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Advanced High Dimensional Regression Techniques, Yuan Yang

All Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on developing high dimensional regression techniques to analyze large scale data using both Bayesian and frequentist approaches, motivated by data sets from various disciplines, such as public health and genetics. More specifically, Chapters 2 and Chapter 4 take a Bayesian approach to achieve modeling and parameter estimation simultaneously while Chapter 3 takes a frequentist approach. The main aspects of these techniques are that they perform variable selection and parameter estimation simultaneously, while also being easily adaptable to large-scale data. In particular, by embedding a logistic model into traditional spike and slab framework and selecting of proper prior …

Optimizing Crispr/Cas9-Mediated Knockdown Of Angptl3 In Liver Cell Lines And Mouse Hepatocytes, Meredith Reeves

All Theses

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic condition characterized by elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) that leads to an increased risk of developing cardiac disease early in life (Shah et al., 2020). Current treatments such as statins and PCSK9 inhibitors have helped lower LDL-C levels, however they require repeated administration every 4-6 weeks to remain effective (Raal et al., 2018). Angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3) is an inhibitor of plasma lipid metabolism that has become a promising molecular target for the treatment of FH. Individuals with non-functional copies of ANGPTL3 demonstrate low levels of plasma LDL-C and triglycerides, indicating a protective …

What's The Beef With Veg*Ns: A Mixed Method Approach To Anti-Veg*N Stigma, Caitlin M. Mercier

Doctoral Dissertations

Despite veg*n scholarship within psychological science, much of this research examined anti-veg*n attitudes amongst non-veg*ns complemented with scarce research on the impact of anti-veg*n stigma and experiences of veg*ns. Underpinned by critical feminist framework with a phenomenological approach, the present study, a convergent mixed method design, examined the relationship between anti-veg*n stigma and multicultural awareness among 165 non-veg*ns and explored the experiences of 13 veg*ns in the context of stigma. Path analysis revealed that multicultural awareness and attitudes towards those with different dietary habits (e.g., veg*n diets, p. 19) was negatively associated with attitudes towards vegans. Additionally, path analysis revealed …

Cyclic And Linear Cell-Penetarating Peptides Composed Of Tryptophan (Ww) And Arginine (Rr) Residues As Molecular Transporters, Lois Kim

Pharmaceutical Sciences (MS) Theses

The cell membrane has polar and negative charged characteristics and separates the inside of cells from the outside environment, and only allows small molecules to go into the cell to protect them from toxic substances. However, cell membrane characteristics make it difficult for polar and negatively-charged molecules to interact and penetrate the membrane. The delivery of cell impermeable compounds, such as phosphopeptides and siRNA, across the cell membrane remains a challenge. Previous studies in Dr. Parang’s laboratory have shown that cyclic peptides composed of tryptophan (W) and arginine (R) amino acids [WR]₅ have higher cellular uptake than the corresponding …

Optofluidic Droplet Lasers Enabled By Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer, Fariba Kenarangi

Electrical Engineering Dissertations - Archive

ABSTRACT: Over the past decade, optofluidic lasers have gained much popularity owing to their unique optical and mechanical properties. Optofluidic lasers are flexible, reconfigurable, easy to fabricate and their emission spectrum can be dynamically tuned. One type of these lasers with high Q-factors, is optofluidic droplet laser, which is a miniaturized ring resonator consists of liquid gain medium and optical microcavity made of two immiscible liquid phases. As light couples into the cavity, the whispering gallery mode will be guided around the concaved closed loop surface and it will be constantly reflected owing to total internal reflection. Due to its …

Interactions Of Vortices With Differing Creation Mechanisms In The Wake Of A Normal Flat Plate-Delta Flat Plate Couple: A Numerical Study., Cheruvateth Vivek Nair

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

ABSTRACT: Fluid flow is characterized by the presence of various coherent vortical structures such as vortex tubes, vortex streets, and eddies. When these vortical structures interact with each other or other distinct mechanisms in a fluid, they form a chaotic region of mixing where a large transfer of mass and energy is observed; This phenomenon is called a vortex interaction and is commonly observed in nature across large Reynolds number regimes. In engineering, vortex interactions are an important topic of research in areas such as mixing, flow induced vibrations, propulsion, aerodynamics, convection, heat island effects, hydrodynamics, and atmospheric Sciences, to …

Researching Appointment Robbery: Voices From The Street, Arthur Gregory Vasquez

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation is composed of three papers that will examine three topics related to the main research project of examining whether or not CPTED strategies have an effect on the decision to participate in appointment robbery. The first paper examines the difficulties in gaining access with the hard-to-reach population of active offenders. The second paper will provide examples of ethical dilemmas that the qualitative researcher faced while in the field. The third paper will explore whether or not criminals were deterred from deciding to engage in criminal activity due to an implementation of a CPTED strategy. These three papers together …

Researching Appointment Robbery: Voices From The Street, Arthur Gregory Vasquez

Business Administration Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation is composed of three papers that will examine three topics related to the main research project of examining whether or not CPTED strategies have an effect on the decision to participate in appointment robbery. The first paper examines the difficulties in gaining access with the hard-to-reach population of active offenders. The second paper will provide examples of ethical dilemmas that the qualitative researcher faced while in the field. The third paper will explore whether or not criminals were deterred from deciding to engage in criminal activity due to an implementation of a CPTED strategy. These three papers together …

Novel Nanoparticles To Stimulate Therapeutic Angiogenesis For The Treatment Of Peripheral Arterial Diseases, Tam Phung Nguyen

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a severe impairment of arterial vessels resulting in obstruction of normal blood flow in the legs, leading to acute or chronic lower limb ischemia and subsequently high morbidity and mortality rates. Common treatments for PAD, such as medications and surgical revascularization, have several limitations. For instance, medications used to lower cholesterol, reduce high blood pressure, control blood sugar, prevent blood clots, and reduce/delay symptoms such as leg pains. Still, they cannot treat the established disease directly and often cause side-effects, including bleeding, headache, and diarrhea. Meanwhile, many elderly PAD patients cannot undergo surgical options. Therefore, …

Engineering Elastic And Functional Electrospun Nano-Fibers For Potential Heart Repair, Alan Mark Taylor

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

In the United States and around the world, cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been one of the main causes of death since 1921, responsible for approximately 1 in 4 deaths domestically. Myocardial infarction (MI), or commonly called a heart attack, is a subset of CVD that often ends in heart failure (HF). Cardiac cells are incapable of regeneration, leading to severe impacts on quality of life. Current treatments for MI fail to target left ventricular remodeling and therefore do little to address the progression towards HF. Cardiac scaffolds for tissue engineering (TE) are a prominent solution in recent research. Developing various …

Advancing The Radiation Oncology Clinic With Motion Management And Automatic Treatment Planning, Damon Anton Sprouts

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

The leading cause of premature death (death under the age of 70) is cancer. The top five cancers for both male and female are: lung, colorectum, pancreas, breast cancer, and prostate. In 2020 there was an estimated 19.3 million new cases with an estimated 9.9 million deaths. The cancer burden is expected to grow to 28.4 million by the year 2040. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy are the three pillars in the modern clinic for cancer treatment. In radiotherapy, ionizing radiation particles can travel through the patient body, deposit energy along the way and damage the DNA Structure. There needs to …

Multisorb: A Low-Cost Approach To Remove Multiple Metals And Organics From Leachate And Wastewater, Mithila Chakraborty

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

ABSTRACT: Landfill leachates are considered now as a reusable source of water. Even irrigation projects are now considering use of non-traditional water sources, including treated wastewater, to augment supplies. Treated wastewater or leachate, however, may still contain many inorganic and organic pollutants of emerging concern, because traditional wastewater treatment plants are unable to remove all of them. Adsorbents have been demonstrated to effectively remove heavy metals and recalcitrant organics from leachate/wastewater more effectively, at lower cost, and using less chemicals and energy than many competing techniques. A single adsorbent with one pre-treatment, however, is not effective for simultaneously removing different …

Signatures Of Genome Evolution In Two Divergent Lizard Species From Texas, Jose A. Maldonado

Biology Dissertations - Archive

The continual reduction of the cost of high-throughput sequencing is now making it feasible to sequence large genomic and transcriptomic datasets for non-model organisms. Many of these under study non-model organisms have no available molecular data available. Yet, many of these organisms are of interest for their usefulness in addressing long-standing unanswered questions in the field of evolutionary biology or of conservational concern and need immediate intervention. Now we can quickly generate large datasets for these organisms, and here we generate two large datasets for lizards that are both of in interest in the genus Holbrookia and Aspidoscelis. In chapter …

Elucidating The Molecular Genetic Basis Of Behaviors Related To The Loser Effect, Marquerite Alizabeth Herzog

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Across the animal kingdom, when individuals experience social defeat (losing an aggressive conflict with a conspecific), it elicits stereotypical loser behavior such as isolation or submissiveness. In many species, social defeat is a precursor to the "loser effect" (LE), the propensity for individuals who lose a contest to lose subsequent competitions. Experiments in rodent systems reveal physiological consequences of social defeat and loser behaviors, but underlying genetic mechanisms of the LE remain elusive. Furthermore, of the recent studies investigating gene expression changes associated with social defeat, there is little focus on the recovery of LE, wherein some animals naturally exit …

Self-Assembling Peptides: From Fundamental Design To Therapeutic Applications, Weike Chen

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations - Archive

Supramolecular peptide-based biomaterials have attracted much attention from researchers in various science and engineering fields because of the ease of synthesis and precise control over structures and physicochemical properties on multiple length levels. Self-assembled peptides have shown great potential as functional biomaterials for both diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. In Chapter 1, I will introduce several self-assembled peptide systems in terms of molecular design, structure characterization, and their biological applications. In particular, I will discuss new peptide self-assemblies with trigger-responsive properties for targeted molecular imaging and therapy. In Chapter 2, I will focus on peptide self-assembly that can target …

Microbial Diversity And Immunogenetics Of Whiptail Lizards (Aspidoscelis), Kathleen Currie

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Whiptail lizards of the genus Aspidoscelis are a complex of both sexual and asexual species with distributions in the United States, Mexico, and Central America. The parthenogenetic lineages arose through hybridization events between divergent sexual species; further backcrossing of the diploid parthenogens to the parentals is possible, and even hybridization with a third species produce triploid lineages. Here, we leverage the unique biology of whiptail lizards to evaluate and compare gut microbial communities between reproductive modes, investigate whether host genetic variation correlates with microbial diversity, and characterize MHC class II beta genes.

A New Ocean State After Nuclear War, Cheryl S. Harrison, Tyler Rohr, Alice Duvivier, Elizabeth A. Maroon, Scott Bachman, Charles G. Bardeen, Joshua Coupe, Victoria Garza, Ryan Heneghan, Nicole S. Lovenduski, Philipp Neubauer, Victor Rangel, Alan Robock, Kim Scherrer, Samantha Stevenson, Owen B. Toon

Faculty Publications

Nuclear war would produce dire global consequences for humans and our environment. We simulated climate impacts of US-Russia and India-Pakistan nuclear wars in an Earth System Model, here, we report on the ocean impacts. Like volcanic eruptions and large forest fires, firestorms from nuclear war would transport light-blocking aerosols to the stratosphere, resulting in global cooling. The ocean responds over two timescales: a rapid cooling event and a long recovery, indicating a hysteresis response of the ocean to global cooling. Surface cooling drives sea ice expansion, enhanced meridional overturning, and intensified ocean vertical mixing that is expanded, deeper, and longer …

Global Food Insecurity And Famine From Reduced Crop, Marine Fishery And Livestock Production Due To Climate Disruption From Nuclear War Soot Injection, Lili Xia, Alan Robock, Kim Scherrer, Cheryl S. Harrison, Benjamin Leon Bodirsky, Isabelle Weindl, Jonas Jägermeyr, Charles G. Bardeen, Owen B. Toon, Ryan Heneghan

Faculty Publications

Atmospheric soot loadings from nuclear weapon detonation would cause disruptions to the Earth’s climate, limiting terrestrial and aquatic food production. Here, we use climate, crop and fishery models to estimate the impacts arising from six scenarios of stratospheric soot injection, predicting the total food calories available in each nation post-war after stored food is consumed. In quantifying impacts away from target areas, we demonstrate that soot injections larger than 5 Tg would lead to mass food shortages, and livestock and aquatic food production would be unable to compensate for reduced crop output, in almost all countries. Adaptation measures such as …

Numerical Experiments Of Temperature Mixing And Post-Storm Re-Stratification Over The Louisiana Shelf During Hurricane Katrina (2005), Mohammad Nabi Allahdadi, Chunyan Li, Nazanin Chaichitehrani

Faculty Publications

Studying mixing and re-stratification during and after hurricanes have important implications for the simulation of circulation and bio-geochemical processes in oceanic and shelf waters. Numerical experiments using FVCOM on an unstructured computational mesh were implemented to study the direct effect of hurricane winds on the mixing and temperature redistribution of the stratified Louisiana shelf during Hurricane Katrina (2005), as well as the post-storm re-stratification timescale. The model was forced by Katrina’s wind stress obtained from a combination of H-Wind database and NCEP model. The climatological profiles of temperature and salinity for August (the month in which Katrina occurred) from the …

2022-2023 Ursinus College Course Catalogue, Office Of The Registrar

Ursinus College Catalogues, 1869-Present

A digital copy of the 2022-2023 Ursinus College Catalog. It contains details of the curriculum, departmental requirements and courses of instruction as well as the Open Questions core requirements, experiential learning and the Common Intellectual Experience (CIE). Academic policies, special opportunities and scholarships, off-campus programs and graduation requirements are also outlined.

Identifying A Glucocorticoid-Activated Gpcr That Rapidly And Non-Genomically Increases Camp Levels In Mammalian Cells, Francisco Nunez

Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are steroid hormones that regulate diverse physiological processes. Synthetic versions of GCs are commonly used to treat inflammatory diseases such as asthma by modulating gene expression to suppressing several inflammatory activities. However, it is estimated that 5-10% of asthmatics are unresponsive to GCs, which may be explained by receptor desensitization and/or the presence of a neutrophilic endotype. One understudied phenomenon of GCs is their ability to induce rapid, non-genomic actions. For example, GCs can acutely modulate calcium concentrations levels, induce smooth muscle relaxation and modulate nitric oxide synthase activity, within minutes and sometimes seconds, which is too rapid …

Does One Size Fit All? Why Our Genes Show The Need For Tailor-Made Solutions, Jack Haisman

UC Law Journal

Since the human genome was first sequenced in 2003, millions of consumers and medical professionals have swarmed the field of medical genetics, seeking to peer into the crystal ball and see what their own, or their patients’, futures may hold. Also rushing in are direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA, which can circumvent medical privacy laws by offering genetic testing without a medical provider.

Medical privacy regulations, such as the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the Genetic Information Discrimination Act of 2008 (GINA), and those promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission, do not regulate …

Sarracenia Pitcher Plant-Associated Microbial Communities Differ Primarily By Host Species Across A Longitudinal Gradient, Jacob A. Heil, Charles J. Wolock, Naomi E. Pierce, Anne Pringle, Leonora S. Bittleston

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Plant-associated microbial communities can profoundly affect plant health and success, and research is still uncovering factors driving the assembly of these communities. Here, we examine how geography versus host species affects microbial community structure and differential abundances of individual taxa. We use metabarcoding to characterize the bacteria and eukaryotes associated with five, often co-occurring species of Sarracenia pitcher plants (Sarraceniaceae) and three natural hybrids along the longitudinal gradient of the U.S. Gulf Coast, as well as samples from S. purpurea in Massachusetts. To tease apart the effects of geography versus host species, we focus first on sites with co-occurring …

2022-2023 Faculty Senate Roster, Faculty Senate, East Tennessee State University

Faculty Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

Investigating Granulopoiesis Of Neutrophils From Myeloblasts In The Bone Marrow Post Novel Anti-Schistosoma Compound Treatment, Sarah Alsuleiman, Paul Davis

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Schistosomiasis, a commonly neglected tropical disease, is a waterborne parasitic worm infection able to infect through direct skin penetration. This disease affects approximately 270 million people worldwide and ranks only second to malaria as a leading infectious disease. Although some possible alternatives are emerging, currently, the most effective drug treatment is praziquantel (PZQ). However, PZQ is only effective against the adult stage of the worm, allowing juvenile worms to progress in the infection. Additionally, Schistosoma worms are developing resistance to this drug as reduced efficacy has been noted. Thus, the need for drug discovery and testing is increased. SA01, a …

“Vivid And Traumatizing”: Impact Of Breastfeeding Difficulties On Maternal-Well Being, Grace Watson, Jamie Smith

Graduate Independent Studies - Communication Sciences and Disorders

No abstract provided.

Effective Sequence Models And Graph Neural Networks For Molecular Data Analysis, Chaochao Yan

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Drug discovery is the process of discovering new candidate medications. New drugs are continually developed by pharmaceutical industries to address increasing medical needs. Drug discovery involves a series of processes including target identification and validation, hit identification, lead generation and optimization, and finally the identification of a candidate for further development. The development further includes optimization of chemical synthesis and its formulation, toxicological studies in animals, clinical trials, and eventually regulatory approval. Both of these processes are time-consuming and cost-expensive. Computer-aided drug discovery mainly relies on modern computers to model drug molecules, which can speed up the process of drug …

Cyborgs And The Americans With Disabilities Act, Lou Colasanti

Student Scholarship

Medical technology is advancing at lightning speed with the potential to drastically benefit the disabled. These new technologies will result in humans who will use a wide array of assistive technologies and will likely be labelled as Cyborgs. Assistive technologies such as self-driving cars, robots, computer chip implants, insertable medical hardware, and exoskeletons are already well developed. The day is rapidly approaching when Cyborgs as a class will be large and influential. Critically, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the judges tasked with enforcing this legislation, and the legislature itself are all ill equipped to handle the speed of this …

Veterinary Reporting And Immunity Laws In The United States: How This Model Law Could Positively Impact National Veterinary Practices And International Animal Law, Rachel Al-Alami

Global Business Law Review

This Note highlights the importance of animal law, including its impact on human violence and international businesses involving animals. The issues in veterinary reporting of suspected animal abuse must be addressed, as it has a direct effect on exposing the link between animal violence and human violence. Each state is encouraged to adopt the legislation proposed by this Note; it aims to reform the laws surrounding veterinary reporting of suspected animal abuse, and it provides veterinary professionals with immunity for reporting in good faith. This Note discusses the background of animal law, including the current state of affairs for both …

The Influence Of Water Stress And Rootstocks On Nutrient Uptake And Gas Exchange Of Young Peach Trees, Naif Alshammari

All Theses

Young peach trees are often rainfed in the southeastern U.S. and periods of dry weather can cause tree water deficit that can be detrimental to orchard productivity. There is a lack of understanding of the influence of water regimes and rootstocks on the nutritional status and gas exchange of the peach tree. Most peach growers in Southeastern United States do not irrigate their young peach trees because they do not produce fruit until the third leaf. In this region, peach growers use Guardian as a rootstock, although MP-29 is also interesting for growers with orchards that have Armillaria root rot …