Digital Commons Network^™

Chth 491.01: Principles Of Epidemiology, Erin O'Brien Semmens

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

Coun 242s.01: Intimate Relationships, Sabina Sabyrkulova

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

Biob 210n.01: Communicating Biology, Gregory D. Peters

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

Maxillary Central Incisor Rr In Hispanic And Non-Hispanic White Patients With Rme, Madison Healy

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Introduction: Apical root resorption is one of the most common adverse effects of orthodontic treatment. Forces used during orthodontic tooth movement can cause permanent loss of apical surfaces of teeth and although most reported cases of root resorption are asymptomatic, the process is irreversible and often unpredictable. Thus, it is of clinical interest to investigate which patients may be at greatest risk.

Purpose: This study utilized Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) to evaluate whether rapid maxillary expansion (RME) in Hispanic patients increased the severity of orthodontically induced apical root resorption.

Materials and Methods: Pre-treatment (T1) and post-treatment …

Dietary Approaches To The Treatment Of Autism Spectrum Disorders, Dhira Patel

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This chapter reviews the literature surrounding autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their relation to gastrointestinal (GI), behavioral, neurological, and immunological functioning. Individuals with ASDs often have poor GI health, including bowel motility issues, autoimmune and/or other adverse responses to certain foods, and lack of necessary nutrient absorption. These issues may be caused or exacerbated by restrictive behavioral patterns (e.g., preference for sweet and salty foods and/or refusal of healthy foods). Those individuals with GI issues tend to demonstrate more behavioral deficits (e.g., irritability, agitation, hyperactivity) and also tend to have an imbalance in overall gut microbiome composition, thus corroborating several …

Crm As A Psychosocial Intervention For Cancer Patients, Lauren Wakabayashi

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The present treatment manual is intended to outline the implementation of an intervention to manage psychological distress in cancer patients. Cancer patients suffer from psychological distress, in part due to physical symptoms that impact well-being. This can create a cycle of poor mental and physical health that is bidirectionally affected by poor responses to physical treatments. Thus, it is necessary to implement interventions for cancer patients that can combat these and other psychological symptoms. The Community Resiliency Model (CRM) has recently emerged as a set of wellness skills that can promote physiological and psychological well-being, as well as minimize negative …

Insufficient Sleep And Onset Of Coronary Artery Disease, Pooja S. Raghani

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Coronary artery disease (CAD), a consequence of coronary atherosclerosis, is the most common form of cardiovascular disease. Recent research suggests that compared to individuals with normal sleep duration, those with insufficient sleep, defined as short sleep duration (i.e., less than 6 hours per 24-hour period) have a 79% higher risk of developing coronary artery disease. In this review, selected physiological factors (including vascular inflammation, sympathetic overactivity, and increases in blood pressure), behavioral factors (including sedentary behavior and dietary choices), psychological factors (including hostility, fatigue, and major depressive disorder/depressive affect), and sociocultural factors (including race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and health literacy) were …

Community Resiliency Model Treatment Manual For Loma Linda University Healthcare, Ann White

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Burnout is a national phenomenon on the United States, effecting between 60% and 78% of healthcare professionals (21) across a variety of settings. Burnout results in increased cost to the healthcare industry, significantly decreased quality of patient care, and increased malpractice claims. At the same time, healthcare providers are increasingly under demands to their time that limit their ability to access wellness resources to mitigate the effects of burnout, such as outpatient psychotherapy. In order to address this growing crisis and respond to the specific needs of healthcare providers, we have utilized the biological basis and six skills comprising the …

Dsm-5 Eating Disorders And Disordered Eating Behaviors In The Lgbt Population, Lacie Parker

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

According to Meyer’s sexual minority stress model (2003), LGB individuals experience a higher prevalence of psychopathology, which is attributable to the increased stress (i.e., stigma and prejudice) adult sexual minority individuals experience. This model was later adapted by Hendricks and Testa (2012) to include transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. More specifically, this literature review examined the empirical literature regarding the rates and types of, and risk and protective factors for eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors in the general LGBT adolescent and adult populations, in addition to each individual subgroup (i.e., lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender individuals). The results of …

Biology Through The Lens Of Trauma: An Empirical Review Of Trauma Treatments, Adela Gharabeki

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The present literature review aims at mending the research to practice gap for the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Biological mechanisms of the stress response system are explored as they pertain to trauma and its subsequent effects on the brain and body. In addition, American Psychological Association (APA) recommended evidence-based treatments for PTSD are reviewed as well as more recent emerging somatic therapies. There is a critical need for further development in the area of both topdown and bottom-up interventions. Biological working mechanisms remain unknown for a majority of treatments and physiological measures are scarcely used in treatment outcome …

Dietary Fatty Acids And The Brain: Mechanisms Behind Neurodegeneration And Neuroprotection, Bianca Kdeiss

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The impact of dietary fat intake on cognitive function has generated growing interest as the incidence of neurodegenerative disorders continues to increase. No known cures for neurodegenerative disorders exist at this time and available pharmacological treatments are limited in their efficacy. As such, prevention and early detection have been emphasized, particularly in the context of modifiable lifestyle factors, such as diet. Despite a recognized association between dietary fat intake and cognition, limited research exists delineating the impact of different types of fat on cognitive function. In this review, research examining the association between cognition and specific dietary fatty acids—such as …

The Community Resiliency Model In Health Decision-Making, Michelle Ngo

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This doctoral project reviews the literature to support the utilization of the Community Resilience Model (CRM) for health-related decision making, such as health behavior change and medication adherence. Research has shown that decision-making under significant stress can lead to making less advantageous choices, as the nervous system becomes dysregulated. The evidence in this literature review suggests that self-regulation using skills in the CRM Model can increase one’s ability to effectively making decisions.

Parent Treatment Manual For Adolescent Self-Harm, Miriam Mokhless Rizk

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This doctoral project is a treatment manual that was created for parents of self-harming adolescents. To date, no treatment manual currently exists to aide these parents in fostering healthy environments for adolescents completing Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) intensive outpatient treatments; however, the literature describes the importance of creating validating environments as an important factor in positive treatment outcomes of adolescents who self-harm. This ten-week treatment manual was designed to provide these parents with DBT skills in order to learn the foundations of providing a positive environment in the home. The results of this treatment manual are projected to reduce parenting …

A Novel Laboratory Method To Simulate Climatic Stress With Successful Application To Experiments With Medically Relevant Ticks, Caleb Nielebeck, Sang Hyo Kim, Lauren Dedmon, Mark Pangilinan, Jahred Quan, William Ota, Javier D. Monzón

All Faculty Open Access Publications

Ticks are the most important vectors of zoonotic disease-causing pathogens in North America and Europe. Many tick species are expanding their geographic range. Although correlational evidence suggests that climate change is driving the range expansion of ticks, experimental evidence is necessary to develop a mechanistic understanding of ticks' response to a range of climatic conditions. Previous experiments used simulated microclimates, but these protocols require hazardous salts or expensive laboratory equipment to manipulate humidity. We developed a novel, safe, stable, convenient, and economical method to isolate individual ticks and manipulate their microclimates. The protocol involves placing individual ticks in plastic tubes, …

Valuing Community Engagement Throughout The Faculty Recruitment Process, Lynn Pelco, Derek Miller, Todd R. Lookingbill

Other Publications

Department chairs and search committees play critical roles in recruiting community-engaged scholars to higher education institutions. This report summarizes some of the benefits of hiring community-engaged scholars across disciplines. The report also provides concrete strategies departments can use to both plan and execute a faculty search process that results in the hiring of a community-engaged scholar who brings the skills and experiences needed to succeed in the position and thrive in both the university and community.

Highlights From The 67th Annual Meeting Of The American Society For Artificial Internal Organs In Chicago, Il, Christopher D. Pritting, Alice L. Sweedo, Vakhtang Tchantchaleishvili, Dongfang Wang, Joseph B. Zwischenberger

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

Dr. Willem J. Kolff founded the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO) in 1955. Each year experts in the fields of renal, pulmonary, pancreatic, cardiac, bioengineering, and orthopedic research congregate to discuss the latest developments in their respective fields. Throughout the conference's history, ASAIO has adapted to promote inquiry, ingenuity, and innovation. The congeniality partnered with the expertise of the conference's attendees has facilitated continuous progress since the conference's inception.

The 2022 ASAIO Annual Conference was held in Chicago, IL in an entirely in-person format, the first since the 65th conference in 2019. This year there were exhibits by …

The Future Of Civilization: A Systems Approach, Robert Bedeski, Ph.D.

Comparative Civilizations Review

Civilization is one of several stages of human evolution and forms a system of interaction. Its past dominance is now challenged by growth of three subsystems — state, economy, and science/technology. These three subsystems have matured through application of rational knowledge. The vertically integrated state now dominates society and demarcated territory. The horizontally integrated global economy and global science/technology society have become worldwide in scope. State domination is reinforced by autonomous global science and international capital. The remaining subsystem of Moral Knowledge occupies present non-material civilization and is characterized by organic knowledge and embracing the unprovable, which includes religion, art, …

Future Opportunities For Research In Rescue Treatments, James W. Wheless, Daniel Friedman, Gregory L. Krauss, Vikram R. Rao, Michael R Sperling, Enrique Carrazana, Adrian L. Rabinowicz

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Clinical studies of rescue medications for seizure clusters are limited and are designed to satisfy regulatory requirements, which may not fully consider the needs of the diverse patient population that experiences seizure clusters or utilize rescue medication. The purpose of this narrative review is to examine the factors that contribute to, or may influence the quality of, seizure cluster research with a goal of improving clinical practice. We address five areas of unmet needs and provide advice for how they could enhance future trials of seizure cluster treatments. The topics addressed in this article are: (1) unaddressed end points to …

Wonderfully Made: A Protestant Theology Of The Body (Book Review), Alida Sewell

Pro Rege

Reviewed Title: Wonderfully Made: A Protestant Theology of the Body by John W. Kleinig. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2021. 235 pp. ISBN: 9781683594680.

Facing The Fringe, Laura Gradowski

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Fringe theories are a broad set of alternative views that mainstream scientists deny. Case studies from the past two centuries demonstrate that fringe theorists have sometimes been marginalized to the detriment of scientific advancements. While it is accepted that once in a blue moon comes a diamond in the rough, there are far more cases of fringe theories becoming mainstream than has been traditionally acknowledged. Indeed, fringe theories become mainstream with such regularity that our epistemic intolerance towards them is in need of urgent reexamination. With the recognition that tolerance is an epistemic virtue, we can view debates about theory …

Cerebrovascular Impairment As A Potential Target For Neuromodulation Therapy In Moderate-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury, Naomi L. Gaggi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The main purpose of this dissertation is to characterize noninvasive neuroimaging biomarkers of neurovascular injury in moderate-severe traumatic brain injury (msTBI) as potential treatment targets for neuromodulation therapy. In Chapter 1, I aim to introduce msTBI and two known sequelae of neurovascular damage in msTBI: reduced cerebral blood flow (Ware et al., 2020; Julliene et al., 2016) and altered low frequency fluctuations in blood oxygen level-dependent signal (Zhou et al., 2021; Palacios et al., 2013). Chapter 2 aims to identify the regional pattern of altered resting cerebral blood flow from a cohort of 29 patients with msTBI assessed at 3, …

The Cognitive, Behavioral, Affective, And Physiological Components Of Social Cognition In Esports And Education, Daisy Reyes

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Prior research has shown that collaborative learning, or groups of two or more individuals working together towards a shared outcome, and Computer-Supported Collaborative learning has the potential to positively impact learning outcomes. This study aims to add to existing literature on collaborative learning by looking at how novices and experts learn and perform in esports (electronic sports) teams, or highly coordinated digital teams that often compete in stressful environments. Based on Carron’s Model of Cohesion in Sports Teams and Hanin’s Model of Individualized Zones of Optimal Functioning (IZOF), the current study looks at the relationship between cohesion (i.e., task and …

Relationships Between Sensory Reactivity, Restricted And Repetitive Behaviors, And Autonomic Nervous System Activity In Autistic And Non-Autistic Individuals, Sapir Elimaliah

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The current dissertation includes seven chapters. Chapter 1 includes my professional background and describes the experiences that led me to study restricted and repetitive behaviors. It also briefly describes my personal journey as an international graduate student. Chapter 2 is devoted to the rich literature that this dissertation is based on. The literature review covers both the foundational and most recent findings in the fields of sensory reactivity, restricted and repetitive behaviors, and autonomic activity, as well as the known relationships between these areas in autistic and non-autistic individuals. In Chapter 3, I describe in detail the methodology used in …

Natural Striatal Signaling Dynamics During Food Approach, Devry Mourra

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Reduced dopamine (DA) signaling has been hypothesized to induce compulsive overeating in obesity. However, DA signaling facilitates food pursuit by acting on direct and indirect pathways. This disparity between why individuals compulsively overeat despite decreased DA and satiety signals is unclear. Characterizing how DA and direct/indirect pathways respond to satiation may elucidate how satiety signals become overwritten in obesity. The food's palatability may underlie this, which is putatively thought to override the satiety hormones since it directly increases DA signaling, resulting in the increased appetitive drive. We determined the pattern of dopamine and pathway-specific medium spiny neuron (MSN) activity across …

Mechanism Of Tau Propagation: Putative Therapeutic Approaches, Viktoriya Morozova

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

One of the characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease and associated tauopathies is the accumulation and aggregation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein. The biological activity of tau is to bind to tubulin and promote its assembly into microtubules with subsequent stabilization of the latter. When tau gets hyperphosphorylated it cannot bind to tubulin and carry on its function, instead, it binds to normal tau and sequesters it from microtubules leading to disruption of microtubular assembly and ultimately to the death of neurons. Our lab had previously shown that tau phosphorylation sites 199, 212, 231, and 262, combined with the FTDP-17 mutation R406W (Pathological …

The Interaction Of Different Primary Producers And Physical And Chemical Dynamics Of An Urban Shallow Lake, Majid Sahin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

An artificial urban shallow lake, Prospect Park Lake (PPL), is situated on a terminal moraine in Brooklyn New York, and supplied with municipal water treated with ortho-phosphates. The constant input of the phosphate nutrient is the primary source of eutrophication in the lake. The numerous pools along the water course houses various aquatic phototrophs, which influence the water quality and the state of the system, driving conditions into favoring the survival of their species. In the first half of the dissertation, the focus of the project is on analyzing how the different primary producers in different regions of PPL affect …

Necessity, Essence And Analyticity: Toward An Analytic Essentialist Account Of Necessity, Dongwoo Kim

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Some truths could not have failed to hold. Such are called metaphysically necessary truths. As Michael Dummett once aptly formulated, the philosophical problem about necessity is twofold: what makes necessary truths necessarily true and how do we recognize them as such? This dissertation aims to address these questions by developing and defending a novel account of necessity, which has the following three main theses: (1) the necessity of a statement about an entity is established as a consequence of a general principle implying that if the entity is a certain way then it is necessarily that way and the fact …

Oxytocin, A Lover And A Fighter: Maternal Trauma Exposure And Mother-Child Coregulation, Patricia M. Pehme

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The placenta is responsible for regulating the fetal growth and environment in preparation for the anticipated external life. To succeed, it continuously adapts and weaves in a variety of neuroendocrine signals from the maternal organism. If a mother was exposed to trauma and her physiology sustained a change in the functioning of the immune, autonomic and/or endocrine systems, the placenta may anticipate different external environments for her children as compared to children of mothers without trauma exposure. This dissertation examined possible underlying mechanisms of psychosocial trauma transmission from one generation to the next via the placental oxytocinergic pathway. Encompassing three …

The International Academy Of Language And Culture: The Global (Pre)K-12 Charter School Network, Dree-El Simmons

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The International Academy of Language and Culture (IALC) is a charter school based on the original concept of charter schools by Ray Budde and Albert Shanker, as an academic environment dedicated and designed to improving the educational outcomes for its students through innovative pedagogy. Committed to American (and global) education reform, the IALC incorporates elements from higher education into the early childhood and adolescent settings. We accomplish this by utilizing an interdisciplinary approach in our language and culture-based program.

The IALC is a multilingual, full-immersion program. Food Studies (including culinary arts), the Arts, the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Martial Arts …

Pervasive Nonarbitrariness: Meaning From Form In Natural Language, David J. Neely

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

It is generally assumed that the expressions of a natural language are largely arbitrary. That is, any expressions that display a nonarbitrary connection between what their utterances sound like and what they mean are small in number and of no real theoretical importance.

This thesis challenges such a position. I argue that nonarbitrariness is a pervasive feature of natural language and that understanding the sound/meaning connections that exist in language is necessary if to appreciate how languages work.

I begin, in Chapter 1, by showing that many theorists are committed to the idea that nonarbitrary sound/meaning connections are of little …