Digital Commons Network^™

Escalation And Reinstatement Of Fentanyl Self-Administration In Male And Female Rats, Samantha G. Malone

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Escalation of intake and craving are two DSM-5 hallmark symptoms of opioid use disorder (OUD). Objectives: This study determined if escalation measured by long access (LgA) self-administration and craving measured by reinstatement are related. Adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to self-administer (SA) fentanyl across 7 daily 1-h sessions, followed by 21 SA sessions of either 1- or 6-h duration. Assignment to short access (ShA) and long access (LgA) groups was randomly determined for both males and females. Following 14 1-h extinction sessions, Experiment 1 assessed reinstatement induced by either fentanyl (10 or 30 μg/kg) or yohimbine (1 …

Structure And Demographic Correlates Of Individual Trait Responses To Emotions, Anita Adams

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

From a functionalist perspective, emotions inform people of their needs and influence responses to the environment. Responses to emotion encompass more than emotion regulation strategies. Individual differences emerge from the consistent way that people cope with their emotions, called trait responses to emotion (TRE). We hypothesized approach/avoidance and control/dyscontrol would characterize the dimensional structure of TRE and that dimensions would correlate with age, gender, and early life experiences. The present study developed a multidimensional model to explore TRE from a TurkPrime sample (N = 284). Participants completed a web-based battery of surveys with demographic, early life experience, and TRE questionnaires. …

The Not-So-Free Spirit Of Coachella: Coachella's Overbearing Radius Clause And The Sherman Antitrust Act, Holly Santapaga

American University Business Law Review

No abstract provided.

Be Careful Where You Spit: Do Hipaa-Covered Genetic Tests Actually Provide Greater Privacy Protection To Consumers?, Emily B. Sklar

Seton Hall Journal of Legislation and Public Policy

No abstract provided.

Biological Agent Dispersal And Containment, Austin Williams, Ryker Hacking, Weston Craig

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Purpose

• Model the flow of airborne anthrax surrogate particles through a training facility

• Design a training facility that will safely contain all the released particles

• Determine final location of the particles within the testing facility

• Determine most influential factors for particle containment

Importance

• Training for a bio-terrorist threat

• Researching airborne flow of particles is necessary to prepare for a potential threat

• Response plans depend on timely determination of the containment zone

Synthesis And Design Of Novel Polymer Grafted Nanoparticles Relevant To Drug Delivery Vehicles For Biomedical Application, Maan Abduldiyem Hassan Al-Ali

Theses and Dissertations

The modification of inorganic nanoparticles with organic polymer chains has become a significant field of study for the engineering of advanced nanocomposite materials. This dissertation presents the design, synthesis, and characterization of novel polymer grafted silica nanoparticles as new strategies to combat bacterial resistance. Described herein is the synthesis of monomers that have been graft polymerized onto silica nanoparticles that can be used as a delivery drug vehicle for biomedical applications. The polymerization of these monomers was performed via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The molecular design of the RAFT agents that are attached to the surfaces of the …

Disentangling Resource Acquisition From Interspecific Behavioral Aggression To Understand The Ecological Dominance Of A Common, Widespread Temperate Forest Ant, Robert Warren

Biology Faculty Datasets

No abstract provided.

Selectivity For Allosteric Effectors Of Bacterial Adp-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase: Structural And Functional Studies, Mashael Alghamdi

Dissertations

The biosynthesis of the intracellular polysaccharide in bacteria and plants, glycogen and starch, respectively, controlled by the key regulatory step that catalyzed by ADP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase (ADP-Glc PPase). ADP-Glc PPase is an allosteric enzyme regulated by metabolites produced of the principle carbon assimilation pathway in each organism. Agrobacterium tumefaciens enzyme activated by fructose 6-phosphate (Fru6P) and pyruvate, whereas Escherichia coli enzyme activated by fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (FBP), and both enzymes inhibited by AMP. Here, we targeted the allosteric regulation of the A. tumefaciens enzyme, examined some residues that may impact the regulation mechanism (Ser72, His71, Arg75, Ser351, Ser334, Arg368, Asn350, and Asp291), …

Metal Ions Impact On Shewanella Oneidensis Mr-1 Adhesion To Ito Electrode And The Enhancement Of Current Output, Aisha Awad Alshahrani

Dissertations

The goal of this study is to enhance the efficiency of bacterial extracellular electron transfer (EET) in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 by enhancing adhesion to the electrode's surface. Our results clearly show a major difference in the attachment and behavior of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 for Ca2+, Pb2+, Cd2+, and Mg2+, compared to the control. the final microbial coverage, as measured by confocal microscopy and cathodic peak charge in cyclic voltammetry (Qpc), increases with increasing metal ion concentrations. We found the cells attached to the electrode increased more with the addition of metal ion concentrations in the following order of metals: Ca2+ …

Health Promotion And Cancer Screening Of Arab Americans, Lamyaa Alyaba

Dissertations

Introduction: Although Arab Americans represent one of the fastest-growing populations in the U.S., there is very little health data about their preventive health habits and health-promoting lifestyle, including cancer screening. Purpose: the purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between personal factors, health-promoting behaviors, and cancer-screening behaviors of Arab Americans while controlling for acculturation. Design: Pender's Health Promotion Model was the conceptual framework for the study. a cross-sectional correlational design explored the relationship between the study variables utilizing an online-based survey to collect data from Arab Americans. Multimodal recruitment was used to recruit a convenience sample of 287 …

Women And Strategies Of Violence: Gender Roles, Foreign Support And Maintaining The Rebellion, Caglayan Baser

Dissertations

How do women affect conflict dynamics in different ways than men? I examine how expectations based on gender identities impact rebel group strategies, as well as attitudes of foreign publics and political elites toward rebel groups. First, women can substantially contribute to rebel groups' ability to resist governments and maintain their rebellion through unique gendered ways. These include enabling greater tactical diversity, increased appeal to international audiences, and spearheading coup-proofing strategies against intra-organizational factions. Women's contributions to rebel groups are most salient during times of crises and in settings where gender stereotypes are stronger. Second, rebel groups with women participants …

Sabbath And Ecological Crisis: Inoperativity In Political Theology, Andrew John Blosser

Dissertations

This dissertation explores the significance of ritual inoperativity for political theology. Drawing from representative interpreters of biblical/traditional sources, contemporary philosophical reflection, and practical analysis of rituals, this study argues that rituals such as Sabbath, vigil, shmita, and fiesta paint a unique image of human identity and authority in the world. This image is starkly opposed to the common political-theological framework in which God is defined through action, and human beings are similarly defined as action-producing beings. in contrast, ritual inoperativity depicts God's identity and authority as one who gives rest or €œlets be.€ for this reason, human identity and authority …

Pediatric Providers' Perceptions Of Their Role In Early Detection Of Postpartum Depression, Laura Aime De La Pena

Dissertations

The birth of a child is usually a happy occasion in a woman's life. It is also often a time of overwhelming anxiety, stress and hormonal changes. Postpartum depression (PPD) could occur during the first year of childbirth in approximately 10-20% of mothers (Waldrop, Ledford, Perry, & Beeber, 2017). PPD is the most common maternal health problem within the first year after childbirth (the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2018). Recognition of mothers who are at risk for PPD allows health professionals to initiate care that can prevent further problems for the mother, infant, and the rest of their …

Vigilance Of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Timothy Finn

Dissertations

Vigilance of certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) is an integral component of the care they provide patients under general anesthetic. the practice of CRNas is important as the official seal of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA). on the seal, Morpheus, the god of dreams, is shown holding the Lamp of Learning, by the light of which he keeps vigil (Hirter & Van Nest, 1995). as the patients remain unconscious under general anesthesia, CRNas remain the patients' eyes and ears remains responsive to their needs. the CRNa must remain attentive to the patient's needs by continuously monitoring the patient …

Elucidating The Targets And Function Of The Mlr Compass-Like Complex During Development, David Joseph Ford

Dissertations

MLR COMPASS-like complexes are highly-conserved epigenetic regulators required for enhancer establishment and subsequent reprogramming during differentiation and development. Mutation of MLR complex subunits in humans is associated with cancer and developmental disorder, yet much remains to be determined concerning both the healthy and disease-altered functions of these complexes. Using the developmental model Drosophila melanogaster, I further elucidate the functions of the MLR complex during in vivo organ development as well as stress response. I characterize the miRNa bantam as a regulatory target of the complex, required for proper tissue patterning during wing and compound eye formation. in the same systems …

"Lifting As We Climb": Black Feminist Action Research With Women Of Color Student Affairs Administrators, Paige J. Gardner

Dissertations

Black feminist action research is a methodology designed by Dr. Gardner to cultivate agency and solidarity among Women of Color student affairs administrators. by engaging participants as co-investigators, Women of Color student affairs administrators' co-constructed knowledge to examine the challenges and barriers experienced in career navigation as well as the strategies used to disrupt oppressive working environments at historically White institutions. in this study the principle investigator and co-investigators explored the following research questions: (1) How do Women of Color student affairs administrators define systems of support? (2) How and why do Women of Color student affairs administrators establish systems …

Identifying Transfer Of Care Gaps: Electronic Health Record Capture Of Perioperative Handoff Communications, Sharon Giarrizzo-Wilson

Dissertations

Transitions in patient care are held together by interdisciplinary handoff communications intended to coordinate the patient's ongoing care requirements. Patients with complexity in care encumber the transfer of care process requiring a higher level of care coordination between the interdisciplinary team (Coleman, 2003; Naylor et al., 2004). While the literature is abundant on the characteristics and quality of handoff communications, it is limited on the requirements of what data is necessary for ongoing care following transfer communications (Galatzan & Carrington, 2018). This dissertation explores the verbal information transferred during Operating Room (OR) to Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) nursing handoff …

Elucidating The Impact And Mechanism Of Hepatitis C Virus Cell-To-Cell Spread, Karina Durso-Cain

Dissertations

Virus cell-to-cell spread has been implicated in the establishment of persistent infection and has been shown to be involved in the transmission of antiviral resistant mutants. However, relatively little is known about how virus cell-to-cell spread impacts infection or the specific mechanisms by which cell-to-cell spread occurs. as such, this dissertation focused on investigating HCV cell-to-cell spread not only to learn more about this medically important virus, but also to determine the broader impact cell-to-cell spread has on viral infection dynamics, identify the cellular factors involved, and perhaps ultimately provide insight into antiviral strategies that might enhance the barrier to …

Optimization Of Microbial Fuel Cells, Norberto M. Gonzalez

Dissertations

Optimization of microbial fuel cells is investigated by utilizing Shewanella oneidensis as a model microorganism. the microbe's ability to grow and use glucose as a carbon source is explored under varying oxygen environments through an offline PMP derivatization method and HPLC analysis. Shewanella growth and glucose utilization is enhanced under aerobic environments; however, under microaerobic environments the addition of ferric iron results in a faster exponential growth initialization. a flavin mononucleotide modified indium tin oxide electrode is prepared and characterized for its usefulness in microbial fuel cells by controlled potential electrolysis, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies. the electrode …

Utopian Discourse In Contemporary Speculative Fiction, Casey Alan Jergenson

Dissertations

I argue in this dissertation that utopianism is a vibrant form of cultural production in the post-Cold War period, despite the paucity of recent texts depicting €œgood€ societies. Most literary historical accounts of the genre place the decline of the utopian narrative in the early twentieth century, with a brief resurgence in the 1960s and 1970s. Contemporary culture has since become inundated with dystopian and post-apocalyptic visions of the future. If we take this generic distribution at face-value, it seems symptomatic of the utopian idea's retreat from cultural production since the 1980s. Influential critics have resisted this narrative by demonstrating …

Seed Conflicts In Colombia: Ethnorace, Territory, And Violence, Nathalia Hernandez Vidal

Dissertations

This dissertation follows the theoretical approach of the food regime scholarship (Friedmann and McMichael, 1989) to understand the process of privatization of seeds and the social and material processes associated with it, known as the Corporate Seed Regime (CSR). the CSR is a transnational regime of governance over the bios (life) born in the post- World-War II period, imagined and enforced by and through the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Bank (McMichael, 2013). in this work, I explain how a corporate seed regime (CSR) has taken form in Colombia. Extant sociological studies on the formation of CSRs explain …

The Shadow-Beast: The Influence Of Critical Consciousness On Resilience Narratives Of Latinx/A/O College Students, Norma Lopez

Dissertations

The purpose of this LatCrit narrative study was to explore how Latinx/a/o students who are first-generation to college make meaning of their resilience in relation to the development of their critical consciousness. the research questions that guided this study were: How do first-generation to college Latinx/a/o students make meaning of their ability to overcome obstacles and persevere in the face of adversity; in other words, how have they constructed their resilience narrative? How does critical consciousness, or understanding their social identity within the context of social, political, and economic forms of oppression, influence their resilience narrative, if at all? Data …

Mortality Salience, Group Membership, & Reciprocity, Fatima A. Martin

Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of mortality salience, group membership, partner's behavior, and adherence to the norms of positive and negative reciprocity. Three-hundredeighty- four participants completed the either a mortality salience or control (where mortality was not salient) induction, a group membership induction, a personal norms of reciprocity scale, one round of a single-shot trust game (a measure of positive reciprocity), and one round of a singleshot ultimatum game (a measure of negative reciprocity). During the trust game, an ostensible interaction partner received a small monetary endowment, and contributed either that entire endowment or less than half of it (keeping …

Neuropsychological Correlates Of Chronic Pain: The Influence Of Anxious Arousal On Cognitive Control, Kelly L. Polnaszek

Dissertations

The present set of studies assessed the relation between neural, psychological, and cognitive mechanisms that have been shown to influence the experience of chronic pain. Specifically, Studies One and Two advanced our understanding of chronic pain by illustrating its unique relationship with anxious arousal and frontal neural activity on inhibitory control difficulties. Study Three focuses on targeting how anxious arousal is distinctly associated with neural correlates of inhibitory control in order to provide a framework that can be applied to individuals experiencing chronic pain. Together, these studies aim to inform the development of evidenced-based interventions that target anxious arousal in …

Distinct Roles For Carbohydrate And Protein Receptors In Coronavirus Infection, Enya Qing

Dissertations

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are common human and animal pathogens. in humans, four endemic CoV species together account for one third of mild respiratory infections worldwide. More severe and frequently fatal respiratory pathologies are caused by recent CoV outbreaks that resulted from occasional zoonotic spillover from animal CoV reservoirs, namely, SARS-CoV in 2002, MERS-CoV in 2012, and SARS-CoV-2 in 2019. Because CoVs threaten global health, any chance of relieving CoV's threat on human populations would rely heavily on our understanding of the mechanistic requirements for CoV tropism, whose major determinant is at the level of viral entry. CoVs have evolved to use …

An Ecological Model Of Transmission Of Depression: Risk And Protective Factors For Mexican Immigrant Mothers And Children Living In Poverty, Anna Maria Ros

Dissertations

Family poverty has been found to predict a number of negative outcomes across a multitude of domains of child development, including health, education, language and cognitive development (Reiss, 2013; Yoshikawa, Aber & Beardslee, 2012). Furthermore, studies examining differing prevalence rates of mental illness depending on socioeconomic status have found that children liv-ing in poverty in the United States are between two and three times as likely to meet criteria for a psychiatric disorder when compared to their higher SES counterparts (McLaughlin et al, 2011; Reiss, 2013). Family poverty has been found to predict internalizing psychopathology risk across childhood and adolescence, …

Developing Caspase-1 Biosensors To Monitor Inflammation In Vitro And In Vivo, Sarah Talley

Dissertations

Inflammation is central to the pathogenesis of numerous human diseases. in many contexts, inflammation drives immune responses which are critical to protection against many pathogens. However, uncontrolled inflammation can drive the pathology of numerous diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, intestinal disorders, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. a primary mediator of inflammation is the inflammasome complex, which drives the release of inflammatory mediators through caspase-1 activation. Our goal was to develop a tool that would allow us to monitor caspase-1 activation in vitro and ultimately in vivo. to this end, we employed a circularly permuted form of luciferase in which the N- and …

Targeting Epha2 In Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Uncovering Its Therapeutic Potential And Beyond, Hao Wang

Dissertations

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) remains one of the deadliest malignancies worldwide. One major obstacle to treatment is a lack of effective molecular-targeted therapies. Here, we identify EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase as a clinically relevant target for HCC. EphA2 expression and signaling is enriched in human HCC and associates with poor prognosis. Loss of EphA2 suppressed the initiation and growth of HCC in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, CRISPR/CAS9 mediated EphA2 inhibition significantly delayed tumor development in a genetically-engineered murine model of HCC. Mechanistically, we discovered that targeting EphA2 simultaneously suppresses both JAK1/STAT3 and AKT signaling, two separate oncogenic pathways in HCC. …

Movement On The Margins: Exploring The Leadership And Agency Of Women Of Color Student Activists In Predominantly White Higher Education Institutions, Cobretti Williams

Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to learn more about the experience of student activism through the eyes, ears, and narratives of women of color in predominantly White higher education institutions. Using an adapted theoretical framework of critical feminist agency, I conducted interviews and focus groups with women of color whom represent the past, present, and future of student activist experiences on campus. Their stories and knowledge affirmed the historical significance of student activism in higher education, and more notably, provided additional critical perspectives towards the development and re-imagination of leadership, agency, and institutional structures in colleges and universities. …

Human Isocitrate Dehydrogenase Enzymes, Joseph Valentein Roman

Dissertations

Mammals have three forms of isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH) that each catalyze the oxidative decarboxylation of isocitrate forming alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG), carbon dioxide and reduced pyridine nucleotide. The intra-mitochondrial, citric acid cycle enzyme is ICDH III that exists as a hetero tetramer and uses NAD+ as a substrate. ICDH I and ICDH II are both dimeric enzymes that reside in the cytosol and use NADP+. While, the precise function of the cytosolic ICDHs is not known, active site variants of both ICDH I and II cause a variety of cancers. The R132H variant of ICDH1 is one of the most common alterations. …