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Profiles Of Academic Majors - 2021, Office Of Institutional Research And Effectiveness

Profiles of Academic Majors

The Profiles of Academic Majors (PAM) is an annual publication that provides a ten-year longitudinal snapshot of enrollments, degrees awarded and student demographics arranged by fall term or academic year as appropriate.

Cochlear Inflammaging In Relation To Ion Channels And Mitochondrial Functions, Parveen Bazard, Jennifer Pineros, Robert D. Frisina, Mark A. Bauer, Alejandro A. Acosta, Lauren R. Paganella, Dominika Borakiewicz, Mark Thivierge, Freyda L. Mannering, Xiaoxia Zhu, Bo Ding

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The slow accumulation of inflammatory biomarker levels in the body—also known as inflammation—has been linked to a myriad of age-related diseases. Some of these include neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease, obesity, type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and many others. Though a direct correlation has not been established, research connecting age-related hearing loss (ARHL)—the number one communication disorder and one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases of our aged population—and inflammation has gained interest. Research, thus far, has found that inflammatory markers, such as IL-6 and white blood cells, are associated with ARHL in humans and animals. Moreover, studies investigating …

Fibrin Gel Enhances The Antitumor Effects Of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells In Glioblastoma, Edikan A. Ogunnaike, Alain Valdivia, Mostafa Yazdimamaghani, Ernesto Leon, Seema Nandi, Hannah Hudson, Hongwei Du, Simon Khagi, Zhen Gu, Barbara Savoldo, Frances S. Ligler, Shawn Hingtgen, Gianpietro Dotti

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Regional delivery of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in glioblastoma represents a rational therapeutic approach as an alternative to intravenous administration to avoid the blood-brain barrier impediment. Here, we developed a fibrin gel that accommodates CAR-T cell loading and promotes their gradual release. Using a model of subtotal glioblastoma resection, we demonstrated that the fibrin-based gel delivery of CAR-T cells within the surgical cavity enables superior antitumor activity compared to CAR-T cells directly inoculated into the tumor resection cavity.

"When Surviving Jim Crow Is A Preexisting Condition": The Impact Of Covid-19 On African Americans In Late Adulthood And Their Perceptions Of The Medical Field, Taryne M. Mingo

Adultspan Journal

No abstract provided.

Simian Sexuality: Interspecies Intimacy In The Long Eighteenth Century, Jeremy Chow

Faculty Journal Articles

This article investigates the curious recurrence of the simian throughout the art and literature of the long eighteenth century to offer a reading of the simian’s intimate connection with plural genders and sexualities. Lord Rochester, William Hogarth, Eliza Haywood, and Frances Burney collectively model an eighteenth-century maxim: to notice the simian is to locate extracurricular sexuality, which triangulates interspecies polymorphous pleasures and violences. I read Rochester’s poetry and portraiture, Hogarth’s A Harlot’s Progress, Haywood’s The Adventures of Eovaai, and Burney’s Evelina through a queer animal studies lens to address how the erotic human-animal bond insinuates itself throughout eighteenth-century literature, art, …

Analysis Of Single-Site Cysteine Mutation, I412c, In Human A Glycine Receptor States To Further Refine Structure And Allostery, Leah Engquist

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The glycine receptor (GlyR) is the major inhibitory receptor in the brain and spinal cord. A member of the pentameric ligand gated ion channel superfamily, crystal structures are available but there are still unresolved areas, specifically the C-terminal tail and TM3-TM4 intracellular loop. Further refinement can provide deeper understanding of the molecular mechanism and allow the creation of novel therapeutics to modulate its function. We propose to insert a single cysteine mutation, I412C, into a Cys null background (C41S/C290A/C345S) to study non- conducting states (resting, desensitized) or with F207G/A288G mutations to study the open state. Purified, reconstituted GlyR is crosslinked …

Recurrence Of Primary Mucosal Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Solid Organ Transplant Recipients, Evan Liang, Marissa Gilbert, Farzan Siddiqui

Radiation Oncology Meeting Abstracts

Background: Patients that undergo a solid organ transplant have been shown to have a higher risk of developing cancer and even subsequent recurrences due to the immunosuppressants required to prevent rejection. Most established literature has been in the setting of cutaneous malignancies. In this study, we examine patients diagnosed with primary mucosal head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) diagnosed post-transplant to analyze their disease characteristics and clinical outcomes.

Objectives: To retrospectively characterize patients with primary mucosal HNSCC with history of prior solid organ transplant to define patient and tumor factors as well as analyze their long-term outcomes. Methods: IRB …

Magnetic Resonance Guided Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation - Single Institution Experience Using Viewray Technology, Jadranka Dragovic, Kate Aldridge, Anthony Doemer

Radiation Oncology Meeting Abstracts

Background: In the recent years PBI has emerged as an alternative to WBI. This results in less normal tissue irradiated, less morbidity and late complications, greater patient convenience. The comparative efficacy and toxicity profiles of PBI compared with WBI have shown similar ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence rates and reduced acute toxicities. With the advent of dedicated magnetic resonance-guided radiation therapy systems such as the MR-Linac there is potential for further improvement in the delivery of PBI and increased safety. We present our experience of MR-guided PBI in early-stage breast cancer (08/2017 -01/2021) and compare to patients treated with brachytherapy (1/2010 …

The Influence Of Dosimetric Parameters On Quality Of Life For Early Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated With Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy, Suneetha Devpura, Aharon Feldman, Samuel Rusu, Stephen L. Brown, Andrew Cook, Avielle Movsas, Zhen Sun, Sean Vance, Michael Simoff, Munther Ajlouni, M. Salim Siddiqui, Benjamin Movsas, Indrin J. Chetty

Radiation Oncology Meeting Abstracts

Background: Lung stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has become a standard treatment option for early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who are medically inoperable. The influence of radiation dose/volume parameters on quality of life is not known. Our hypothesis is that clinically meaningful declines in quality of life over time will be associated with increased radiation lung dose/volume parameters.

Objectives: To investigate clinical toxicity and quality of life (QOL) outcomes of stage I NSCLC patients after SBRT as a function of radiation dose/volume parameters. Methods: In this IRB-approved study, 55 stage I NSCLC patients who received SBRT (12 Gy …

Survival Outcomes And Patterns Of Recurrence After Adjuvant Vaginal Cuff Brachytherapy And Chemotherapy In Early-Stage Uterine Serous Carcinoma, Andrew Cook, Ahmed I. Ghanem, Miriana Hijaz, Charlotte Burmeister, Mohamed A. Elshaikh

Radiation Oncology Meeting Abstracts

Background: Uterine serous carcinoma (USC) is a relatively rare histology that portends a poor prognosis. The optimal adjuvant therapy for early-stage USC remains controversial; however, adjuvant vaginal cuff brachytherapy (VB) and chemotherapy is a commonly utilized strategy.

Objectives: We sought to characterize predictors of survival endpoints and determine recurrence patterns in women with early-stage USC who received adjuvant VB and chemotherapy.

Methods: We queried our prospectively maintained database for patients with 2009 FIGO stages I-II USC who underwent adequate surgical staging at our institution and received adjuvant chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel along with VB. We excluded women with synchronous …

Stereotactic Mri-Guided Adaptive Radiation Therapy For Non-Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer; Outcomes And Toxicity Analysis For Patients Treated In An Underserved Urban Center, Celina Kirsch, Eric Schaff, Parag J. Parikh, Benjamin Movsas, Farzan Siddiqui, David Kwon, Pin Li, Gazala Khan, Rupen Shah

Radiation Oncology Meeting Abstracts

Background: Stereotactic MRI-guided Adaptive Radiation Therapy (SMART) is an emerging technology for treatment of pancreatic cancer patients. Initial results show favorable survival and toxicity. However, data is still sparse overall, and especially in underserved patient populations. The purpose of this study is to review SMART outcomes at our underserved urban academic cancer.

Objectives: Stereotactic MRI-guided Adaptive Radiation Therapy (SMART) is an emerging technology for treatment of pancreatic cancer patients. Initial results show favorable survival and toxicity. However, data is still sparse overall, and especially in underserved patient populations. The purpose of this study is to review SMART outcomes at our …

Range-Wide Indicators Of African Great Ape Density Distribution, Isabel Ordaz‐Németh, Tenekwetche Sop, Bala Amarasekaran, Mona Bachmann, Christophe Boesch, Terry Brncic, Damien Caillaud, Geneviève Campbell, Joana Carvalho, Rebecca Chancellor, Tim R. B. Davenport, Dervla Dowd, Manasseh Eno‐Nku, Jessica Ganas‐Swaray, Nicholas Granier, Elizabeth Greengrass, Stefanie Heinicke, Ilka Herbinger, Clement Inkamba‐Nkulu, Fortuné Iyenguet, Jessica Junker, Kadiri S. Bobo, Alain Lushimba, Fiona Maisels, Guy Aimé Florent Malanda, Maureen S. Mccarthy, Prosper Motsaba, Jennifer Moustgaard, Mizuki Murai, Bezangoye Ndokoue, Stuart Nixon, Rostand Aba'a Nseme, Zacharie Nzooh, Lilian Pintea, Andrew J. Plumptre, Justin Roy, Aaron S. Rundus, Jim Sanderson, Adeline Serckx, Samantha Strindberg, Clement Tweh, Hilde Vanleeuwe, Ashley Vosper, Matthias Waltert, Elizabeth A. Williamson, Michael Wilson, Roger Mundry, Hjalmar S. Kühl

Anthropology & Sociology Faculty Publications

Species distributions are influenced by processes occurring at multiple spatial scales. It is therefore insufficient to model species distribution at a single geographic scale, as this does not provide the necessary understanding of determining factors. Instead, multiple approaches are needed, each differing in spatial extent, grain, and research objective. Here, we present the first attempt to model continent-wide great ape density distribution. We used site-level estimates of African great ape abundance to (1) identify socioeconomic and environmental factors that drive densities at the continental scale, and (2) predict range-wide great ape density. We collated great ape abundance estimates from 156 …

Technological And Disruptive Innovations In A Nation's Industrialization And Leadership Development, Jeffrey Yi-Lin Forrest, Zhen Li, Roger A. Solano, David J. Doorn

Economics & Finance Faculty Publications

The turn of this new century has been witnessing the effort of various leading developed and developing countries in their attempt to materialize next round of industrialization by emphasizing on innovations. To potentially provide guidance to such national efforts, this paper explores the relationship between technological innovation and industrialization and the importance of disruptive innovation in the development of a nation's international leadership. By employing the rigor of game theory, this work first looks at key conditions under which an established market invites competition and innovation. On top of such generally true results, it is consequently shown that technological innovation …

The Role Of California Sea Lion (Zalophus Californianus) Hindflippers As Aquatic Control Surfaces For Maneuverability, Ariel M. Leahy, Frank E. Fish, Sarah J. Kerr, Jenifer A. Zeligs, Stefani Skrovan, Kaitlyn L. Cardenas, Megan C. Leftwich

Biology Faculty Publications

California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) are a highly maneuverable species of marine mammal. During uninterrupted, rectilinear swimming, sea lions oscillate their foreflippers to propel themselves forward without aid from the collapsed hindfiippers, which are passively trailed. During maneuvers such as turning and leaping (porpoising), the hindfiippers are spread into a delta-wing configuration. There is little information defining the role of otarrid hindfiippers as aquatic control surfaces. To examine Z. califomianus hindflippers during maneuvering, trained sea lions were video recorded underwater through viewing windows performing porpoising behaviors and banking turns. Porpoising by a trained sea lion was compared with sea lions …

Creating Community: A Peer-Led, Adaptable Postdoc Program To Build Transferable Career Skills And Overcome Isolation, Megan Fork, Elsa C. Anderson, Adrian A. Castellanos, Ilya R. Fischhoff, A. Marissa Matsler, Chelsey L. Nieman, Isabella A. Oleksy, Michelle Y. Wong

Biology Faculty Publications

Postdoctoral positions provide critical opportunities for early-career ecologists to build transferable skills, knowledge, and networks that will prepare them for professional success. However, these positions often come with personal and professional challenges such as stress, isolation, and lack of agency. Here, we describe a peer-led postdoc program we created to maximize benefits and minimize challenges while preparing ourselves for a wide range of possible future careers using our training and expertise in ecology. We also give recommendations for other postdocs and early-career scientists in ecology and across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields seeking to build a similar program.

Dean's Report- Fall 2021, Marina K. Holz

GSBMS Dean’s Report

No abstract provided.

A Common Endocrine Signature Marks The Convergent Evolution Of An Elaborate Dance Display In Frogs, Nigel K. Anderson, Eric R. Schuppe, K. V. Gururaja, Lisa A. Mangiamele, Juan Carlos Cusi Martinez, H. Priti, Rudolf Von May, Doris Preininger, Matthew J. Fuxjager

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Unrelated species often evolve similar phenotypic solutions to the same environmental problem, a phenomenon known as convergent evolution. But how do these common traits arise? We address this question from a physiological perspective by assessing how convergence of an elaborate gestural display in frogs (foot-flagging) is linked to changes in the androgenic hormone systems that underlie it. We show that the emergence of this rare display in unrelated anuran taxa is marked by a robust increase in the expression of androgen receptor (AR) messenger RNA in the musculature that actuates leg and foot movements, but we find no evidence of …

Explicit Instruction In Legal Education: Boon Or Spoon?, Beth A. Brennan

Faculty Law Review Articles

While legal education unquestionably hones students’ critical thinking skills, it also privileges students who are faster readers and have prior background knowledge or larger working memories. According to the prevailing mythology of law school pedagogy, students learn by struggling to find their way out of chaos. Only then is their learning deep enough to permit them to engage in critical thinking and legal reasoning. Learning theory and research suggest this type of “inquiry” learning is not an effective way to introduce novice learners to a subject. Lacking basic substantive and procedural knowledge, students’ struggles are often unproductive and dispiriting. Initial …

[Book Review] Female Monarchs And Merchant Queens In Africa By Nwando Achebe, Bright Alozie

Black Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Book review excerpt:

Have you ever heard of small but mighty? Female Monarchs aptly fits that description. Traveling through time and across the African continent in a roughly chronological order, Nwando Achebe uses a slew of case studies to (re)frame and (re)tell the African-gendered narrative in solidly African-centered and gendered terms. Breaking from Western perspectives and relying on distinctly African-derived sources and methods, she weaves together the worlds and experiences of African females who occupied positions of power, authority, and influence. In Female Monarchs, the author not only restores voice and dignity to a people but also places elite …

Ursinus Magazine, Fall 2021, Jill Leauber Marsteller, Ed Moorhouse, Jennifer Meininger Wolfe, Abigail Peabody, Ann Karreth

Ursinus Magazine, 1995–Present

Search for our 19th President • Dedicating the Commons • Partnership honors Lenape people • COVID-19 and inequity • Ursinus selected for passport program • Getting to know: Alan Morrison • Keeper of Atlanta's great apes • Leading with grace • Unfinished business • Ursinus College's leading lady • Welcome Week 2021 • Family Weekend 2021 • In memoriam • Class notes • Marriages • Births • Burning question: What keeps women from running for public office?

Preventing Burnout: The Role Of Personality And Awareness In Early Career Mental Health Professionals In Acute Settings, Whitney J. Standal Schollars

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Burnout among health professionals had been increasing over the last decade, but amidst the global impact of COVID-19, burnout has contributed to a national health care crisis (Bednar, 2019; Sklar et al., 2021). Due to increased demand and patient acuity, entry-level mental health professionals (MHPs) in acute settings are specifically at risk (Morse et al., 2012; Simpson et al., 2018). Moreover, unique variables related to personality disposition and emotional vulnerability from trauma can create a predisposition for burnout (Alarcon et al., 2009). This study explored the impacts of personality and emotional awareness curriculum on managing stress amidst crisis work and …

Stemming The Tide: Social Norms And Child Sex Trafficking, Melissa L. Breger

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

Despite decades of attempts to eradicate the industry, child sex trafficking continues to flourish. Arguably, there is debate about whether adults willingly choose sex work, yet there are no arguments supporting the notion that children make any such choice. When children are bought and sold for sexual purposes, it is child sex trafficking.

Academic legal research has focused comprehensively on the identification of child victims and the prosecution of child traffickers, yet there has not been as salient a focus on reducing the market of buyers of trafficked children. It is the reduction of demand where theories of re-norming and …

Aberrantly Low Stat3 And Stat5 Responses Are Associated With Poor Outcome And An Inflammatory Gene Expression Signature In Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia., P Narayanan, T-K Man, R B Gerbing, R Ries, A M Stevens, Y-C Wang, X Long, A S. Gamis, T Cooper, S Meshinchi, T A Alonzo, M S Redell

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

The relapse rate for children with acute myeloid leukemia is nearly 40% despite aggressive chemotherapy and often stem cell transplant. We sought to understand how environment-induced signaling responses are associated with clinical response to treatment. We previously reported that patients whose AML cells showed low G-CSF-induced STAT3 activation had inferior event-free survival compared to patients with stronger STAT3 responses. Here, we expanded the paradigm to evaluate multiple signaling parameters induced by a more physiological stimulus. We measured STAT3, STAT5 and ERK1/2 responses to G-CSF and to stromal cell-conditioned medium for 113 patients enrolled on COG trials AAML03P1 and AAML0531. Low …

Fusion And Beyond: Satellite Cell Contributions To Loading-Induced Skeletal Muscle Adaptation, Kevin A. Murach, Christopher S. Fry, Esther E. Dupont-Versteegden, John J. Mccarthy, Charlotte A. Peterson

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Faculty Publications and Presentations

Satellite cells support adult skeletal muscle fiber adaptations to loading in numerous ways. The fusion of satellite cells, driven by cell-autonomous and/or extrinsic factors, contributes new myonuclei to muscle fibers, associates with load-induced hypertrophy, and may support focal membrane damage repair and long-term myonuclear transcriptional output. Recent studies have also revealed that satellite cells communicate within their niche to mediate muscle remodeling in response to resistance exercise, regulating the activity of numerous cell types through various mechanisms such as secretory signaling and cell-cell contact. Muscular adaptation to resistance and endurance activity can be initiated and sustained for a period of …

Identification Of Secretion Factors That Restructure Neural Tissue In A Model Of Low Grade Glioma, Jackson Ayers

Holster Scholar Projects

Pediatric Low-grade Gliomas account for up to ⅔ of all pediatric tumors. Despite their low grade classification, they have the ability to mutate farther to a grade 3 or 4 neurological tumor, exponentially decreasing treatment and survival rates. Identifying the specific secretion factors associated with these tumors is extremely beneficial towards possible treatment options. CRISPR/Cas9 constructs were implemented to knock out GDF-15 and CCl-3 secretion factors in the presence of a BRAFV600E mutation before concentrated DNA plasmids were injected and integrated into the brains of mice embryos through In Utero Electroporation (IUE). The brains were subsequently stained through an immunohistochemistry …

Determining The Primary Dna Substrates Of Shld2'S Ob-Fold Domains, Hari Patchigolla

Holster Scholar Projects

Failure to repair DNA double-stranded breaks leads to cell death. Radiation therapy is commonly used to kill cancer cells by inducing these breaks. However resistance to radiation therapy, due to a hyperactive DNA double-stranded break repair pathway, is a common occurrence that makes cancer patients more prone to relapse. The Shieldin complex is shown to promote DNA-double stranded break repair by binding to DNA at sites of damage. Thus, the objective of this project is to understand the affinity and type of DNA that Shieldin binds to, through gel-shift assays, for the eventual creation of an inhibitor for this protein …

Interaction Of Contact Herbicides And Timing Of Dicamba Exposure On Soybean, Mason C. Castner, Jason K. Norsworthy, L. Tom Barber, Trenton L. Roberts, Edward E. Gbur

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dicamba residues in sprayers are difficult to remove and may interact with subsequent herbicides, including contact herbicides labeled for use in soybean. Without proper tank cleanout, applicators treating dicamba-resistant and non–dicamba resistant crops are at risk of contaminating the spray solution with dicamba residue from previous applications. Experiments were conducted in Fayetteville, AR, in 2018 and 2019, with the first experiment evaluating consequences of dicamba tank contamination with contact herbicides and the second experiment addressing the impact of dicamba exposure on a glufosinate-resistant soybean cultivar relative to a contact herbicide application. Experiments for tank contamination and timing of dicamba exposure …

Agchain: Deploying A Public Utility Blockchain To Unveil The Missing Links Between Food Origin And Destination, Jacob D. Farrell

North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology

No abstract provided.

Edge Of A Dream, Lauren Schild

Honors Thesis

“Edge of a Dream” is a photographic series using both film and digital mediums to explore the moments right as a dream is ending and before you wake up. I chose this theme for my series after waking up one morning in the middle of a dream. I was awake and aware, but I could not remove myself from the dream. I decided to use this project as an opportunity to explore that state and attempt to understand how our minds create dreams in the first place. Each image uses a different set of surreal methods to recreate photographic representations …

Eastern Red Bat Responses To Fire During Winter Torpor, Jason T. Layne, Dana Green, Anna Scesny, Lynn W. Robbins

College of Natural and Applied Sciences

Prescribed fires are a forest management tool used to improve natural areas for a variety of benefits including increased plant diversity, reduced competition for desired species, decreased fuel loads, and improved wildlife habitat. The post-fire results in landscapes have shown positive benefits for bat populations. However, prescribed fires set in the winter may cause direct mortality of eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis) populations that use leaf litter for roosting during periods of colder (10◦C to provide eastern red bats with a better chance to passively rewarm and react to an approaching fire.