Digital Commons Network^™

Quest Capstone 2022- Making Missoula's Communication More Effective, Lorelei Keith, Brooke Nicklay, Noah Gilder

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

No abstract provided.

The Atlantic Surfclam Fishery And Offshore Wind Energy Development: 1. Model Development And Verification, Daphne M. Munroe, Eric N. Powell, John M. Klinck, Andrew M. Scheld, Sarah Borsetti, Jennifer Beckensteiner, Eileen E. Hofmann

CCPO Publications

Competing pressures imposed by climate-related warming and offshore development have created a need for quantitative approaches that anticipate fisheries responses to these challenges. This study used a spatially explicit, ecological-economic agent-based model integrating dynamics associated with Atlantic surfclam stock biology, decision-making behavior of fishing vessel captains, and fishing fleet behavior to simulate stock biomass, and fishing vessel catch, effort and landings. Simulations were implemented using contemporary Atlantic surfclam stock distributions and characteristics of the surfclam fishing fleet. Simulated distribution of fishable surfclam biomass was determined by a spatially varying mortality rate, fishing by the fleet was controlled by captain decisions …

2021-2022 Georgia Southern University Women's Swimming And Diving Roster, Georgia Southern University

Women's Swimming Records

• 2021-22 Swimming and Diving Roster

Reflections On Teaching Constitutional Law In The Midst Of A Constitutional Crisis, Sean Kammer

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Resisting The Mafia’S Oppression Through Children’S Literature, Giordana Poggiolo-Kaftan

Italian Languages and Literature

Attraverso l’analisi di quattro libri per l’infanzia ed adolescenza sulla mafia ed antimafia, questo articolo mette in risalto sia le funzioni narrative di tali racconti che quelle più propriamente sociali e culturali. Per l’analisi delle funzioni narrative, l’articolo si serve delle teorie strutturali di Vladimir Propp – soprattutto quelle relative alla persona drammatica dell’eroe e del “cattivo” – come delle teorie della narrazione del trauma. Queste ultime sono particolarmente favorevoli all’interpretazione degli orrori e tragedie causate dalla mafia nelle vite dei protagonisti. È proprio attraverso l’analisi delle funzioni narrative e letterarie che i racconti assumono il valore di testimonianze di …

Characterization Of The Blood Oxygen Level Dependent Hemodynamic Response Function In Human Subcortical Regions With High Spatiotemporal Resolution, Jung Hwan Kim, Amanda J Taylor, Marc Himmelbach, Gisela E Hagberg, Klaus Scheffler, David Ress

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Subcortical brain regions are absolutely essential for normal human function. These phylogenetically early brain regions play critical roles in human behaviors such as the orientation of attention, arousal, and the modulation of sensory signals to cerebral cortex. Despite the critical health importance of subcortical brain regions, there has been a dearth of research on their neurovascular responses. Blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional MRI (fMRI) experiments can help fill this gap in our understanding. The BOLD hemodynamic response function (HRF) evoked by brief (<4 >s) neural activation is crucial for the interpretation of fMRI results because linear analysis between neural …

Comparing Physiological Responses To Hot And Cold Stress In A Cnidarian–Algal Holobiont, Exaiptasia Diaphana, Nicole Capozzi, Eyananda Ahmed, Ezra Curtis, Olivia Grandbois, Dominique Kelly, Kadin Kristjansson, Natalie Morgan, Louis Schlecker, Rachel M. Wright

Other Student Projects

Coral bleaching—the breakdown of the cnidarian–algal symbiosis—is a major cause of reef decline. The sea anemone Exaiptasia diaphana, commonly known as Aiptasia, is used as a model to study cnidarian-algal symbiosis in laboratory settings. Aiptasia can live with or without symbionts, which allows scientists to study the host combined and separate from the influence of the symbionts. Scientists are able to trigger the breakdown of the symbiosis using heat or cold stress. Cold stress is more commonly used to render aposymbiotic Aiptasia because it seems to be less harmful to the host than bleaching under heat stress. Is cold …

Differential Gene Expression In Cord Blood Of Infants Diagnosed With Cerebral Palsy: A Pilot Analysis Of The Beam Cohort, Maria L V Dizon, Raye-Ann O Deregnier, Steven J Weiner, Michael W Varner, Dwight J Rouse, Maged M Costantine, Ronald J Wapner, John M Thorp, Sean C Blackwell, Nina K Ayala, Antonio F Saad, Steve N Caritis, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute Of Child Health And Human Development Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The Beneficial Effects of Antenatal Magnesium clinical trial was conducted between 1997 and 2007, and demonstrated a significant reduction in cerebral palsy (CP) in preterm infants who were exposed to peripartum magnesium sulfate (MgSO4). However, the mechanism by which MgSO4 confers neuroprotection remains incompletely understood. Cord blood samples from this study were interrogated during an era when next-generation sequencing was not widely accessible and few gene expression differences or biomarkers were identified between treatment groups. Our goal was to use bulk RNA deep sequencing to identify differentially expressed genes comparing the following four groups: newborns who ultimately developed CP treated …

Methodologies To Unlock The Molecular Expression And Cellular Structure Of Ocular Lens Epithelial Cells, Justin Parreno, Grace Emin, Michael P Vu, Jackson T Clark, Sandeep Aryal, Shaili D Patel, Catherine Cheng

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The transparent ocular lens in the anterior chamber of the eye is responsible for fine focusing of light onto the retina. The lens is entirely cellular with bulk of the tissue composed of fiber cells, and the anterior hemisphere of the lens is covered by a monolayer of epithelial cells. Lens epithelial cells are important for maintaining fiber cell homeostasis and for continual growth of the lens tissue throughout life. Cataracts, defined as any opacity in the lens, remain the leading cause of blindness in the world. Following cataract surgery, lens epithelial cells can undergo a process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition …

A Gene-Based Capture Assay For Surveying Patterns Of Genetic Diversity And Insecticide Resistance In A Worldwide Group Of Invasive Mosquitoes, Matthew L. Aardema, Michael G. Campana, Nicole E. Wagner, Francisco C. Ferreira, Dina M. Fonseca

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Understanding patterns of diversification, genetic exchange, and pesticide resistance in arthropod disease vectors is necessary for effective population management. With the availability of next-generation sequencing technologies, one of the best approaches for surveying such patterns involves the simultaneous genotyping of many samples for a large number of genetic markers. To this end, the targeting of gene sequences of known function can be a cost-effective strategy. One insect group of substantial health concern are the mosquito taxa that make up the Culex pipiens complex. Members of this complex transmit damaging arboviruses and filariae worms to humans, as well as other pathogens …

Tyrosine Phosphatase Ptpro Deficiency In Erbb2-Positive Breast Cancer Contributes To Poor Prognosis And Lapatinib Resistance., Hongmei Dong, Liang Du, Songwang Cai, Wan Lin, Chaoying Chen, Matthew Still, Zhimeng Yao, Robert P Coppes, Yunlong Pan, Dianzheng Zhang, Shegan Gao, Hao Zhang

PCOM Scholarly Works

Despite the initial benefit from treating ERBB2-positive breast cancer with tyrosine kinase inhibitor lapatinib, resistance develops inevitably. Since the expression of protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor-type O (PTPRO), a member of the R3 subfamily of receptor protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs), is inversely correlated with the aggressiveness of multiple malignancies, we decided to explore the correlation between PTPRO and lapatinib resistance in ERBB2-positive breast cancer. Results of immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and the correlation analysis between the expression levels of PTPRO and the clinicopathological parameters indicate that PTPRO is downregulated in cancer tissues as compared with normal tissues and negatively associated with differentiation, …

Germline Mutations In Patients With Early-Onset Prostate Cancer., Tang Tang, Xintao Tan, Ze Wang, Shuo Wang, Yapeng Wang, Jing Xu, Xiajie Wei, Dianzheng Zhang, Qiuli Liu, Jun Jiang

PCOM Scholarly Works

Objective: To investigate the inherited mutations and their association with clinical features and treatment response in young-onset prostate cancer patients.

Method: Targeted gene sequencing on 139 tumor susceptibility genes was conducted with a total of 24 patients diagnosed with PCa under the age of 63 years old. Meanwhile, the related clinical information of those patients is collected and analyzed.

Results: Sixty-two germline mutations in 45 genes were verified in 22 patients.

Conclusion: Mutations in DRGs are more prevalent in early-onset PCa with advanced clinical stages, and these patients had shorter progression-free survival. ADT Combined with either radiotherapy or chemotherapy may …

Exploring The Effects Of Creativity And Student Success On Community College Stem Students Taking Fine Arts Courses, Jimmy Leduc

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study examined overall success and creativity in students taking STEM courses at a Midwestern community college. There were four hypotheses in this study. The first was that STEM majors who had taken one or more fine arts courses would report a higher GPA than STEM majors who have not taken fine arts courses. The second was that there would be a positive correlation among STEM majors between the number of fine arts courses taken and grade point average. The third is that STEM majors who had taken one or more fine arts courses would demonstrate greater creativity than STEM …

Three-Dimensional Mesenchymal Stem Cell Laden Scaffold Of Icariin Sustained-Release For Bone Regeneration, Yanbing Liu, Yan Fang

Turkish Journal of Biology

Background/aim: Icariin (ICA)-loaded zein/PLGA nanofiber membrane combined with MSCs was prepared by coaxial electrospinning and bioelectrospraying. Materials and methods: SEM and TEM were used to evaluate the surface morphology and microstructure of the fiber membrane. Ultraviolet spectrophotometry was used to detect drug release. A LIVE/DEAD Viability/Cytotoxicity Kit and fluorescence staining were used to detect cell morphology and activity. Alkaline phosphatase and calcium mineralization deposition were used to evaluate the osteoinductive activity of the scaffold. Dynamic mechanical analysis was used to determine the Young's modulus, maximum load, and maximum elongation of the prepared scaffold. Western blot was used to detect the …

Rnai For Western Corn Rootworm Management: Lessons Learned, Challenges, And Future Directions, Molly Darlington, Jordan D. Reinders, Amit Sethi, Albert L. Lu, Partha Ramaseshadri, Joshua R. Fischer, Chad J. Boeckman, Jay S. Petrick, Jason M. Roper, Kenneth E. Narva, Ana M. Vélez

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is considered one of the most economically important pests of maize (Zea mays L.) in the United States (U.S.) Corn Belt with costs of management and yield losses exceeding USD ~1–2 billion annually. WCR management has proven challenging given the ability of this insect to evolve resistance to multiple management strategies including synthetic insecticides, cultural practices, and plant-incorporated protectants, generating a constant need to develop new management tools. One of the most recent developments is maize expressing double-stranded hairpin RNA structures targeting housekeeping genes, which triggers an RNA interference (RNAi) …

Developing And Evaluating A Pollination Systems Knowledge Assessment In A Multidisciplinary Course, P. Citlally Jimenez, Doug Golick, Brian A. Couch, Jenny Dauer

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Background: Although pollinators play an integral role in human well-being, their continued global decline reflects the need to provide and evaluate general pollinator knowledge to promote their conservation. Enhancing learners’ understanding of the complexity inherent in pollination systems within the science classroom may help them make more informed decisions regarding pollinator conservation actions. By measuring conceptual understanding of pollination systems, science educators can identify learners’ knowledge needs and inform their teaching in science classrooms. Based on previously developed theoretical frameworks describing pollination systems knowledge, we created and evaluated a new instrument to assess pollination systems and conservation actions knowledge. The …

Analyzing Factors That Contribute To Attrition Of Underrepresented Undergraduate Students In Computer Science, Noura Albarakati

Open Access Dissertations

In recent years, women and underrepresented minority students have made significant advances in traditionally White male-dominated majors. Nevertheless, they are still underrepresented in most STEM majors. Consequently, many institutions in Higher Education are exploring ways to deliver environments that support those underrepresented students’ retention in science and engineering. This study sheds some light on women and minority students’ underrepresentation in computer science by exploring factors associated with their retention in the field.

This dissertation starts with an exploratory analysis that examines the attrition rate of underrepresented students who switched to other majors compared to their majority peers and investigates any …

Longitudinal Investigation Of Childhood Trauma And Emotiondriven Impulsivity, Svetlana Goncharenko

Open Access Dissertations

Exposure to childhood trauma is associated with numerous adverse psychological, physical, and behavioral health consequences. This highlight childhood trauma as a major public health problem. Addressing important gaps in the existing research, the proposed study clarifies the bidirectional and unique prospective associations between childhood trauma and both negative and positive emotion-driven impulsivity. This study utilized a sample of 11,872 participants from the ABCD study and conducted Cross Lagged Panel Models to evaluate the bisectional associations between childhood trauma and positive and negative emotion-driven impulsivity. Findings showed that earlier childhood trauma was associated with higher levels of later negative and positive …

A Multi-Year Investigation Of The Specialized Metabolite Composition Of Trichodesmium Spp., Christopher William Via

Open Access Dissertations

The specialized metabolite composition of members of the genus Trichodesmium is understudied in comparison to what is known about its ecological role as a dominant nitrogen fixer in oligotrophic tropical and subtropical waters. The occurrence of large surface accumulations, or blooms, comprised of these filamentous cyanobacteria is increasing globally and these events contain potentially toxic metabolites. Currently there is a lack of a systematic field and laboratory studies with respect to Trichodesmium spp. metabolic capacity. This study aims to determine the specialized metabolite profile of two members of the Trichodesmium genus examining cultivated specimens and environmental collections (from the Gulf …

Reconstructing Nutrient Consumption In The Expanded Southern Ocean Of Pleistocene Glacial Periods, Basia A. Marcks

Open Access Dissertations

The emergence of the longer, high amplitude glacial cycles of the last ~1 million years are attributed, in part, to variations in the global overturning circulation and iron stimulation of biological carbon drawdown. Previously, data resolving the relative importance of these processes within the Southern Ocean did not exist. Here, I present high resolution records of foraminifera-bound nitrogen isotope values from ODP Site 1090, within the Subantarctic Zone (SAZ), and IODP Site U1475, beneath the modern Subtropical Frontal Zone (STFZ), spanning both the last glacial period (0 - 160,000 years ago) and the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT, 1,200,000 - 600,000 years …

A Technology-Based, Mixed Methods Approach To Examining The Psychosocial Determinants Of Maternal Health Disparities, Hannah M. Ming

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Exposure to racism and discrimination in the U.S. increases Black women’s risk for experiencing maternal health disparities. Additionally, racism and discrimination affect maternal psychosocial well-being, creating evidence for a biopsychosocial relationship between racism and maternal health outcomes. However, current research does not define the psychosocial Black maternal self well. Given the dynamic relationship between racism, psychosocial well-being, and Black maternal health outcomes, research must comprehensively examine the Black maternal self. The operationalization of a comprehensive construct for Black maternal psychosocial well-being can improve understanding of the relationship between racism, psychosocial well-being, and Black maternal health outcomes.

Purpose: …

A Stillness In The Desert? Engaging The Public Through An Immersive Exploration Of Southwest Soundscapes, Julian Kilker, Thomas Bjelic

Creative Collaborations

The pandemic highlighted the anthropocentric nature of soundscapes, while the recent popularity of electric cars, quadcopters, and “noise cancellation” earbuds demonstrated how consumer products can rapidly change our awareness of sound. While light pollution is already extensively addressed in scholarly research, popular works such as The End of Night, and public engagement such as The International Dark Sky Association, the complex interplay of sound, natural resources, and public engagement is still emerging, particularly in creative fields.

Two UNLV scholars and artists are collaborating on this project: Julian Kilker, who specializes in visual and emerging technology research, and Tom Bjelic, who …

Choosing Death, Shaping Death: Assumptions About Disabilities, Race, And Death, Janet L. Dolgin

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

An Exploratory Study Of Conversational Discourse Produced By Persons With Aphasia Using Speech Function Analysis, Christa M. Akers

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Casual conversation is essential to everyday life. Because of their language impairment, most people with stroke-induced aphasia have trouble engaging in social interactions and may, as a result, experience a decrease in psychosocial well-being. There is a great need, therefore, to identify the interventions most likely to improve the everyday talk of individuals affected by aphasia. Approaches to intervention that aim to improve the social participation and communicative success of people with aphasia during real-life interactions, known as conversation-based treatment, have increased in popularity.

When delivered in a group setting, conversation-based treatments have been shown to increase scores on standardized …

Socioeconomic Status, Gender, And Diet, Alexander Dean Bracken

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Health outcomes like morbidities and death relate to socioeconomic status (SES), or the power and prestige related to social classes. Many of such outcomes can also be attributed to diet, which SES and gender have been related to. The current study sought to discover factors relevant to dietary behaviors like ground meat preference and motives like the importance of food price, nutrition, naturalness, and convenience. Does SES predict a preference for ground turkey; the importance of food price; nutrition; and naturalness? Does gender predict the importance of food nutrition, naturalness, or convenience? A survey measured participants’ levels of education and …

Assessment Of Digital Imaging Flow Cytometry In Its Application Of Harmful Algal Blooms Monitoring, Melissa Mazzaro

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

As harmful algal blooms (HABs) are becoming an increasing global threat to the health of people, animals, and aquatic ecosystems, finding ways to efficiently detect and manage blooms is critical. Traditional methods of identifying and enumerating phytoplankton cells involve light microscopy; however, this is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. Meanwhile, digital imaging flow cytometry is a relatively novel and rapid method of enumerating and identifying particles within phytoplankton samples. Previous studies have documented comparable digital flow cytometry results to microscopy results; however, there are concerns relating to the underestimation of cells and misidentification of particles with their automated classification systems. …

Into The Roach’S Mouth: Beyond The Postmodern Discourse On Silence In Clarice Lispector’S The Passion According To G.H., Eman Halimeh

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In Clarice Lispector’s novel The Passion According to G.H. the protagonist experiences a complete break from reality when she enters her maid’s room and encounters a cockroach. The entire plot is predicated on this encounter, but the existential crisis is filtered through a quest for a resounding silence – one that will liberate G.H. from the shackles of a preorganized existence. This thesis will explore Clarice Lispector’s use of silence as it functions in relation to a repurposed posthuman theory. By investigating Lispector’s preoccupation with the “thingness” of being, I expose the limitations of postmodern feminism and offer a way …

Science Literacy Skills Of First-Generation And Underrepresented First-Year Students And The Stem Pioneers Intervention, Rebecca Sarah Katherine Thompson

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

First-generation students and other underrepresented groups face particular challenges at college, which can affect whether they thrive in their courses and remain on track to graduate. For students interested in majoring in a STEM field (science, technology, engineering, and math), science literacy skills are necessary for success in their coursework and future careers. We investigated the impact of demographic factors on science literacy skills, retention, and grade point average (GPA). The STEM Pioneers program at Montclair State University (MSU; Montclair, New Jersey, USA) was designed to support first-generation students with an interest in STEM who have not yet declared a …

All About The Prairie: Coloring Book Of Plants, Animals, And Insects Native To Iowa Prairies, Brianna Hull

Faculty Book Gallery

A coloring book with drawings of plants, animals, and insects that are native to Iowa. Includes the common and Latin names of the species as well as the Meskwaki names for some. -- Provided by the publisher

Worth A Shot: Encouraging Vaccine Uptake Through "Empathy", Jody L. Madeira

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Pro- and anti-vaccine organizations and individuals have frequently invoked empathy as a strategy for increasing uptake of COVID-19 precautions, including vaccinations. On one hand, vaccine supporters deployed empathy to defuse conflict, prioritize safeguarding the collective welfare, and avoid government mandates. On the other hand, vaccine opponents used empathy to emphasize the alleged individual effects of pandemic precautions, mobilize public voices, and stress the importance of medical freedom in policy-making contexts.

This Article first defines empathy and reviews empathy scholarship, paying particular attention to its relationship with narrative and the contexts where empathy can be difficult or dangerous. It then applies …