Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Influence Of Diurnal Forcing On Tidal Inlet Exchange And The Impact On The Movement Of Oxygen Depleted Waters In The Mississippi Sound And Bight Region, Courtney Bouchard

Master's Theses

A small yet notable hypoxic event manifests east of the Birdfoot Delta in the Mississippi Sound and Bight (MSAB). The shallow shelf environment of the MSAB is affected by a host of complex physical interactions and separating the influences of each process is difficult to accomplish with in-situ data alone. A physical model using high-resolution atmospheric forcing has been developed which provides insights into the physical interactions in this coastal marine system heavily influenced by freshwater plumes and diurnal wind forcing. Twin experiments using a high temporal (hourly) and spatial (0.01 deg) resolution meteorological analysis product, along with a temporally …

Subadult Cortical Bone Analysis As An Indicator Of Childhood Health Status Among The Tipu Maya Population, Jaime Thomas

Master's Theses

This thesis explores juvenile health at the contact Maya site of Tipu in western Belize. The associated cemetery was excavated and provided a large and well-preserved population. Although Tipu has been a focus of many studies, few studies have focused on subadults and none on their cortical development, which can allow insight into access to necessary nutritional resources.

Some 108 femora belonging to individuals aged birth to 13 years with femora previously sectioned at midshaft provided the sample. External dimensions taken included diaphyseal length, circumference, medial-lateral diameter and anterior-posterior diameter. Additionally, cortical thickness was measured at four points, and 95 …

Design, Synthesis, And Characterization Of Glycodendrons Through Small Molecule And Linear Polymer Models, Molly Jones

Master's Theses

This thesis focuses on the design, synthesis, and characterization of glycopolymer-dendron thiol-ene coupling reactions with the long-term goal of increasing biocompatibility of near infrared (NIR) fluorophores for bioimaging applications. A design of experiments was used with small molecule model compounds to determine the parameters for successful thiol-ene click reactions that would lead to success of more complicated amphipathic polymer-polymer coupling reactions. The first chapter provides an introductory overview of the importance and applications of glycopolymers, bioimaging, and Janus dendrimersomes. The second chapter presents the synthetic methods for creating a glucose-functionalized glycopolymer with an acrylamide backbone, the exploration of thiol-ene coupling …

Assessing The Rates Of Post-Depositional Change Within 2004 Indian Ocean Sediments: Implications For Long-Term Records Of Paleotsunamis, Lillian Pearson

Master's Theses

Foraminifera are commonly used to examine patterns of tsunami inundation occurring over centennial to millennial timescales, but the impacts of post-depositional change on geologic reconstructions are unknown. In Sumatra, the taphonomic character (i.e., test surface condition) of a foraminifer can deteriorate over time, rendering them unidentifiable, and even dissolve them entirely. Here I investigate the rates of post-depositional change of foraminiferal assemblages found within the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami (IOT) deposit over a 15-year time interval in Aceh, Indonesia in a vegetated open coastal plain (Site 1: Pulot) and an unvegetated protected coastal cave (Site 2). I identified two zones …

In Vitro Osteogenic Performance Of Two Novel Strontium And Zinc-Containing Glass Polyalkenoate Cements, Daniella Marx, Alireza Rahimnejad Yazdi, Marcello Papini, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Glass polyalkenoate cements (GPCs) are under investigation as potential bone adhesives, as they may provide an alternative to polymethylmethacrylate-based cements. GPCs containing strontium (Sr) and zinc (Zn) in place of aluminum (Al) are of particular interest because these ions are known stimulators of osteoprogenitor differentiation. GPCs have been manufactured from a novel bioactive glass (SiO2:0.48, ZnO:0.36, CaO:0.12, SrO:0.04) in the past, but, while such materials have been assessed for their influence on viability, their influence on osteogenic function has not been investigated until now. For this study, two GPCs were formulated from the same glass precursor evaluated in previous studies. …

The Waste Management Of Large-Scale Recirculating Aquaculture Systems And Potential Value-Added Products From The Waste Stream, Franco R. Pilone

All Theses And Dissertations

Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) is an emerging technology that is capturing the attention of many in aquaculture due to its ability to produce high-quality seafood using sustainable models. This study explored the waste management of RAS, specifically further treatment technologies, and the potential value-added products from the RAS waste stream that can be reused. Advanced, tertiary, or down-stream treatment technologies available for RAS were investigated through a literature review. Utilizing the constant comparative method and semistructured interviews with stakeholders in RAS, opinions and attitudes were collected about advanced treatment of RAS waste and reuse opportunities presented from value-added products generated …

The Resilience Of Black Female Leaders In Higher Education And Racial Microaggression, Simone P. Flowers-Taylor

All Theses And Dissertations

This study explored the experiences of Black female leaders in higher education and their encounters with racial microaggression. Additionally, the opportunity to understand the effects of racial slights within the workplace as either a mid to senior level leadership was also explored. Regardless of the multiple diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) trainings within higher education, Black female leaders are experiencing their share of racial inequality based on their race, gender, or both (DeCuir-Gunby et al., 2019). The unique experiences of racial microaggression encountered by Black women, aligned with the framework of both the Black feminist theory and intersectionality theory respectively. …

Mentally Restorative Areas For Students: Impacts Of Nature On Psychophysiological State, Jesse Moore

Honors Theses

Situated in the top outdoor ranking city of Chattanooga, the campus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) includes diverse areas available for student rest and recreation. This study aims to introduce UTC students into the collection of studies on the effects of natural environments on Attention Restoration Theory (ART) by using the Stroop cognitive test and portable electroencephalograph (EEG) headsets. Participants completed the Stroop test after ten-minute mental restoration sessions in environments of varying natural exposure included on campus. Through analysis of variance, location was found to significantly influence performance on Stroop testing and measures of relaxation (p=0.030). …

Bayesian Framework For Causal Inference In Complex Data Structure, Li He

All Dissertations

Causal inference analysis is one of the most significant and well researched topics in the analysis of observational studies. It addresses the challenge of estimating the relationship between the treatment of interest and the outcome variable (i.e., the treatment effect) in the presence of background covariates. This study aims to determine how causal inference in observational studies can be extended to cover data sets where post treatment variables exist, cluster level covariates exist, or the number of observations in the treatment groups is very unbalanced. More specifically, this study can be summarized into the following two sub-topics.1. The first part …

Review Of Covid-19 Patient Demographics At Lvhn Hospitals, Hannah Tan, Judith Sabino Mph, Cdp, Renee Bryant

Research Scholars

No abstract provided.

Trends In Hysterectomy In Hospital And Ambulatory Settings In Kentucky 2017-2020., Felicia A. Pugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hysterectomy is the most common treatment for benign uterine conditions in the United States. Data suggest that one in nine women will have the procedure in their lifetime (1). Previous studies indicate that abdominal hysterectomy rates for non-malignancies are declining as alternative methods are increasing for decades; however, those trends do not apply for all women in the country (2-5). In this cross-sectional study, hysterectomy procedures completed between 2017-2020 are described in Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services data. Multivariable logistic regression is used to assess the odds of abdominal hysterectomy for benign indications in Kentucky. Conclusion: Rates of …

A Social Learning Approach To The Examination Of The Temporal Directionality Between Parenting Behavior And Early Adolescents' Affect., Shelby M. Burton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study contributes to current literature by being the first to longitudinally examine the relation between early adolescents’ negative and positive affect and specific parenting behaviors. The five parenting behaviors examined in the current study are rooted within the social learning theory constructs of effective discipline (i.e., corporal punishment, inconsistent discipline), positive involvement (i.e., parental involvement), monitoring (i.e., poor monitoring and supervision), and social skills encouragement (i.e., positive parenting). Two research questions were addressed: (1) how are parenting behaviors at baseline associated with early adolescent-reported NA and PA at a later timepoint, and (2) how are early adolescents’ NA and …

Gestational Weight Gain In 4 Low- And Middle-Income Countries And Associations With Birth Outcomes: A Secondary Analysis Of The Women First Trial., Melissa S Bauserman, Carla M Bann, K Michael Hambidge, Ana L Garces, Lester Figueroa, Jamie L Westcott, Jackie K Patterson, Elizabeth M Mcclure, Vanessa R Thorsten, Sumera Ali Aziz, Sarah Saleem, Robert L Goldenberg, Richard Derman, Veena Herekar, Manjunath Somannavar, Marion W Koso-Thomas, Adrien L Lokangaka, Antoinette K Tshefu, Nancy F Krebs, Carl L Bose, Shivaprasad Goudar, Sangappa Dhaded, Bhalchandra Kodkany, Omrana Pasha, Abhik Das, Menachem Miodovnik, N K Raju Tonse

Global Health Articles

BACKGROUND: Adequate gestational weight gain (GWG) is essential for healthy fetal growth. However, in low- and middle-income countries, where malnutrition is prevalent, little information is available about GWG and how it might be modified by nutritional status and interventions.

OBJECTIVE: We describe GWG and its associations with fetal growth and birth outcomes. We also examined the extent to which prepregnancy BMI, and preconception and early weight gain modify GWG, and its effects on fetal growth.

METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of the Women First Trial, including 2331 women within the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Guatemala, India, and Pakistan, …

Andrews University Press Releases New Book On Faith And Science, Jeff Boyd

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Using Population Health Management To Reduce Heart Diseases And Health Disparities Among African Americans: A Narrative Review, Adolfo Gonzalez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The integration of Population Health Management (PHM) within the U.S. health care system may effectively decrease heart disease and health disparities among African American adults. Population Health Management strategies look at whether the health care system is meeting the needs of health care access, medical coverage, quality of care, and to reducing health disparities within specific population. Population Health Management strategies could be used to mitigate and reduce health disparities.

The purpose of this study is to discuss the potential impacts of Population Health Management within our health care system and how its influence can reduce heart diseases among African …

Epithelial Memory Of Resolved Inflammation Limits Tissue Damage While Promoting Pancreatic Tumorigenesis, I-Lin Ho

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Inflammation is a major risk factor for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. When occurring in the context of pancreatitis, mutations of KRAS accelerate tumor development. We discovered that long after its complete resolution, a transient inflammatory event primes pancreatic epithelial cells to subsequent transformation by oncogenic KRAS. Upon recovery from acute inflammation, epithelial cells of the pancreas display an enduring adaptive response associated with sustained transcriptional and epigenetic reprogramming. Such adaptation enables the prompt reactivation of acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM) upon subsequent inflammatory events, thus efficiently limiting tissue damage via rapid decrease of zymogen production. We propose that since activating mutations of KRAS …

Npsd4: A New Player In Sumo-Dependent Dna Repair, Erin Atkinson

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The human genome is under constant threat from sources of damage and stress. Improper resolution of DNA damage lesions can lead to mutations, oncogene activation, and genomic instability. Difficult-to-replicate-loci present barriers to DNA replication that, when not properly resolved, lead to replication fork stalling and collapse and genomic instability.

DNA damage and replication stress trigger signaling cascades potentiated by multiple types of post-translational modifications, including SUMOylation. Through proteomic analysis of proteins involved in SUMOylation following DNA damage, our lab identified an uncharacterized protein that we named New Player in SUMO-dependent DNA damage repair 4 (NPSD4). Through an additional proteomic screen, …

Manipulating Enhancer Rna Activity To Study Their Roles In Gene Regulation And Cancer, Zian Liao

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Enhancers are essential regulatory elements that precisely control gene transcription during development and disease. Especially in cancer, enhancers modulate tumor gene expression, and in some cases directly drive tumorigenesis. With the recent advances in next-generation sequencing, researchers discovered that active enhancers are pervasively transcribed into RNAs, which are named enhancer RNAs (eRNAs). Studies have suggested that eRNAs have a functional role in the enhancer action mechanism. Studying their roles will provide a new understanding of gene regulation and cancer development. In my MS study, I focused on using novel methods to study eRNA functions. Using a breast-cancer-specific eRNA, I have …

Effect Of Lactoferrin To Increase Drug Permeability Of Primary Pulmonary Mycobacterial Granulomas, Thao Nguyen, Thao Kt Nguyen

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Despite extensive research and worldwide eradication efforts, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) remains a major infectious pathogen to the human population with about 10 million cases of infection per year globally. The host-pathogen interaction, pulmonary granuloma formation, and Mtb adaptions result in increased complexity of the disease. Granulomas are formed by active immune responses generated during Mtb infection, and serve to contain and limit bacterial dissemination. The major mycobacterial surface mycolic acid, trehalose 6,6'-dimycolate (TDM), functions in multiple ways to enhance immune cell recruitment of sites of infection, to induce inflammation and granulomatous responses, and to initiate survival strategies for …

Halmos College Graduate Academic Calendar 2021-2022, Halmos College Of Arts And Sciences (Hcas)

HCAS Academic Calendars

No abstract provided.

General Catalog 2021-2022, Utah State University

University Catalogs

This catalog contains information on the Academic Departments and Programs as well as Course Descriptions for the above school year at Utah State University. To avoid large file downloads, the Academic Departments and Programs information is located in this file. The Course Description information is located in the secondary file.

The Little Devil, Stefan Peña

Theses and Dissertations

The Little Devil is a series of moments in the life of a character named Boy. The story follows a loose plot that jumps around different time periods and states of mind of the protagonist in an imaginary town that has elements of both a small midwestern town and a semi-arid desert.

Mr. Crow, a local entrepreneur, and Irene who owns the local diner are both heavily involved in the lives of other citizens and use secrets as a form of currency. However, Mr. Crow uses his knowledge for personal reasons while Irene simply wants to know truth.

Although it …

Orofacial Manifestations Of Lyme Disease: A Systematic Review, Brenda Bradshaw, Kelsey M. Jones, Joleen M. Westerdale-Mcinnis, Holly Gaff

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: Orofacial manifestations of Lyme disease can affect head and neck anatomical structures that are frequently examined by dental professionals. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the literature for types and frequencies of orofacial manifestations documented in populations in the United States (US) with Lyme disease.

Methods: Four electronic databases (Dentistry and Oral Sciences, PubMed, Cinahl Plus, and Medline) were systematically searched during the summer of 2019 using keywords and MeSH terms to identify relevant studies. Search term alterations and synonyms were cross-checked using the US National Library of Medicine Unified Medical Language System Metathesaurus. Full-text, English …

Perceptions And Challenges Experienced By African Physicians When Prescribing Methotrexate For Rheumatic Disease: An Exploratory Study, Carol A Hitchon, Girsh M Mody, Candace H Feldman, Yan Lau, Steven Shi, Michele Meltzer, Rosie Scuccimarri, Michael E Weinblatt, Ines Colmegna

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: Guidelines for methotrexate (MTX) use in rheumatic disease may not be feasible for physicians practicing in the least developed countries. We aimed to understand the experiences of MTX prescribers relating to MTX use for rheumatic disease in African countries to inform the development of culturally and geographically appropriate recommendations.

METHODS: African physicians who self-identified as MTX prescribers from countries classified as having a low versus a medium or high Human Development Index (L-HDI versus MH-HDI) participated in semistructured interviews between August 2016 and September 2017. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded thematically, and stratified by HDI.

RESULTS: Physicians (23 rheumatologists; …

Why Familial Searches Of Civilian Dna Databases Can And Should Survive Carpenter, Jasper Ford-Monroe

UC Law Journal

Over the past few years, a powerful new forensic technique has emerged. By uploading DNA from a crime scene to a civilian DNA database, such as GEDmatch, investigators can discover the genetic relatives of the perpetrator and thereby track down the perpetrator himself. This procedure is known as forensic genetic genealogy searching (FGGS), and in under three years it has cracked numerous decades-old cases once thought to be unsolvable.

Concerned about genetic privacy and discrimination, most legal commentators have thus far confronted FGGS with raised hackles. They either argue FGGS is a Fourth Amendment search under Carpenter, or that it …

An Analysis Of Loblolly Pine And Shortleaf Pine Hybridization Using Chromatography And Geographic Information Systems: A Case Study In East Texas, Gary White

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

East Texas forests contain three native pine species known to hybridize when site conditions are suitable. Due to increased gene flow from hybridization, quantifying hybridization spatially is a growing concern as southeastern United States pine forests are increasingly influenced by improved pine genetics and warmer, drier conditions from climate change. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and spatial interpolation using Inverse Distance Weighted were conducted using terpenes extracted from needles of shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata), loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), and putative hybrid individuals sampled in Atlanta State Park, Tyler State Park, and Mission Tejas State Park ( …

Examining The Tradeoffs Of Green Infrastructure For Stormwater Management: Ecosystem Services Vs. Environmental And Human Health Impacts, Ciara M. Heister

Theses

As green stormwater infrastructure (GI) practices become more widely implemented, it is important to develop a full understanding of both the positive and negative ways that GI practices may influence environmental and human health. Additionally, as climate change leads to shifts in precipitation patterns, it is necessary to understand how the resulting changes in stormwater runoff volume, soil moisture, and vegetation species composition will impact both biogeochemical cycling and the production of ecosystem services and disservices. The overall objective of this study was to compare green stormwater infrastructure practices by weighing the tradeoffs that exist between negative impacts such as …

Measurements Of Radiation Pressure On Diffractive Films, Ying-Ju Lucy Chu

Theses

One of the few ways to reach distant stars is by radiation pressure, in which photon momentum is harnessed from free sunlight or extraordinarily powerful laser systems. Large but low mass light-driven sails reflect photons and transfer momentum to the sailcraft, providing large velocity from continuous acceleration. Over the past decade, demonstrative reflective light sail missions were enabled by cost-efficient small satellites and the emerging private space economy. The maneuver of these metal-coated polyimide films is mechanically cumbersome because the sail must be rapidly tilted towards and away from the sun line during navigation. Modern diffractive films such as high-efficiency …

Dean's Research Newsletter, August 2021, Jerry L. Nadler

SOM Dean's Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Relative Impacts Of Climate Change And Land Cover Change On Streamflow Using Swat In The Clackamas River Watershed, Usa, Junjie Chen, Heejun Chang

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

To understand the spatial–temporal pattern of climate and land cover (CLC) change effects on hydrology, we used three land cover change (LCC) coupled scenarios to estimate the changes in streamflow metrics in the Clackamas River Watershed in Oregon for the 2050s (2040–2069) and the 2080s (2070–2099). Coupled scenarios, which were split into individual and combined simulations such as climate change (CC), LCC, CLC change, and daily streamflow were simulated in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool. The interannual variability of streamflow was higher in the lower urbanized area than the upper forested region. The watershed runoff was projected to be …