Digital Commons Network^™

Perceived Stress Of College Students During Covid-19: Adverse Childhood Experiences, Kristina Morreale

Honors Theses

ACEs are adverse childhood experiences experienced in the first 18 years of life. They are present in over a third of the population and lead to adverse health outcomes (Karatekin, 2017). The goal of this study was to examine whether ACEs could be used to identify stress levels of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data on ACEs and stress levels were collected from students actively enrolled at a college or university (N= 183). Findings indicated that high ACEs were predictive of high stress, specifically considering stressful factors experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study suggest the …

Personality Dimensions Of Male And Female Law Enforcement Recruits Related To Academy Success, Chantel Duda

Honors Theses

Research has found that male and female law enforcement recruits complete academy training at different rates, with female recruits typically completing at lower rates than male recruits. While the literature on the topic demonstrates a variety of training characteristics that explain some of the difference, it is possible that typical personality differences between men and women play a role in some of the unexplained disparities in academy passing rates. This study attempted to discern differences between personality characteristics among male and female academy recruits using survey data from two major metropolitan law enforcement academies. It was hypothesized that male cadets …

Studying The Behavioral Role Of The Kcnn2 Gene In Zebrafish Embryos, Gina Dragonette

Honors Theses

Introduction: Mutations in the KCNN2 gene have been linked to phenotypes of movement disorders and autism. The goal of this experiment was to use the CIUSPR-Cas9 system to create a deletion within the KCNN2 gene and to observe the effect on the expression of movement in zebra fish embryos.

Methods: Linearized Cas9 DNA and guide DNA underwent in vitm transcription (IVT) reactions to produce RNA to be injected into zebrafish embryos at the one cell stage. KCNN guide RNAs were produced for the KCNN2 and KCNN3 genes (to prevent KCNN3 protein function from compensating for loss ofKCNN2's protein function), and …

Twin Anomaly Detection System, Paaras Chand

Master's Projects

Anomaly detection performs well in situations where signature (and other rule-based) methods fail; there is no need to identify every threat as long as it is different from the norm. The tradeoff is that anomaly detection often results in a large number of false positives. While previous work has capitalized on the data imbalance problem to train models with only one set of data (one-class classification), few have utilized the limiting set for anything other than testing purposes. This paper seeks to utilize two anomaly detectors: one that is trained on the positive set and one that is trained on …

Late-Life Exercise Mitigates Skeletal Muscle Epigenetic Aging, Kevin A. Murach, Andrea L. Dimet-Wiley, Yuan Wen, Camille R. Brightwell, Christine M. Latham, Cory M. Dungan, Christopher S. Fry, Stanley J. Watowich

Center for Muscle Biology Faculty Publications

There are functional benefits to exercise in muscle, even when performed late in life, but the contributions of epigenetic factors to late-life exercise adaptation are poorly defined. Using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS), ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and mitochondrial-specific examination of methylation, targeted high-resolution methylation analysis, and DNAge™ epigenetic aging clock analysis with a translatable model of voluntary murine endurance/resistance exercise training (progressive weighted wheel running, PoWeR), we provide evidence that exercise may mitigate epigenetic aging in skeletal muscle. Late-life PoWeR from 22–24 months of age modestly but significantly attenuates an age-associated shift toward promoter hypermethylation. The epigenetic age of muscle …

Unravelling Rubber Tree Growth By Integrating Gwas And Biological Network-Based Approaches, Felipe Roberto Francisco, Alexandre Hild Aono, Carla Cristina Da Silva, Paulo S. Gonçalves, Erivaldo J. Scaloppi Junior, Vincent Le Guen, Roberto Fritsche-Neto, Livia Moura Souza, Anete Pereira De Souza

Faculty Publications

Hevea brasiliensis (rubber tree) is a large tree species of the Euphorbiaceae family with inestimable economic importance. Rubber tree breeding programs currently aim to improve growth and production, and the use of early genotype selection technologies can accelerate such processes, mainly with the incorporation of genomic tools, such as marker-assisted selection (MAS). However, few quantitative trait loci (QTLs) have been used successfully in MAS for complex characteristics. Recent research shows the efficiency of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for locating QTL regions in different populations. In this way, the integration of GWAS, RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) methodologies, coexpression networks and enzyme networks can …

Plastic, Pollution, Art, And The Caribbean, Celine Collazo

Theses and Dissertations

The impact of a growing ocean pollution problem can be seen on the trash-filled shores of Caribbean beaches. Through a contextualization of the work of three artists, Tony Capellán, Radamés ‘Juni’ Figueroa, and Alejandro Durán, this paper discusses the cause and effects of such detritus, and possibilities for change.

Questioning The Inclusivity Of Events: The Queer Perspective, Faith Ong, Clifford Lewis, Oscar Vorobjovas-Pinta

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Event programmes are typically designed with a target audience in mind, and such design can inherently signal inclusion or exclusion of marginalised segments. This is particularly the case for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) individuals, whose sexual and gender identities position them as an invisible minority on the periphery of society. Given the role of events in building community spirit, it is essential to ensure all members of a community feel able to participate in order to create a sense of belonging, fulfilling Sustainable Development Goals of inclusivity in community. Through the lens of Social Dominance Theory …

Guest Editorial: Mass Atrocity And Collective Healing: New Possibilities For Regenerating Communities, Scherto R. Gill

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

This Special Issue brings together five articles from different disciplines. It aims to contribute to the emergent critical voices in research about collective trauma and collective healing by introducing novel perspectives and inviting further debates on the relevant issues evoked. For this reason, the Special Issue focuses on collective healing through a number of prisms. First, it delves into the notions of wounding and trauma, with a view to advance a well-argued theoretical framework for understanding collective healing. Second, it identifies underlying ethical pillars for collective healing, especially the principles of equality and well-being that affirm human dignity founded on …

Legacies Of Slavery And Their Enduring Harms, Scherto R. Gill

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

This article provides a much needed inquiry into the legacy of slavery from an interdisciplinary perspective, including the historical, socioeconomic, political, and the epistemic. It makes an important distinction between the legacy of slavery and its persisting damages. By investigating this legacy’s effects on peoples, communities, and societies, it highlights the imperative of situating the pains and sufferings of historical traumas within contemporary structural oppression and institutional discrimination that have perpetuated these harms. The article consists of four sections: it first outlines the legacy of slavery, comprised in instrumentalizing black bodies for economic gains, employing political aggression to colonize both …

Comprehensive And Context-Sensitive Neonatal Pain Assessment System And Methods Using Multiple Modalities, Ghadh Alzamzmi, Chih-Yun Pai, Dmitry Goldgof, Rangachar Kasturi, Terri Ashmeade, Yu Sun

USF Patents

A system and method of automatically assessing pediatric and neonatal pain using facial expressions along with crying sounds, body movement, and vital signs change to improve the diagnosis and treatment of pain in the pediatric patient population.

Photodynamic Therapy With Topical Aminolevulinic Acid Vs Placebo In The Treatment Of Actinic Keratosis, Michelle Nguyen, Katherine Shook

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Objective: Assessing the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy with aminolevulinic acid versus placebo in the complete clearance rate of actinic keratosis.Design: Systematic literature review. Methods: An initial literature search was performed using Google Scholar using terms “photodynamic therapy”, “aminolevulinic acid,” “randomized control trial”, “actinic keratosis”, “clearance efficacy”, “safety”, “field treatment”, and “placebo”. An additional search using PubMed was performed using the same terms. Studies were excluded if they were performed on non-human subjects, did not use aminolevulinic acid as their photosensitizer, used organ transplant recipients, compared efficacy to alternate treatment modalities, used alternative light source such as laser or daylight, …

“From Episodic Novel To Serial Tv: The Handmaid’S Tale, Adaptation And Politics.”, Jeroen Gerrits

Comparative Literature Faculty and Student Scholarship

This article analyzes the changes in The Handmaid’s Tale’s moral and political outlook as it tracks different forms of complexity in the novel, the film, and the TV series. While the sense of female empowerment increases with each adaptation of this tale of forced sexual servitude in fictional theocratic state of Gilead, the essay argues that Hulu’s TV series (created by Bruce Miller, 2017–) develops an intriguing interaction between the interiority of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel and the exteriority emphasized in Volker Schlöndorff’s 1990 film. In so doing, the TV series Escher-twists across related binaries between activity/passivity and personal/political actions …

Dysregulation Of Dna Methylation And Epigenetic Clocks In Prostate Cancer Among Puerto Rican Men, Anders Berglund, Jaime Matta, Jarline Encarnación-Medina, Carmen Ortiz-Sanchéz, Julie Dutil, Raymond Linares, Joshua Marcial, Caren Abreu-Takemura, Natasha Moreno, Ryan Putney, Ratna Chakrabarti, Hui Yi Lin, Kosj Yamoah, Carlos Diaz Osterman, Liang Wang, Jasreman Dhillon, Youngchul Kim, Seung Joon Kim, Gilberto Ruiz-Deya, Jong Y. Park

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

In 2021, approximately 248,530 new prostate cancer (PCa) cases are estimated in the United States. Hispanic/Latinos (H/L) are the second largest racial/ethnic group in the US. The objective of this study was to assess DNA methylation patterns between aggressive and indolent PCa along with ancestry proportions in 49 H/L men from Puerto Rico (PR). Prostate tumors were classified as aggressive (n = 17) and indolent (n = 32) based on the Gleason score. Genomic DNA samples were extracted by macro-dissection. DNA methylation patterns were assessed using the Illumina EPIC DNA methylation platform. We used ADMIXTURE to estimate global ancestry proportions. …

Temperature Relaxation And Magnetically Suppressed Expansion In Strongly Coupled Ultracold Neutral Plasmas, Robert Tucker Sprenkle

Theses and Dissertations

Ultracold neutral plasmas provide a platform for studying transport properties in an idealized environment. In this dissertation, transport properties in a Ca$^+$/Yb$^+$ dual species ultracold neutral plasma and a Ca$^+$ magnetized ultracold neutral plasma are studied. In dual species plasmas, we study ion-ion temperature relaxation. We compare measured relaxation rates with atomistic simulations and a range of popular theories. Our work validates the assumptions and capabilities of molecular dynamic simulations and invalidates theoretical models in this regime. This work illustrates an approach for precision determinations of detailed material properties in Coulomb mixtures across a wide range of conditions. We also …

A Visually Realistic Simulator For Autonomous Evtol Aircraft, Seth M. Nielsen

Theses and Dissertations

Electrically powered vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft could provide a new mode of air transportation of people and cargo that is low-cost, on-demand, and able to reach more areas than is possible with current technology. They have the unique ability to takeoff and land in congested spaces yet efficiently travel long distances which makes them a promising technology for applications such as rapid medical assistance, automated package delivery, or human transportation. This type of aircraft has only recently become a possibility, owing to advancements in battery technology, computing power, and sensor technologies, and thus support for eVTOLs is lacking …

The Markov Process As A Model Of Migration Based On The Example Of The Movement Of Banknotes, Arkadiusz Manikowski

Studia i Materiały Wydział Zarządzania Uniwersytet Warszawski

This paper presents a way of using the Markov chain model for the analysis of migration based on the example of banknote migration between regions in Poland. We have presented the application of the methodology for estimating one-step transition probabilities for the Markov chain based on macro-data gathered during the project conducted in the National Bank of Poland (NBP) in the period of December 2015–2018. We have shown the usefulness of state-aggregated Markov chain not only as a model of banknote migration but as migration in general. The banknotes are considered here as goods, so their migration is strictly related …

Design And Analysis Of Flexible Insulated Pavement For Cold Region Applications, Zhuang Zhuo

Theses and Dissertations

Pavements in cold regions suffer from additional deterioration due to the influences of extreme climate on frost-susceptible subgrade layers. To address this problem, one efficient strategy is to add a thermal insulating layer above the frost-susceptible layer. This study aims to evaluate the insulating effects of four materials: XPS boards, tire chips, foamed glass aggregates, and foamed concrete. Large-scale insulated pavement boxes (1.2m×1.2m×0.8m) were constructed to compare the thermal performance of different materials. The thermal performance of each box was evaluated and graded based on indicators related to the short-term temperature decrease and long-term temperature variation.

Experimental results show that …

1977 December Memphis State University Commencement Program

Commencements

Program for the Winter convocation of the 66th commencement of Memphis State University at Memphis, Tennessee, held at the Mid-South Coliseum on December 17, 1977.

Focus, 2021, Fall, Andrews University

Focus

FOCUS (ISSN 1077-9345) is published quarterly, free of charge, for alumni and friends of Andrews University, an institution owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

1953 Fri. Dec. 4 Dear Carol:, Carolyn Brown Dodge

Carolyn Brown Dodge Letters

Carolyn Dodge resided in Ellensburg, Washington, in the Badger Pocket area on a farm with her family and her letters describe her daily life as a farm wife and later as the wife of a potato broker in the Quincy Basin. She also wrote letters to her cousin at her residences in Kittitas and Quincy, Washington, following her time in Ellensburg.

1962 - July 2, Carolyn Brown Dodge

Carolyn Brown Dodge Letters

Carolyn Dodge resided in Ellensburg, Washington, in the Badger Pocket area on a farm with her family and her letters describe her daily life as a farm wife and later as the wife of a potato broker in the Quincy Basin. She also wrote letters to her cousin at her residences in Kittitas and Quincy, Washington, following her time in Ellensburg.

1963 - Nov. 11, Carolyn Brown Dodge

Carolyn Brown Dodge Letters

Carolyn Dodge resided in Ellensburg, Washington, in the Badger Pocket area on a farm with her family and her letters describe her daily life as a farm wife and later as the wife of a potato broker in the Quincy Basin. She also wrote letters to her cousin at her residences in Kittitas and Quincy, Washington, following her time in Ellensburg.

1955 - Jan. 18, Carolyn Brown Dodge

Carolyn Brown Dodge Letters

Carolyn Dodge resided in Ellensburg, Washington, in the Badger Pocket area on a farm with her family and her letters describe her daily life as a farm wife and later as the wife of a potato broker in the Quincy Basin. She also wrote letters to her cousin at her residences in Kittitas and Quincy, Washington, following her time in Ellensburg.

An Instructional Guide To Environmental Campaigns For K-12 Schools, Erin Mccarty

University Honors Theses

Evidence suggests environmental education can correlate with both short- and long-term behavioral changes, but existing research on the effectiveness of popular environmental education tactics show mixed results. Qualitative research was used in this study to assess student engagement and behavioral change within the context of environmental education campaigns. Ideally, students exposed to environmental campaigns become more informed on environmental issues and adjust their behavior to align with the campaign’s objectives. However, only a portion of environmental campaigns have these desired effects on their students. Based on a preliminary literature review, I anticipated the defining catalyst on post-campaign behavioral engagement would …

Winter 2021

In The Loop

2021 Emmy Nominees; Animator Tapped by Cartoon Network; IndieCade Horizons 2021; Hack4Space; Security Daemons Prevail; Role Models: DePaul Originals Game Studio students build industry-level skills that benefit themselves and others; Frames and Fortune: Eugene Bush programmed his indie video studio with patience and planning; Reality Check: Heather Snyder Quinn augments reality to question systems of unchecked power

Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells Mediate T Cell Dysfunction In Nonhuman Primate Tb Granulomas, Bindu Singh, Dhiraj K Singh, Shashank R Ganatra, Ruby A Escobedo, Shabaana Khader, Larry S Schlesinger, Deepak Kaushal, Smriti Mehra

Open Access Publications

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) represent an innate immune cell population comprised of immature myeloid cells and myeloid progenitors with very potent immunosuppressive potential. MDSCs are reported to be abundant in the lungs of active tuberculosis (TB) patients. We sought to perform an in-depth study of MDSCs during latent TB infection (LTBI) and active TB (ATB) using the nonhuman primate (NHP) model of pulmonary TB. We found a higher proportion of granulocytic, polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs) in the lungs of ATB animals compared to those with LTBI or naive control animals. Active disease in the lung, but not LTBI, was …

State Of Tennessee Advisory Council On Workers' Compensation, 2021 Summary Of Significant Tennessee Supreme Court Workers' Compensation Decision, Tennessee. Department Of Treasury.

Worker's Compensation Reports

No abstract provided.

Kinematics And Kinetics Of Capacitated And Non-Capacitated Mouse Sperm, Alicia Gupte

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study

The differences in kinetic measurements of force, work, power, and torque are quantitativly observed between non-capacitated and capacitated sperm. Isomap, a nonlinear dimensionality reduction technique, is used to get higher resolution imaging data of the sperm videos. This allowed accurate calculations of spatial and temporal derivatives to calculate the kinetics of the flagella. The results showed no statistical significance between the kinetic measurements of non- capacitated and capacitated mouse sperm.

Regulating Homeowners' Disaster Insurance Through Federal Intervention: Lessons From The Affordable Care Act, Shannon O'Hara

Duke Law Journal

One of the most impactful effects of climate change in recent years has been the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters, even in geographic areas not previously known as disaster-prone. These disasters have caused untold property damage. Typically, the cost of rebuilding a home is assumed at least in part by private insurance companies, but many homeowners are significantly underinsured for disaster-related losses. Additionally, in areas where natural disasters are becoming increasingly frequent, private insurers have determined that it is no longer profitable to continually issue massive payouts without charging astronomical premiums, leaving many homeowners without access to financial …