Digital Commons Network^™

Emerging Adults' Lived Prenatal Care Experiences As First-Time Mothers: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study, Linda Mcclerklin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPrenatal care is fundamental in the lives of expectant mothers. Studies have highlighted the prenatal care experiences of mothers ranging from adolescents to older women, which included the experiences of emerging adults. However, emerging adults bring particular social, emotional, and developmental concerns to pregnancy experiences that are distinct from those of their counterparts. This study explored these experiences to answer the question of what are emerging adults’ lived prenatal care experiences are as first-time mothers. Interpretive phenomenology and assumptions from critical race, feminist, communication, and intersectionality theories helped frame the study. Through purposive and snowball sampling, nine participants were selected …

Generation Z’S Perception Of Leadership Effectiveness, Lauren Seamon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The newest generation entering the workforce, Generation Z, has unique characteristics and workplace preferences that distinguish this generation from previous generations. The specific management problem is that current organizational leaders lack knowledge regarding which leadership style Generation Z employees perceive as most effective and risk not providing a productive and supportive workplace climate. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine leadership style preferences as perceived among Generation Z office employees as most effective for providing a productive and supportive workplace climate. Generational theory and social exchange theory comprised the theoretical framework. The research questions were designed to …

Predictors Of Hiv-Related Risky Sexual Behaviors Among High School Students: Socioecological Perspective, Gizachew Kebede Bassore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAn increase in risky sexual behaviors among high school students in Ethiopia has led to an increase in risk for contracting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among this population. A knowledge gap exists regarding the predictors of HIV-related risky sexual behaviors among high school students in the predominantly rural and underserved area of southern Ethiopia. The socioecological model was the theoretical framework for this research. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed to examine the association between a set of independent variables, including personal, parental, religious factors, and risky sexual behaviors among a sample of high school students. Primary data were collected …

Administrator Perceptions Of Truancy Support For Rural Elementary Students, Jennifer Lynn Douthit

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study focused on the support administrators give to truant elementary rural students in a southeastern state using a qualitative approach. Students must be accustomed to attending school daily. Chronic absence in kindergarten foretells low classroom success levels at the end of 5th grade. The problem addressed in this study was that administrators are challenged to support students with a high rate of truancy in rural elementary schools in the southeastern United States. The purpose and research question of this study was to investigate how administrators support truant elementary rural students in a southeastern state. The situational leadership theory was …

Marketing Segmentation Strategies For The Nonprofit Sector, Neffie Gatewood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many nonprofit leaders lack innovative marketing strategies to secure funding from their target audience. Nonprofit leaders who do not continue to expand on their marketing strategies may fail to secure multiple funding streams, leading to an inability to attain their mission. Grounded in the segmentation, targeting, and positioning theory, this qualitative single case study was conducted to explore the traditional and social media marketing strategies used by nonprofit leaders to secure funding from their target audience. The participants were two senior leaders from a nonprofit organization in the U.S. Midwest region. Data were gathered using semistructured interviews, financial data, organizational …

Attitudes Of State Public Health Laboratory Directors Towards Iso/Iec 17025 Accreditation, Christine Kilonzo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The impact of ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation in state public health laboratories (SPHLs) is understudied. There is a scarcity of research on SPHLs involving behavioral intent regarding ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) was utilized to evaluate SPHL directors’ attitudes towards and intent to seek or maintain ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. To test the questions of whether the three constructs of the TPB, attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control are significant predictors of intent to seek or maintain ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, and whether there are significant differences in these constructs towards the accreditation between SPHL directors based on …

Improving Racial Diversity In The Americorps Saint Louis Emergency Response Team (Ert), Michael Mclemore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is currently a significant lack of racial diversity in the fields of environmental conservation and emergency management. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify sustainable recommendations to address the lack of racial diversity amongst members of the AmeriCorps Saint Louis Emergency Response Team (ERT). Trend analysis of the racial makeup of past ERT memberships identified a far less diverse ERT in its earlier cohorts, while illustrating improved racial diversity over the past 10 years. As a result of interviews with ERT administrators, alumni, team leaders, and current members recommendations were identified that aim to sustainably increase African …

Annual Report Of The Registrar 2021/2022, University Of Northern Iowa

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Contents:

--Definitions
--Some Comparisons
--Annual Report Data
--Summary of Attendance
--Attendance by Session
--Degrees Granted 2021/22
--Degree Summary 2021/22
--Program Certificates 2021/22
--Miscellaneous Enrollment Information
--Degrees Granted by College, Degree and Racial/Ethnic Classification

2021-2022 Graduate Program Survey Report, University Of Northern Iowa. Office Of Institutional Effectiveness & Planning.

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Contents:

Graduate College Staff --- 3
Survey Methodology --- 4
Degrees Awarded 2021 - 2022 --- 5
Post-Graduation Activity --- 7
Activity During UNI Experience --- 8
Reasons to Attend UNI --- 9
Academic Experience --- 10
Graduate Education Finance --- 12
IE&P Office Information --- 15

Management Plan For Reducing Wolverine (Gulo Gulo) Habitat Fragmentation In Canada: Travel Corridors Between Tonsa Peak And Stuart Knob, Alison Keister

Research Awards

No abstract provided.

Associations And Disease–Disease Interactions Of Covid-19 With Congenital And Genetic Disorders: A Comprehensive Review, Altijana Hromić-Jahjefendić, Debmalya Barh, Cecília Horta Ramalho Pinto, Lucas Gabriel Rodrigues Gomes, Jéssica Lígia Picanço Machado, Oladapo Olawale Afolabi, Sandeep Tiwari, Alaa A.A. Aljabali, Murtaza M. Tambuwala, Ángel Serrano-Aroca, Elrashdy M. Redwan, Vladimir N. Uversky, Kenneth Lundstrom

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Since December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic, which originated in Wuhan, China, has resulted in over six million deaths worldwide. Millions of people who survived this SARS-CoV-2 infection show a number of post-COVID complications. Although, the comorbid conditions and post-COVID complexities are to some extent well reviewed and known, the impact of COVID-19 on pre-existing congenital anomalies and genetic diseases are only documented in isolated case reports and case series, so far. In the present review, we analyzed the PubMed indexed literature published between December 2019 and January 2022 to understand this relationship from various points of view, such as susceptibility, …

Bioactive Peptides: Synthesis, Sources, Applications, And Proposed Mechanisms Of Action, Mohsen Akbarian, Ali Khani, Sara Eghbalpour, Vladimir N. Uversky

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Bioactive peptides are a group of biological molecules that are normally buried in the structure of parent proteins and become active after the cleavage of the proteins. Another group of peptides is actively produced and found in many microorganisms and the body of organisms. Today, many groups of bioactive peptides have been marketed chemically or recombinantly. This article reviews the various production methods and sources of these important/ubiquitous and useful biomolecules. Their applications, such as antimicrobial, antihypertensive, antioxidant activities, blood-lipid-lowering effect, opioid role, antiobesity, ability to bind minerals, antidiabetic, and antiaging effects, will be explored. The types of pathways proposed …

Erythropoietin Interacts With Specific S100 Proteins, Alexey S. Kazakov, Eugenia I. Deryusheva, Andrey S. Sokolov, Maria E. Permyakova, Ekaterina A. Litus, Victoria A. Rastrygina, Vladimir N. Uversky, Eugene A. Permyakov, Sergei E. Permyakov

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a clinically significant four-helical cytokine, exhibiting erythropoietic, cytoprotective, immunomodulatory, and cancer-promoting activities. Despite vast knowledge on its signaling pathways and physiological effects, extracellular factors regulating EPO activity remain underexplored. Here we show by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy, that among eighteen members of Ca2+-binding proteins of the S100 protein family studied, only S100A2, S100A6 and S100P proteins specifically recognize EPO with equilibrium dissociation constants ranging from 81 nM to 0.5 µM. The interactions occur exclusively under calcium excess. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the EPO-S100 interactions could be relevant to progression of neoplastic diseases, including cancer, and other diseases. …

Arrangement Of Hydrogen Bonds In Aqueous Solutions Of Different Globular Proteins, Amber R. Titus, Pedro P. Madeira, Luisa A. Ferreira, Alexander I. Belgovskiy, Elizabeth K. Mann, Jay Adin Mann Jr., William V. Meyer, Anthony E. Smart, Vladimir N. Uversky, Boris Zaslavsky

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

This work presents the first evidence that dissolved globular proteins change the arrangement of hydrogen bonds in water, with different proteins showing quantitatively different effects. Using ATR-FTIR (attenuated total reflection—Fourier transform infrared) spectroscopic analysis of OH-stretch bands, we obtain quantitative estimates of the relative amounts of the previously reported four subpopulations of water structures coexisting in a variety of aqueous solutions. Where solvatochromic dyes can measure the properties of solutions of non-ionic polymers, the results correlate well with ATR-FTIR measurements. In protein solutions to which solvatochromic dye probes cannot be applied, NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy was used for the …

Improving Data Visualization Skills: A Curriculum Design, Daniel A. Asamoah

Management Information Systems Faculty Publications

It is unclear whether the data visualization skills possessed by data-centric practitioners reflect recent advances in computing systems and visual design principles, and their role in generating relevant and insightful output to support decision-making. In this study, the author presents a curriculum designed for teaching basic and advanced concepts in data visualization. The author used the survey method to examine whether respondents perceived the pedagogic approach to have enhanced their data visualization competence. The findings indicate preference for a hands- on pedagogic approach to learning data visualization as compared to an entirely theory-based approach. Furthermore, different components of the pedagogic …

Editorial: Intrinsically Disordered Proteins And Regions: The Challenge To The Structure-Function Relationship, Angelo Toto, Pietro Sormanni, Cristina Paissoni, Vladimir N. Uversky

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Biapss: A Comprehensive Physicochemical Analyzer Of Proteins Undergoing Liquid–Liquid Phase Separation, Aleksandra E. Badaczewska-Dawid, Vladimir N. Uversky, Davit A. Potoyan

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

The liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) of biomolecules is a phenomenon which is nowadays recognized as the driving force for the biogenesis of numerous functional membraneless organelles and cellular bodies. The interplay between the protein primary sequence and phase separation remains poorly understood, despite intensive research. To uncover the sequence-encoded signals of protein capable of undergoing LLPS, we developed a novel web platform named BIAPSS (Bioinformatics Analysis of LLPS Sequences). This web server provides on-the-fly analysis, visualization, and interpretation of the physicochemical and structural features for the superset of curated LLPS proteins.

Small Heat Shock Protein 22 Improves Cognition And Learning In The Tauopathic Brain, Santiago Rodriguez Ospina, Danielle M. Blazier, Marangelie Criado-Marrero, Lauren A. Gould, Niad T. Gebru, David Beaulieu-Abdelahad, Xinming Wang, Elizabeth Remily-Wood, Dale Chaput, Stanley Stevens Jr., Vladimir N. Uversky, Paula C. Bickford, Chad Anthony Dickey, Laura J. Blair

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

The microtubule-associated protein tau pathologically accumulates and aggregates in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other tauopathies, leading to cognitive dysfunction and neuronal loss. Molecular chaperones, like small heat-shock proteins (sHsps), can help deter the accumulation of misfolded proteins, such as tau. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the overexpression of wild-type Hsp22 (wtHsp22) and its phosphomimetic (S24,57D) Hsp22 mutant (mtHsp22) could slow tau accumulation and preserve memory in a murine model of tauopathy, rTg4510. Our results show that Hsp22 protected against deficits in synaptic plasticity and cognition in the tauopathic brain. However, we did not detect a significant change in tau …

Ibuprofen Favors Binding Of Amyloid-Β Peptide To Its Depot, Serum Albumin, Ekaterina A. Litus, Alexei S. Kazakov, Eugenia I. Deryusheva, Ekaterina L. Nemashkalova, Marina P. Shevelyova, Andrey V. Machulin, Aliya A. Nazipova, Maria E. Permyakova, Vladimir N. Uversky, Sergei E. Permyakov

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

The deposition of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) in the brain is a critical event in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This Aβ deposition could be prevented by directed enhancement of Aβ binding to its natural depot, human serum albumin (HSA). Previously, we revealed that specific endogenous ligands of HSA improve its affinity to monomeric Aβ. We show here that an exogenous HSA ligand, ibuprofen (IBU), exerts the analogous effect. Plasmon resonance spectroscopy data evidence that a therapeutic IBU level increases HSA affinity to monomeric Aβ40/Aβ42 by a factor of 3–5. Using thioflavin T fluorescence assay and transmission electron microcopy, we …

Sars-Cov-2 Intermittent Virulence As A Result Of Natural Selection, Alberto Rubio-Casillas, Elrashdy M. Redwan, Vladimir N. Uversky

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

For the first time in history, we have witnessed the origin and development of a pandemic. To handle the accelerated accumulation of viral mutations and to comprehend the virus’ evolutionary adaptation in humans, an unparalleled program of genetic sequencing and monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 variants has been undertaken. Several scientists have theorized that, with the Omicron surge producing a more contagious but less severe disease, the end of COVID-19 is near. However, by analyzing the behavior shown by this virus for 2 years, we have noted that pandemic viruses do not always show decreased virulence. Instead, it appears there is an …

Interferon-Β Activity Is Affected By S100b Protein, Alexey S. Kazakov, Alexander D. Sofin, Nadezhda V. Avkhacheva, Eugenia I. Deryusheva, Victoria A. Rastrygina, Maria E. Permyakova, Vladimir N. Uversky, Eugene A. Permyakov, Sergei E. Permyakov

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Interferon-β (IFN-β) is a pleiotropic cytokine secreted in response to various pathological conditions and is clinically used for therapy of multiple sclerosis. Its application for treatment of cancer, infections and pulmonary diseases is limited by incomplete understanding of regulatory mechanisms of its functioning. Recently, we reported that IFN-β activity is affected by interactions with S100A1, S100A4, S100A6, and S100P proteins, which are members of the S100 protein family of multifunctional Ca2+-binding proteins possessing cytokine-like activities (Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(24):9473). Here we show that IFN-β interacts with one more representative of the S100 protein family, the S100B protein, involved in …

Early Taurine Administration As A Means For Halting The Cytokine Storm Progression In Covid-19 Patients, Alberto Rubio-Casillas, Ramesh C. Gupta, Elrashdy M. Redwan, Vladimir N. Uversky, Raied A. Badierah

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Around the world, more than 6.2 million individuals have died as a result of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). According to a recent survey conducted among immunologists, epidemiologists, and virologists, this disease is expected to become endemic. This implies that the disease could have a continuous presence and/or normal frequency in the population. Pharmacological interventions to prevent infection, as well as to treat the patients at an early phase of illness to avoid hospitalization are essential additions to the vaccines. Taurine is known to inhibit the generation of all inflammatory mediators linked to the cytokine storm. It can also protect against …

New Evidence Of The Importance Of Weak Interactions In The Formation Of Pml-Bodies, Alexander V. Fonin, Sergey A. Silonov, Anna S. Fefilova, Olesya V. Stepanenko, Anastasia A. Gavrilova, Alexey V. Petukhov, Anna E. Romanovich, Anna L. Modina, Tatiana S. Zueva, Evgeniy M. Nedelyaev, Nadejda M. Pleskach, Irina M. Kuznetsova, Vladimir N. Uversky, Konstantin K. Turoverov, Mirya L. Kuranova

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

In this work, we performed a comparative study of the formation of PML bodies by full-length PML isoforms and their C-terminal domains in the presence and absence of endogenous PML. Based on the analysis of the distribution of intrinsic disorder predisposition in the amino acid sequences of PML isoforms, regions starting from the amino acid residue 395 (i.e., sequences encoded by exons 4–6) were assigned as the C-terminal domains of these proteins. We demonstrate that each of the full-sized nuclear isoforms of PML is capable of forming nuclear liquid-droplet compartments in the absence of other PML isoforms. These droplets possess …

Nanoparticles For Coronavirus Control, Maryam Kianpour, Mohsen Akbarian, Vladimir N. Uversky

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

More than 2 years have passed since the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak began, and many challenges that existed at the beginning of this pandemic have been solved. Some countries have been able to overcome this global challenge by relying on vaccines against the virus, and vaccination has begun in many countries. Many of the proposed vaccines have nanoparticles as carriers, and there are different nano-based diagnostic approaches for rapid detection of the virus. In this review article, we briefly examine the biology of SARS-CoV-2, including the structure of the virus and what makes it pathogenic, as well as describe biotechnological methods of …

Looking At The Pathogenesis Of The Rabies Lyssavirus Strain Pasteur Vaccins Through A Prism Of The Disorder-Based Bioinformatics, Surya Dhulipala, Vladimir N. Uversky

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Rabies is a neurological disease that causes between 40,000 and 70,000 deaths every year. Once a rabies patient has become symptomatic, there is no effective treatment for the illness, and in unvaccinated individuals, the case-fatality rate of rabies is close to 100%. French scientists Louis Pasteur and Émile Roux developed the first vaccine for rabies in 1885. If administered before the virus reaches the brain, the modern rabies vaccine imparts long-lasting immunity to the virus and saves more than 250,000 people every year. However, the rabies virus can suppress the host’s immune response once it has entered the cells of …

Sars-Cov-2: A Master Of Immune Evasion, Alberto Rubio-Casillas, Elrashdy M. Redwan, Vladimir N. Uversky

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Viruses and their hosts have coevolved for a long time. This coevolution places both the pathogen and the human immune system under selective pressure; on the one hand, the immune system has evolved to combat viruses and virally infected cells, while viruses have developed sophisticated mechanisms to escape recognition and destruction by the immune system. SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that is causing the current COVID-19 pandemic, has shown a remarkable ability to escape antibody neutralization, putting vaccine efficacy at risk. One of the virus’s immune evasion strategies is mitochondrial sabotage: by causing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial physiology is impaired, …

Calcium-Bound S100p Protein Is A Promiscuous Binding Partner Of The Four-Helical Cytokines, Alexey S. Kazakov, Eugenia I. Deryusheva, Maria E. Permyakova, Andrey S. Sokolov, Victoria A. Rastrygina, Vladimir N. Uversky, Eugene A. Permyakov, Sergei E. Permyakov

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

S100 proteins are multifunctional calcium-binding proteins of vertebrates that act intracellularly, extracellularly, or both, and are engaged in the progression of many socially significant diseases. Their extracellular action is typically mediated by the recognition of specific receptor proteins. Recent studies indicate the ability of some S100 proteins to affect cytokine signaling through direct interaction with cytokines. S100P was shown to be the S100 protein most actively involved in interactions with some four-helical cytokines. To assess the selectivity of the S100P protein binding to four-helical cytokines, we have probed the interaction of Ca2+-bound recombinant human S100P with a panel of 32 …

Hepatitis C Virus Infection And Intrinsic Disorder In The Signaling Pathways Induced By Toll-Like Receptors, Elrashdy M. Redwan, Abdullah A. Aljadawi, Vladimir N. Uversky

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

In this study, we examined the interplay between protein intrinsic disorder, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and signaling pathways induced by Toll-like receptors (TLRs). To this end, 10 HCV proteins, 10 human TLRs, and 41 proteins from the TLR-induced downstream pathways were considered from the prevalence of intrinsic disorder. Mapping of the intrinsic disorder to the HCV-TLR interactome and to the TLR-based pathways of human innate immune response to the HCV infection demonstrates that substantial levels of intrinsic disorder are characteristic for proteins involved in the regulation and execution of these innate immunity pathways and in HCV-TLR interaction. Disordered regions, …

Intrinsic Disorder As A Natural Preservative: High Levels Of Intrinsic Disorder In Proteins Found In The 2600-Year-Old Human Brain, Aaron S. Mohammed, Vladimir N. Uversky

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Proteomic analysis revealed the preservation of many proteins in the Heslington brain (which is at least 2600-year-old brain tissue uncovered within the skull excavated in 2008 from a pit in Heslington, Yorkshire, England). Five of these proteins—“main proteins”: heavy, medium, and light neurofilament proteins (NFH, NFM, and NFL), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and myelin basic (MBP) protein—are engaged in the formation of non-amyloid protein aggregates, such as intermediate filaments and myelin sheath. We used a wide spectrum of bioinformatics tools to evaluate the prevalence of functional disorder in several related sets of proteins, such as the main proteins and …

Expression And Purification Of A Cleavable Recombinant Fortilin From Escherichia Coli For Structure Activity Studies, Maranda S. Cantrell, Jackson D. Wall, Xinzhu Pu, Matthew Turner, Luke Woodbury, Owen M. Mcdougal, Lisa R. Warner

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Complications related to atherosclerosis account for approximately 1 in 4 deaths in the United States and treatment has focused on lowering serum LDL-cholesterol levels with statins. However, approximately 50% of those diagnosed with atherosclerosis have blood cholesterol levels within normal parameters. Human fortilin is an anti-apoptotic protein and a factor in macrophage-mediated atherosclerosis and is hypothesized to protect inflammatory macrophages from apoptosis, leading to subsequent cardiac pathogenesis. Fortilin is unique because it provides a novel drug target for atherosclerosis that goes beyond lowering cholesterol and utilization of a solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, structure-based drug discovery approach requires milligram …