Digital Commons Network^™

Straight From The Source: Black College Presidents Tell Their Stories, Steven Purcell

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Students on college and university campuses across the United States are becoming more racially diverse. However, leadership on college campuses is not trending toward more diversity, particularly in higher administrative posts such as the presidency. To better understand this stagnate trend of college president diversity, this critical narrative study examined the lived experiences and insights of six current or former college presidents who identify as Black. The participants in this study are a unique cohort of individuals who have served as presidents/chancellors at institutions where Black students are not the majority ethnic/racial group on campus.

More specifically, this study sought …

Learning From Their Journey: Black Women In Graduate Health Professions Education, Marcia Lynne Parker

LMU Theses and Dissertations

While numerous efforts have been made across different educational contexts aimed towards increasing demographic diversity in STEM education, career decision-making content related to the potential pursuit of health professions education has failed to reach all students. Thus, there is a need for a more consistent and targeted sharing of information, including from the graduate level (where students must meet detailed requirements for specific healthcare disciplines), down to the community college and high school levels where students often make life-changing career-direction decisions without sufficient information to inform these decisions. At the other end of the spectrum, the conventional learning experiences in …

The Circle Of Care: Supporting The Academic Achievement Of Students Who Reside In Group Homes, Shannon A. Malone

LMU Theses and Dissertations

According to data published in 2018, approximately 20,000 children resided in group homes across the United States. By the nature of their situations, living outside of their familial homes, these children are experiencing trauma while trying to participate in typical childhood activities, such as making friends and attending school. Children who reside in group homes are foster youth. Foster youth consistently show low levels of academic achievement (Vacca, 2008). Children who reside in group homes have many service providers that are responsible for their care, including teachers, social workers, therapists, group home staff; these people make up the child’s circle …

Horizontal Transmission And Recombination Maintain Forever Young Bacterial Symbiont Genomes, Shelbi Russell, Evan Pepper-Tunick, Jesper Svedberg Svedberg, Ashley Byrne, Jennie Ruelas Castillo, Christopher Vollmers, Roxanne A. Beinart, Russell Corbett-Detig

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Bacterial symbionts bring a wealth of functions to the associations they participate in, but by doing so, they endanger the genes and genomes underlying these abilities. When bacterial symbionts become obligately associated with their hosts, their genomes are thought to decay towards an organelle-like fate due to decreased homologous recombination and inef- ficient selection. However, numerous associations exist that counter these expectations, especially in marine environments, possibly due to ongoing horizontal gene flow. Despite extensive theoretical treatment, no empirical study thus far has connected these underlying population genetic processes with long-term evolutionary outcomes. By sampling marine chemosynthetic bacterial-bivalve endosymbioses that …

Selection Of Indicators For Assessing And Managing The Impacts Of Bottom Trawling On Seabed Habitats, Jan Geert Hiddink, Michel J. Kaiser, Marija Sciberras, Robert A. Mcconnaughey, Tessa Mazor, Ray Hilborn, Jeremy Collie, C. Roland Pitcher, Ana M. Parma, Petri Suuronen, Adriaan D. Rijnsdorp, Simon Jennings

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

1. Bottom trawl fisheries are the most widespread source of anthropogenic physical disturbance to seabed habitats. Development of fisheries‐, conservation‐ and ecosystem‐based management strategies requires the selection of indicators of the impact of bottom trawling on the state of benthic biota. Many indicators have been proposed, but no rigorous test of a range of candidate indicators against nine commonly agreed criteria (concreteness, theoretical basis, public awareness, cost, measurement, historical data, sensitivity, responsiveness, specificity) has been performed.
2. Here, we collated data from 41 studies that compared the benthic biota in trawled areas with those in control locations (that were either not trawled …

Exploring The Abundance, Metabolic Potential, And Gene Expression Of Subseafloor Chloroflexi In Million-Year-Old Oxic And Anoxic Abyssal Clay, Aurèle Vuillemin, Zak Kerrigan, Steven D'Hondt, William D. Orsi

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Chloroflexi are widespread in subsurface environments, and recent studies indicate that they represent a major fraction of the communities in subseafloor sediment. Here, we compare the abundance, diversity, metabolic potential, and gene expression of Chloroflexi from three abyssal sediment cores from the western North Atlantic Gyre (water depth >5400 m) covering up to 15 million years of sediment deposition, where Chloroflexi were found to represent major components of the community at all sites. Chloroflexi communities die off in oxic red clay over 10 to 15 million years, and gene expression was below detection. In contrast, Chloroflexi abundance and gene expression …

Future Vision For Autonomous Ocean Observations, Christopher Whitt, Jay Pearlman, Brian Polagye, Frank Caimi, Frank Muller-Karger, Andrea Copping, Heather Spence, Shyam Madhusudhana, William Kirkwood, Ludovic Grosjean, Bilal Muhammad Fiaz, Satinder Singh, Sikandra Singh, Dana Manalang, Ananya Sen Gupta, Alain Maguer, Justin J. H. Buck, Andreas Marouchos, Malayath Aravindakshan Atmanand, Ramasamy Venkatesan, Vedachalam Narayanaswamy, Pierre Testor, Elizabeth Douglas, Sebastien De Halleux, Siri Jodha Khalsa

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Autonomous platforms already make observations over a wide range of temporal and spatial scales, measuring salinity, temperature, nitrate, pressure, oxygen, biomass, and many other parameters. However, the observations are not comprehensive. Future autonomous systems need to be more affordable, more modular, more capable and easier to operate. Creative new types of platforms and new compact, low power, calibrated and stable sensors are under development to expand autonomous observations. Communications and recharging need bandwidth and power which can be supplied by standardized docking stations. In situ power generation will also extend endurance for many types of autonomous platforms, particularly autonomous surface …

Serum Acylglycerols Inversely Associate With Muscle Oxidative Capacity In Severe Copd, Rongsong Li, Alessandra Adami, Chih-Chiang Chang, Chi-Hong Tseng, Tzung K. Hsiai, Harry B. Rossiter

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Purpose: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with altered metabolism and body composition that accompany poor outcomes. We aimed to determine whether metabolic derangements in COPD are associated with skeletal muscle deconditioning and/or physical inactivity, independent of pulmonary obstruction.

Methods: We characterized serum metabolites associated with muscle oxidative capacity or physical activity in 44 COPD patients (FEV1=61±4%predicted) and 63 current and former smokers with normal spirometry (CON) (FEV1=93±2%predicted). Medial gastrocnemius oxidative capacity was assessed at rest from the recovery rate constant (k) of muscle oxygen consumption using near-infrared spectroscopy. Step counts and physical activity (average …

Reflector Magazine, Georgia Southern University, Student Media

Reflector Magazine

• Kings to you: An inside look at a local band created by GS students
• Roadhouse: How a Texas native found a voice in Georgia's live music scene
• DJ Nino: An inside look at one of Statesboro's most well-known performers
• Club spotlight
• Southern limelight
• Underground exposure
• From fabric to fashion: The story of three GS fashion designers
• Student homelessness at Georgia Southern
• Not just nerves: Anxiety on campus
• Sweet dreams are made of this: Here's how to get a better night's rest
• Party safety
• Wiping out waste: Georgia Southern's fight for sustainability
• Semester in review
• Quiz: Which local Statesboro coffee shop …

Level-Two Visual Perspective Taking As Spontaneous Perceptual Simulation, Eleanor Ward

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Visual perspective taking lies at the heart of social interactions, allowing people to readily compute what another person can see, or how they see it (Flavell et al., 1981). This ability not only links to the unique human propensity to infer others’ beliefs, desires, and goals (Schurz et al., 2015), but also to more general spatial abilities such as navigation skill (Kozhevnikov et al., 2006) and action planning (Creem-Regehr et al., 2013). What is unclear is how others’ perspectives are represented. While several studies have in the past implied that others’ perspectives are represented in a similar way as our …

Lps From Subgingival Plaque And The Periodontal Pathogen Porphyromonas Gingivalis, Its Effect On M1 And M2 Macrophage Responses And Potential As A Biomarker, Alex Strachan

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Chronic periodontitis is an inflammatory disease which, in response to a dysbiotic biofilm results in tissue destruction and ultimately tooth loss. The mechanisms which initiate the disease are poorly understood, as are the effectors which cause periods of exacerbation and remission experienced by sufferers of the disease. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an archetypal microbial molecular pattern that instigates an immune response from macrophages (MΦ), key orchestrators of host immune response. Repetitive exposure Is also demonstrated to induce a quiescent state known as endotoxin tolerance, thought to be a protective mechanism but which may also confer protective benefits to potential pathogens. Several …

Intrinsic Control Strategies For Herpesvirus-Based Vaccine Vectors, Hujaz Ismail Abdulrazzaq Alqirbi

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Herpesvirus-based vectors have been used in vaccine strategies to target zoonotic diseases such as Ebola and human monkeypox, through eliciting a highly immunogenic response. We are investigating strategies to attenuate the virus and control its ability to replicate and persist, while maintaining its ability to elicit protective immune responses. In this project we have investigated three distinct and innovative means to provide intrinsic control of herpesvirus-based vectors. The first strategy is based on deletion of a gene essential for viral latency to modify persistence in vivo. Studies by Thirion et al have shown that the bovine herpesvirus 4 (BoHV-4) ORF73 …

Hot Food Takeaways Around Schools: Can Fast Food Be Healthier?, Claire Louise Turbutt

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Obesity is the greatest global health challenge facing this generation; over half of the adult population are overweight or obese. Calls for food environment interventions include recommendations for restriction or banning of new fast food retailers (FFRs). The Takeaway Toolkit was published by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and aimed to alter consumption of unhealthy takeaway food through reformulation and behavioural insights. A systematic review assessing evidence on FFRs in the environment around schools in the United Kingdom (UK) was completed and published. This revealed a research gap around food environment interventions. A study was designed to investigate “the …

Understanding The Role Of Dmob4 In Postembryonic Neural Stem Cell Mitotic Reactivation, Eleanor Gonzaga

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Brain homeostasis supports cognition and neural plasticity, the brains’ ability to adapt to its environment throughout life. These processes rely on replenishment from stem cells in the brain, termed Neural Stem Cells (NSCs). In the adult brain, most NSCs exist in a quiescent state and must activate to generate new neural progeny. Understanding how NSCs balance quiescence and activation is crucial for the development of brain repair therapies. Drosophila NSCs, termed neuroblasts (NBs), are a model to study reactivation from quiescence. The Hippo and Insulin pathways were reported to promote NB quiescence and reactivation, respectively. However, the underlying mechanisms are …

Early Hippocampal Dysfunction In A Mouse Model Of Dementia With Lewy Bodies: Mechanisms Of Cellular Dysfunction Caused By Alpha-Synuclein Accumulation, Katrina Cowan

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease, accounting for 5% of all dementia cases, for which there is no cure. Whilst there are currently many different animal models currently available for researchers studying PD, there are comparatively fewer DLB-specific mouse models. The limited amount of effective DLB mouse models presents a significant issue in the pursuit for DLB treatment. In my project, I aim to determine the accuracy of a novel DLB-specific mouse model, focusing on changes in mitochondrial function. Additionally, I explore the role of the wild-type and a DLB-related mutation of the protein beta-synuclein on …

The Neurotoxic Effects Of Manganese And The Novel Protective Role Of Drp1 In The Autophagy Pathway, Carolina Sportelli

Other Faculty of Health Theses

The precise pathological mechanism of Manganese (Mn) is not yet known however prior evidence suggests a prominent role of mitochondrial dysfunction. Relevant to Parkinson’s disease, Mn is known to bind to α-synuclein and increase its aggregation. Autophagy is also implicated in neurodegeneration however little is known about the effects of Mn on this pathway. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the effects of Mn on autophagy, α-synuclein aggregation and mitochondrial function in multiple paradigms. The effects of inhibiting the mitochondrial fission protein Drp1 were also assessed in these cellular contexts following Mn exposure. Acute exposure to sub-lethal Mn …

Advanced Glycation End Products As A Biomarker For Accelerated Ocular Ageing And Glaucoma, Leanne Smewing

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have a large impact on the healthy ageing population and those diagnosed with pathology. Studies have linked AGEs to glaucomatous optic neuropathy, however there is little consensus on the role AGEs play in glaucoma development. Furthermore, it is known that diet is an exogenous source of AGEs, however it is not clear how dietary AGE (dAGE) influences tissue-bound levels in the body. The overarching theme of this thesis was to assess the impact of AGE level, measured both through diet and tissue-bound levels in the skin (skin autofluoresence, SAF), on retinal vessels and the cornea …

Metagenomic Identification And Characterisation Of Emerging And Re-Emerging Viruses Causing Disease In Febrile Patients., Emma Louise Wise

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Emerging infectious diseases (EID) significantly impact public health and have the potential to cause pandemics. Outbreaks of EID have increased in recent decades, with RNA viruses responsible for a substantial proportion of them. Outbreaks are more likely to occur in areas with high biodiversity, poor sanitation and public health infrastructure, and limited resources for EID control. Furthermore, clinical symptoms of many viral infections overlap, making them challenging to diagnose correctly. Metagenomic sequencing (metagenomics) negates the need for targeted detection assays, generates virus genome information and can detect novel or genetically divergent viruses. Through combining targeted PCR-based assays with untargeted metagenomics, …

Epidermicin Ni01 And Human Β-Defensin 2 As Modulators Of Macrophage Subset Responses, Barbara Durante

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and host defence peptides (HDPs) have been extensively investigated for their antimicrobial activity and evidence suggests that they can also modulate the host immune system. However, little is known about their effects on macrophages, a key cell population in inflammatory responses that mediates communication between innate and adaptive immunity. Macrophages are a pleiotropic cell population composed of different subsets that orchestrate diverse stages of inflammation with roles ranging from pro- to anti-inflammatory and thus, targets for immunomodulation in different diseases. Here, THP-1-derived M1- and M2-like cells (pro- and anti-inflammatory respectively) under stimulation of TLR4 by LPS were …

Designing Playful Systems, Michael Straeubig

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

Play is a common, yet elusive phenomenon. Many definitions of play and explanations for its existence have been brought forward in various disciplines such as psychology, anthropology, ethology and in the humanities. As an activity apparently serving no other purpose than itself, play can be simply considered a pleasant pastime. Yet its equation with fun has been challenged by artists and scholars alike. Being in a playful state does not warrant extrinsic motivation or being conscious of an external purpose. However, play creates meaning, and scientists are pursuing functional explanations for it. These conflicting observations are contributing to the ambiguity …

Creative Caprice: Intrinsic Interest; States Of Consciousness; Emotion & Practice-Led Phenomenological Inquiry, Steven A Evans

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This research project is a practice-led investigation of how strong emotion influences my creative actions. Through the development and articulation of a methodology for facilitating creative activity, the project considers how these emotions determine which intrinsic interests compel me to create works of art and design. Fundamental to the development of the methodology was the formulation of a comprehensive walking method designed to engage the body, awaken the mind and, through the designation of markers, establish consistently accessible mental/physical spaces wherein creative thinking can be fostered. Given the current interest in the role that walking can play in facilitating creative …

Interrogating Self-Representation At The Intersection Of Visual Arts And Neuroscience, Nicole Ottiger

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This practice-based PhD thesis offers a deep exploration of representing the self, through the critical examination of three examples of my experimental studies; titled Video Ergo Sum (2010-11), From Perception of Art to Art Making (2010-11) and Feeling of a Presence (2015), and artworks produced in connection; Visual Space has No Owner (2015), Shooting Stars (2015-17) and What constitutes the Self (2018). The written thesis includes an appendix, which details other experiments and artworks that were part of the process. This research is on one side informed by my experiences as an artist-in-lab in the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience (LNCO), …

Apophenoesis & The Origins Of Creativity: Virtual Pattern Recognition, Error, Paths To Consciousness & Augmenting The Evolution Of Self, Max B. Kazemzadeh

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This research defines apophenoesis as a convergent practical tool that can enhance one’s creative process by introducing deviations from the familiar in such a way to allow new creative pathways to form and result in new innovations. With foundations in Roy Ascott’s technoetics, which is defined as a “convergent field of practice that seeks to explore consciousness and connectivity through digital, telematic, chemical or spiritual means, embracing both interactive and psychoactive technologies, and the creative use of moistmedia” (Ascott, 2008, p. 1), apophenoesis more specifically provides a framework to demonstrate the value of disruption within technoetic art while demonstrating the …

Role Of Mirnome In Meningioma Tumours: Identification Of Potential Molecular Biomarkers And Therapeutic Targets For High-Grade Meningioma, Caterina Negroni

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Meningioma is the most common intracranial tumour, accounting for one third of all primary brain and central nervous system (CNS) tumours. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), meningiomas are classified as grade I, II, and III based on the histological features of tumours, with higher grades associated with greater morbidity and mortality. In most cases, meningioma can be managed by surgery alone; however, adjuvant treatment may be required in case of recurrent or higher-grade tumours. To date, chemotherapy has proven ineffective in treating meningioma patients, highlighting the need to identify novel molecular biomarkers and therapeutic targets, establishing effective non- …

Black Male Representations In Non-Urban Settings In The Uk, Nathaniel Turner

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

Inspired by Frantz Fanon’s assertion ‘the Black man has no ontological resistance in the eyes of the White man’ (Fanon,1982:110) this research project analyses the ways in which representation has affected the performativity of Black masculinity in non-urban settings in the UK. Framed by a Practice as Research methodology, this project utilises auto-biographic as well as auto-ethnographic methods aiming to construct alternative Black masculinity narratives which can counter hegemonic approaches in both academic and digital platforms. This work examines my own lived experience in a city with a low ethnic diversity in order to explore the ways in which Black …

Toward Best Practice Methods For Delirium Biomarker Studies: An International Modified Delphi Study, Ingrid Amgarth-Duff, Annmarie Hosie, Gideon Caplan, Meera Agar

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Delirium is a serious and distressing neurocognitive condition common in people with advanced illness. The understanding of delirium pathophysiology is limited and largely hypothetical. To accelerate empirical understanding of delirium pathophysiology, robust scientific methods for conducting and reporting delirium biomarker studies are urgently needed. The aim of this study was to develop international consensus on the core elements of high‐quality delirium biomarker studies.

Methods: A three‐round modified Delphi survey was conducted from February to August 2019. Participants were international researchers experienced in conducting delirium studies from a range of settings (hospital, university, research centres). Round one commenced with open‐ended …

Exploring Enablers And Barriers To Accessing Health Services After A Fall Among People With Intellectual Disability, Portia Ho, Caroline Bulsara, Shane Patman, Jenny Downs, Anne-Marie Hill

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Adults with intellectual disability experience high rates of falls making falls prevention an important health need. The purpose of the study was to seek perspectives of older adults with intellectual disability and their caregivers to (a) explore the experiences of older adults with intellectual disability when seeking healthcare services after a fall and (b) identify enablers and barriers when taking up evidence-based falls recommendations.

Method: A qualitative exploratory study was undertaken as part of a prospective observational cohort study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample. Data were analysed thematically using Colaizzi's method.

Results: Seventeen interviews were conducted …

Management Of Myofascial Pain: A Systematic Review, Acing H. Mude, Imran Irsal

Journal of Dentomaxillofacial Science

No abstract provided.

The Effectiveness Of Proanthocyanidins Cacao Pods (Theobroma Cacao L) On Increasing Socket Epithelial Thickness Post Toothextraction In Wistar Rats, Yani C. Rahayu, Budi Yuwono, Alifia Wandansari

Journal of Dentomaxillofacial Science

No abstract provided.

Effectiveness Of The Application Of Bawang Dayak (Eleutherine Palmifolia L. Merr) Extracts On Healing Proccess In The Osteitis Alveolar Post Tooth Extraction Through Fibroblast Examination, Collagen Density And Amount Of Osteogenesis (Experimental Study), Fajar Rezandaru, Endang Syamsudin, Indra Hadikrishna, Vetnizah Juniantito

Journal of Dentomaxillofacial Science

No abstract provided.