Digital Commons Network^™

Tennessee Labor Market Report, December 2022, Labor Surplus Areas — Fy 2023, Tennessee. Department Of Labor & Workforce Development.

Labor Market Reports

No abstract provided.

Dean's Update, December 2022, Jerry L. Nadler

SOM Dean's Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of The Alpha1a Adrenergic Receptor In Modulating Psychiatric Symptoms, Jason Power

Theses and Dissertations

The adrenergic system plays a key role in the treatment and understanding of the etiology of mental illnesses. Despite antidepressants having the effect of reducing the reuptake of specific neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine (NE), the mechanism of the antidepressant effect is poorly understood. It is apparent that antidepressants increase the rate of neurogenesis occurring within the hippocampal region of the brain with the hippocampus found to have an increased density around the time of symptom improvement (rate plateaus after 4-8 weeks after treatment). With an increased rate of neurogenesis taking ~1 month to occur, it was hypothesized that treatment with …

Changes In Streptococcus Pneumoniae Susceptibility In Wisconsin: Implications For Clinical Treatment Decisions For Respiratory Infections, Erik Munson, Stephen C. Lavey, Megan R. Lasure, Barry C. Fox

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: In 2019, the American Thoracic Society and Infectious Diseases Society of America updated clinical practice guidelines for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). In contrast to guidelines published in 2007, macrolide monotherapy for outpatients was made a conditional recommendation based on resistance levels. Local knowledge of current antimicrobial susceptibility is needed to guide management of CAP and other bacterial respiratory pathogens. The purpose of this study was to investigate antimicrobial susceptibility profiles and trending for Wisconsin Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates.

Design: Multi-center laboratory surveillance, with testing at a central location utilizing standardized susceptibility testing protocols.

Methods: Data published by the Wisconsin Department of …

Experiences Of Mothers And Significant Others In Accessing Comprehensive Healthcare In The First 1000 Days Of Life Post-Conception During Covid-19 In Rural Uganda, Grace Nakate, Sean Mackay, Eunice Ndirangu, Valerie Fleming

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background: COVID-19 presented an unprecedented global public health challenge because of its rapid and relentless spread, and many countries instituted lockdowns to prevent the spread of infection. Although this strategy mayhave been appropriate to reduce infection, it presented unintended difficulties in rural Uganda, especially in maternal and born newborn care. For example, some services were suspended, meaning the nearest health facility was at a considerable distance. This study explored the experiences of mothers and their significant others of comprehensive care in the first 1000 days of life post-conception during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bunghokho-Mutoto sub-county, Mbale District, Uganda.

Methods …

The Empirical Research On University Instructors’ Competencies In Virtual Reality Environment From The Perspective Of Students’ Learning Experience, Jing Ma, Yue Wang, Meng Jiang

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

The integration of virtual reality (VR) and education is a key way to realize the modernization of higher education. Instructors’ competencies directly affect students’ learning experiences and achievements. Based on the IBSTPI competency standards compiled by the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance, and Instruction (IBSTPI), this study developed an instructors’ competencies scale suitable for the VR environment from the perspective of students’ learning experience and conducted an empirical research on the current situation of instructors’ competencies in VR environment. The scale categorizes of instructors’ competencies included six dimensions: establishing and maintaining learning motivation competencies, expressing competencies, questioning competencies, …

Sequence-Based Bioinformatics Approaches To Predict Virus–Host Relationships In Archaea And Eukaryotes, Yingshan Li

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Viral metagenomics is independent of lab culturing and capable of investigating viromes of virtually any given environmental niches. While numerous sequences of viral genomes have been assembled from metagenomic studies over the past years, the natural hosts for the majority of these viral contigs have not been determined. Different computational approaches have been developed to predict hosts of bacteria phages. Nevertheless, little progress has been made in the virus-host prediction, especially for viruses that infect eukaryotes and archaea. In this study, by analyzing all documented viruses with known eukaryotic and archaeal hosts, we assessed the predictive power of four computational …

Does Social Pension Buy Improved Mental Health And Mortality Outcomes For Senior Citizens? Evidence From South Africa's 2008 Pension Reform, Cyprian Mostert, Diana Mackay, Alex Awiti, Manasi Kumar, Zul Merali

Brain and Mind Institute

In South Africa, men were traditionally eligible to receive government pensions at 65 years. However, that eligibility criterion was changed in 2008 to allow men to receive a pension payout at 60 years. This study is designed to quantify the impact of the 2008 pension reform on mental health outcomes (depression and traumatic stress) and deaths among 60-year-old men from disadvantaged households without advanced education. This analysis used secondary data issued by Statistic South Africa- General Household Survey. Men who reported earning a pension at 60 years from 2008 to 2014 were exposed to the 2008 pension reform and thus …

Interpersonal Psychotherapy’S Problem Areas As An Organizing Framework To Understand Depression And Sexual And Reproductive Health Needs Of Kenyan Pregnant And Parenting Adolescents: A Qualitative Study, Manasi Kumar, Obadia Yator, Vincent Nyongesa, Martha Kagoya, Shillah Mwaniga, Joseph Kathono, Isaiah Gitonga, Nancy Grote, Helena Verdeli, Keng Yen Huang

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: Peripartum adolescents experience signifcant interpersonal transitions in their lives. Depression and emotional distress are often exacerbated by adolescents’ responses to these interpersonal changes. Improved understanding of pregnancy-related social changes and maladaptive responses to these shifts may inform novel approaches to addressing the mental health needs of adolescents during the perinatal period. The paper aims to understand the sources of psychological distress in peripartum adolescents and map these to Interpersonal Psychotherapy’s (IPT) problem areas as a framework to understand depression.

Method: We conducted interviews in two Nairobi primary care clinics with peripartum adolescents ages 16–18 years (n=23) with …

Cultural And Contextual Adaptation Of Mental Health Measures In Kenya: An Adolescent-Centered Transcultural Adaptation Of Measures Study, Vincent Nyongesa, Shillah Mwaniga, Joseph Kathono, Obadia Yator, Beatrice Madeghe, Sarah Kanana, Beatrice Amugune, Naomi Anyango, Darius Nyamai, Manasi Kumar

Brain and Mind Institute

Introduction: There is paucity of culturally adapted tools for assessing depression and anxiety in children and adolescents in low-and middle-income countries. This hinders early detection, provision of appropriate and culturally acceptable interventions. In a partnership with the University of Nairobi, Nairobi County, Kenyatta National Hospital, and UNICEF, a rapid cultural adaptation of three adolescent mental health scales was done, i.e., Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and additional scales in the UNICEF mental health module for adolescents.

Materials and methods: Using a qualitative approach, we explored adolescent participants’ views on cultural acceptability, comprehensibility, relevance, and completeness of …

Law Library Blog (December 2022): Legal Beagle's Blog Archive, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Law Library Newsletters/Blog

No abstract provided.

The Evolution Of Strong Black Women In Academic Leadership: Balancing Careers, Family, And Self, Edith C. Banks

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of 15 Black women, working in New York State and New Jersey, who worked in leadership roles in higher education and had experienced divorce or separation to assess if there was a correlation between their identification with the Strong Black Woman (SBW) schema and the effects of work-life conflict on their social and personal relationships.

The study revealed that there were significant changes in the way the participants perceived being an SBW. Many participants viewed being labeled an SBW as unfavorable and chose to redefine the term. …

Pathways To Equity And Access: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Bipoc Mentoring And Their Use Of Emancipatory Pedagogy To Catalyze Minoritized Learners' Interest In Architecture And Urban Planning, Tameka Pierre-Louis

Education Doctoral

The overarching objective of this study was aimed to examine how BIPOC mentor faculty were able to persevere the challenges they faced during their post-secondary academic experiences to become licensed architects and urban planners, as well as to identify the motivating factors that contributed to them committing their time to mentoring students of color in NOMA's Project Pipeline bridge program. This study also looked at how their lived experiences shaped their approach to teaching the design justice principles within the NOMA’s Project Pipeline curriculum to help stimulate URMs' interest in pursuing post-secondary study in architecture or design. The hypothesis proposed …

Wading In White Waters: Black Non-Tenure-Track Faculty's Lived Experiences With Racial Microaggressions In Higher Education And Their Recommendations For Institutions, Departments And Dei Administrators, Sharmayne Jenkins

Education Doctoral

Black faculty members are often underrepresented and suffer lower academic status at United States institutions with predominately White faculty. This is primarily because racism and racial microaggressions continue to be barriers. Unfortunately, academia has not adequately addressed race and privilege, pointed out the racist policies and actions of educators and administrators, or held perpetrators accountable. As a result, black faculty, especially those not protected by tenure, often face isolation, are overburdened with teaching and other responsibilities, are devalued for their research and teaching contributions, experience biased performance reviews, and endure other discriminatory incidences. This phenomenological narrative study explored the perceptions …

Advocacy Experiences Of Licensed Professional Counselors Who Serve Minor Survivors Of Abuse And Neglect, Earniesha S. Lott-Kennebrew

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

LPCs in Louisiana operate in multiple professional roles and maintain various responsibilities, including advocacy for clients. Although numerous advocacy opportunities occur when counselors are working with children, a minimal amount of research exists regarding advocacy training, as well as the associated intricacies and responsibilities of advocacy. Lack of awareness of advocacy issues is a prominent barrier to advocacy involvement and it is suggested that counselor education programs are infusing advocacy education into courses but are not necessarily teaching specific constructs of advocacy. Thus, relevant and existing advocacy literature is sparse.

The purpose of my qualitative phenomenological research is to understand …

Synthesis And Electrochemical Characterization Of Alkali Metal Borides As Redox Active Anion Frameworks, Michael R. Shabetai

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Redox activity in intercalation cathodes is commonly attributed to changes in oxidation states of transition metal ions. Recently, a growing body of evidence revealed that the redox activity of oxygen contributes to the capacity of some known cathodes. We focused on designing an oxygen free intercalation cathode with redox-active anions. In order to overcome the entropic driving force for the decomposition of a charged redox active anion cathode, we looked for chemistries with solid (no gases) possible decomposition products. Additionally, the involvement of anions in a network of covalent bonds with shared electrons was considered as a possible way for …

Tools For Predicting Emulsification Capacity Of Crude Oil Exposed To Sunlight: Impact Of Photoproduced Carboxylic Acids On Emulsion Stability, Chaka Nacaya Brown

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The role of acids in the formation of emulsions from sunlight exposed petroleum is not well understood. To elucidate the impact of sunlight on the formation of emulsions from petroleum, Macondo, its surrogate and NIST 1619b and 2717a were separately exposed to simulated sunlight for up to 48 hours as a film dispersed into a quartz dish, or a film spread on water. Emulsion stability was scored from 0-5. All exposures demonstrated a correlation between emulsion stability and sunlight exposure with no observable emulsification in absence of photoproduction due to sunlight exposure. Aqueous studies of DOC_HC (dissolved organic carbon …

A Novel Synthetic Phenotype Association Study Approach Reveals The Landscape Of Association For Genomic Variants And Phenotypes, Mária Škrabišová, Nicholas Dietz, Shuai Zeng, Yen On Chan, Juexin Wang, Jana Biová, Trupti Joshi, Kristin D. Bilyeu

Biomedical Sciences

Introduction: Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) identify tagging variants in the genome that are statistically associated with the phenotype because of their linkage disequilibrium (LD) relationship with the causative mutation (CM). When both low-density genotyped accession panels with phenotypes and resequenced data accession panels are available, tagging variants can assist with post-GWAS challenges in CM discovery.

Objectives: Our objective was to identify additional GWAS evaluation criteria to assess correspondence between genomic variants and phenotypes, as well as enable deeper analysis of the localized landscape of association.

Methods: We used genomic variant positions as Synthetic phenotypes in GWAS that we named “Synthetic …

Interneuronal Network Model Of Theta-Nested Fast Oscillations Predicts Differential Effects Of Heterogeneity, Gap Junctions And Short Term Depression For Hyperpolarizing Versus Shunting Inhibition, Guillem Via, Roman Baravalle, Fernando R. Fernandez, John A. White, Carmen C. Canavier

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Theta and gamma oscillations in the hippocampus have been hypothesized to play a role in the encoding and retrieval of memories. Recently, it was shown that an intrinsic fast gamma mechanism in medial entorhinal cortex can be recruited by optogenetic stimulation at theta frequencies, which can persist with fast excitatory synaptic transmission blocked, suggesting a contribution of interneuronal network gamma (ING). We calibrated the passive and active properties of a 100-neuron model network to capture the range of passive properties and frequency/current relationships of experimentally recorded PV+ neurons in the medial entorhinal cortex (mEC). The strength and probabilities of chemical …

Altering Gene Expression Using Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapy For Hearing Loss, Katelyn N. Robillard, Erik De Vrieze, Erwin Van Wijk, Jennifer J. Lentz

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Hearing loss affects more than 430 million people, worldwide, and is the third most common chronic physical condition in the United States and Europe (GBD Hearing Loss Collaborators, 2021; NIOSH, 2021; WHO, 2021). The loss of hearing significantly impacts motor and cognitive development, communication, education, employment, and overall quality of life. The inner ear houses the sensory organs for both hearing and balance and provides an accessible target for therapeutic delivery. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) use various mechanisms to manipulate gene expression and can be tailor-made to treat disorders with defined genetic targets. In this review, we discuss the preclinical advancements …

Himmelfarb Library Liaison Letter - December 2022, George Washington University, Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library

Himmelfarb Library Liaison Letters

No abstract provided.

Would You Make It To The Future? Teaching Race In An Assisted Reproductive Technologies And The Law Classroom, Sonia Gipson Rankin

Faculty Scholarship

Would you make it to the future? For the last five years, I have started my Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) lecture in Family Law with this question. Students take the query seriously. They ponder their lived experiences such as home training, medical history, education, financial well-being, personality traits, work ethic, and social graces when determining if they would be the “model DNA” someone might select in a future society. The good-natured jokes about being nearsighted, having a pitiful jump shot, and wearing orthodontic headgear turn reflective when someone raises the question: would someone in the future select my race? In …

How The Liberal First Amendment Under-Protects Democracy, Tabatha Abu El-Haj

Minnesota Law Review Vols. 106:2 onward (2021-present)

This Article advances a distinct theoretical account of the First Amendment that stresses its role as the underwriter of a republican form of government. Predicated on a more accurate description of the processes of self-governance, the advanced theory delivers a construction of the First Amendment that actually protects democracy in all its facets. By contrast, as currently construed, the First Amendment operates to the detriment of democracy. A singular preoccupation with speech as the mechanism of self-governance obscures the critical role of political participation as conduct. Accordingly, disruptive assemblies get less protection than disruptive speech, and the Court is blind …

Developing Distributed Real-Time Hybrid Simulation For Dynamic Response Evaluation Of Floating Wind Turbine, Hezha Lutfalla Sadraddin

Dissertations

Floating wind turbine (FWT) has a significant role in producing clean and sustainable energy in unlimited spaces with more steady wind and less cost. The design, construction, and safe operation of FWTs require a deep understanding of their dynamic responses under combined aerodynamic and hydrodynamic loads. Conventional FWT model experiments utilize wave tanks and wind tunnels. However, laboratory size and capacity and the scaling conflicts between the Froude and the Reynold numbers in these coupled wind-wave loading tests impose challenges to replicate dynamic responses of FWT. Alternatively, real-time hybrid simulation (RTHS), which combines numerical simulation and physical experiment of FWT …

Artificial Intelligence And The Disruption Of Higher Education: Strategies For Integrations Across Disciplines, James Hutson, Theresa Jeevanjee, Vanessa Vander Graaf, Jason Lively, Joe Weber, Graham Weir, Kathryn Arnone, Geremy Carnes, Kathi Vosevich, Daniel Plate, Michael Leary, Susan Edele

Faculty Scholarship

Artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on society have received a great deal of attention in the past five years since the first Stanford AI100 report. AI already globally impacts individuals in critical and personal ways, and many industries will continue to experience disruptions as the full algorithmic effects are understood. Higher education is one of the industries that will be greatly impacted; consequently, many institutions have begun accelerating its adoption across disciplines to address the fast-approaching market shift. Recent advances with the technology are especially promising for its potential to create and scale personalized learning for students, to optimize …

Social Emotional Learning And Its Development Through Dance: Comparing The Opinions Of Dance Educators And Non-Dance Educators, Teresa Pachniak

Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to identify connections between what is learned in a dance classroom within public schools and the five components of a Social Emotional Learning Curriculum: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. The research was designed to answer the following questions: Q1 Are the five components of SEL demonstrated regularly by dance students in compared to non-dance students? Q2 Can SEL be taught using a dance curriculum of movement exploration and dance scholarship? The researcher hoped to accomplish this goal by comparing the opinions of dance teachers and those of non-dance teachers, regarding …

Conservation Genomics: Utilizing Genetic And Transcriptomic Sequencing For Effective Conservation Management Of Astragalus Osterhoutii, Christine Mowad

Master's Theses

Astragalus osterhoutii M.E. Jones (Fabaceae) is a federally listed, rare, endemic species restricted to seleniferous soils in Grand County, CO (Anderson, 1989). This research utilized both RADseq and RNAseq to generate neutral and adaptive genomic datasets. Neutral data analysis aimed to determine i) the genetic diversity of A. osterhoutii and each of its populations level, ii) how genetic structure is partitioned across the species range, and iii) the closest relative to A. osterhoutii. Analysis of adaptive, RNAseq data aimed to identify i) differentially expressed genes, ii) if patterns of expression are similar to neutral data, and iii) differences in Se …

Dance Education In Pennsylvania Charter Schools: Advocating For Parity Among The Core Arts Disciplines, Donna Lynch

Master's Theses

The goal of this research was to collect data on existing dance programs and activities in Pennsylvania charter schools, and to advocate for the presence of dance in school arts offerings for academic credit, creating parity among the four core arts disciplines of visual arts, music, theater, and dance. The researcher developed three essential questions to guide this research:

Q1 What dance education programs currently exist in Pennsylvania charter schools, and what certifications are held by dance educators in these schools?

Q2 What obstacles, other than the teacher certification process, are preventing schools from hiring dance specialists and implementing dance …

Emerging Trends In The Dance Competition Industry: A Qualitative And Quantitative Analysis Of Key Stakeholder Experiences, Alyssa Hinz

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to assist dance competition participants in understanding the advantages and disadvantages of participating in dance competitions. The researcher evaluated the experiences and perceptions of the dance students, parents, and teachers that partake in dance competitions with the goal of uncovering the positive and negative effects dance competitions have on them. The research instruments used in this study included a multiple-choice survey, which was analyzed quantitatively, and a short answer survey, which was analyzed qualitatively. Limitations to this study included the survey questions, the number of participants, and the survey demographics. The survey was created …

Who’S Teaching Whom? A Dance Concert Exploring Teacher-Led, Student-Led, And Collaborative Choreographic Methods, Robin Suing

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to create a positive learning environment where students with a range of dance backgrounds can flourish. The goal was to discover the feeling responses of college students to teacher-led, student-led, and collaborative choreography to determine the importance of a balance between teacher-led and student-centered instruction. Information from this project will be used to inform curriculum planning in future dance courses. The following essential questions were used as a guide when assessing the qualitative and quantitative answers to the surveys and interview questions given to the participating students: Q1 What similarities and differences are found …