Digital Commons Network^™

Role Of Schlafen 12 In Lung Adenocarcinoma And Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Sarmad Al-Marsoummi

Theses and Dissertations

Schlafens are a family of genes expressed in a wide range of mammals, including rodents and humans. Schlafens are grouped based on molecular structure and size into the short, intermediate, and long Schlafen families. Mice express all three families of Schlafens; in contrast, humans express only long and intermediate Schlafens. Schlafens have diverse functions, including cell proliferation, cell differentiation, immune cell growth and maturation, viral replication, cancer cell biology, and chemosensitivity. Our studies have focused on Schlafen 12 (SLFN12). SLFN12 is an intermediate Schlafen, it is expressed in humans but not in rodents, and is localized to the cytoplasm. SLFN12 …

Developing Computer Aided Algorithms For Automatic Assessment Of Psoriasis Disease Severity Using Digital Images, Intisar Rizwan I Haque

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the research work was to develop image processing algorithms for automatic and objective assessment of psoriasis to aid in more effective management and treatment of patient symptoms. For this purpose, multiple classical machine learning-based unsupervised approaches are proposed which achieve a maximum average accuracy of ~94% on a dataset of 45 images of various resolutions. This accuracy improves performance by 14% in comparison to existing approaches reported in the literature on the same dataset of images. An alternative deep learning neural network-based approach was proposed that achieves an average accuracy of ~87% for the same set of …

A Review Of The Use Of Advance Notice As An Intervention For Transition Related Problem Behavior: Implications For Practice And Future Research, Matthew Boliard

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Tolerating transitions between activities and locations is an essential daily-living skill, as transitions are inevitable in most typical settings. However, for some individuals, requests to transition may occasion problem behavior which can interfere with daily routines and result in a more restrictive lifestyle. The unpredictability of transitions is often assumed to be aversive and functionally related to transition-related problem behavior. As a result, advance notice procedures are often recommended to reduce problem behavior during transitions. However, Brewer et al. (2014) found mixed results for the use of advance notice highlighting some studies where advance notice procedures reduced problem behavior and …

Conformed To The Image Of Christ: An Intertextual Study Of The Significance Of Pauline Image-Vocabulary Passages For Paul And The Gentile Problem, Errol Lobo

Theses

To investigate Paul’s thought on the Gentile problem is to ask how, in Paul’s understanding, the Gentiles have come to be included as the recipients of the blessings promised to Abraham’s descendants when, in fact, they are not Abraham’s descendants. Constructing a satisfactory response, however, is fraught with difficulty. Paul’s theological assertions concerning his Gentile mission do not always fit neatly together and the variegated nature of Pauline scholarship has made his thought on the Gentile problem appear differently across many perspectives. Is Paul’s Gentile mission best understood through the Jewish “eschatological pilgrimage” tradition, as some scholars suggest? Or is …

Material Engagement Theory And Extensive Enactivism Within The 4e Cognitive Debate: A Phenomenological Approach To Material Agency And Application To Current Technology, Israel Quirit

Theses

4E Cognition is a fairly new field of study within cognitive science, cognitive psychology, and cognitive philosophy. The various approaches to cognition namely embodied, embedded, extended and enacted cognition; provide multi-faceted approaches to cognition. A common claim of these approaches is that cognition may have various contributing factors such as the role of the brain, body and its environments. Thus challenges the traditional idea that cognition exists purely mentally within the confines of the brain and skull. However, even within the 4E Cognition family, some nuanced arguments are hotly debated, particularly among the proponents of Embedded Theories (EmT) and Extended …

Martuwarra First Law Multi-Species Justice Declaration Of Interdependence: Wellbeing Of Land, Living Waters, And Indigenous Australian People, Anne Poelina

Theses

The thesis is comprised of experiential research, poetry, film and peer reviewed publications, and book chapters culminating in twelve chapters and two appendices. The study is in the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia. The study used an Indigenous decolonising research paradigm. It calls for a powerful policy and investment approach to the planning and development of regional governance. The author engaged ‘cooperative participative inquiry’ with leaders from six independent Indigenous Nations. These Nations are connected through Warloongarriy, the First Law for Martuwarra, the Fitzroy River.

First law is the spirit that connects all things and promotes multispecies justice through …

The Van Diemen's Land Commission 1826 To 1828 And The Doctrine Of Ultra Vires, Rosemary Conchita Lucadou-Wells

Theses

This Thesis examines the work of the Land Commissioners of Van Diemen’s Land during the years 1826 - 1828, in light of the doctrine of ultra vires and the underlying principle of the Rule of Law. Ultra vires occurs when those invested with power act beyond the parameters of their given powers, which can result in their actions being rendered unlawful. Ultra vires is a fundamental doctrine in law today. It has evolved over a long period of time and was received into the Australian legal system with colonisation. However, the historical origins, development and application of the ultra vires …

Toward A Child-Friendly Worldview Measure, Shailee Rose Woodard

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Worldview is an individual difference construct that is linked to various social, behavioral, and mental health outcomes, such as prejudice (Greenberg & Arndt, 2011), adaptive versus maladaptive behaviors following a natural disaster (Call, 2012), and PTSD symptoms (Jinkerson, 2016). However, very little is known about how worldviews develop. Research on child and adolescent worldviews is greatly impeded by the lack of a child-friendly worldview measure. This dissertation project aims to fill this gap by developing and validating such a measure. This 20-item measure, the Unified Worldview Measure – Child Form (UWM-CF), was adapted from a previously-validated adult measure of worldviews, …

Fxr Agonists Induce Distinct H-12 Structural States, Vikash Kumar

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The nuclear receptor ligand-binding domain (LBD) is a highly dynamic entity. The FXR LBD shows multiple low-energy conformational states of the activation function-2 (AF-2) coregulator binding surface upon ligand binding, indicating the complexity of FXR activation. However, it is unknown how ligand binding leads to different conformational states within the AF-2 region centered on helix 12 (H-12) of the LBD. Here we observe the conformation of the coregulator binding surface (H-12 specifically) of FXR upon ligand binding in solution using fluorine-19 (19F) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and simulations of this surface using molecular dynamics. Fluorescence anisotropy of fluorescein-labeled coregulator peptides …

Bass Is My Religion: Syncretic Spirituality And Navigating The Potential For Misappropriation Among Participants In Electronic Dance Music Culture, Daniel Backfish-White

Graduate Thesis Collection

At electronic dance music events in the United States, artists and attendees tend to appropriate religious and spiritual sounds, images, and dress, especially from India but also from elsewhere, to varying degrees. This project explicates the effects of adopting religious symbology, ethos, and atmosphere in the music and culture of EDM, specifically in bass music culture. It argues that although individual participants may adopt aspects of religious traditions in ways they perceive as authentic, the potential for misappropriation still exists. In other words, EDM culture creates opportunities for misappropriation that individual participants navigate in order to construct their own individual …

The Librat Program At Cal Poly: Full Partners In Peer Learning, Brett B. Bodemer, Kaila Bussert

Library Scholarship

The LibRAT Program at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo was first piloted in 2010. Although the program has expanded in scope and depth, the key to its continued success has been a commitment to core principles discovered during its initial launch. To this day, the LibRATs (Library Reference Assistance Technicians) form a small cadre of intensively trained students who are treated with respect as adults and as undergraduates. Communication, learning, and responsibility are multidirectional, and the LibRATs are full partners in the success of the program.

The original design of the program was to post students in …

2021-2022, Benjamin N. Cardozo School Of Law

Student Handbooks

No abstract provided.

Functional Consequences Of Apoptosis Gene Diversification In Eastern Oyster Immunity, Erin Michele Witkop

Open Access Dissertations

The eastern oyster is an ecologically and economically important filter feeding bivalve mollusc endemic to the east coast of the United States. Outbreaks of disease, such as Dermo disease caused by the parasite Perkinsus marinus, threaten natural oyster populations, and oysters have evolved a complex innate immune system containing large, expanded gene families to combat the diverse array of pathogens in their environment. Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a critical immune response to Dermo disease involving a series of expanded gene families, including the Inhibitor of Apoptosis (IAP) family of apoptosis regulatory molecules. The goal of this research is …

The New Absurdity Doctrine, Michael Cicchini

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Reed Magazine, Issue 154, Rita Bullwinkel, Alex Gulis, Ashley Burnett, Willow Gelphman, Andrew Mcclure, Ralph Robert Moore, Zach Murphy, Justin Noga, Jihoon Park, Linda Wilgus, Annie Zhu, Suzanne Rico, Joseph Sigurdson, Ashlee Beals, Geraldine Birch, Amelia Joy, Kathleen Mcnamara, Marcia Meier, Josue Montiel, Mackenzie Moore, Magda Romanska, Matthea Harvey, Scott Bade, V. Joshua Adams, Sally Ashton, Ellen Bass, Michelle Bitting, Cassandra Caverhill, Wortley Clutterbuck, Emma Depanise, Paul Dresman, Mary Anna Dunn, Jonathan Endurance, David Groff, Skye Jackson, Danusha Lameris, Megan Merchant, John A. Nieves, Ricardo Pau-Llosa, John Sibley Williams, Turner Wilson, Sarah Nolte, Tvisha Gupta, Erin Salazar, Q'Shaundra James, Alden Hughes, Shelle Barron, Janelle Aina S. Baylosis, Erik Beehn, Mason Brown, Jennifer Carrier, Daquane Cherry, Alex Gulis, Shen Chen Hsieh, Safia Ismail, London Ladd, Hector Ledesma, Jung Min, Gray Passey, Tracy Whiteside, Kenneth Zenz, Timothy Cech, Rachel A. Crawford, Matty Heimgartner, Nick Taylor

Reed Magazine

No abstract provided.

Probing Interactions Of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes At The Nano-Bio Interface, Mitchell Gravely

Open Access Dissertations

Non-covalent hybrids of single-stranded DNA and single-walled carbon nanotubes (DNA-SWCNTs) have demonstrated applications in biomedical imaging and sensing due to their enhanced biocompatibility and photostable, environmentally-responsive near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence. Significant progress has been made in developing robust biological probes based on the sensitive optical properties of SWCNTs, however biological environments introduce complex and dynamic conditions that interact with, and ultimately modulate, their intrinsic properties. These fundamental interactions within biological settings can determine whether a nanomaterial is biocompatible and robust, or cytotoxic and disruptive to biological processes. Thus, a mechanistic understanding of such interactions and their effect on cellular function is …

Hands-On Developmental Playbook For Stem Clubs In Elementary Schools, James Lipuma, Bruce G. Bukiet, Cristo Leon

STEM for Success Resources

The following guide is the result of the work of NJIT researchers, staff, and student STEM role models along with the many public and private partners including Apple and the Us ARMY. The work was funded by the National Science Foundation through the NSF INCLUDES Life grant and support from Howmet Aerospace Foundation grants. The materials in the guide have been developed and tested with our New Jersey school district partners in Hillside, Long Branch, Morris Plains, Newark, Princeton, and Weehawken. See our strategic partners section for a more complete list of partners and collaborators.

Tools For Teachers A Stem For Success Guide, James Lipuma, Cristo Leon, Bruce G. Bukiet

STEM for Success Resources

This guide was created through the generous funding of the Howmet Aerospace Foundation. Our aim is to capture the experiences and best practices of STEM educators in New Jersey during the COVID-19 pandemic through focus groups. This led to the development of digital resources for hands-on STEM that would be useful for student learning in an online world.

Analyzing The Potential Of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis In Identifying The Effects Of Freezing In Atlantic Sea Scallop Products (Placopecten Magellanicus), Joseph Ehrhard

All Theses And Dissertations

The sensitivity of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) was investigated to assess the potential of identifying the effects of freezing in market-ready Atlantic sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus). Measurements of resistance (R) and reactance (Xc) were recorded using a Certified Quality Reader (CQR) (Certified Quality Food Inc., Clinton Township, MI 48035) BIA device at 50kHz. Prior to investigating the effects of freezing on BIA measurements a standard operating procedure (SOP) was established to limit sources of error. BIA measurements were used in establishing an SOP which focused upon the preparation of samples through blot drying, as well as, proper orientation …

The Role Of Pim3 Kinase In Promoting Tumorigenesis, Tumor Metastasis, And Cancer Cell Stemness In Human Hepatoblastoma, Raoud Marayati

All ETDs from UAB

Hepatoblastoma is the most common primary liver tumor in children. Despite an increasing incidence and major advances in care for other pediatric solid tumors, therapy for hepatoblastoma has remained virtually unchanged for the last 20 years, and children with metastatic or relapsed disease continue to suffer from a dismal prognosis. Treatment strategies primarily rely on cisplatin, due to its role as the most active single agent in hepatoblastoma treatment. However, chemoresistance remains a significant challenge with 54-80% of patients developing resistance to chemotherapy after 4-5 cycles of treatment. We have previously demonstrated that Proviral Integration site in Maloney murine leukemia …

Sites Of Memory In Lao Pdr: The Role Of Tourism In Post-Conflict Reconciliation Processes, Angela Morgan

All ETDs from UAB

During the Second Indochina War (known to Americans as the Vietnam War), the United States conducted a “secret war” from 1964 to 1973, dropping more than 2 million tons of bombs over Laos, including 270 million cluster sub-munitions. Up to 30% of ordnance did not detonate, leaving about 80 million live sub-munitions to contaminate the land (along with other live ordnance such as large bombs and landmines). Fourteen of Laos’ 17 provinces, and around 25% of its 10,500 villages, are contaminated by this unexploded ordnance (UXO). Clearance efforts have been underway since 1994, but progress is slow, and UXO impacts …

Association Between Antioxidant Capacity And Vascular Hemodynamics In Premenopausal Women Following 12 Weeks Of Exercise Training, Aparna Tamhane

All ETDs from UAB

Background: Oxidative stress induced by “free radicals” plays role in vascular dysfunction and cardiovascular health. Studies exploring beneficial effects of chronic aerobic training by enhancing antioxidant mechanisms in the body and thus, hemodynamic outcome measures are limited. Purpose: To assess effects of chronic aerobic exercise training on association between change (Δ) in antioxidant capacity, measured in terms of ferric reducing ability of plasma (ΔFRAP), and change in vascular hemodynamic (outcome) measures: systolic blood pressure (ΔSBP), diastolic blood pressure (ΔDBP), large arterial elasticity index (ΔLAEI) and small arterial elasticity index (ΔSAEI), in a cohort of healthy women. Methods: This was a …

Regulation Of Nitric Oxide Syntahse 3 By Histone Deacetylase, Luke S. Dunaway

All ETDs from UAB

In the vasculature, nitric oxide is produced by nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3) and protects against the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The histone deacetylases (HDACs) are a family of enzymes responsible for lysine deacetylation of both histone and non-histone proteins. Understanding how NO signaling is regulated by HDACs will allow us to better understand how HDAC inhibitors may be of use in treating CVD. This dissertation seeks to provide novel insight into the regulation of NOS3 by this family of enzymes. Endothelial NO production is impaired in human subjects and rodents fed a high salt diet (HS). We have …

Reducing Environmental Impacts Of Natural Gas Compressor Stations And Applicability Of The Current Regulatory Framework, Scotty Joel Moates

All ETDs from UAB

The natural gas pipeline system is an integral part of the energy structure and critical to meeting energy demand in the United States. Natural gas compressor stations are the heart of the natural gas pipeline industry. Compressor stations compress the gas coming into the station and increase the pressure of the gas to ensure movement down the pipeline at the right operating pressure. This compression process is performed through natural-gas fire engines, such as reciprocating engines and turbines. Natural gas compressor station operations are subject to a wide range of environmental regulations. These regulations seek to mitigate the environmental impacts …

Diurnal Variation In Hippocampal Neurophysiology And Pathophysiology, Allison R. Fusilier

All ETDs from UAB

Circadian rhythms are ~24-hour cycles in biological processes that are endogenously generated, entrained to light, and synchronized by the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus. One process that is influenced by circadian rhythms is cognitive function, which varies over the course of the day and is likely influenced by changes in neuronal physiology over the course of the day. Dysfunction in circadian rhythms has been documented in many diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD is a neurodegenerative disease most notably characterized by dementia, amyloid beta plaques, and tau tangles. There is currently no cure for AD, and treatments only slow disease …

Suppressing Islet Graft Rejection With Antioxidant-Based Encapsulation Materials, Jessie Marie Barra

All ETDs from UAB

A hallmark of Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells. Once the β-cells are lost, patients are reliant on less efficient exogenous insulin therapies to maintain glycemic control, leaving them at risk for secondary complications. Islet transplantation can restore the ability to regulate glucose levels without the need for exogenous insulin, however long-term islet graft survival has proven challenging in part due to ongoing immune-mediated destruction. Systemic immunosuppression strategies have proven somewhat effective at preventing rejection, but chronic use leaves the patient susceptible to opportunistic infections and organ toxicity. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as …

Glycoprotein 340 Expression In Dry Eye Disease And Ocular Surface Infection, Kwaku Antwi Osei

All ETDs from UAB

Glycoprotein 340 (Gp340) is a 340-kDa multi-domain pattern recognition receptor (PRR) belonging to the scavenger receptor cysteine-rich superfamily of proteins. On the ocular surface, Gp340 is expressed in the tear film, lacrimal gland, cornea, and conjunctiva. By their nature, PRRs detect pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) on microbial organisms and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) released from injured, stressed, necrotic, and apoptotic cells. This, in turn, induces the expression of nuclear factor-κB- and the interferon regulatory factor-dependent expression proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, eliciting both innate and adaptive immune response activation. Thus, as a PRR, Gp340 has the potential to modulate microbial infection …

Evaluating The Regulation And Effect Of Innate Immune Gene Expression On Melanocyte Biology, Alex D. Dawson

All ETDs from UAB

Anecdotally, humans can experience loss of hair color or hair graying after infection or vaccination yet our understanding of how melanocyte biology and the innate immune system interact is incomplete. Mouse models of hair graying have been used to reveal numerous mechanisms that adversely affect the melanocyte system within the hair follicle, and one such mouse model highlights a molecular link between the transcription factor SOX10, melanogenesis and innate immune dysregulation. SOX10 is a transcription factor critical for neural crest development and melanogenesis, and when overexpressed in the Tg(Dct-Sox10)CF1-10 mouse line causes a sensitivity to viral mimic Poly(I:C) that results …

Transcriptional Regulation And Islet Transplantation Advantages Of Brown Adipose Tissue, Jessica D. Kepple

All ETDs from UAB

Metabolic disease encompasses various disorders, including obesity and diabetes, that negatively impact glucose and lipid homeostasis and increase the risk of co-morbidities. Adipose tissue, which regulates whole-body energy balance and acts as a specialized endocrine tissue, is negatively affected by obesity and diabetes. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) functions to dissipate excess energy as heat and therefore is an attractive target against metabolic disease. To develop more effective therapeutic strategies, BAT physiology and genetic regulatory mechanisms need to be better understood. This dissertation highlights studies seeking to illuminate novel transcriptional regulation and islet transplantation applications of BAT. We investigated the requirement …

De Novo Generation Of Cardiomyocytes For Regenerative Medicine Treatment, Yawen Tang

All ETDs from UAB

Cardiovascular disease, till now, is still the leading cause of death in the United States. As a consequences of heart attack event, cardiomyocytes death is an irreversible process accompanied with scar formation and loss of heart function. As mammalian cardiomyocytes exit cell cycle shortly after birth, with no replacement of the necrotic cardiomyocytes, the damages caused by heart attack often progress into more severe symptoms such as heart failure. To replenish damaged cardiomyocytes (CMs), many therapies, such as differentiate the induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into cardiomyocytes and direct reprogram fibroblasts into CMs, have been developed. During this dissertation study, …