Digital Commons Network^™

Information Architecture For A Chemical Modeling Knowledge Graph, Adam R. Luxon

Theses and Dissertations

Machine learning models for chemical property predictions are high dimension design challenges spanning multiple disciplines. Free and open-source software libraries have streamlined the model implementation process, but the design complexity remains. In order better navigate and understand the machine learning design space, model information needs to be organized and contextualized. In this work, instances of chemical property models and their associated parameters were stored in a Neo4j property graph database. Machine learning model instances were created with permutations of dataset, learning algorithm, molecular featurization, data scaling, data splitting, hyperparameters, and hyperparameter optimization techniques. The resulting graph contains over 83,000 nodes …

Relationships Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Inflammation And Pain In Youth And Emerging Adults With Sickle Cell Disease, Angela Pascale

Theses and Dissertations

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a prevalent genetic disorder involving red blood cells. SCD is a multisystem disease and is connected to various severe medical complications, including debilitating pain. Though pain and inflammation have been connected to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in other populations, no prior work has investigated ACEs within a SCD population. The current study examined the prevalence of ACEs as well as the association of ACEs, inflammation, and pain in a sample of youth and young adults with SCD. Utilizing the biopsychosocial model of pain, I examined individual and cumulative ACEs as possible factors relating to inflammation, …

Linear And Nonlinear Optical Effects In High Carrier Concentration Oxides And Nitrides At Epsilon-Near-Zero, Ray Secondo

Theses and Dissertations

Nonlinear optics has been an important method for achieving ultrafast light manipulation. Recently, ENZ material have gained interest due to inherent advantages such as slow light, improved confinement, and ideal relaxation times, the nonlinear response of these materials, such as the intensity-dependent-refractive-index, are ultra-large yet remain ultra-fast. This experimental discovery of epsilon-near-zero enhancement has thus opened new avenues in nonlinear optics research in recent years, and while experiments have continued to progress a theoretical understanding of the processes and origins of nonlinear optical enhancement at epsilon-near-zero has lagged.

To fill this gap, the work herein focuses on uncovering the mechanisms …

Muscarinic Excitation Of Dopamine Neurons In The Ventral Tegmental Area Via Activation Of A Trpc-Like Cation Conductance, Yu Tzu Chen

Theses and Dissertations

Dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) play a crucial role in reward and motivational behaviors, including the development of drug addictions. VTA DA neurons receive excitatory cholinergic inputs from the mesopontine tegmentum. Blockage of the M5 muscarinic receptor in DA neurons has been shown to attenuate drug-induced DA release and abuse-related behaviors, but the molecular mechanism is unknown. In this study, experiments were designed to identify the electrophysiological effects of muscarinic agonism in the modulation of action potential kinetics and firing patterns in VTA DA neurons of mice. Pharmacology of the muscarinic receptor-evoked current was also characterized. …

Comparing The Sensitivity And Specificity Of Cbct And Mri In Detecting Osteoarthritis Of The Tmj: A Systematic Review, Gabriel R. Saavedra

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this systematic review was to compare the sensitivity and specificity of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting osteoarthritis (OA) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). This was done by using computed tomography (CT) and the research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (RDC/TMD) as reference methods and using CBCT and MRI as index methods. A specific search strategy was developed and applied to these electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, DOSS, and Cochrane. The search results returned 802 articles, which were then narrowed down using the inclusion/exclusion criteria, to four final articles that were included in …

Racial/Ethnic Disparities In Longitudinal Trajectories Of Arrest Probability After Traumatic Brain Injury, Mickeal Pugh Jr

Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of disability across the globe, and epidemiological studies have documented a rise in this condition over the recent years. Post-TBI functional impairments can persist beyond the acute phase of the injury, and specific psychosocial and injury-related factors have predicted variability in these outcomes. Previous literature has documented profound racial/ethnic disparities in TBI risk, cause, treatment, and rehabilitation. Prior investigation has revealed an overlap between incarceration and TBI, which showed that incarcerated persons typically endorsed a history of TBI. Criminal justice literature has shown stark racial/ethnic differences in incarceration rates, which …

Fty720-Induced Antinociception In The Chronic Constrictive Injury (Cci) Mouse Model: Neuronal-Astroglial Mechanisms Through S1p1 Signaling, Lauren V. Moncayo

Theses and Dissertations

Novel pharmacological and genetic advancements increased interest in the sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor-1 (S1P₁) as a potential therapeutic target. S1P₁ plays a critical role in the mechanism of action of Fingolimod/FTY720, a therapy currently FDA-approved for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) (Camm et al., 2014). To prevent RRMS, FTY720 downregulates S1P₁ on lymphocytes to impair their trafficking and sequester cells in the lymphoid organs to prevent further pathogenic attack (Brinkmann et al., 2010). Recent developments in pre-clinical models suggest FTY720 holds therapeutic potential to treat other diseases, such as neuropathic pain, a debilitating chronic pain …

Impact Of Targeting Glycosylated Ceramides On Tumorigenic Properties, And Characterization Of Sphingolipids In Head And Neck Tumors, Katherine E. Hylton

Theses and Dissertations

Sphingolipids play a crucial role in signaling, membrane structure, and migration, making them important molecules in cancer development, metastasis, and drug resistance. While some sphingolipids have been associated with pro-apoptotic or pro-survival behaviors, the role of many sphingolipids in cancer remains poorly defined. Chapter 1 of this study investigated the impact of three enzymes that compose most of the ceramide to Lc3 ceramide pathway – UGCG, GBA, and B3GNT5 – and how their alteration impacts chemoresistance and basal membrane invasion in vitro. It was found that the CΒE-induced inhibition of GBA, which converts glucosylceramide to ceramide, has no effects on …

Performance Study Of Respirator Filter Media And Wall Flow Filters, Peng Wang

Theses and Dissertations

The exposure of the long-term chronic particulate matter (PM) exposure and the acute increases of ambient PM has been found to aggravate the respiratory symptoms, decrease lung functions, and increase the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Filtration is the dominant technique used to protect both humans and environment from the pollutants including PM and gases. Among the particle filtration applications, respirators are widely applied for the protection of the public heath from the PM exposure, and wall flow filters (i.e., diesel/gasoline particulate filters) are currently employed to mitigate the PM emission from automobile engines. The above two topics are thus included …

A Quantitative Study Of Factors Influencing Special Education Teachers’ Attrition: The Relationships Between Burnout, Personality, And Organizational Factors, Erin Lavery Wanat

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine if there is a relationship between independent variables—special education teachers’ emotional/interpersonal stressors, personality type, and worklife variables—and special education teachers’ burnout. Burnout is as complex as it is destructive for the special education teachers, who are likely to cite burnout as a major factor contributing to their pre-retirement departure from education. Burnout consists of three factors: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization/cynicism, and decreased estimation of personal contribution to the work. Six-hundred and ninety-two (n = 692) of Minnesota’s Tier Four licensed special education teachers participated in the study by completing a survey related to …

Effects Of Petroleum By-Products And Dispersants On Ecosystems, Kenneth M. Halanych, Cameron H. Ainsworth, Erik E. Cordes, Richard E. Dodge, Markus Huettel, Irving A. Mendelssohn, Steven A. Murawski, Claire B. Paris-Limouzy, Patrick T. Schwing, Richard F. Shaw, Tracey Sutton

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Gulf of Mexico ecosystems are interconnected by numerous physical and biological processes. As a result of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) spill, some normal ecological processes including resource connectivity and trophic interactions and were damaged or broken. A considerable portion of post-DWH research has focused on higher levels of biological organization (i.e., populations, communities, and ecosystems) spanning at least four environments (onshore, coastal, open ocean, and deep benthos). Damage wrought by the oil spill and mitigation efforts varied considerably across ecosystems. Whereas all systems show prolonged impacts because of cascading effects that impacted functional connections within and between communities, deep-sea and …

A Synthesis Of Deepwater Horizon Impacts On Coastal And Nearshore Living Marine Resources, Steven A. Murawski, Joshua P. Kilborn, Adriana C. Bejarano, David Chagaris, David Donaldson, Frank J. Hernandez, Timothy C. Macdonald, Craig Newton, Ernst Peebles, Kelly L. Robinson

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil blowout in the Gulf of Mexico began on April 20, originating in the deep sea 66 km off the Louisiana coast. By early June, DWH oil had spread to coastal Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and western Florida. An estimated 2,113 km of shoreline were oiled, making DWH the largest marine oil spill in global history by length of affected shoreline. Additionally, a series of oil spill response measures were deployed, including diversions of Mississippi River discharge to forestall oil coming ashore, and the establishment of large-scale fishery closures, with both affecting coastal resources to varying …

The Gulf Of Mexico: An Overview, Larry D. Mckinney, John G. Shepherd, Charles A. Wilson, William T T. Hogarth, Jeff Chanton, Steven A. Murawski, Paul A. Sandifer, Tracey Sutton, David Yoskowitz, Katya Wowk, Tamay M. Özgökmen, Samantha B. Joye, Rex Caffey

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The Gulf of Mexico is a place where the environment and the economy both coexist and contend. It is a resilient large marine ecosystem that has changed in response to many drivers and pressures that we are only now beginning to fully understand. Coastlines of the states that border the Gulf comprise about half of the US southern seaboard, and those states are capped by the vast Midwest. The Gulf drains most of North America and is both an economic keystone and an unintended waste receptacle. It is a renowned resource for seafood markets, recreational fishing, and beach destinations and …

Copley Library Annual Report 2020-2021, Helen K. And James S. Copley Library, University Of San Diego

Copley Library Annual Reports

Message from the Dean; The Collections, Access, and Discovery Department — We Make Access to Collections Discoverable!; Copley’s Streaming Media Explosion; Archives, Special Collections, and Digital Initiatives; One Million Downloads—and Counting!; Librarians Combatting Disinformation through Education; Collection Development to Support SOLES Teaching, Learning, and Research; The Hahn Librarian Advocates for Collections; Access to New York Times for Faculty and Staff; Reference Collections; BibliU: Expanding Textbook Access During the Pandemic; Reading for Fun: Copley’s Light Reading Collection; Moving Copley Library Through the Various Stages of the Renovation; Meet Copley Library’s Renovation Project Management Team; Roy and Marian Holleman $1,000 Copley Library …

Male And Female Genotype And A Genotype-By-Genotype Interaction Mediate The Effects Of Mating On Cellular But Not Humoral Immunity In Female Decorated Crickets, Kylie J. Hampton, Kristin R. Duffield, John Hunt, Scott K. Sakaluk, Ben M. Sadd

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Sexually antagonistic coevolution is predicted to lead to the divergence of male and female genotypes related to the effects of substances transferred by males at mating on female physiology. The outcome of mating should thus depend on the specific combination of mating genotypes. Although mating has been shown to influence female immunity in diverse insect taxa, a male–female genotype-by-genotype effect on female immunity post mating remains largely unexplored. Here, we investigate the effects of mating on female decorated cricket baseline immunity and the potential for a male-genotype-by-female-genotype interaction affecting this response. Females from three distinct genotypic backgrounds were left unmated …

Qualitative Fitting Characteristics Of Elastomeric Half Face-Piece Respirators Using Isoamyl Acetate Agent, Anahita Fakherpour, Mehdi Jahangiri, Sean Banaee

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

To examine the fitting testing of elastomeric half face-piece respirators (EHRs), a total of 41 candidates were randomly assigned into seven EHRs equipped with organic vapor (OV) cartridges which were commonly used in the Iranian industrial workplaces. The qualitative fitting into the facial dimensions was assessed using the Allegro Isoamyl Acetate fit test kit. While the studied EHRs showed very low passing fit testing rates, the 3M, AoSafety (Medium), and AoSafety (Large) had the highest passing rates with 22.0%, 14.60%, and 9.76%, respectively. The AoSafety ‎(All sizes) delivered a higher passing fit test rate than the 3M brand (29.30 vs. …

Time Trends Of Overweight And Obesity Among Schoolchildren In Kuwait Over A 13-Year Period (2007-2019): Repeated Cross-Sectional Study, Abdullah Al-Taiar, Nawal Alqaoud, Ali H. Ziyab, Faheema Alanezi, Monica Subhakaran, Reem Sharaf Alddin, Hueiwang Anna Jeng, Muge Akpinar-Elci

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Objectives: This study aimed to examine age-specific trends in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in schoolchildren in Kuwait over a 13-year period (2007 to 2019) using the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the International Obesity Taskforce (IOTF) definitions.

Design: Using cross-sectional approach, Kuwait Nutrition Surveillance System (KNSS) objectively measured weight and height of schoolchildren over a 13-year period. Log-binomial regression models were used to examine age-specific trends of obesity and overweight over the study period.

Setting: Public primary, middle, and high schools in all provinces of Kuwait.

Participants: Schoolchildren aged 5-19 …

Stunting And Combined Overweight With Stunting Among Schoolchildren In Kuwait: Trends Over A 13-Year Period, Abdullah Al-Taiar, Nawal Alqaoud, Reem Sharaf Alddin, Faheema Alanezi, Monica Subhakaran, Anne Dumadag, Ahmed N. Albatineh

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the sex- and age-specific trends of stunting and combined overweight with stunting among schoolchildren over a 13-year period in Kuwait. Subjects and Methods: The Kuwait Nutrition Surveillance System objectively measured the height of 172,573 schoolchildren (5–19 years) over a 13-year period (2007–2019). Data on gender and date of birth were extracted from school records. Stunting was defined as height 2 standard deviations (SD) below the World Health Organization growth reference median. Logistic regression models were used to examine the trends of stunting over the study period while stratifying by gender. Results: In males, the …

Ignoring Drug Trademarks, Erika Lietzan

Faculty Publications

If you walk into a pharmacy with a prescription for Merck’s ZOCOR, which contains simvastatin, the pharmacist will probably give you a product containing simvastatin made by another company. The pharmacist will dispense a “generic” simvastatin product. State generic substitution laws, passed in the 1970s to help the government save money by switching patients to cheaper generic drugs, either permit or require this substitution. But drug brand names -- such as ZOCOR -- are trademarks. Like other trademarks, they distinguish goods in the market from others, and they signal the source of the goods. These state laws essentially treat the …

The Interspecific Growth–Mortality Trade-Off Is Not A General Framework For Tropical Forest Community Structure, Sabrina E. Russo, Sean M. Mcmahon, Matteo Detto, Glenn Ledder, S. Joseph Wright, Richard S. Condit, Stuart J. Davies, Peter S. Ashton, Sarayudh Bunyavejchewin, Chia-Hao Chang-Yang, Sisira Ediriweera, Corneille E.N. Ewango, Christine Fletcher, Robin B. Foster, C.V. Savi Gunatilleke, I.A.U. Nimal Gunatilleke, Terese Hart, Chang-Fu Hseih, Stephen P. Hubbell, Akira Itoh, Abdul Rahman Kassim, Yao Tze Leong, Yi Ching Lin, Jean-Remy Makana, Mohizah Bt. Mohamad, Perry Ong, Anna Sugiyama, I-Fang Sun, Sylvester Tan, Jill Thompson, Takuo Yamakura, Sandra L. Yap, Jess K. Zimmerman

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Resource allocation within trees is a zero-sum game. Unavoidable trade-offs dictate that allocation to growth-promoting functions curtails other functions, generating a gradient of investment in growth versus survival along which tree species align, known as the interspecific growth–mortality trade-off. This paradigm is widely accepted but not well established. Using demographic data for 1,111 tree species across ten tropical forests, we tested the generality of the growth–mortality trade-off and evaluated its underlying drivers using two species-specific parameters describing resource allocation strategies: tolerance of resource limitation and responsiveness of allocation to resource access. Globally, a canonical growth–mortality trade-off emerged, but the trade-off …

Tribes, Vaccines, And Covid-19: A Look At Tribal Responses To The Pandemic, Adam Crepelle

Fordham Urban Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Is Sexuality A Choice? An Analysis Of The Facts And Factors That Influence One’S Sexual Orientation, Brandon Scott Hodges

PCOM Capstone Projects

Sexual orientation is often viewed as the sex or gender to which one is attracted to; however, it is not that simple. Also, though many believe the default is for one to be attracted to the opposite sex and any other claim of sexual attraction is a choice; that is not true. Sexual orientation is the result of a complex combination of one’s genes, environment, and hormones. As a result, not only is sexuality not a choice, but just as there are so many different colors, there are so many different sexual orientations beyond heterosexual, such as homosexual, bisexual, and …

Vertebrate Subfossil Localities In Taylorsville Metropark, Montgomery County, Ohio, Usa, Ryan Shell, Kristin Zimmerman, David Peterman, Charles Ciampaglio, Lauren Fuelling, Stephen J. Jacquemin

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Karst features in the Silurian dolomites of Taylorsville MetroPark (Dayton Metropolitan Area, Ohio, United States) were explored from 2017 to 2018 to identify sites of paleontological interest. Initial landscape surveys recovered 124 skeletal elements (from 12 sites) that were attributed to 17 vertebrate species--including evidence of such extirpated animals as bobcats (Lynx rufus) and rattlesnakes (Crotalus sp.). Of the 12 sites, 9 sites contained remains from the historical era and 3 sites contained much older remains (n = 17) that were radiocarbon dated to approximately 1,400 years before present (YBP). Human remains at one site, butchered bones at another, and …

Evaluating Winter Malting Barley Grain Yield With Fractional Green Canopy Cover, Gregory J. Mcglinch, Stephen J. Jacquemin, Laura E. Lindsey

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Because of growth in the craft brewing industry, farmers in the eastern United States are planting winter malting barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) to meet demands for locally sourced grain. However, given that barley is a relatively new crop in this region, basic agronomic information relating to stand assessment is needed. This is particularly relevant in this region, as climatic variability from extreme temperature fluctuations during the winter and spring can reduce a barley stand, creating the need for farmers to estimate grain yield potential. The objective of the research was to evaluate the relationship between spring stem counts, fractional …

Importance Of Fossil And Archaeological Occurrence Data For Understanding The Evolution And Distribution Of The Freshwater Drum (A. Grunniens)., Stephen J. Jacquemin, Lauren J. Fuelling, G. Stringer, A. Smith, Charles N. Ciampaglio

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Importance And Challenges Of Monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms In Grand Lake St Marys, Stephen J. Jacquemin, M. Morden, C. Ewing, J. C. Doll

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Microaggressions, Questionable Science, And Free Speech, Edward Cantu, Lee Jussim

Faculty Works

The topic of microaggressions is hot currently. Diversity administrators regularly propagate lists of alleged microaggressions and express confidence that listed items reflect what some psychologists claim they do: racism that is, at the very least, unconscious in the mind of the speaker. Legal academics are increasingly leveraging microaggression research in theorizing law and proposing legal change. But how scientifically legitimate are claims by some psychologists about what acts constitute microaggressions? The authors—one a law professor, the other a psychologist—argue that the answer is “not much.” In this article, the authors dissect the studies, and critique the claims, of microaggression researchers. …

Clinical Psychology Doctoral Degree Annual Program Outcomes Assessments, 2020-21, College Of Health, Education, And Human Services

Annual Program Outcomes Assessments - All

This report reviews Wright State University's Clinical Psychology Doctoral Degree program for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Biological Sciences Associate Degree Annual Program Outcomes Assessments, 2020-21, Lake Campus, Wright State University

Annual Program Outcomes Assessments - All

This report reviews Wright State University's Biological Sciences Associate Degree program for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Chemistry Associate Degree Annual Program Outcomes Assessments, 2020-21, Lake Campus, Wright State University

Annual Program Outcomes Assessments - All

This report reviews Wright State University's Chemistry Associate Degree program for the 2020-2021 academic year.