England Streams, Daniel R. Bolster

Master's Theses and Capstones

Metabolism in aquatic ecosystems influences food webs and water quality but is potentially altered by changes in land use and flow regime. The interacting effects of storms and land use on stream metabolism are largely understudied. The goal of this study was to understand how flow variability and land use interact to affect biogeochemical cycling in headwater streams. In situ measurements of stage, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen (DO) were made in three headwater streams draining different land uses (urban, forest, and mixed) and one larger river site from July 2017 to January 2018. All streams were located in the …

Environmental, Human Health, And Economic Implications Of Landfill Leachate Treatment For Pfas Removal, Danyi Feng

Master's Theses and Capstones

Landfill leachate is commonly treated offsite with municipal wastewater. This offsite leachate treatment may be limited or no longer applicable due to the increasingly stringent regulations and concerns related to PFAS discharge into the environment, resulting in development of full-scale, onsite leachate treatment facilities. To help landfills prepare for the potential shift from offsite to onsite leachate treatment for PFAS compliance, this study analyzed and compared the environmental, human health, and economic performances of a typical onsite and a typical offsite leachate treatment alternative using life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost assessment (LCCA). Two distinct functional units were …

Determining The Factors That Drive Understory Plant Species Distribution In The White Mountains Of New Hampshire, Nathan Roe

Master's Theses and Capstones

Species niche is a fundamental concept in ecology, but quantitative descriptions of nicheare lacking for most species. We used new statistical techniques from species distribution modeling (SDM) literature to create estimates of niche for 41 understory species in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Niche estimates allow for improved understanding of the environmental gradients determining the spatial patterns of species. We found that elevation and soil fertility were the dominant gradients influencing the distribution of our study species. The use of remotely sensed variables alone were capable of producing useful SDMs but were improved by the addition of soil variables. …

Spatial And Temporal Occurrence Of Preformed Nitrate Anomalies In The Subtropical Ocean, Adam Joseph Smyth

Master's Theses and Capstones

Preformed nitrate (PreNO3) was formulated to act as a conservative tracer of oceancirculation after accounting for the stoichiometry of marine biochemical reactions involving oxygen and nitrate. However, PreNO3 anomalies have been identified within the shallow subtropical ocean, that describe the biological consumption or production of oxygen without assumed stoichiometric changes in nitrate, which still have yet to be fully explained. The mechanisms proposed to drive the formation of PreNO3 anomalies are: vertically migrating phytoplankton (VMP), the export and subsequent remineralization of N-deficient transparent exopolymer particles (TEP, e.g. marine gels), and the remineralization of N-poor dissolved organic matter (DOM). Observations from …

Backlogged Or Logjammed? An Analysis Of The Patterns That Surround The Rape Kit Backlog Across Jurisdictions, Elizabeth Dowd

Political Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Untested rape kits sit in crime labs, hospitals, evidence lockers, or storage facilities untouched. In the worst-case scenarios, rape kits have been thrown out of police storage before the statute of limitations had expired. A major public policy problem is developing as these kits stack up and create a backlog. The primary problem with the rape kit backlog is that all victims are not receiving justice. To solve the problem, the backlog of rape kits needs further exploration and analysis. If a pattern can be established about why the problem is occurring, then policies can be constructed and implemented to …

The Drug (Pricing) Wars: States, Preemption, And Unsustainable Prices, Isaac D. Buck

North Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Rational Design Of 2,4-Disubstituted Quinazoline Small Molecules To Inhibit The Inflammatory Cytokine Oncostatin M, Riley Olsen

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Inflammation is one of the body's most important natural defense mechanisms involved in wound healing. It is usually triggered by a harmful event, such as physical trauma or exposure to external stimuli including bacteria, fungi, viruses, harmful chemicals, or environmental particulates. The inflammatory process brings blood containing inflammatory mediators consisting of leukocytes, hormones, and cytokines to the site of trauma to begin healing. However, the lack of a proper inflammatory response or an overactive response can lead to further progressive tissue damage resulting in chronic inflammatory conditions or death. The cytokine oncostatin M (OSM) is of particular interest due to …

Analytic Solutions For Diffusion On Path Graphs And Its Application To The Modeling Of The Evolution Of Electrically Indiscernible Conformational States Of Lysenin, K. Summer Ware

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Memory is traditionally thought of as a biological function of the brain. In recent years, however, researchers have found that some stimuli-responsive molecules exhibit memory-like behavior manifested as history-dependent hysteresis in response to external excitations. One example is lysenin, a pore-forming toxin found naturally in the coelomic fluid of the common earthworm Eisenia fetida. When reconstituted into a bilayer lipid membrane, this unassuming toxin undergoes conformational changes in response to applied voltages. However, lysenin is able to "remember" past history by adjusting its conformational state based not only on the amplitude of the stimulus but also on its previous …

Optimizing Raman Spectral Collection For Quartz And Zircon Crystals For Elastic Geothermobarometry, Mayara F. Cizina

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Raman microspectroscopy is widely used to identify and characterize organic and inorganic compounds. In the geosciences, Raman microspectroscopy has been used to identify mineral and fluid inclusions in host crystals, as well as to calculate pressure-temperature (P-T) conditions using mineral inclusions in host crystals, such as quartz-in-garnet barometry (QuiG). For thermobarometric applications, the reproducibility of Raman peak position measurements is crucial to obtain accurate P-T estimates. In this study, we explored how to optimize Raman spectral collection of quartz and zircon inclusions and reference crystals by monitoring machine stability and by varying spectral parameters. We also monitored a reference Hg …

An Intensive Longitudinal Functional Lineary Model With Multiple Time Scales, Mostafa Zahed

Dissertations

In this study an intensive longitudinal functional model with multiple time-varying scales with scalar outcome, multiple functional predictors, one or more scalar covariates and subject-specific random intercepts through mixed model equivalence was proposed. The framework consists of estimating a time-varying coefficient function that is modeled as a linear combination of time-invariant functions with time-varying coefficients. The model uses information structure of the penalty, while the estimation procedure exploits the equivalence between penalized least squares estimation and a linear mixed model representation. The process is empirically evaluated with several simulations. The simulation suggested that as the sample size and level of …

Dietary Regulation Of Successful Aging, Aubree L. Hawley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current growth of the older population is unprecedented in U.S. history. Chronic disease and functional limitation commonly develop prior to old age, leading to prolonged physical disability and decreased well-being. The development of chronic disease and loss of independence is associated with lean body mass (LBM) loss and fat mass gain beginning in middle age. Therefore, it is important to identify modifiable factors to mitigate deleterious shifts in body composition to promote successful aging (SA). The concept of SA is associated with longevity, the absence of disease and disability, and subjective components of well-being, however, an operational definition has …

Neogene And Quaternary Events Shaped Diversification And Speciation In Bhutanese Rheophilic Fishes Of The Family Nemacheilidae (Cypriniformes) And Sisoridae (Siluriformes), Karma Wangchuk

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Biogeography of the Himalayan region [to include the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP)] evolved over a ~30M year span, catalyzed by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates. The resulting uplift produced major ecological and climatic effects, that in turn drove the diversification of biodiversity. As a result, the QTP is designated as a global biodiversity hotspot particularly vulnerable to cumulative climatic effects, including shrinking distributions, declining numbers, and local extinctions. Understanding how the biodiversity within the Himalaya/ QTP was established and maintained is a necessary first step in prioritizing conservation efforts.

Fishes in global montane regions, such as the Himalaya, …

Gender Difference In Mortality Among Pulmonary Tuberculosis Hiv Co-Infected Adults Aged 15-49 Years In Kenya, Rose J. Kosgei, Steven Callens, Peter Gichangi, Marleen Temmerman, Anne-Beatrice Kihara, Gathara David, Eunice Nyaboe Omesa, Enos Masini, E. Jane Carter

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Setting: Kenya, 2012–2015

Objective: To explore whether there is a gender difference in all-cause mortality among smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB)/ HIV co-infected patients treated for tuberculosis (TB) between 2012 and 2015 in Kenya.

Design: Retrospective cohort of 9,026 smear-positive patients aged 15–49 years. All-cause mortality during TB treatment was the outcome of interest. Time to start of antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation was considered as a proxy for CD4 cell count. Those who took long to start of ART were assumed to have high CD4 cell count.

Results: Of the 9,026 observations analysed, 4,567(51%) and 4,459(49%) were women and men, …

Parametric Analysis Of Particle Spreading With Discrete Element Method, Yuxuan Wu

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The spreading of metallic powder on the printing platform is vital in most additive manufacturing methods, including direct laser sintering. Several processing parameters such as particle size, inter-particle friction, blade speed, and blade gap size affect the spreading process and, therefore, the final product quality. The objective of this study is to parametrically analyze the particle flow behavior and the effect of the aforementioned parameters on the spreading process using the discrete element method (DEM). To effectively address the vast parameter space within computational constraints, novel parameter sweep algorithms based on low discrepancy sequence (LDS) are utilized in conjunction with …

Numerical Analysis Of Multi-Functional Surface Acoustic Wave Sensor, Xin Xu

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

A surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor can have broad industrial applications due to its compact size, low cost-effectiveness, and versatility of sensible measurands, as well as the wireless capabilities. In this study, a theoretical modeling approach accompanied by a MATLAB-based algorithm of the SAW device is first presented. With the designed dimensional parameters and selected material properties, numerical analyses are performed using COMSOL Multiphysics to validate the theoretical results. Various postprocessing responses of the propagated SAWs in both time and frequency domains, such as time delay, insertion loss, and frequency shift, are examined to evaluate the device performances. Also, the …

Investigation Of Stormwater Bmp Water Quality Performance Characteristics With Respect To Storm Event Variables And Influent Event Mean Concentrations, Samuel James Lanternier

Master's Theses and Capstones

Stormwater is known to be a major source of water pollution. In addition to increased flows resulting from increased impervious area in watersheds, stormwater is known to carry pollutants such a suspended solids, hydrocarbons, and nutrients into receiving water bodies. Because of this, stormwater treatment systems, referred to as ‘best management practices’ (BMPs), are utilized to dampen peak flows, reduce total runoff volume, and remove pollutants. While many studies have investigated the effectiveness of various BMPs in the removal of pollutants, fewer studies have investigated the effects of numerous storm variables on the effectiveness of treatment systems. This thesis investigates …

Disparities In Oral Health: Socioeconomic Status And Policies To Increase Access To Primary Dental Care, Mckenzie Nutter

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Primary dental care is a patient-centered service consisting of routine dental checkups. The oral cavity is the first point of entrance to the body for many harmful pathogens. Therefore, primary dental care is essential to not only prevent and treat conditions in the mouth, but to also reduce the number of systemic diseases in the rest of the body. However, people with higher incomes or wealth have increased access to primary dental care. People with low socioeconomic status have decreased access to primary dental care, at least in part due to difficulties in paying for separate dental insurance. Disparities in …

The Effects Of White-Nose Syndrome On Cave-Dwelling Bats During Their Pre-Hibernation Season In Eastern Nebraska, Maggie Bockart

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is currently the leading cause of death to North American bats and was first documented in the United States in 2006 on the East Coast. Infection with the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) causes bats to arise from hibernation with unnecessary frequency, leading to depletion of fat reserves that are imperative for extended periods of torpor. In October 2014, biologists surveyed the activity levels of bats at Fontenelle Forest in eastern Nebraska using acoustic detectors and determined what species of bats were present and their relative abundance before being exposed to WNS. By returning to the …