Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Hepatitis On Human Immunodeficiency Virus Viral Suppression, Andrenita Checoby West

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and viral hepatitis leads to unfavorable health outcomes, making treatment of HIV difficult and increasing the odds of HIV transmission. The purpose of this study is to assess whether viral hepatitis (B and C) hinders HIV viral suppression and impacts the white blood cell count (CD4) when a person is concurrently infected with both viruses. The syndemics theory guided this study. Two research questions tested whether there was an association between coinfection with viral hepatitis and HIV viral load suppression. The research design was quantitative case-control with secondary data from 65,626 reports of HIV, …

Striving For Homeostasis: Balancing The Inclusion Of Students With An Emotional/Behavioral Disorder, Rob Mcgarva

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social justice advocates have championed inclusive education, leading to its adoption in many jurisdictions. Despite policy changes designed to support learners with disabilities and research on inclusive education, students with an emotional/behavioral disorder (EBD) experience significantly poorer outcomes than their peers. Teachers often describe including this group of students as impossible and attempts to achieve inclusion often result in extreme stress. Research has identified proven inclusion strategies, but there are often problems with implementation in real-world settings. There is a research gap concerning how teachers understand and select interventions. Classic grounded theory methodology was used to identify the primary concern …

Hydraena (S.Str.) Dinarica, New Species (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae) Along With Further Records Of Hydraena Spp. From Durmitor National Park, Montenegro And Comments On The Dna Barcoding Problem With The Genus, Hendrik Freitag, Rick De Vries, Marta Paterno, Simone Maestri, Massimo Delledonne, Cameron G. Thompson, Helena Lamed, Rebekah Lambert, Michael F. Fox, Mariela C. Gonzalez, Emmanuel D. Delocado, Marc R. Sabordo, Clister V. Pangantihon, Iva Njunjić

Biology Faculty Publications

Background Long-palped Water Beetles were collected during a taxon expedition in Montenegro which involved citizen scientists, students and taxonomists. The material was collected from springs, brooks, fens and the Tara River, at altitudes between 600 m and 1450 m above sea level, using fine-meshed hand-nets and by manual checking of submerged substrates. The morphological species delimitation was supplemented and congruent with mtDNA sequences mainly obtained in the field using the newly-developed MinION-based ONTrack pipeline. New information The new species Hydraena dinarica Freitag & de Vries, sp. n. from Durmitor Mt. is described, illustrated and compared in detail to closely-related congeners …

Discovering Genes Involved In The Synthesis Of Secondary Metabolites From The Seeds Of Moringa Oleifera Through Transcriptome Analysis, Vivian A. Panes, Ma. Divina Kristi A. Discar

Biology Faculty Publications

Moringa oleifera is a widely used crop that produces seeds with a plethora of benefits encompassing health and nutrition. Secondary metabolite compounds were determined in the seeds of Moringa oleifera that possess nutritional and pharmacological benefits. Although various phytochemical researchers reported the presence of secondary metabolites in M. oleifera seeds, there is a lack of research on the genes encoding for enzymes that catalyze the synthesis of secondary metabolites in the seeds of M. oleifera. In the present study, RNA sequencing was used to analyze the transcriptome of the mature seed embryos of M. oleifera. Biological pathway analysis …

Prevalence Of Cymothoidae (Isopoda) Infestation In Bigeye Scad (Selar Crumenophtalmus) From Batangas, Philippines, Tanya Faye S. Muji, Joaquin R. Sorreta, Janice A. Ragaza

Biology Faculty Publications

Cymothoid isopod research is relatively scarce in the Philippines, despite the local economic significance of bigeye scad as an inexpensive source of protein and other nutrients. Isopod parasitism has also been shown to have detrimental effects on their fish hosts. The current study aimed to define the host-parasite relationship between cymothoid isopod and bigeye scad by determining cymothoid isopod prevalence, intensity, and host-parasite length correlations in bigeye scad (Selar crumenophthalmus) hosts sourced from Batangas, Philippines. Fish samples were sampled from the Tagaytay City Market in Cavite, which sources fish directly from Batangas. Fish samples were immediately measured and …

Aquatic Coleoptera Of Northern Negros, Philippines, Marc Ryan Sabordo, Carl Michael Buyco, Gwendalyn Henares, Jessica Pacalioga, Hendrik Freitag

Biology Faculty Publications

The water beetle fauna of northern Negros Island has not been comprehensively studied. In this study, aquatic Coleoptera of northern Negros have been compiled from various collections. Specimens were sampled through manual sampling and light trap. Twenty-six (26) species were recorded including 21 which are Philippine endemics. Nine genera and three known species are recorded for the first time from Negros. Notes on distribution, ecology and identification are provided. Possible new species, future potential discoveries as well as current significance in terms of conservation are discussed.

Polymer-Based And Functionalized 3d Microelectrode Array (Mea) Biosensors, Nilab Azim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Microphysiological systems are three-dimensional (3D) in vitro systems that recapitulate crucial biological aspects of cell heterogeneity and native tissue architecture by mimicking complex structures that are impossible in two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures. Microelectrode arrays (MEAs) are biosensors used to spatially and temporally monitor the activity of microphysiological systems by transducing cellular signals into electronic signals to provide quantitative data on the in vitro system. Conventional MEAs are typically planar in nature, however, 3D MEAs offer several advantages such as better simulation of an in vivo cellular environment and improved signal-to-noise ratio and cell-electrode coupling. MEA fabrication utilizing traditional cleanroom methods …

A Breathing Intervention To Enhance Cardiac Regulation And Mitigate Stress In Police Cadets, Samantha Napier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Maintaining effective performance under stress can be challenging, especially in the dangerous environments encountered by the police and military personnel. This document reviews the impact of stress on performance, discusses breath interventions as a means of stress mitigation, suggests an approach for exploring the value of a breath intervention in police cadets, tests, analyzes, and discusses a test of this method and results. Biofeedback training can be used to produce resonance breathing that is synchronized with heart rate and optimizes heart rate variability (HRV). This intervention was expected to alleviate physiological and subjective stress responses. Studies reviewed confirm that higher …

Documenting Outdoor Simulated Scenes With Photogrammetry: Methods For Improving Dappled Lighting Conditions, Caroline Jasiak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The primary goal of a forensic archaeologist is to reconstruct the context of scenes involving skeletal remains using recording and mapping methods. However, the outdoor locations of most forensic archaeology scenes can result in difficulties when recording and mapping scenes. While close-range photogrammetry (CRP) has been considered for documenting context of forensic sciences, this method lacks a sufficient procedural basis to guide data recording when encountering problematic environmental conditions. The purpose of this research is to test how light correction tools, a sheet and artificial lights, could improve harsh lighting conditions. Photographs were taken of controlled scenes with skeletal remains …

Regulation Of Actin Assembly, Mechanics, And Structure By Intracellular Environmental Factors, Nicholas Castaneda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The assembly, mechanics, and structure of actin cytoskeleton are critical for eukaryotic cellular processes such as structural support, cellular motility, and intracellular transport. Actin assembly occurs in crowded intracellular environments containing many ions and macromolecules. While the individual roles of cation and crowding on actin assembly and mechanics are well established, how the combined cation and crowding effects modulate the formation, mechanics and structural transitioning of actin filaments and bundles are not fully understood. Here, we investigate the impacts of various cation and crowded environments on the bending stiffness, length, organization, secondary structure, and kinetics of actin filaments and bundles. …

Sibling Conflict And Caregiving For Aging Parents, Jennifer Elise Lawer

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents the results of a grounded theory study of the key factors of sibling conflict when caregiving for an aging parent. Following interviews with 30 participants, I conducted initial coding, focused coding and theoretical coding, which led to the development of a theory that explains the relationship of conflict factors such as: beliefs & values, feelings & emotions, roles & expectations, and behaviors & responses. The dissertation includes a discussion of how birth order theories, power theories and psychodynamic theories apply to sibling conflict. In addition, I discuss how the findings apply to conflict resolution skills and offer …

Sex Based Differences In Trust And Dissent: An Exploration Of Leaders And Followers In Healthcare Management, Jennifer De Zayas Carmean

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a quantitative study which looks at the ways in which healthcare followers perceive their leaders regarding gender, over the concepts of trust and organizational dissent. The study was open to members of non-clinical healthcare associations, but clinicians were not specifically excluded. Inferential statistics were inconclusive, as they directly contradict literature that directly correlates trust and dissent in the general business world. Reading subtextual, the outcome indicates possible sublimated conflict between and among both genders, for both followers and leaders. Objectively, women showed more trust in their female leaders, but subjectively this was not true. Indicators in the …

Investigation Into The Genetic Provenance Of Three Rare Plants With East-West Disjunction Patterns In Pennsylvania., Scott Schuette, Christopher T. Martine

Other Faculty Research and Publications

Rare plant conservation relies on an understanding of the natural history, biology and ecology, and real and potential threats to their populations to inform state regulations that serve to protect the species from extirpation. This work often involves extensive field surveys over several years to determine population sizes and whether those populations are seeing reductions in number of individuals necessary to maintain the genetic diversity within and between those populations. Species and populations with high genetic diversity are better equipped to withstand sudden changes to their habitats that derive from land use changes and changing climate. There are a variety …

Activity Of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae By Single Entity Electrochemistry, John Lutkenhaus

Graduate Research Posters

According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, antibiotics decrease in effectiveness as bacteria gain resistance for previously treatable illnesses. Currently, antibiotic susceptibility is typically carried out via the Kirby-Bauer method. Even with automation, this process requires two incubation periods so a less time-consuming technique is desirable. Single entity electrochemistry (SEE) detects changes in current when collisions of individual particles at an ultramicroelectrode (UME) are linked with an electrochemical event. Our group has obtained step-like and spike-like responses of Saccharomyces cerevisiae at the UME surface as a result of adsorption and desorption, respectively. This response is due to the …

Vasculogenic Mimicry: Role Of Melanoma Differentiation Associated Gene-9/Syntenin, Jinkal Modi, Anjan Pradhan, Luni Emdad, Swadesh Das, Paul Fisher

Graduate Research Posters

Malignant melanoma (MM) is the most aggressive skin cancer and the most frequent skin disorder in Caucasians. MM is associated with aggressive and progressive disease states, leading to major cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Recent investigations identify a new non-angiogenesis-dependent pathway vasculogenic mimicry (VM), which is considered a cancer hallmark that can independently facilitate tumor neovascularization by the formation of fluid-conducting and vascular endothelial cells. MM cells undergoing VM can dedifferentiate into numerous cellular phenotypes and acquire endothelial-like features, resulting in the formation of the de novo matrix-rich vascular-like network, such as plasma and red blood cells. The co-generation of endothelial …

Colobinae Evolution: Using Gis To Map The Distribution Of Leaf Monkeys Across Southeast Asia Over Time, Marie Vergamini, Christina Mcgrath, Lisa M. Day

Graduate Research Posters

The Colobinae, or leaf monkeys, are distributed geographically across Africa and Asia. Colobinae are specialized arborealists and leaf eaters with sacculated stomachs, sheering teeth, reduced thumbs, and very mobile shoulders. Colobinae diverged ~10.9 million year ago (Ma) from the Cercopithecidae in Africa, and Asian colobines appear in the fossil record in the late Miocene ~8.5 Ma. However, an incomplete fossil record means little is known about the evolutionary pressures that led to Asian colobine migration and diversification. Here, we use recent fossil discoveries and geospatial information to develop hypotheses about how geographic barriers played direct roles in Asian colobine evolution. …

Attitudes And Opinions About Direct-To-Consumer Genetic Testing In Undergraduate Science Students, Morgan N. Driver, Sally I-Chun Kuo, Olivia Nayeri, Chloe J. Walker, Chelsea Derlan Willians, Tricia Smith, Amy E. Adkins, Danielle M. Dick

Graduate Research Posters

Background: There has been exponential growth in the number of direct-to-consumer genetic testing kits sold in the past decade. Consumers utilize direct-to-consumer genetic tests for a number of reasons which include learning about one’s ancestry and potential ways to manage health. Emerging adults tend to be early adopters of new technologies; however, there has been little research regarding the opinions about direct-to-consumer genetic testing in emerging adults.

Methods: Data came from a study conducted in an upper-level biology course focusing on understanding undergraduate science students’ overall experiences with receiving personalized genetic testing results from 23andMe. The present study used data …

Impact Of 9/11-Induced Adverse Experiences On The Mental Health Of Latino Americans And The Role Of Religious Service Attendance, Soyoung Kwon, Yongsok Kim, Jiyoung Moon Dr.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Much research has documented the mental health consequences of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001; however, little is known about how the 9/11 attacks affect the mental health of Latino Americans. This study uses a nationally representative sample of Latino Americans (N = 2,346) from the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS) to examine the relationships between 9/11-induced negative life experiences and mental disorders. The former includes losing a job, reducing family income, feeling less safe and secure, discrimination, loss of optimism, and inability to cope with things. For the latter, mental disorders may exhibit as psychological distress, …

Radiation Induces Metabolic Dysregulation In Pulmonary Fibroblasts, Josly Pierre-Louis, Margaret A. T. Freeberg, Jane K. Rebman, Thomas H. Thatcher, Patricia J. Sime

Graduate Research Posters

Rationale: Exposure of the lung to ionizing radiation, such as during radiotherapy, can result in pulmonary fibrosis (PF), which has few treatment options. PF is characterized by an accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins that form scar tissue, resulting in dyspnea, disruption of gas exchange, and even death. We and others have shown that metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). IPF lung tissue, and lung fibroblasts treated with TGF-β, exhibit increased aerobic glycolysis with increased expression of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) and excess production of lactate, leading to reduced extracellular pH that activates latent TGF-β. Here, we …

Transcriptional Repressor Protein Based Macrolide Biosensor Development With Improved Sensitivity, Jayani A. Christopher

Graduate Research Posters

Macrolide antibiotics are in high demand for clinical applications. Macrolides are biosynthesized via giant assembly line polyketide synthases (PKS) which are arranged in a modular fashion. Combinatorial biosynthetic methods have been used to produce diversified macrolides by reprograming these modules and modifying tailoring enzymes required for post synthetic modifications. However it is challenging due to the size and complexity of PKSs. To overcome this challenge, new enzymes for macrolide diversification could be obtained by directed evolution where a large number of enzyme variants need to be screened. Therefore it is important to develop high throughput screening methods to identify the …

Modeling Longitudinal Change In Cervical Length Across Pregnancy, Hope M. Wolf, Shawn J. Latendresse, Jerome F. Strauss Iii, Timothy P. York

Graduate Research Posters

Introduction: A short cervix (cervical length < 25 mm) in the mid-trimester (18 to 24 weeks) of pregnancy is a powerful predictor of spontaneous preterm delivery (gestational age at delivery < 37 weeks). Although the biological mechanisms of cervical remodeling have been the subject of extensive investigation, very little is known about the rate of change in cervical length over the course of a pregnancy, or the extent to which rapid cervical shortening increases maternal risk for spontaneous preterm delivery.

Methods: A cohort of 5,160 unique women carrying 5,971 singleton pregnancies provided two or more measurements of cervical length during pregnancy. Cervical length was measured in millimeters using a transvaginal 12-3 MHz ultrasound endocavity probe (SuperSonic Imagine). Maternal characteristics, including relevant medical history and birth outcome data, were collected for each participant. Gestational age at delivery was measured from the first day of each woman’s last menstrual period and confirmed by ultrasound. Repeated measurements of cervical length during pregnancy were modeled as a longitudinal, multilevel growth curve in MPlus. A three-level variance structure was …

The Association Of Menthol Cigarette Use With Any Mental Illness (Ami) And Serious Mental Illness (Smi) Among Us Smoekrs, Augustus White

Graduate Research Posters

ABSTRACT

Background: Mental illness affects 1-in-5 adults in the United States (US). Previously, those with mental illness have been shown to be 70% more likely to smoke cigarettes than the general population. However, little is known regarding whether the use of menthol cigarettes (one of only two available “characterizing flavors” of cigarettes) might impact the association between tobacco use and mental illness. Such information is critical in light of the disproportionately high rate of use of menthol cigarettes observed among African American smokers, as well as to inform recent legislative proposals that seek to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes. …

Influence Of Immigration Status On 10-Year Psychosocial Functioning In Individuals With Tbi, Chimdindu Ohayagha, Paul Perrin, Juan Carlos Arango-Lasprilla

Graduate Research Posters

No abstract provided.

Ethnic Comparisons In Perceptions Of Health, Happiness, Hope, And Related Social Determinants Of Health In A Majority-Minority Midwestern Town, Virginia Chaidez, Yumou Qiu, Angela L. Palmer-Wackerly, Julie A. Tippens, Gilbert R. Parra, Patrick Habecker, Kimberly Gocchi Carrasco, Jordan Soliz, Lisa M. Pytlikzillig, Kirk Dombrowski

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In a rural Midwestern community sample (n=273), large proportions of Somalis and Whites ranked overall health as "Very good" (57% and 50%, respectively), while Hispanics (42%) considered it "Good". Across all groups, most are either "Happy" or "Very happy" with their jobs—64%, 91%, 83%—or their families—85%, 93%, 91.6%— with reference to Hispanics, Somalis, and Whites, respectively. When asked “In the past 30 days, how often did you feel hopeless?”, 83% of Somalis and two-thirds (67%) of Whites responded, "None of the time", while half (50%) of Hispanics indicated the same. Overall, Hispanics appeared to be less …

Epigenetic States Regulate Tumor Aggressiveness And Response To Targeted Therapies In Lung Adenocarcinoma, Fan Chen

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, 85% of which are lung adenocarcinomas (LUAD). Although molecular studies of NSCLC identified targetable mutations of some oncogenes including BRAF, EGFR and ALK, no targeted therapies exist for most cases. Cancer epigenetics is the study of epigenetic modifications, including histone modifications, that control gene expression in cancer. Recent advances have revealed numerous epigenetic abnormalities in human cancers, and targeting epigenetic regulators could be effective at reversing dysregulated epigenetic programs or driving sensitivity to other targeted therapies.

Inhibitors of the histone methyltransferase EZH2 have recently been approved as …

The Tumor Suppressor Par-4 Regulates Hypertrophic Obesity, Nathalia Araujo

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Prostate Apoptosis Response-4 (Par-4) is a tumor suppressor ubiquitously expressed in all tissues and able to selectively induce apoptosis in cancer cells. Although well established in the context of cancer, relatively little is known about the function of Par-4 in the healthy and non-tumorigenic context. Observations from our lab showed that Par-4 knockout mouse lines were obese and displayed adipocyte hypertrophy under a normal chow diet when compared to Par-4 wild-type mice. These Par-4 knockout mice exhibited hepatic steatosis and hyperinsulinemia as secondary consequences of obesity. Par-4 knockout mice displayed increased intestinal dietary fat absorption and its subsequent storage in …

Mechanisms Of Cadmium-Induced And Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Mutation-Driven Lung Tumorigenesis, Hsuan-Pei Lin

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Cadmium (Cd) is a ubiquitous pollutant in the environment and a known carcinogen for lung cancer. Cd has been shown to act as a weak mutagen, which suggests that it may exert tumorigenic effect through non-genotoxic ways, such as epigenetic mechanisms. The goal of this project is to investigate the mechanisms of Cd carcinogenesis focusing on the role of lncRNA dysregulations. The Cd-exposed cells formed significantly more colonies in soft agar, displayed cancer stem cell (CSC)-like property and formed tumors in nude mice. Mechanistically, the lncRNA microarray analysis revealed that chronic Cd exposure dysregulates lncRNA expressions. Q-PCR analysis confirmed the …

Delineating The Role Of Fatty Acid Metabolism To Improve Therapeutic Strategies For Colorectal Cancer, James Drury

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world, comprising over 1 million new cases each year and over 500,000 deaths. CRC, when detected at an early stage of disease development, can be effectively treated, with a 5-year survival rate of over 90%. Such standard treatments include surgical resection of the primary tumor in combination with adjuvant chemotherapy. However, even with advancements in surgical procedures and chemotherapeutic targets, when CRC progresses to a more advance stage, the 5-year survival rate decreases significantly to just under 14%. This stark decrease in patient survival rate can be directly …

Science-Based Regulation Of Pharmacological Substances In Competition Horses, Jacob Machin

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Current testing methodologies within equine forensic toxicology focus on arbitrary thresholds and zero-tolerance policy. Modern analytical chemistry’s limits of detection are low enough that oftentimes femtogram-per-milliliter amounts of a substance can readily be identified in both blood and urine of a horse. For most pharmacologically relevant compounds, these concentrations have no relevance to pharmacological effect. It is therefore crucial that testing methodologies to determine appropriate thresholds and cut-offs be developed that are driven by biological activity rather than arbitrary limits of detection. This dissertation looks to address this by suggesting a system of calculated Effective Plasma Concentrations by which a …

Development Of Tools For Atom-Level Interpretation Of Stable Isotope-Resolved Metabolomics Datasets, Huan Jin

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Metabolomics is the global study of small molecules in living systems under a given state, merging as a new ‘omics’ study in systems biology. It has shown great promise in elucidating biological mechanism in various areas. Many diseases, especially cancers, are closely linked to reprogrammed metabolism. As the end point of biological processes, metabolic profiles are more representative of the biological phenotype compared to genomic or proteomic profiles. Therefore, characterizing metabolic phenotype of various diseases will help clarify the metabolic mechanisms and promote the development of novel and effective treatment strategies.

Advances in analytical technologies such as nuclear magnetic resonance …