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The Role Of Human Dopamine Transporter Threonine 261 And Serine 262 In Amphetamine Regulation Of Transporter Function And Surface Expression, Sina Abdollahi

Theses and Dissertations

Amphetamine (AMPH) has been used clinically and recreationally around the world for years. A 2021 study reports a 67.5% rise in AMPH use from 2010-2017 across all fifty states. Study also shows that 30% of patients with AMPH-induced psychosis end up with primary psychosis over time. AMPH works by inhibiting monoamine (Norepinephrine (NE), Serotonin (5-HT), and Dopamine (DA) reuptake followed by triggering transporter mediated monoamine release and consequently increases monoamine concentrations in extracellular synaptic space. AMPH also works as a substrate for monoamine transporters, enters the neuron, and once its inside the neuron, it will prevent the storage of monoamines …

Identification Of The New Synthetic Opioid Bucinnazine And Its Metabolites Using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (Lc-Ms/Ms), Karissa N. Resnik

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

In the past 20 years, the rate of opioid use increased drastically in the United States. The country has experienced an enormous number of deaths caused by opioid overdose, opioid use disorder (OUD), as well as other harms as a consequence of the high numbers of opioid prescriptions. Fentanyl, a well-known synthetic opioid, has been a contributor to the opioid crisis since 2013 due to its popularity in clinical and illicit use. It has a high potency, which makes it an effective analgesic but a dangerous illicit substance. A new synthetic opioid, bucinnazine, has recently become a new black-market opioid …

Optimization Of A Microfluidic Device For Cell Capture Using Optical Trapping, Samantha C. Pagel

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

Biological mixtures which result from evidence produced in sexual assault cases are one of the most common types of mixtures observed in forensic biology casework and have contributed to evidence backlogs across the country. In the forensic community, this has highlighted the need for a more efficient cell separation method at the beginning of the DNA analysis workflow than the currently accepted method. One promising novel front-end cell separation technique is optical trapping. In heterogeneous mixtures, optical tweezers have been demonstrated to manipulate and isolate cells of interest from other cell types.

For this research, a range of 5 to …

Bowling Green Main Street Revitalization Plan, Amy Guzulaitis

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

The Town of Bowling Green is a historic, rural community located in Caroline County, Virginia. The Town is the pride of residents who enjoy the community and small town nature of the area. The Town currently has a small arts business cluster and sought ways to use that, as well as the Main Street Method, as a basis for spurring revitalization in the Town. Research Methods & Findings Today, the Town of Bowling Green faces challenges to its future growth and development due in part to the small market size available. Demographic indicators from ESRI Business Analyst show that Bowling …

Growing Small: Citizen Preferences For New Development In Highland County, Virginia, And The Town Of Monterey, Charles F. Wilson

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

“Growing Small: Citizen Preferences for New Development in Highland County, Virginia and the Town of Monterey” is a plan by Charles Wilson for Highland County (“Highland”) as they reconsider the future of the Town of Monterey (“Monterey”). Highland is a rural county in western Virginia at the intersection of U.S. Routes 250 and 220. In the Summer of 2021, a new Family Dollar was issued permits to demolish an historical lodging facility and construct a new store—just a few buildings away from an existing Dollar General. This was not without controversy, but ultimately prompted reflection amongst community members for how …

The Mechanisms Of Axon Initial Segment Alteration Due To Disrupted Glucose Metabolism: A Potential Link To Cognitive Impairment, Duc Van Minh Nguyen

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive impairment is a serious global health issue due to its widely complicated pathologies that are linked to many diseases, including type 2 diabetes. Yet, detailed mechanisms of cognitive impairment associated with type 2 diabetes are unknown. Evidence suggests type 2 diabetes is associated with disrupted glucose metabolism, elevated methylglyoxal, and axon initial segment (AIS) shortening. Subtle changes of AIS could significantly contribute to neuronal dysfunction in neurological diseases (e.g., cognitive impairment). Utilizing in vitro dissociated mouse cortical cultures, we initially discovered elevated methylglyoxal shortens the AIS length of the immunofluorescent marker AnkyrinG (Griggs et al., 2021). This thesis further …

Effects Of Lipin1 Deficiency & Restoration In The Dystrophic Diaphragm, Alexandra Brown

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disorder that is characterized by severe and progressive muscle wasting (Venugopal & Pavlakis, 2021). This disease is caused by a mutation in the largest known human gene which encodes the protein, dystrophin (Gao & McNally, 2015). Dystrophin connects the inner cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix and is critical for maintaining the structural stability of muscle cells during contraction (Venugopal & Pavlakis, 2021). Mutations to the dystrophin gene result in myocyte membrane instability, contributing to the structural deterioration of the muscle tissue (Venugopal & Pavlakis, 2021). Progressive muscle degeneration and the replacement of …

Analytical-Based Methods For Studying The Interaction Of Human Red Blood Cells With Noble Metal Nanoparticles, Praveen Kumar Alla

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

With the advent of nanotechnology, the potential applications of nanoscale gold in medicine have expanded substantially. Gold’s therapeutic and toxic properties have been widely studied; however, little is known regarding gold’s contribution to oxidative stress in red blood cells (RBCs). This is especially true for recently designed large (L) gold nanorods (GNRs), which possess unmatched theranostic capabilities. Here, we report on the effect of LGNRs at the level of cellular function, and particularly on ion transport and the glutathione (GSH) concentration in human (H) RBCs. Gold has been hypothesized to effectively react with RBCs sulfhydryl groups, thereby causing depletion of …

Federalism By Deception: The Implied Limits On Congressional Power, Bryan K. Fair

Articles

The purpose of this Article is to lay bare federalism by deception and the theory of implied limits on federal power. Other scholars have recently noted the rise of anti-federalist viewpoints in modern cases. I go a step further to demonstrate how Supreme Court Justices have embraced anti-federal ideology, but have cited Federalist sources, including Marshall, to announce unenumerated limits on federal legislative power.

What Is Consumer Protection For?, Luke Herrine

Articles

When law and economics barreled its way into consumer protection scholarship two score years ago, it brought with it the consumer sovereignty framework: an approach to analysis in which actual markets are compared to an ideal market in which consumers optimize exogenous welfare functions by choosing between optimally competitive sellers. Even after two decades of behavioralist critique and even with increasingly critical perspectives taking root since the Global Financial Crisis, this consumer sovereignty ideal continues to serve as both a descriptive and normative baseline for consumer protection scholarship.

This Article argues that it is time to reconsider the consumer sovereignty …

Bringing Predictability To The Chaos Of Punitive Damages, Benjamin Mcmichael, W. Kip Viscusi

Articles

Punitive damages remain unique in the American legal system. Awarded in the civil context with none of the protections offered in criminal law, courts levy punitive damages to punish and deter. The Supreme Court of the United States has clearly stated that courts may only seek to achieve these two goals when imposing punitive damages. A closer reading of the Court's punitive damages jurisprudence, however, reveals another goal that has largely been ignored: predictability. Unlike punishment and deterrence, predictability is not a purpose for which to award punitive damages. Instead, the Court requires that, when awarded, the level of punitive …

Contracts In The Age Of Smart Readers, Yonathan A. Arbel, Becher, Shmuel I.

Articles

No abstract provided.

The Spicy Girls: Writings On The Lived Experiences Of Latinas As The Exotic "Other.", Nina M. Lopez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The Other in mainstream U.S. society—in this case, the Latino Other—faces oppressive forces in the journey to find belonging. Latinos are marked by stereotypes, regardless of whether such stereotypes have a factual foundation. Latinas specifically are labeled as submissive servants, maids, or nannies. On the other end of the spectrum, Latinas are exotic and enticing sexual beings that must satisfy white men’s fetishes and lechery. Through this thesis, I will explore what Latina women face as an Other that is paradoxically both rejected and desired and evokes aversion as well as awe. In this creative thesis, in creative nonfiction, poetry, …

How Screendance Embraces What Cannot Be Done On Stage, Maya Reddy

Theatre and Dance Honors Projects

Due to the recentness of the field of dance filmmaking, little research exists on the difference between dance films designed to be watched as films (referred to as screendance) and dance videography (videos of performances created to be viewed by a live audience). This paper contends that what separates screendance from dance videography is the unique appeal screendance has for the viewer. Through the use of instantaneous location changes or inaccessible locations, unusual camera perspectives (such as a birds’ eye shot) that allow the viewer to feel as if they or the dancers are defying gravity, and technology-mediated changes to …

The Benefits Of Integrating Statutory Construction And Analysis In A First-Year Legal Writing Course, Lauren E. Sancken, Mireille Butler

Articles

Teaching statutory analysis to first-year law school students not only reinforces important principles of legal analysis and writing (from gaining a better understanding of the hierarchy of legal authorities to continuing to practice IRAC/CRAC methods of organization), but it also prepares students better for the actual practice of law.

Perspectives On New Wilderness Area Designations In Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Olivia Joy D. Ghormley

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The Wilderness Act of 1964 designated certain areas denoted as wilderness in the United States of America for the sake of preservation and conservation. In the state of Michigan, 16 designated wilderness areas currently exist, and the Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC) is advocating for the addition of four new wilderness designations. The addition of these areas would add about 51,000 acres of federally recognized wilderness areas to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This paper aims to understand public attitudes and political support or opposition to these new wilderness designations among residents and visitors of the Upper Peninsula of …

Machine Learning-Driven Surrogate Models For Electrolytes, Tong Gao

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

We have developed a lattice Monte Carlo (MC) simulation based on the diffusion-limited aggregation model that accounts for the effect of the physical properties of ionic liquids (ILs) on lithium dendrite growth. Our simulations show that the size asymmetry between the cation and anion, the dielectric constant, and the volume fraction of ILs are critical factors to significantly suppress the dendrite growth, primarily due to substantial changes in electric-field screening. Specifically, the volume fraction of ILs has the optimal value for dendrite suppression. The present simulation method indicates potential challenges for the model extension to macroscopic systems. Therefore, we also …

Decomposition Of Organic Matter Above And Below Dams, Olivia Muntz

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Dams produce hydroelectric power and control flooding, but they also cause negative ecological consequences such as habitat fragmentation and altered water quality. The goal of this study was to determine whether dams alter rates of organic matter decomposition. Decomposition rates in impoundments and in free-flowing sections of the Huron River were measured using the cotton strip assay. We hypothesized that if water temperature is the main driver of decomposition rates, then higher rates of decomposition would be expected behind dams due to anticipated warmer water temperatures in the impoundment. If oxygen concentrations are a main driver of decomposition rates, lower …

Storytelling: The Creation Of Animation, Erin Main

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

It is common for amateur animators to feel overwhelmed by the process of animation, especially by the prices of applications used by many big studios. These applications are often thought to be necessary to produce work equivalent to that of bigger productions and can cause artists’ financial strain. While paid applications are useful, often making the animation process faster and easier, they are not the only option. Open-source programs have the same abilities as paid applications but are overlooked for more mainstream products. I am seeking to prove that animators can create festival quality work using low-cost and open-source applications. …

Vocal Analysis Of The Newly Described Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog, Carrie J. Kosiba

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Urbanization alters animal behaviors and especially impacts amphibians due to their sensitivity to environmental change, small home ranges, and reliance on acoustic communication to locate mates. A newly discovered leopard frog species, Rana kauffeldi, was recently described from the New York City metro area. This species was previously characterized as R. sphenocephala due to their nearly identical morphology, but the two species are distinguished based on genetics and calling characteristics. The goal of this project was to document calling intensity and phenology (timing) differences between urban and rural populations of R. kauffeldi, as well as describe variation across …

Concentrated Exploration: Reconstructing The Professional Life Of Lucille Paris, Noor Tamari

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis uses archival sources to track the artistic trajectory and professional life of American abstract expressionist artist Lucille Paris.

Vermin Of Proof: Arguments For The Admissibility Of Animal Model Studies As Proof Of Causation In Toxic Tort Litigation, Kristen Ranges, Jessica Owley

Articles

Toxic torts is a body of law that aims to compensate individuals for harms they suffer from exposure to hazardous substances. To successfully bring a toxic tort claim, a plaintiff must prove the main elements of a general tort cause of action: duty, breach, causation, and damages. Causation in a toxic tort case is particularly challenging to prove given the nature of toxic substances. To prove the toxicant in question caused the damages alleged, plaintiffs often present expert testimony based on scientific studies. Animal model studies, in particular, can help factfinders understand the health implications of the toxicants at issue. …

A Call For Constitutionalizing The Affirmative Insanity Defense, Mia C. Larson

University of Florida Journal of Law & Public Policy

This Note sheds light on varied insanity defense formulations which fail to adequately protect the constitutional rights of people deemed legally insane. An emerging trend has arisen whereby states adopt alternative approaches to legal insanity focused solely on the mental state of a criminal offender at the time the offender committed a crime. Rather than operating as an excusal from criminal liability, this alternative approach offers insanity as mitigating evidence to be used at the sentencing phase of trial. The result is that a person deemed not guilty in a state employing the affirmative defense could be deemed guilty in …

Land Grant Report 2020-2021, Tennessee. Higher Education Commission.

Land Grant Funding Report

No abstract provided.

Articulation And Transfer In Tennessee Higher Education 2021 Report, Tennessee. Higher Education Commission.

Academic Programs and Workforce Reports

No abstract provided.

An Integrated Computational Pipeline To Construct Patient-Specific Cancer Models, Daniel Plaugher

Theses and Dissertations--Mathematics

Precision oncology largely involves tumor genomics to guide therapy protocols. Yet, it is well known that many commonly mutated genes cannot be easily targeted. Even when genes can be targeted, resistance to therapy is quite common. A rising field with promising results is that of mathematical biology, where in silico models are often used for the discovery of general principles and novel hypotheses that can guide the development of new treatments. A major goal is that eventually in silico models will accurately predict clinically relevant endpoints and find optimal control interventions to stop (or reverse) disease progression. Thus, it is …

Metal Labor, Material Conversions: Goldsmiths In The Life Of St. Denis And In Parisian Life, Ca. 1300, Brigitte Buettner

Art: Faculty Books

A seated man raises a hammer to strike a metal cup placed on an anvil: these are the basic bodily gestures and material signifiers that identify metalworkers in medieval visual representation (Fig. 1). The present essay examines the labor performed by goldsmiths and the use of gold in a selection of Gothic miniatures, specifically those found in a lavishly illustrated Life of St. Denis created around 1300 for the French king Philip IV the Fair.1 As a composite portrait of a group of professionals and a type of material, my discussion asks how manuscript painters reflected—and reflected on—the creations of …

An Analysis Of The Methods Of Interpretation Of The Leviticus 11 Dietary Laws In Second Temple And Early Christian Non-Canonical Sources, Ani Ionut Constantin

Master's Theses

Background of the Research

Numerous commentators and theologians have written in recent centuries about clean and unclean animals. These distinctions are also referred to as dietary laws, and they are found in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. For example, Walter Houston wrote in 1993 in the Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, Supplement Series 140 about the prohibition, its explanation, and its implications; Vic Lockman extended the study through the New Testament in 1997 in his work The Dietary Laws of the Bible; and Jordan D. Rosenblum in 2016 in his work The Jewish Dietary Laws in the …

Factors That Influence The Believers In Monze Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church Of South Zambia Conference To Consult Diviners, Ian Chiinya

Master's Theses

Problem

Studies have shown that even after becoming Christians, African Christians maintain their traditional religious practices. Non-Christian studies in Zambia reveal that both Christian and non-Christian Zambians still combine biomedicine with sacred African traditional medicine. The goal of the current study is to identify the variables that lead Monze Central Church Seventh-day Adventist members to consult diviners.

Method

Sections one and two of a questionnaire were created to collect information on the variables that affect going to a diviner. To assess the role and self-efficacy of local church elders in assisting members who have been impacted by demonic spiritual forces, …

Deletion Of Period Genes Exacerbates Diet-Induced Obesity In Female, But Not Male, Mice, Elizabeth Kantra

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Sex differences in obesity in mice are mediated by differential responses of circadian rhythms to high-fat feeding in males and females. Other studies also showed circadian Period genes regulate diet-induced obesity in mice. In this study, we investigated the role of the Period genes in regulating sex differences in obesity. Male and female C57BL/6J wild type, Per1/2 KO, and Per1/2/3 KO mice were housed in 12L:12D and fed high-fat diet for 12 weeks. We found a striking sex difference in obesity such that disabling the Period genes exacerbated adiposity in female, but not male, mice. Increased adiposity in female Period …