Digital Commons Network^™

Forced Together, Growing Apart: An Exploration Of Heterosexual African American Males' Disengagement In Romantic Relationships With African American Females, Kenya Johns

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The decline of intraracial dating has been more pronounced among African Americans in comparison to other racial groups. There is lack of available research tailored towards Black men’s dating experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of heterosexual African American males related to their disengagement in romantic relationships with African American females.

A phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of 10 African American males and the dynamics that appear to contribute to the decline in intraracial dating in the African American community. Five themes emerged from the study: – self-regard, family matters, proximity, the new …

Design And Synthesis Of Fused Pyrimidines As Single Agents With Combination Chemotherapy Potential, As Tubulin Polymerization And One-Carbon Metabolism Inhibitors For Cancer, Tasdique Quadery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation describes the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of bicyclic fused pyrimidines as single agents with combination chemotherapy potential with both antiangiogenic and cytotoxic effects. The dissertation also discusses one-carbon metabolism inhibitors and tumor targeting proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs).

In cancer chemotherapy, the two major limitations are the dose-limiting toxicities of clinically used agents and the development of resistance to the treatment. Combination chemotherapy with antiangiogenic agents and microtubule targeting agents has shown an advantage against both these drawbacks. Single agents with both antiangiogenic activity and cytotoxicity would afford a therapy that circumvents pharmacokinetic problems of multiple agents, avoid …

Real-Time Monitoring Of Cell Death Progress Using Capacitance Spectroscopy, Suyang Wu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biologics, including the monoclonal antibody (mAb), has experienced rapid development in the last decade. However, the price of biologics is often prohibitively high because of the low process efficiency. Delaying the inevitable cell death improves the productivity of upstream bioprocessing, whose success relies on monitoring the cell death onset that indicates the timing for preventive actions.

This study proposes to develop a real-time monitoring model that quantifies the dying cell percentage in lab-scale bioreactors using capacitance spectroscopy. The capacitance spectroscopy contains cell death-related information due to various physical properties changes during the cell death process, e.g., cytoplasmic conductivity change. The …

Staff Council Minutes, Georgia Southern University

Staff Council Meeting Minutes & Agendas

No abstract provided.

Newsroom, Georgia Southern University

Newsroom (2006-2023)

• Mechanical engineering graduate finds key to success- teamwork

Northern Dene Astronomical And Sky-Related Knowledge: A Comparative Anthropological Study, Chris M. Cannon

Anthropology

The sky and its contents are routinely overlooked in Northern Dene ethnology as a meaningful part of linguistic and cultural knowledge. However, more than 11 years of primary fieldwork learning with and from elders, speakers, and culture bearers from 12 Northern Dene groups across 32 communities in Alaska and Canada has shown that astronomical knowledge is deeply rooted in both practical and sacred ways of knowing. With a focus on detail and breadth, this comparative ethnological study utilized an experience-based approach to investigate the ways in which Northern Dene Peoples perceive, conceptualize, and integrate the sky and its contents into …

Celebrating Alutiiq Cultural Revitalization: Pathways To Holistic Individual Health And Community Wellness, Margaret Susan Mete

Indigenous Studies

It is well understood that disease is a consequence of varied causation. Despite the fact that many health care providers acknowledge the importance of treating patients in a comprehensive manner in order to successfully cure sickness or alleviate symptoms, the contemporary medical system dispenses care in a fragmented and frequently incomplete manner. The essential differences between Indigenous epistemologies and the predominant Western worldview has had a more devastating impact on well-being and infirmity than is often recognized. The intention of this research is to explore the importance of promoting balanced holistic health care at a deeper and more essential level …

Bridging The Cultural Divide: Creating Culturally Diverse Therapeutic Foster Homes In Rural Alaska, Erica A. Dillard

Justice

The disproportionate number of American Indian and Alaska Native children being removed from their homes and communities by Child Protective Services is statistically alarming. Despite the current resources available, many families are unable to take advantage of these resources due to issues caused by their rural environments. This paper reviews the causes leading up to the removal of American Indian and Alaska Native children from their homes and communities, examines the importance of cultural identity, and discusses the resources that are needed to prevent these removals from occurring.

Hatred And Harm: The Influence Of Digital Pimps And The Miseducation Of The Hyper-Masculine Man, Justin Lantier-Novelli

Justice

The purpose of this research project is to measure the effects of a correlation between exposure to violent, hardcore sexually-explicit Internet materials, or SEIM (also known as pornography), and behaviors and attitudes that demean, degrade, subjugate, and abuse women and girls resulting in systemic gender inequality. Research is based on peer-reviewed journal articles, subject-matter publications, crime statistics, personal interviews with experts, and meta-analyses of previous research on related topics. The research has demonstrated a very strong correlation between exposure to SEIM and hyper-masculine attitudes and behaviors of gender-inequality toward women, beginning at one end of the spectrum with verbal micro-aggressions …

Melt On Antarctic Ice Shelves: Observing Surface Melt Duration From Microwave Remote Sensing And Modeling The Dynamical Impacts Of Subshelf Melting, Andrew Carl Johnson

Geosciences

Melt on the surface and underside of Antarctic ice shelves are important to the mass balance and stability of the ice sheet, and therefore pose significance to global sea levels. Satellite-based passive microwave observations provide daily or near-daily coarse resolution surface observations from 1978 on, and we use this record to identify days in which melt water is present on the ice sheet and ice shelf surfaces, called melt days. There are significant differences in the results of melt detection methods however, and we evaluate four different passive microwave melt detection algorithms. There is a lack of sufficient ground truth …

Novel Applications Of Remote Sensing And Gis In Mass Wasting Hazard Assessments For Two Fjords Of South-Central Alaska, Matthew S. Balazs

Geosciences

The fjords of South-Central Alaska are dynamic environments and host to a number of natural hazards that have not received much attention from the research community. The cities of Seward and Whittier are two of Alaska's most important marine transportation hubs, home to commercial fishing fleets, termini of the Alaska Railroad, and home to thousands of residents. This doctoral research focuses on landslides and their associated hazards in these under-studied areas. Chapter 2 involves surficial mapping of the study areas and documents the role of the underlying geologic processes that threaten the safety of people and infrastructure in the Passage …

Understanding Permafrost Dynamics And Geohazards With A Terrain-Cryofacies Approach, Eva Stephani

Engineering

The Arctic and its permafrost terrain are inherently dynamic, complex, and sensitive environments. Understanding the past and current changes occurring in these systems is key in predicting future variations, including the response of permafrost to climate change, and to terrain modifications resulting from natural processes or anthropogenic activities. This study contributes to advance our understanding of permafrost dynamics in varying permafrost environments of northern Alaska and northwestern Canada using a terrain-cryofacies approach. This unique approach helps to increase our understanding of permafrost dynamics from the site-specific scale to over extended areas by recognizing linkages between terrain and subsurface properties, and …

Real-Time Lower Limb Monitoring System For Physical Therapy, Shoa Russell

Engineering

The Real-Time Lower Limb Monitoring System was created to show utility in measuring and displaying lower limb data in several formats and its use cases for both physical therapy and telehealth applications. This system consisted of pressure, orientation, and electromyography sensors. Initial sensor data processing is done on the microcontroller unit while additional processing, data storage, and real-time 3D visualization is done on the computer. With this system the users can gain a greater insight of the way their lower limbs work together when performing exercises and can track the progress and changes in their movements over time by saving …

Implementing A Proctored Aleks-Based Adaptive Learning Strategy To Evaluate Student Preparedness And Predict Success In Calculus I At The University Of Alaska Fairbanksanks, Md Azizul Islam

Mathematics and Statistics

In Fall 2016, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics (DMS) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) initiated a study to determine if the Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces Placement, Preparation, and Learning test (ALEKS PPL), given under proctored conditions, can be an effective tool for measuring student preparedness and predicting success in Calculus I while controlling for enrollment and demographic information. The study includes 583 students who took a Calculus I course in Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, and Spring 2020 semesters and took a Proctored ALEKS PPL test (PAPL). Of the 583 …

Population Estimates Of Brown Bears Near Yakutat, Alaska Using A Bayesian Integrated Population Model, Mackenzie Parrott

Mathematics and Statistics

This paper discusses the specification of an Integrated Population Model (IPM) for the brown bear (Ursus arctos) population within and near Yakutat, Alaska. A Bayesian analysis is used in this paper in conjunction with Markov Chain Monte Carlo in order to produce the results. The goal of this project is to estimate the number of brown bears over multiple years. This project was made possible in collaboration with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) Department of Wildlife Conservation through Anthony Crupi and Jason Waite.

Otolith Derived Hatch Dates, Growth Rates, And Microchemistry Of Arctic Cod (Boreogadus Saida) Support The Existence Of Several Spawning Populations In Alaskan Waters, Zane M. Chapman

Fisheries

The changing climate in the Arctic is resulting in increased air and water temperatures as well as a reduction in sea ice, affecting native species that evolved to live in the unique habitats of the Arctic Ocean. One species of significant importance to Arctic marine ecosystems is the Arctic Cod (Boreogadus saida), a keystone species that serves as vital prey for many marine mammals, seabirds, and fishes. Arctic Cod have a strong association with sea ice for spawning and for much of their early life history. In the Pacific Arctic, little is known about their early life history, especially with …

Spawning Site Selection Of Coho Salmon Oncorhynchus Kisutch In Susitna River Tributaries, Alaska, Betsy W. Mccracken

Fisheries

Coho Salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch are the most widely distributed Pacific salmon species across Alaska. The lack of knowledge surrounding the habitat requirements of this species results in challenges for conservation and management due to natural and anthropogenic pressures. Tributaries of the Susitna River drainage in Alaska support many small and distinct Coho Salmon populations. Heterogeneity of in-stream spawning habitat is an ecological concept known to promote resiliency of salmonid populations. The goal of this study was to investigate the best habitat predictors of spawning site selection and the scale by which spawning habitat should be evaluated for management insights. Scale …

The Effects Of Ocean Acidification And Warming On The Metabolic Physiology Of Juvenile Northern Spot Shrimp (Pandalus Platyceros), Jamie Lee Musbach

Fisheries

Northern spot shrimp (Pandalus platyceros) support important commercial, subsistence, sport, and personal use fisheries in Alaska. This species is currently experiencing population declines in Southeast Alaska, mandating fishery closures in previously productive regions. Northern spot shrimp are harvested as adults and declining populations may be a result of limited recruitment into the fishery. Very little is known about the physiology of P. platyceros early life history stages and no known data exists on how early life history stages may be affected by environmental stressors such as ocean acidification (OA) and ocean warming (OW). OA is a result of increased anthropogenic …

Peer Support Wellness Groups In Physician Assistant School, Allison Pingston, Alexa Wagoner

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Objective: To investigate the effect of peer support wellness groups on the perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms encountered in Physician Assistant (PA) school in order to implement a wellness program for James Madison University (JMU) PA students. Design: Systematic literature review. Methods: Searches were done in PubMed and Google Scholar using the search terms: “wellness,” “peer support,” “small group(s),” “medical school,” and “PA school.” The limits used were: randomized controlled trials, meta-analysis, and completed in the past 10 years. Results: Search results revealed three articles that met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Conclusion: No articles showed statistical significance. However, all …

Paracetamol Compared To Nsaids As Treatment For Patent Ductus Arteriosus In Neonates, Toné Boykins, Carly Anne C. Wilson

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Objective: To evaluate the use of paracetamol in the treatment of closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), as well as to investigate the amount of adverse side effects. Design: Systematic literature review. Methods: Searches were done in PubMed and Google scholar, using the search terms Paracetamol for patent ductus arteriosus and alternative treatment patent ductus arteriosus. In PubMed the following limits and terms were used: randomized control trial, English, and secondary endpoints. Results: Randomized control trial studies by Dash et al., El-Mashad et al., and El-Farrash et al. were included based on inclusion/exclusion criteria of the meta-analysis and with secondary …

The Effect Of Hydroxychloroquine On Mortality In Hospitalized Covid-19 Patients, Misha Suresh, Jeff Abraham

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

As of October 2020, there are no commonly accepted or proven effective treatments for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is an established anti-malarial drug with demonstrated action against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) in-vitro and early observational studies and anecdotal evidence supported its use in treatment of COVID-19. In this review, three of largest and most statistically powerful studies to date (two cohort studies and one randomized controlled trial [RCT]) are synthesized for the purpose of determining whether HCQ is effective in reducing mortality in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. All three studies found no statistically significant difference in …

Are Polypills A Viable Option To Improve Health Outcomes In Those With Cardiovascular Disease?, Alexander Voytovich, Cara Mckee

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Objective: Does the use of polypill therapy improve systolic blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels more than usual care in adults with established cardiovascular disease (CVD) or with 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk >10%. Design: Systematic literature review. Methods: Searches were performed in PubMed and UpToDate using the following search terms polypill and cardiovascular. Other limits included: randomized control trials, adults, published in the last 10 years, LDL-C and systolic blood pressure. Results: Analysis of articles to ensure similar design, intervention and fit with the other inclusion/exclusion criteria yielded three studies: Labefer et al, Muñoz et al, and …

The Necessity Of Implementing A Wellness Curriculum Into Physician Assistant Programs, Jessica K. Erim, Darryl Bines Jr.

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Purpose: In response to the decline of mental health and wellness of students within medical school programs, recent research has been exploring the effects of implementation of wellness curriculums. The purpose of this review is to highlight the research that has been conducted in the medical school environment and to establish the need for further research. This review will specifically discuss the implementation of a student-led wellness curriculum at James Madison University’s Physician Assistant Program and its impact on students. Methods: A thorough search was conducted using Google Scholar using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria (see Table 1). …

Effectiveness Of Tpa At Reducing Amputations In Patients With Severe Frostbite, Kylie Gravatt, Meredith Mahen

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Objective: To determine the efficacy of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) therapy in reducing the number of limb and digit amputations in patients with severe frostbite.

Introduction: Current treatment regimens for frostbite consist mainly of rapid rewarming measures and wound care. This regimen is unfortunately many times not sufficient in cases of severe frostbite and frequently leads to delayed amputations.

Methods: A search was conducted in Pubmed using the terms "Frostbite"[Mesh]) AND "Tissue Plasminogen Activator"[Mesh]. Articles were chosen based on relevancy to the research question and having a publication date after 2005. Case reports were excluded.

Results: All three studies reported …

Baseline Bmi, Gender, & Age As Predictive Factors For Intragastric Balloon Weight Loss Outcomes, Nirali Shah, Miranda A. Myers-Burton

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Objective: To determine whether obese and morbidly obese patients aged 18-75 with a lower baseline BMI (BMI 30-39.9 kg/m2) who received an intragastric balloon (IGB), have a higher percentage of total body weight loss (%TBWL) and percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL) compared to those with a higher baseline BMI (BMI > 40 kg/m2). Secondary objective was to ascertain whether gender and age are also predictors of weight loss outcomes following an IGB procedure.

Design: Systematic literature review

Methods: Literature searches of PubMed and SpringerLink were conducted using the search terms: “intragastric balloon, weight loss, and “BMI” and then limited to …

Sglt2 Inhibitors In The Management Of Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction, Susannah Jackson, Meghan Mathis

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Objective: to assess whether SGLT2 inhibitors significantly reduce the risk of hospitalization for heart failure (HAHF) and cardiovascular death in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Design: systematic literature review. Methods: searches were conducted in PubMed with the terms "SGLT2 Inhibitors,” “heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF),” and "hospitalization” and the following limits: publication within the last 5 years, clinical trials, meta-analyses, randomized control trials, humans, and English. These criteria determined the selected literature: randomized control trial (RCT), use of an SGLT2i compared to placebo, and outcomes including HAHF and/or cardiovascular related death. Results: DAPA-HF: 27% …

Breakthroughs In Hormonal Male Contraception, Alexander Patton, Seth Vann

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Objective: Assess the efficacy of a nestorone plus testosterone gel at suppressing progestin levels and spermatogenesis.

Design: Systematic literature review.

Methods: Searches were done in PubMed and Dartmouth library using the terms nestorone, randomized control trial, human, and male. Limits used while searching included published in the last 10 years, randomized control trials, and English.

Results: Using the search criteria the following three studies were found that met the inclusion/exclusion criteria of this study: Ilani et al, Zitzmann et al, and Anawalt et al. All three studies were found on PubMed and reference the Ilani et al study.

Conclusion: Nestorone …

Unscrambling Egg Allergies: Examining The Impact Of Introduction Timing Of Egg Protein On The Development Of Food Allergies, Emily Sherald, Mark Peterson

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Objective: To assess the efficacy of early egg protein introduction in the reduction of later childhood egg allergy development. Design: Systematic literature review. Methods: Searches were done using PubMed and cross referenced with articles on UpToDate, using the search strings ‘egg‘, ‘allergy‘, ‘randomized controlled trial‘, ‘early‘, and ‘introduction‘. Our inclusion criteria included: published in the last 5 years, human trial, randomized controlled trials only. Results: Our selection process yielded 3 quality studies: the “Beating Egg Allergy Trial” (BEAT)¹, “Start time of egg protein to prevent egg allergy” (STEP)², and “Two-step Egg Introduction for Prevention of Egg …

Dm Ii Bugging You? Probiotics May Help Reach Your Glycemic Goals, Robert Kime, Kayla Siford

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Objective: To determine the effects of probiotics on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) in patients with Type II Diabetes (T2DM) controlled with oral medications. Design: Systematic Literature Review. Methods: Searches were conducted on PubMed using the terms: prebiotic, probiotic, type 2 diabetes, non-insulin dependent, and microbiota. Searches refined with parameters for Randomized Control Trials, written in English, and available texts. Results: Firouzi et al. did not show a significant change in the FBG between groups and a decrease in the HbA1c in the intervention group. Ejtahed et al. showed a significant decrease in …

The Effect Of Platelet Rich Plasma On The Treatment Of Androgenetic Alopecia Compared To Placebo, Mackenzie D. Comstock, Hannah E. Stephenson

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Objective: To assess the efficacy of plasma rich proteins (PRP) compared to placebo in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia (AGA).

Design: Systematic literature review

Methods: Searches were done in PubMed utilizing the terms PRP, plasma rich protein, autologous activated PRP, autologous activated plasma rich protein, androgenetic alopecia, placebo, hair count, hair density, hair follicles, hair loss, therapeutic effect, growth factors, dermatology, and regenerative medicine. Articles were excluded if they were published before 2013, involved animal studies, compared minoxidil only in their research, included only female participants, non-English articles, studies with no quantifiable data, review research articles, and injections besides the …