Digital Commons Network^™

Modeling Of Transport In Anatomic Respiratory Airways: Applications In Targeted Drug Delivery And Airborne Pathogenic Transmissions, Mohammad Mehedi Hasan Akash

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis aims to explore the potential of improving the efficacy of drugs for treatment of viral infections by targeting the nasopharynx, which is commonly the first site of infection for many viral pathogens. Currently, intranasal sprays are used, but the standard protocol (“Current Use” or CU) results in suboptimal drug deposition at the nasopharynx. To address this issue, an “Improved Use” or, IU protocol has been proposed, which involves pointing the spray bottle at a shallower angle and aiming slightly towards the cheeks. The IU delivery is also robust to perturbations in spray direction, which highlights the practical utility …

Understanding Human Gut Bacterial Interactions And Their Role In Colonization Resistance Against Clostridioides Difficile Using Mini-Bioreactor Array And Caenorhabditis Elegans As Model Systems, Achuthan Ambat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Fungicide Sensitivity In P. Tritici-Repentis Diverse Population And Phenotyping Of Spelt Wheat For Multiple Diseases, Zunera Shabbir

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pyraclostrobin, a QoI fungicide, is extensively used in the management of fungal leaf spot diseases. In this study, 215 P. tritici-repentis isolates collected from wheat fields in South Dakota were evaluated for their sensitivity to Pyraclostrobin. Of 215 isolates, 48 isolates (22%) exhibited insensitivity based on G143A mutation and EC50 values using spore germination assay. Our results indicate reduced sensitivity to insensitivity to pyraclostrobin in some isolates suggesting regular monitoring of the P. tritici-repentis population to QoI fungicides is essential to track the evolution of insensitive population. Spelt wheat (Triticum spelta L.) is an ancient cereal that is gaining small …

U.S. Consumers’ Willingness To Pay For Raised Carbon-Friendly Beef: Moderation Effect Of Information And Consumer Characteristics, Mariam Ishaq

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Development Of Corn Kernel-Based Biocomposite Films For Food Packaging Applications, Swastika Bera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Most of the current and active food packaging resources and methods are nonbiodegradable and nonrenewable therefore harmful to the environment. Due to this, alternate sources of food packaging materials are in high demand. In this study, a bio-composite film has been developed, with Corn kernel powder as fiber reinforcement which is mixed with gelatin, and lignin two biopolymers as the matrix. The effect of Corn Kernel (CK) reinforcement on the Gelatin/Lignin (G/L) matrix on mechanical and barrier properties has been studied. CK has shown great potential as reinforcement to natural polymer, gelatin, and lignin (G/L) for food packaging applications as …

Effects Of Dietary Genistein And Fugacity Modelling In An Aquaculture System, Travis Schaeffer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fish production from aquaculture has continued to grow over the past several decades, with finfishes being fed formulated, fish meal-based diets supporting most of that industry’s growth. However, increased demand and costs, coupled with static volume and erratic supplies of fish meal, has resulted in the use of alternative plant-derived protein sources. A common oilseed protein source is soybean meal (SBM), because of its protein content and amino acid profile; however, it also contains multiple anti-nutritional factors, including phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are naturally produced, estrogenmimicking compounds, with isoflavones receiving the most investigation as higher levels of these compounds occur within SBM. …

Identification And Quantification Of Novel Antimicrobials, Hazera Khatun Koly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Leading With The Trailing Edge: Facilitating Patient Choice For Insulin Products, Robin Feldman

Faculty Scholarship

Insulin prices have risen sharply, despite a century since its introduction. Against this backdrop, companies have discontinued dozens of insulin prod- ucts. Discontinuation could relate to safety or effectiveness, or to the over- whelming benefits of newer products. On the other hand, discontinuation could suggest strategic behavior hampering competition and supporting prices. To test these theories, this project examined every insulin discontin- uation, analyzing the role discontinuations play in insulin affordability. No evidence emerged of any discontinuation for safety or effectiveness. Rather, dozens of viable products were removed from the market, followed by more expensive versions, often with little or …

Restorative Justice Diversion As A Structural Health Intervention In The Criminal Legal System The Criminal Legal System, Thalia Gonzalez

Faculty Scholarship

A new discourse at the intersection of criminal justice and public health is bringing to light how exposure to the ordinariness of racism in the criminal legal system—whether in policing practices or carceral settings—leads to extraordinary outcomes in health. Drawing on empirical evidence of the deleterious health effects of system involvement coupled with new threats posed by COVID-19, advocates and academics have increasingly called for race-conscious public health-driven reforms to carcerality in the United States. Recognizing the significance of health to carceral reform, the initiation of a health justice grounded lexicon in criminal justice has opened the doorway to new …

Wolf Law, David Takacs

Faculty Scholarship

Various populations of wolves have been listed as threatened or endan- gered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act since the 1970s. But no listed species has aroused, and continues to arouse, so much controversy as the Northern Gray wolf. “Wolf law” is unique, odd, and often counterproductive— at least if the goal is to ensure the species’ survival and revitalize damaged ecosystems upon which healthy human communities depend. This Article identifies some of the unique characteristics of wolf law, analyzes how and why it has developed in this strange way, and proposes some more sensible ways for healthy human communities …

Community Energy Exit, Sharon Jacobs, Dave Owen

Faculty Scholarship

Communities across the United States are taking advantage of new technologies and governance forms to assert greater control over their energy systems. For decades, energy provision throughout much of the nation was heavily centralized. Even where market-oriented reforms emerged, most consumers had little ability to take advantage of the changes. But resurgent interest in municipal takeover of energy systems, alongside new phenomena such as community choice aggregation and microgrid construction, are making what we call “community energy exit” a reality. Popular and academic commentators have hailed these developments as key steps toward decarbonization, social justice, and energy democracy. This Article …

Community Energy Exit, Dave Owen, Sharon Jacobs

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Restorative Justice Diversion As A Structural Health Intervention In The Criminal Legal System, Thalia Gonzalez

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Ultra-Low Intensity Post-Pulse Affects Cellular Responses Caused By Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields, Kamal Asadipour, Carol Zhou, Vincent Yi, Stephen J. Beebe, Shu Xiao

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

High-intensity nanosecond pulse electric fields (nsPEF) can preferentially induce various effects, most notably regulated cell death and tumor elimination. These effects have almost exclusively been shown to be associated with nsPEF waveforms defined by pulse duration, rise time, amplitude (electric field), and pulse number. Other factors, such as low-intensity post-pulse waveform, have been completely overlooked. In this study, we show that post-pulse waveforms can alter the cell responses produced by the primary pulse waveform and can even elicit unique cellular responses, despite the primary pulse waveform being nearly identical. We employed two commonly used pulse generator designs, namely the Blumlein …

Search Strategies For "Neuroendoscopic Evacuation Improves Outcomes Compared To External Ventricular Drainage In Patients With Spontaneous Intraventricular Hemorrhage: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analyses", Frank M. Mezzacappa, Luke J. Weisbrod, Cynthia M. Schmidt, Daniel Surdell

Search Strategies: Leon S. McGoogan Health Sciences Library

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of Media Reports Of Digital Surveillance Within The First Year Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Leigha Comer, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, Marionette Ngole, Jacob J. Shelley, Anita Kothari, Maxwell Smith, James M. Shelley, Saverio Stranges, Brad Hiebert, Jason Gilliland, Tommy Cooke, Jodi Hall, Jed Long

Publications

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a surge in digital public health surveillance worldwide, with limited opportunities to consider the effectiveness or impact of digital surveillance. The news media shape public understanding of topics of importance, contributing to our perception of priority issues. This study investigated news media reports published during the first year of the pandemic to understand how the use and consequences of digital surveillance technologies were reported on. METHODS: A media content analysis of 34 high- to low-income countries was completed. The terms "COVID-19," "surveillance," "technologies," and "public health" were used to retrieve and inductively code media reports. …

Leveraging Digital Technology For Social Connectedness Among Adults With Chronic Conditions: A Systematic Review, Pamela J. Wright Phd, Ms, Med, Rn, Cen, Phyllis A. Raynor, Dana Bowers, Elizabeth M. Combs, Cynthia F. Corbett Phd, Rn, Faan, Hannah Hardy, Khushi S. Patel

Publications

PURPOSE: To review the evidence about the impact of digital technology on social connectedness among adults with one or more chronic health conditions.

METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Social Sciences, CINAHL, and Compendex were systematically searched for full-text, peer-reviewed empirical evidence published between 2012 and 2023 and reported using the PRISMA flow diagram. Articles were critically appraised applying the Joanna Briggs Institute checklists. Specific data were extracted based on the framework for social identity and technology approaches for health outcomes and then analyzed and synthesized.

RESULTS: Thirty-four studies met study criteria. Evidence showed heterogeneity among research methodology, chronic health conditions, digital technology, …

Use Of Digital Technologies For Public Health Surveillance During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, Leigha Comer, Brad Hiebert, Jodi Hall, Jacob J. Shelley, Maxwell J. Smith, Anita Kothari, Jacquelyn Burkell, Saverio Stranges, Tommy Cooke, James M. Shelley, Jason Gilliland, Marionette Ngole, Danica Facca

Publications

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, a variety of digital technologies have been leveraged for public health surveillance worldwide. However, concerns remain around the rapid development and deployment of digital technologies, how these technologies have been used, and their efficacy in supporting public health goals. Following the five-stage scoping review framework, we conducted a scoping review of the peer-reviewed and grey literature to identify the types and nature of digital technologies used for surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic and the success of these measures. We conducted a search of the peer-reviewed and grey literature published between 1 December 2019 and 31 December …

Advancing Methods Of Diet Analysis: A Case Study Using Degraded Merlin (Falco Columbarius) Prey Remains, Taylor A. Coon

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Prey remains have long been used as a mechanism to approach diet analyses. As understanding diet is key to comprehending ecosystem dynamics, prey remains identification requires a unique methodological approach to determine diversity within a sample. With the advancement of technology, molecular protocols designed for species-specific identification have improved to incredible accuracy and precision. Yet, the visual identification method has remained a predominant technique within diet studies. With entry-level observers, we matched visual identifications with molecular-based methods to quantify the accuracy of the visual identification method. This study determined what fraction of visually identified prey remains could be correctly identified …

Assessing The Efficacy Of Beaver Dam Analogs In Willow Restoration, Hannah Hill, Dylan Ritter

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Willow establishment is a necessary objective of stream restoration due to their role in bank stabilization, stream shading, and enhancement of biodiversity across the riparian zone. However, anecdotal observation indicated that establishment on beaver dam analogue (BDA) restored streams may be lacking. BDA’s mimic the pooling effects of natural beaver structures and are intended to help recreate historic conditions that existed before beaver extirpation. When working as intended, ecosystem function is restored, and a major aspect of this is willow presence. Because of these observations, as well as limited information on willow recruitment following restoration, we ask the following questions. …

Effects Of Warming And Drying On The Survival And Performance Of Giant Salmonfly Nymphs (Pteronarcys Californica), Kailie Todd

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Rising temperatures and anthropogenic influences threaten to alter aquatic ecosystems as oxygen supply and demand is altered depending on temperature, flow, and water presence. In late November of 2021, a dam malfunction occurred on the Madison River in Montana that caused the river to dry rapidly downstream of the dam and reduced flow by 70% for 50 hours. My experiments were designed to determine the effects of this event by assessing how long giant salmonfly nymphs (Pteronarcys californica) can survive in still water and in air depending on temperature and relative humidity. In the laboratory, we exposed salmonfly …

Out Of The Frying Pan And Into The Fire: How Hunting Affects The Diel Activity Patterns Of Ungulates In Lubrecht Experimental Forest, Shawn M. Parsons

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Predator-prey dynamics shape diel activity patterns of large mammals. The avoidance of predation risk by prey in both space and time can affect predator-prey overlap and reduce risk of mortality. Here, I examined if rifle hunting affected the diel activity patterns of ungulates and their primary predator, pumas, in Lubrecht Experimental Forest, Montana. I deployed 30 infrared wildlife remote cameras across 29 sites using a stratified random design over three months before, during, and after the Fall 2022 Montana rifle hunting season. This project was also part of the Snapshot USA 2022 initiative. Using timestamps from these photos, daily activity …

The Effect Of Green Robust Coffee Gel (Coffea Canephora) To Collagen Density On Gingival Wound Healing (An In-Vivo Study In Wistar Rats), Ni-Putu I. Suryadewi, Rinaldi B. Utomo, Indra Bramanti

Journal of Dentomaxillofacial Science

No abstract provided.

Characterizing Vhh Domains As Stabilization And Oligomeric Control Modules, Niyati Patel

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The biophysical properties of the VHH domain from heavy-chain-only antibodies obtained from the Camelidae family has expanded opportunities for novel antibody applications. The small, single domain nature of VHH domains makes them attractive modules for fusion proteins. Here, two VHH fusion systems were evaluated, RNase A-anti-RNase A VHH and GFPMut3aR80Q-anti-GFP VHH, to investigate how antigen-VHH fusions may enhance protein thermostability. The introduction of various length flexible linkers was hypothesized to play a role in stability, as well as influence the oligomeric state. Bovine Pancreatic Ribonuclease A, or RNase A, is an enzyme belonging to the ribonuclease A superfamily, which is …

Verification Of Proton Range Predictions In Proton Treatment Planning Using X-Ray Ct Or Proton Ct Imaging, Nicholas S. Yee

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this paper is to compare the range errors for two treatment plans; one using x-ray CT and the other using proton CT for calculating dose distributions in an animal tissue phantom. We shot 150 MeV proton beam through a meat phantom to a film stack to measure the exponential drop of dose at the Bragg peak until zero dose remained. Plotting the depth dose curves and performing gamma analyses are two ways to quantify the proton range errors when comparing them to depth dose curves from film measurements in the phantom. The depth dose curves give us …

Blended Learning Motivation Support At The Saudi Electronic University: Utilizing Self-Determination Theory, Mona Alenezi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Blended learning has been implemented in different designs and significantly impacted the learning process. It has been reported that students learned more when online classes were added to traditional courses, and it improved student interaction and satisfaction. In Saudi Arabia, more research is needed to understand the challenges and implementation of blended learning, because it is becoming more popular. This study aimed to use self-determination theory to examine psychological needs satisfaction in blended-learning courses at Saudi Electronic University. The study used the attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction (ARCS) instructional design approach to investigate the level of student motivation in blended …

National Emissaries For Preventive Healthcare. Visiting Nurses In Interwar Bulgaria And Yugoslavia, Evguenia Davidova

History Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the interwar period, as part of a wholesale reorganization of public healthcare, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia saw the emergence of a new healthcare protagonist: the visiting nurse. Grounded in archival materials, by means of an analysis that intertwines gender and class, this article argues that the visiting nurse became a crucial (and cheaper) link between the hospital and the home in the fight against social diseases and reducing child mortality. These social interactions were often mediated by international humanitarian organizations. In this context, the visiting nurse serves as another bridge—this time between national and international public health policies. Visiting nurses …

Team Based Sermon Preparation : Building Sermons And Pastors Through Relational Collaboration, William Vaughn Stafford

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Crafting A Rule Of Life : The Impact Of Crafting A Rule Of Life On Spiritual Well-Being, Carter Ferguson

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Transformational Discipleship : Creating A Model For Effective Discipleship At The Church Of The Cross, Nathan L. Weaver

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.