Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of Biomass-Derived Nanoparticles For Biological And Medical Applications, Sarah Elizabeth Reagen

Theses and Dissertations

Quantum dots (QDs) are a subset of nanoparticles (NPs) that have several unique optical and electrical properties that make them viable for fluorescent cell labeling applications. However, these QDs in the past were composed of toxic heavy metals such as lead and cadmium, and therefore, graphene-based QDs (GQDs) have been examined as an alternative material for these cell labeling applications for their increased biocompatibility. Furthermore, GQDs can produced singlet oxygen (1O2) for photodynamic therapy (PDT), making them capable of being used as a PS agent for cancer treatment. Additionally, hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (hMSNs) are capable of being an alternative …

Investigating Gender Diversity, Equity, And Inclusivity And Students’ Experiences Within Collegiate Team-Based Learning Environments, Marissa Elizabeth Saad

Theses and Dissertations

As the United States works towards strengthening and diversifying the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce, many national charges aim to increase the quantity of female participants, while overlooking how systematic barriers affect the quality of female students’ education. Many STEM workforce development programs, such as the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, are committed to improving the nation’s diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI) efforts, enabling technical education through hands-on team-based learning (TBL) environments.

The purpose of this study was to take a holistic approach to assess how gender DEI in STEM team environments influence the quality of …

Retired Indigenous And Non-Indigenous College Student Athletes' Mental Health Relating To Athletic Identity, Cultural Identity, And Career Transition, Victoria Williams

Theses and Dissertations

To date, empirical studies have investigated the transition or retirement phase, following the conclusion of a student-athletes’ four-year career as a comparison between student-athletes and non-athletes. Specifically, when investigating these constructs, researchers have failed to thoroughly investigate the role cultural identity may play in mitigating psychological symptoms during the transition phase. As such, this study will seek to investigate both Indigenous and non-Indigenous retired college student- athletes, during the transition phase, in terms of the degree to which they identified with their athletic identity, cultural identity and career transition. It is expected those retired Indigenous and non-Indigenous student- athletes who …

Emotional And Behavioural Responses To Covid-19: Explanations From Three Key Models Of Personality, Alison M. Bacon, Dino Krupić, Nese Caki, Philip J. Corr

School of Psychology

This review appraises evidence for the role of personality in Covid-19 related emotions and behaviours. Three key models of personality are considered: the Five factor Model, HEXACO model and Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory. In line with personality research more generally, most studies focus on the Five-Factor model. Key findings are that neuroticism is most associated with poor mental health, and extraversion is associated with a reluctance to socially isolate. Conscientiousness predicts compliance with safety guidelines, but also with fewer prosocial behaviours, particularly stockpiling. Research within the HEXACO framework largely confirms these findings, especially for emotionality and mental health. The additional HEXACO …

Room To Breathe: Using Adaptive Architecture To Examine The Relationship Between Alexithymia And Interoception, Haneen Abdulhamid, Nils Jäger, Holger Schnädelbach, Alastair D. Smith

School of Psychology

ObjectiveIndividuals with alexithymia experience difficulties interpreting emotional states in self and others, which has been associated with interoceptive impairment. Current theories are primarily based on subjective and conscious measures of interoceptive sensitivity, such as heartrate detection, but it is unclear whether similar observations would be found for objective or implicit psychophysiological measures. The present exploratory study assesses the potential of a novel assay through the use of adaptive immersive architecture [ExoBuilding].MethodsN = 88 participants were screened for alexithymic traits and N = 27 individuals, representing the range of scores, were sampled to participate in the behavioural task. In a repeated-measures …

Citizen Science In Marine Litter Research: A Review, L. A. Kawabe, N. P. Ghilardi-Lopes, A. Turra, K. J. Wyles

School of Psychology

No abstract provided.

Using Feature Selection With Machine Learning For Generation Of Insurance Insights, Ayman Taha, Bernard Cosgrave, Susan Mckeever

Articles

Insurance is a data-rich sector, hosting large volumes of customer data that is analysed to evaluate risk. Machine learning techniques are increasingly used in the effective management of insurance risk. Insurance datasets by their nature, however, are often of poor quality with noisy subsets of data (or features). Choosing the right features of data is a significant pre-processing step in the creation of machine learning models. The inclusion of irrelevant and redundant features has been demonstrated to affect the performance of learning models. In this article, we propose a framework for improving predictive machine learning techniques in the insurance sector …

The Dynamic Impact Of Biomass And Natural Resources On Ecological Footprint In Brics Economies: A Quantile Regression Evidence, Abraham Ayobamiji Awosusi, Tomiwa Sunday Adebayo, Mehmet Altuntaş, Ephraim Bonah Agyekum, Hossam Zawbaa, Salah Kamel

Articles

Many emerging economies, including the BRICS economies, are having difficulty meeting the Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs) objectives. Consequently, this research discusses the creation of an SDG framework for the BRICS economies, which can be utilized as a model for other blocs. To achieve this purpose, this research probes into the effect of biomass energy usage on ecological footprint in the BRICS economies between 1992 and 2018, considering the roles of gross capital formation, natural resources, and globalization. The novel Methods of Moments-Quantile-Regression (MMQR) approach with fixed effects is used, the outcomes of which reveal that in all quantiles (10th to …

An Audio Processing Pipeline For Acquiring Diagnostic Quality Heart Sounds Via Mobile Phone, Davoud Shariat Panah, Andrew Hines, Joseph Mckeever, Susan Mckeever

Articles

Recently, heart sound signals captured using mobile phones have been employed to develop data-driven heart disease detection systems. Such signals are generally captured in person by trained clinicians who can determine if the recorded heart sounds are of diagnosable quality. However, mobile phones have the potential to support heart health diagnostics, even where access to trained medical professionals is limited. To adopt mobile phones as self-diagnostic tools for the masses, we would need to have a mechanism to automatically establish that heart sounds recorded by non-expert users in uncontrolled conditions have the required quality for diagnostic purposes. This paper proposes …

Juvenile Temperature Regulation In Apis Mellifera (Honey Bee) And The Impacts Of Brood Temperature Requirements On The Colony, Scott Debnam

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Little is known about the energetic costs to insects of raising young. Honey bees collectively raise young, or brood, through a series of complex behaviors that appear to accelerate and synchronize the timing of brood maturation. These include maintaining the brood nest at warmer and consistent temperatures and the exceptional activity of "heater bees." The temperature at which juvenile insects are raised can profoundly affect their development. Apis mellifera (Honey bees) cope with temperature-dependent development via social behavior that maintains the relatively high and constant temperatures within the nest where the brood are raised. Yet juvenile honey bee development is …

Mental Illness As A Vulnerability For Sexual Assault: A Retrospective Study Of 7,455 Sexual Assault Forensic Medical Examinations, Leslie Miles, Julie L. Valentine, Linda Mabey, Nancy R. Downing

Faculty Publications

Background: Persons with severe mental illness (MI) are at a high risk of becoming victims of sexual assault (SA). Vulnerability for SA with any type of MI is unknown. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of preexisting MI and other significant factors in patients reporting preexisting MI at the time of their SA medical forensic examinations (SAMFEs).

Method: A retrospective SAMFE chart review of patients ( N = 7,455) from 2010 to 2020 was conducted. Sexual assault nurse examiners completed SAMFEs. Inclusion criteria included (a) aged 14 years and older, (b) completed SAMFE with SA kit evidence collection, and …

Contributions Of Agroforestry Systems To Food Provisioning Of Peasant Households: Conflicts And Synergies In Chiapas, Mexico, Lorena Soto-Pinto, Sandra Escobar Colmenares, Marina Benítez Kanter, Angelita López Cruz, Erin Estrada Lugo, Balente Herrera Hernández, Estelí Jiménez-Soto

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Traditional agroforestry systems are widely recognized for their contributions to provisioning, support, regulation, and cultural services. However, because of the advancement of industrial agriculture and a corporative food system, peasants' food systems are rapidly undergoing transformation. We identify the contributions of four types of agroforestry systems (AFS)—shade cocoa agroforest, shade coffee agroforest, milpas and homegardens—to food provisioning in peasant families and discuss conflicts between traditional food systems and the contemporary industrial model of production and consumption confronted by peasants and semi-proletarian migrants. We carried out research in 17 peasant communities in Chiapas, Mexico, and conducted 97 semi-structured interviews and agroecological …

Assembly Mechanism Of Early Hsp90-Cdc37-Kinase Complexes, Dimitra Keramisanou, M.V. Vasantha Kumar, Nicole Boose, Rinat R. Abzalimov, Ioannis Gelis

Advanced Science Research Center

Molecular chaperones have an essential role for the maintenance of a balanced protein homeostasis. Here, we investigate how protein kinases are recruited and loaded to the Hsp90-Cdc37 complex, the first step during Hsp90-mediated chaperoning that leads to enhanced client kinase stability and activation. We show that conformational dynamics of all partners is a critical feature of the underlying loading mechanism. The kinome co-chaperone Cdc37 exists primarily in a dynamic extended conformation but samples a low-populated, well-defined compact structure. Exchange between these two states is maintained in an assembled Hsp90-Cdc37 complex and is necessary for substrate loading. Breathing motions at the …

Cryo-Em Structure Of Transmembrane Aaa+ Protease Ftsh In The Adp State, Wu Liu, Martien Schoonen, Tong Wang, Sean Mcsweeney, Qun Liu

Advanced Science Research Center

AAA+ proteases regulate numerous physiological and cellular processes through tightly regulated proteolytic cleavage of protein substrates driven by ATP hydrolysis. FtsH is the only known family of membrane-anchored AAA+ proteases essential for membrane protein quality control. Although a spiral staircase rotation mechanism for substrate translocation across the FtsH pore has been proposed, the detailed conformational changes among various states have not been clear due to absence of FtsH structures in these states. We report here the cryo-EM structure for Thermotoga maritima FtsH (TmFtsH) in a fully ADP-bound symmetric state. Comparisons of the ADP-state structure with its apo-state and a substrate-engaged …

Characterization Of Site-Specific Vegetation Activity In Alaskan Wet And Dry Tundra As Related To Climate And Soil State, Michael Gregory Brown, Kyle C. Mcdonald, Reiner Zimmermann, Nicholas Steiner, Stephanie Devries, Laura Bourgeau-Chavez

Advanced Science Research Center

We present discrete (2-h resolution) multi-year (2008–2017) in situ measurements of seasonal vegetation growth and soil biophysical properties from two sites on Alaska's North Slope, USA, representing dry and wet sedge tundra. We examine measurements of vertical active soil layer temperature and soil moisture profiles (freeze/thaw status), woody shrub vegetation physiological activity, and meteorological site data to assess interrelationships within (and between) these two study sites. Vegetation phenophases (cold de-hardening start, physiological function start, stem growth start, stem growth end, physiological function end, cold hardening completion) were found to have greater interannual day of year (DOY) occurrence variability at the …

Krabbe Disease: A Personal Perspective And Hypothesis, Mohammad Rafi

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Introduction: Krabbe disease (KD) or globoid cell leukodystrophy (GLD) is one of the lysosomal disorders affecting central and peripheral nervous systems (CNS and PNS). It is caused by mutations on the galactocerebrosidase (GALC) gene. Affected individuals accumulate undegraded substrates and suffer from neuroinflammation. Methods: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been partially successful in treating patients with KD when accomplished prior to the onset of symptoms. The success is credited to the ability of the hematopoietic stem cells in providing some GALC enzyme to the CNS and eradicating potential neuroinflammation. Combination of the HSCT with some other GALC-providing strategies has …

Protein Charge Parameters That Influence Stability And Cellular Internalization Of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles, Rachel A. Kapelner, Rachel S. Fisher, Shana Elbaum-Garfinkle, Allie C. Obermeyer

Advanced Science Research Center

Proteins are an important class of biologics, but there are several recurring challenges to address when designing protein-based therapeutics. These challenges include: the propensity of proteins to aggregate during formulation, relatively low loading in traditional hydrophobic delivery vehicles, and inefficient cellular uptake. This last criterion is particularly challenging for anionic proteins as they cannot cross the anionic plasma membrane. Here we investigated the complex coacervation of anionic proteins with a block copolymer of opposite charge to form polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) micelles for use as a protein delivery vehicle. Using genetically modified variants of the model protein green fluorescent protein (GFP), …

Native And Non-Native Plant Species Differentially Affect Arthropod Community Dynamics With Consequences For Crop Production In Lower Rio Grande Valley, Kaitlynn Lavallee, Pushpa G. Soti, Alexis Racelis, Rupesh R. Kariyat

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

In agricultural ecosystems, arthropods play critical roles- including biocontrol, pollination services, and as herbivores. While herbivory negatively affects crop production, the recent decline in beneficial insect numbers have created a global concern, and consequently have led into multiple lines of conservation strategies. Agroecological practices that can provide sustenance, nesting, and refuge for beneficial organisms are considered as some of them, except we lack a better understanding of how seasonal and crop specific variation can affect their community dynamics. In this study, we examined this by investigating how native and non-native plants, when incorporated into a vegetable agroecosystem in Lower Rio …

Saturating Relationship Between Phytoplankton Growth Rate And Nutrient Concentration Explained By Macromolecular Allocation, Jongsun Kim, Gabrielle Armin, Keisuke Inomura

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Phytoplankton account for about a half of photosynthesis in the world, making them a key player in the ecological and biogeochemical systems. One of the key traits of phytoplankton is their growth rate because it indicates their productivity and affects their competitive capability. The saturating relationship between phytoplankton growth rate and environmental nutrient concentration has been widely observed yet the mechanisms behind the relationship remain elusive. Here we use a mechanistic model and metadata of phytoplankton to show that the saturating relationship between growth rate and nitrate concentration can be interpreted by intracellular macromolecular allocation. At low nitrate levels, the …

Acute Magnetic Resonance Imaging Predictors Of Chronic Motor Function And Tissue Sparing In Rat Cervical Spinal Cord Injury, Seung-Yi Lee, Brian D. Schmit, Shekar N. Kurpad, Matthew D. Budde

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Predicting functional outcomes from spinal cord injury (SCI) at the acute setting is important for patient management. This work investigated the relationship of early magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers in a rat model of cervical contusion SCI with long-term functional outcome and tissue sparing. Forty rats with contusion injury at C5 at either the spinal cord midline (bilateral) or over the lateral cord (unilateral) were examined using in vivo multi-modal quantitative MRI at 1 day post-injury. The extent of T₂-weighted hyperintensity reflecting edema was greater in the bilateral model compared with the unilateral injury. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) …

B-Sure (Bereavement Support Research): The Differential Experiences Of Peer And Professional Support In Grief, Andrea Crowley

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

The project aimed to investigate the differential experiences of those who have received peer or professional support for grief and bereavement. Although much is known with regards to the perceived impacts of peer and professional support in general, there is little research surrounding these support types in the context of grief and bereavement, the potential for these support types to be complementary, and how the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted the experiences of those receiving these forms of support. The main goal of this project was to address a significant gap in the literature by investigating the following questions: …

Carotid Artery Intimal Medial Thickness In Acute Ischemic Stroke Subtypes And Intracerebral Hemorrhage, Abbas Nasser, Zaki Hasan

Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

BACKGROUND: Stroke is the second cause of adult death globally. The Intimal Medial Thickness of the Carotid Artery is regarded as a measure of atherosclerosis. Since the pathogenesis and treatment differ among stroke subtypes; therefore, evaluating the intimal medial thickness may help in distinguishing intracerebral hemorrhage from other ischemic stroke subtypes. OBJECTIVE: To assess the carotid artery intimal medial thickness in ischemic stroke Subdivisions and intracerebral hemorrhage. METHOD: A cross-sectional case-control study of 200 subjects, 100 patients with different Stroke subtypes and 100 control that are age and gender matched. All subjects were examined by B-mode ultra-sonography to measure the …

Chronic Liver Disease And The Covid Vaccine

Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

The systemic acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV2) has rapidly and mercilessly spread around the globe causing the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Patients with chronic disease have been found to have the greatest morbidity and mortality rates, and those with chronic liver disease (CLD) with or without cirrhosis were no exception.

The Role Of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery In Brain Metastatic Tumors, Ahmed Al- Atraqchi, Ahmed Mohammed

Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

BACKGROUND:  Brain metastasis represents a significant source of morbidity and mortality in patients with systemic cancer, In adults, cerebral metastasis are by far the most common intracranial tumors, and their incidence is rising because of increased cancer survival. GKRS has arguably been the most important advancement in the management of metastatic brain tumors since the 1980s. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a prospective study of 50 patients of brain metastasis treated with (GKRS) between January 2017 and January 2019. A group of 14 males and 36 females with mean age was 59.1 years, 34 patient were <65 years old and 16 patients were >65 years old. Patients …

Autonomous And Non-Autonomous Requirements For The C-Jun N-Terminal Kinase Signaling Pathway In Early Forebrain Development, Jessica G. Cunningham

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The cerebral cortex is responsible for a wide variety of high-level functions including cognition, sensory perception, fine motor control, and the orchestration of body movements. The cortex is comprised of cortical excitatory neurons and inhibitory interneurons, which are arranged in a highly organized fashion into different layers and regions. These two types of cells operate in a delicate balance between excitation and inhibition, which is critical for proper cortical circuitry. In order for the cortex to execute its numerous functions, it must both send and receive input to other brain regions through axonal connections. The organization within the cortex and …

Monitoring The Systemic Immune System To Understand And Improve The Efficacy Of Immunotherapy For Metastatic Osteosarcoma, Justin Edward Markel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a complex tumor with no effective targeted therapies due to its genomic heterogeneity and pleomorphism. The immune response it creates, particularly against metastatic lesions, is considerable; however, various suppressive mechanisms induced by the tumor prohibit its effectiveness. The presence of infiltrating lymphocytes suggests that therapeutic disinhibition through checkpoint blockade could increase antitumor immunity, though none have been successful in clinical trials. The complexities of the immune response to OS tumors have yet to be unraveled; however, there is evidence to suggest that cell-mediated immunity (CMI, specifically T cells, Natural Killer [NK] cells, and myeloid-lineage cells [MLCs]) plays …

Prediction Of Formation Conditions Of Gas Hydrates Using Machine Learning And Genetic Programming, Anupama Kumari, Mukund Madhaw, Vishnu S. Pendyala

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The formation of gas hydrates in the pipelines of oil, gas, chemical, and other industries has been a significant problem for many years because the formation of gas hydrates may block the pipelines. Hence, the knowledge of the phase equilibrium conditions of gas hydrate became necessary for the economic and safe working of oil, gas, chemical industries. Various thermodynamic approaches with various mathematical techniques are available for the prediction of formation conditions of gas hydrates. In this chapter, the authors have discussed the least square support vector machine and artificial neural network models for the prediction of stability conditions of …

Marian Fernandez Hernandez, St. Mary's University

Mexican American Civil Rights

No abstract provided.

Jimmy Segura, St. Mary's University

Mexican American Civil Rights

No abstract provided.

Developing And Implementing A Community-Based Hospitality Awareness And Training Program In The Green Bay Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Titus Naftanaila

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Most churches in North America usually consider themselves as welcoming and friendly to guests and existing church members. However, they may excel in programs and ministries, but visitors evaluate many as uncaring and cold. During my 25 years of ministry, I personally have pastored three mid-sized Adventist churches where a constant number of guests confirmed the difference of perception. The inhospitality of the church deprives the guests and the new converts of the essential benefits for emotional and spiritual growth with a direct impact on the retention rate.

Method

A community-based hospitality awareness and training program was developed and …