Digital Commons Network^™

The Potential For Remote Sensing Measurement Of Dissolved Organic Carbon As A Tool For Metal Risk Assessments, Mickey Nielsen

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The biotic ligand model (BLM) is a tool used to quantitatively evaluate how receiving water chemistry affects the bioavailability of metals. Sensitivity testing can be used to understand how the model outputs vary in response to systematic changes in water chemistry inputs. This will allow users of such models to understand how accurate their input parameters must be for a specified level of confidence in the output. Our focus was on dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which is often the most limiting data for application of BLM approaches to metals risk management. To potentially address DOC data limitations remote sensing can …

How Do You Talk To Yourself? – The Effects Of Pronoun Usage And Interpersonal Qualities Of Self-Talk, Sonya M. Bisol

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

Self-talk is defined as an inner voice that addresses the self, usually silently but sometimes aloud, with content that is self-relevant. In two studies, this work investigates the pronouns people use within their self-talk, classified by a newly developed pronoun coding scheme, and the interpersonal qualities of self-talk, characterized by an interpersonal framework. For each study we also explore how pronoun usage and interpersonal self-talk styles relate to each other, and to other important variables that pertain to the possible causes and effects of self-talk. In our first study, 131 participants completed a structured interview in which they provided …

Dsrna Conjugated Phytoglycogen Nanoparticles As An Innate Immune Stimulant To Prevent Viral Infections In Rainbow Trout And Atlantic Salmon, Kayla Samms

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Salmonids are one of the world’s most farmed fish species. These aquatic vertebrate species rely heavily on their innate immune responses to defend themselves against invading pathogens. Although commercial vaccines are available against some viral and bacterial pathogens affecting salmonids, their protective efficacy is variable. Using a prophylactic inducer of local and systemic innate immune responses could have significant implications in salmonid aquaculture. A potent inducer of the innate immune response in fish is double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), a molecule that all viruses make during their replicative cycle. Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (polyI:C) is a synthetic dsRNA commonly used to induce type I …

Characterization Of Micronutrient Dependent Growth By Several Temperate Freshwater Phytoplankton, Purnank Shah

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a growing problem in many freshwater waterbodies in Canada and around the world. HABs have wide-ranging impacts to ecosystems and economies. Since the 1970s, the primary focus of policies with respect to curbing HABs has been to lowering the inputs of P into waters. However, reports of HABs continue to increase even with all these P-removing policies in place. Some jurisdictions have chosen to focus on N-removal instead or in conjunction with P-removal to help with HABs. However, because some cyanobacteria have the ability to fix atmospheric N₂,N-removal might only lead to the …

Relational Engagement At The Intersection Of Personal And Professional Identities: A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Experience Of Christian Therapists, Aaron Smith

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Though Christian spirituality and therapeutic relationships are unique subjects, commonly found throughout literature pertaining to each topic is an emphasis on how people ought to approach and participate in relationship with one another. In other words, each subject represents a unique tradition of relational engagement. For therapists who practice Christian spirituality, it is possible, if not likely, that both traditions impact how they go about engaging with clients. Despite this, there is a lack of material exploring the experience of relational engagement when these traditions intersect. For this reason, I set out to explore what this experience is like for …

"Learning" To Feel Valued: Exploring The Impact Of Community Service Learning On Student Mattering And Mental Health, Emily Weatherhead

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Post-secondary students are facing an unprecedented level of mental health concerns. While treating mental illness has traditionally been prioritized, mental health promotion strategies are also essential. Existing research has shown that mattering, one’s ability to feel valued by and add value to their community, can promote positive mental health in post-secondary students. Using mixed methods, the goal of this research was to explore the potential of community service learning (CSL), which allows students to participate in community placements in exchange for course credit, to increase student mattering and positive mental health. Pre- and post-online surveys were administered to a sample …

Psychological Responses To Different Exercise Intensities In Middle-Aged Adults, Claudia Jarosz

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

PURPOSE: The current study aimed to compare psychological responses to, preference for, and adherence to moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT), high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and modified sprint-interval training (SIT) among adults aged 30-50 years. METHODS: Ten participants (46 ± 10 y; maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O_2max) 34.70±10.34 mL·kg^-1·min^-1), participated in 3 experimental sessions: MICT (30 min at 65% V̇O_2max); HIIT (10 x 1 min bouts at 90% maximal heart rate separated by 1 min of recovery); and modified SIT (8x15 s “all-out” sprints interspersed with 2 min of recovery). Affect, enjoyment, self-efficacy, and intentions …

Collaboration, Knowledge-Sharing And Natural Hazard Risk Management In The Greater Pinery Provincial Park Region, Madeline Mcfadden

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In Canada, parks and other forms of protected areas are visited by tens of millions of people annually. By their very nature, parks and protected areas present various risks that must be mitigated. Risk management is an area of research that is receiving increased attention because in recent years, natural hazards (e.g. effects the environment) and disasters (e.g. effects the environment and humans) have exacted significant economic, social, health, cultural, and environmental impacts on persons and communities across Canada. Natural hazards, which pose significant risks to the natural environment and those individuals who inhabit or visit them, are expected to …

Dead On Arrival: A Call For Legislative Action With Respect To State And Federal Laws Surrounding Cryonics, Gage Taylor

SMU Science and Technology Law Review

No abstract provided.

Recent Developments In Targeting Genes And Pathways By Rnai-Based Approaches In Colorectal Cancer, Asiyeh Jebelli, Behzad Baradaran, Jafar Mosafer, Amir Baghbanzadeh, Ahad Mokhtarzadeh, Lobat Tayebi

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

A wide spectrum of genetic and epigenetic variations together with environmental factors has made colorectal cancer (CRC), which involves the colon and rectum, a challenging and heterogeneous cancer. CRC cannot be effectively overcome by common conventional therapies including surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and hormone replacement which highlights the need for a rational design of novel anticancer therapy. Accumulating evidence indicates that RNA interference (RNAi) could be an important avenue to generate great therapeutic efficacy for CRC by targeting genes that are responsible for the viability, cell cycle, proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, metastasis, and invasion of CRC cells. In this review, we …

Temporary Abdominal Closure Techniques, Laura R. Brown, Rebecca M. Rentea

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Critically ill patients with underlying intraabdominal hypertension due to sepsis or injury are often managed with a damage control laparotomy (DCL), which involves the minimum intervention necessary to save the patient’s life. In order to save time, the abdomen may be left open to facilitate a second look to confirm the control of bleeding or sepsis before fascial closure. In the interim, some patients will develop bowel and abdominal wall edema with a high-volume resuscitation, especially if the crystalloid fluid is used primarily.

The many causes and management of intraabdominal hypertension as well as the indications for a damage control …

Quantitative Assessment Of Glioblastoma Phenotypes In Vitro Establishes Cell Migration As A Robust Readout Of Crk And Crkl Activity., Taeju Park, Neka Large, Tom Curran

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

The expression levels of CT10 regulator of kinase (Crk) and Crk-like (CrkL) are elevated in many human cancers, including glioblastoma (GBM), and are believed to contribute to poor prognosis. Although Crk and CrkL have been proposed as therapeutic targets in these tumors, the lack of a reliable, quantitative assay to measure Crk and CrkL activity has hindered development of inhibitors. Here, we knocked down Crk, CrkL, or both using small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) in a human GBM cell line, U-118MG, to determine the respective, quantitative contributions of Crk and CrkL to cellular phenotypes. The combined use of specific and potent …

Disease-Modifying Therapy Prescription Patterns In People With Multiple Sclerosis By Age, Yinan Zhang, Amber Salter, Shan Jin, William J Culpepper, Gary R Cutter, Mitchell Wallin, Olaf Stuve

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS) are approved for their ability to reduce disease activity, namely clinical relapses and signal changes on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Disease activity appears age dependent. Thus, the greatest benefit would be expected in younger people with MS (PwMS) whereas benefits in the elderly are uncertain.

METHODS: Real-world data were obtained from PwMS from the North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis (NARCOMS) registry and the US Department of Veterans Affairs Multiple Sclerosis Surveillance Registry (MSSR).

RESULTS: 6948 PwMS were surveyed from NARCOMS, and the MSSR had 1719 participants. In younger adult PwMS …

Rethinking Immune Checkpoint Blockade: Beyond The T Cell, Xiuting Liu, Graham D Hogg, David G Denardo

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The clinical success of immune checkpoint inhibitors has highlighted the central role of the immune system in cancer control. Immune checkpoint inhibitors can reinvigorate anti-cancer immunity and are now the standard of care in a number of malignancies. However, research on immune checkpoint blockade has largely been framed with the central dogma that checkpoint therapies intrinsically target the T cell, triggering the tumoricidal potential of the adaptive immune system. Although T cells undoubtedly remain a critical piece of the story, mounting evidence, reviewed herein, indicates that much of the efficacy of checkpoint therapies may be attributable to the innate immune …

Governance ≠ Leadership: What Blockchain And Ai Won't Do For Corporate Lawyers, Jeffrey M. Lipshaw

Suffolk University Law School Faculty Works

This is a contribution to the Journal of Corporation Law’s 2020 symposium on blockchain technology and corporate governance. The thesis is that blockchain technology is well suited to the monitoring function in corporate governance; that monitoring as the primary function of corporate governance is a particularly legal conception; and that the business conception of governance has far more to do with leadership, strategy, and operations. If the legal and business conceptions of governance tend to be ships passing in the night (at least in this somewhat exaggerated rendering), it is because prevailing economic and legal theoretical models have a difficult …

Detection And Potential Virulence Of Viable But Non-Culturable (Vbnc) Listeria Monocytogenes: A Review, Nathan E. Wideman, James D. Oliver, Philip Glen Crandall, Nathan A. Jarvis

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The detection, enumeration, and virulence potential of viable but non-culturable (VBNC) pathogens continues to be a topic of discussion. While there is a lack of definitive evidence that VBNC Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) pose a public health risk, recent studies suggest that Lm in its VBNC state remains virulent. VBNC bacteria cannot be enumerated by traditional plating methods, so the results from routine Lm testing may not demonstrate a sample’s true hazard to public health. We suggest that supplementing routine Lm testing methods with methods designed to enumerate VBNC cells may more accurately represent the true level of risk. This review …

The Ada Constrained: How Federal Courts Dilute The Reach Of The Ada In Prison Cases, Prianka Nair

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Use Of Mineral Trioxide Aggregate In The Treatment Of Horizontal Root Fractures: A Case Presentation And Literature Update, Elif Ballikaya, H. Cem Güngör

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Root fracture is a rarely seen traumatic injury in permanent dentition. It has a prevalence of 0.5-7 %. Tooth survival is significantly affected by the type of healing and the location of the root fracture. Additionally, the patient’s age, stage of root development, mobility and dislocation of the coronal fragment, and diastasis between fragments following this kind of injury are among the important factors. In this case presentation, the management with MTA plug and 6-year follow-up of a horizontal root fracture was reported. A literature update regarding the use of MTA in the management of horizontal root fractures was also …

Unraveling The Relative Role Of Light And Water Competition Between Lianas And Trees In Tropical Forests: A Vegetation Model Analysis, Félicien Meunier, Hans Verbeeck, Betsy Cowdery, Stefan A. Schnitzer, Chris M. Smith-Martin, Jennifer S. Powers, Xiangtao Xu, Martijn Slot, Hannes P.T. De Deurwaerder, Matteo Detto, Damien Bonal, Marcos Longo, Louis S. Santiago, Michael Dietze

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

1. Despite their low contribution to forest carbon stocks, lianas (woody vines) play an important role in the carbon dynamics of tropical forests. As structural parasites, they hinder tree survival, growth and fecundity; hence, they negatively impact net ecosystem productivity and long-term carbon sequestration.
2. Competition (for water and light) drives various forest processes and depends on the local abundance of resources over time. However, evaluating the relative role of resource availability on the interactions between lianas and trees from empirical observations is particularly challenging. Previous approaches have used labour-intensive and ecosystem-scale manipulation experiments, which are infeasible in most situations.
3. We propose …

Sex Chromosome Turnover In Bent-Toed Geckos (Cyrtodactylus), Shannon E. Keating, Madison Blumer, L. Lee Grismer, Aung Lin, Stuart V. Nielsen, Myint Kyaw Thura, Perry L. Wood Jr., Evan S.H. Quah, Tony Gamble

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Lizards and snakes (squamates) are known for their varied sex determining systems, and gecko lizards are especially diverse, having evolved sex chromosomes independently multiple times. While sex chromosomes frequently turnover among gecko genera, intrageneric turnovers are known only from Gekko and Hemidactylus. Here, we used RADseq to identify sex-specific markers in two species of Burmese bent-toed geckos. We uncovered XX/XY sex chromosomes in Cyrtodactylus chaunghanakwaensis and ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes in Cyrtodactylus pharbaungensis. This is the third instance of intrageneric turnover of sex chromosomes in geckos. Additionally, Cyrtodactylus are closely related to another genus with intrageneric turnover, Hemidactylus. …

A Comparison Of The Foraging Biology Of Two Tropical Gecko Species In Disturbed Areas, Charles Cummings, Tony Gamble, Michael Wells

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The traditional foraging mode dichotomy in lizards has been one of ambush predators vs. wide ranging predators. Each mode has been associated with its own suite of other complementary characteristics, including metabolic rates, sensory capacities, as well as predator and prey species. While foraging mode within lizard families is often consistent, few studies have compared the foraging modes of sympatric members of a clade in which one species is nocturnal and the other diurnal. Hemidactylus frenatus, an introduced, nocturnal house gecko, and Gonatodes albogularis, a native, diurnal species, inhabit disturbed habitats in Costa Rica. Using traditional movement-based indices, moves per …

Clinicopathologic Implications Of Complement Genetic Variants In Kidney Transplantation, Zhen Ren, Stephen J Perkins, Latisha Love-Gregory, John P Atkinson, Anuja Java

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Genetic testing has uncovered rare variants in complement proteins associated with thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) and C3 glomerulopathy (C3G). Approximately 50% are classified as variants of uncertain significance (VUS). Clinical risk assessment of patients carrying a VUS remains challenging primarily due to a lack of functional information, especially in the context of multiple confounding factors in the setting of kidney transplantation. Our objective was to evaluate the clinicopathologic significance of genetic variants in TMA and C3G in a kidney transplant cohort. We used whole exome next-generation sequencing to analyze complement genes in 76 patients, comprising 60 patients with a TMA and …

Unfriendly Fire: How The Tobacco Industry Is Destroying The Future Of Our Children, Andrew Bush, Thomas Ferkol, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Tobacco has long been known to be one of the greatest causes of morbidity and mortality in the adults, but the effects on the foetus and young children, which are lifelong, have been less well appreciated. Developing from this are electronic nicotine delivery systems or vapes, promulgated as being less harmful than tobacco. Nicotine itself is toxic to the foetus, with permanent effects on lung structure and function. Most vapes contain nicotine, but they also contain many other compounds which are inhaled and for which there are no toxicity studies. They also contain known toxic substances, whose use is banned …

The Ghost Town: An Autoethnographic Study On The Effects Of Loss And Trauma On A Saudi Arabian International Student’S Well-Being, Salman J. Alzowibi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We all have fought on grief’s battleground; some of us started at early ages, while others during their developmental age, teen’s years, or later in their adulthood. All of them are valuable resources and sites of knowledge that need to be explored. Yet, recent studies reduced grief into clinical psychological well-being. However, as I lived these experiences, trauma, loss, and grief impact all well-being dimensions. Grief intersects with large structures (e.g., social, economic, cultural, locations, etc.); all these components impact our way of grief how socially displayed (mourning). This dissertation encapsulates my personal experience elevating it to an academic work …

Microbiopsy Sampling For Examining Age-Related Differences In Skeletal Muscle Fiber Morphology And Composition, Garrett Hester, Trisha Vandusseldorp, Phuong L. Ha, Kaveh Kiani, Alex A. Olmos, Melody Jabbari, Shania Kalladanthyil, Soobin An, Alyssa R. Bailly, Benjamin E. Dalton, Anton Bryantsev

Faculty Articles

The increasingly popular microbiopsy is an appealing alternative to the more invasive Bergström biopsy given the challenges associated with harvesting skeletal muscle in older populations. Parameters of muscle fiber morphology and composition derived from the microbiopsy have not been compared between young and older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine muscle fiber morphology and composition in young (YM) and older (OM) males using the microbiopsy sampling technique. A secondary aim was to determine if specific strength is associated with serum levels of C-terminal agrin fragment [CAF; an indicator of neuromuscular junction (NMJ) degradation]. Thirty healthy, YM ( …

A Phase Ii Study Of Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy Combined With Doxorubicin In Patients With Recurrent Glioblastoma, Omar H Butt, Alice Y Zhou, Jiayi Huang, William A Leidig, Alice E Silberstein, Milan G Chheda, Tanner M Johanns, George Ansstas, Jingxia Liu, Grayson Talcott, Ruth Nakiwala, Joshua S Shimony, Albert H Kim, Eric C Leuthardt, Jian L Campian, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a major limiting factor for drug delivery in brain tumors. Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) disrupts the peritumoral BBB. In this study, we examine survival in patients with recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) treated with LITT followed by low-dose doxorubicin, a potent anti-neoplastic drug with poor BBB permeability.

METHODS: Forty-one patients with recurrent GBM were enrolled; thirty patients were evaluable. Participants underwent LITT followed by 6 weekly doxorubicin treatments starting within one week (Early Arm) or at 6-8 weeks (Late Arm) after LITT. The overall survival (OS), local progression-free survival (PFS), and any PFS were compared …

Loss Of Angiotensin Ii Type 2 Receptor Improves Blood Pressure In Elastin Insufficiency, Michelle Lin, Robyn A Roth, Beth A Kozel, Robert P Mecham, Carmen M Halabi

2020-Current year OA Pubs

There is ample evidence supporting a role for angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT

Smaller Spared Subcortical Nuclei Are Associated With Worse Post-Stroke Sensorimotor Outcomes In 28 Cohorts Worldwide, Sook-Lei Liew, Catherine E Lang, Anup K Bhattacharya, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Up to two-thirds of stroke survivors experience persistent sensorimotor impairments. Recovery relies on the integrity of spared brain areas to compensate for damaged tissue. Deep grey matter structures play a critical role in the control and regulation of sensorimotor circuits. The goal of this work is to identify associations between volumes of spared subcortical nuclei and sensorimotor behaviour at different timepoints after stroke. We pooled high-resolution T

The Next Generation Of Ocular Pathogen Detection, Sharon L. Sabapathypillai, Hayley R. James, Rachael R. L. Lyerla, Lynn Hassman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing is a powerful method for pathogen detection that combines advanced genome sequencing technology with cutting-edge bioinformatics to analyze microbial populations. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing has the potential to identify uncommon, unculturable, and even previously unidentified pathogens from a clinical isolate. Of particular interest to ophthalmology, this robust data extraction can occur from very small volume clinical samples. Here we discuss the opportunities and limitations of this technique and their current and future application to ophthalmic diagnostics.

Temozolomide Chronotherapy In Patients With Glioblastoma: A Retrospective Single-Institute Study, Anna R Damato, Jingqin Luo, Ruth G N Katumba, Grayson R Talcott, Joshua B Rubin, Erik D Herzog, Jian L Campian

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Chronotherapy is an innovative approach to improving survival through timed delivery of anti-cancer treatments according to patient daily rhythms. Temozolomide (TMZ) is a standard-of-care chemotherapeutic agent for glioblastoma (GBM). Whether timing of TMZ administration affects GBM patient outcome has not previously been studied. We sought to evaluate maintenance TMZ chronotherapy on GBM patient survival.

METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed patients with newly diagnosed GBM from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2018 at Washington University School of Medicine who had surgery, chemoradiation, and were prescribed TMZ to be taken in the morning or evening. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox …