Digital Commons Network^™

Worship And The Generational Divide: A Study Of Inclusive Worship In The Church, Willie S. Moody

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Every generation has a different way of engaging in congregational worship, sometimes at odds with another generation. The current challenge for pastors and worship leaders of churches with multiple generations is planning worship services that consider the congregation's complex make-up and remain faithful to the principles of biblical worship. The purpose of this qualitative research project is to provide a worship model that facilitates the worship styles and preferences of multiple generations within a church congregation. An atmosphere of worship is desired for all persons attending weekly worship services whose hearts and minds are receptive to the move of God …

Modeling Of Functional Gene Regulation Through Machine Learning And Deep Learning Methods, Yuhao Chen

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Genes are specific sequences of nucleotides within the genome that undergo transcription to generate products that can diffuse throughout the cell. These gene products can take the form of either proteins or RNAs and play crucial roles in virtually all cellular functions, encompassing structural support, enzymatic activities, and signaling functions. An essential focus of contemporary biological research revolves around unraveling the functions of genes and their resulting products across different organisms. One primary means to conduct this research is through the regulation of gene expression. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), short single-stranded non-coding RNAs, play vital roles in gene expression regulation. Both computational …

Following The Paper Trail: An Ethnoecology Of Hand Papermaking Traditions, James Ojascastro

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Plants and their fibers have served as simple yet incredibly versatile raw materials for innovation for as long as humans have been on the planet. As the principal structural building blocks of plant cell walls, these hollow, cellulosic fibers have been co-opted by cultures around the world to meet diverse structural, absorptive, motile, and thermoregulatory needs—especially as textiles and paper. Despite (or because of!) this versatility, fibers vary considerably in physiology, and ethnographic records show that very few plant species have been chosen by tradition for use in fiber products. Surprisingly, no fiber ethnobotany study to date has attempted to …

Star, Qian Liao

Theses

This document demonstrates the design process of an Augmented-Reality visual interaction design for improving and enhancing the astronomical observing experience for amateurs. Astronomical observation can be fun and romantic when sharing the experience with friends, family, or someone special. Sharing those magnificent moments with friends and family when astronomical events happen could be joyful. However, there are some inevitable barriers. In order to have a successful meteor shower observation, observers must follow a series of strict and professional rules that make the experience usually unaffordable for amateurs. As a result, I proposed a new way for amateurs that combined user …

A Phenomenological Qualitative Study Of The Seventh Day Adventist Leadership Role In Spiritual Formation For Ny, Nj, And Pa, Chesnel Gabriel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the qualitative phenomenological research study is to assess and understand the impacts of the church leadership role in the spiritual formation of the Seventh-day Adventist churches in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. At this stage in the study, the local church leadership role in spiritual formation is generally described as a spiritual transformation to encourage spiritual formation in the Seventh-day Adventists (Creswell, 2018). The concepts guiding this study are Spiritual Formation: Benefits of Spiritual Formation Training, Disadvantages of the Existing Training Processes, and Perceived Outcome of Leadership Development (Bush et al., 2020). It sought to show …

A Quantitative Analysis Of Servant-Leadership Characteristics Among Those Called To Serve And Protect, Louden S.B. Suggs

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if servant-leader characteristics were common among recruits enrolled in basic law enforcement training programs in North Carolina Community Colleges and the relationship between recruit commitment to preserving public safety and public order and the call or natural feeling to serve others. This study explored whether law enforcement recruits inherently possessed servant-leader characteristics defined by Greenleaf and Spears (1998, 2002) and described in Matthew and Mark. One hundred eleven law enforcement recruits, both men and women, from various demographic backgrounds actively enrolled in 22 North Carolina Community College System’s Basic Law …

Wounding Words: A Phenomenological Study Of How Individuals Experience Receiving Spiritual Bypass, Peridot Reed-Gilbert

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Currently spiritual bypass refers to a person's attempt to evade or sidestep significant events in his or her life by focusing solely on the spiritual dimension “bypassing” important psychological tasks necessary for healing (Cashwell & Young, 2004; Clarke et al., 2013). Several studies have been conducted proving that spiritual bypass is a phenomenon that individuals implement on themselves. However, the purpose of this study was to address the gap in the existing research literature by examining the lived experiences of those who have experienced receiving spiritual bypass from another person. Through semi-structured interviews, fourteen participants who self-identified as having experienced …

Mirna-211 Maintains Metabolic Homeostasis In Medulloblastoma Through Its Target Gene Long-Chain Acyl-Coa Synthetase 4, Menglang Yuan, Iqbal Mahmud, Keisuke Katsushima, Kandarp Joshi, Olivier Saulnier, Rudramani Pokhrel, Bongyong Lee, Wathsala Liyanage, Haritha Kunhiraman, Stacie Stapleton, Ignacio Gonzalez-Gomez, Rangaramanujam M Kannan, Tanja Eisemann, Elayaraja Kolanthai, Sudipta Seal, Timothy J Garrett, Saed Abbasi, Kimberly Bockley, Justin Hanes, Prem Chapagain, George Jallo, Robert J Wechsler-Reya, Michael D Taylor, Charles G Eberhart, Animesh Ray, Ranjan J Perera

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The prognosis of childhood medulloblastoma (MB) is often poor, and it usually requires aggressive therapy that adversely affects quality of life. microRNA-211 (miR-211) was previously identified as an important regulator of cells that descend from neural cells. Since medulloblastomas primarily affect cells with similar ontogeny, we investigated the role and mechanism of miR-211 in MB. Here we showed that miR-211 expression was highly downregulated in cell lines, PDXs, and clinical samples of different MB subgroups (SHH, Group 3, and Group 4) compared to normal cerebellum. miR-211 gene was ectopically expressed in transgenic cells from MB subgroups, and they were subjected …

Prmt Blockade Induces Defective Dna Replication Stress Response And Synergizes With Parp Inhibition, Yang Li, Lacey E Dobrolecki, Christina Sallas, Xudong Zhang, Travis D Kerr, Deepa Bisht, Yalong Wang, Sharad Awasthi, Babita Kaundal, Siqi Wu, Weiyi Peng, Marc L Mendillo, Yiling Lu, Collene R Jeter, Guang Peng, Jinsong Liu, Shannon N Westin, Anil K Sood, Michael T Lewis, Jishnu Das, S Stephen Yi, Mark T Bedford, Daniel J Mcgrail, Nidhi Sahni

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Multiple cancers exhibit aberrant protein arginine methylation by both type I arginine methyltransferases, predominately protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) and to a lesser extent PRMT4, and by type II PRMTs, predominately PRMT5. Here, we perform targeted proteomics following inhibition of PRMT1, PRMT4, and PRMT5 across 12 cancer cell lines. We find that inhibition of type I and II PRMTs suppresses phosphorylated and total ATR in cancer cells. Loss of ATR from PRMT inhibition results in defective DNA replication stress response activation, including from PARP inhibitors. Inhibition of type I and II PRMTs is synergistic with PARP inhibition regardless of homologous …

Autophagy Gene-Dependent Intracellular Immunity Triggered By Interferon-Γ, Michael R Mcallaster, Jaya Bhushan, Dale R Balce, Anthony Orvedahl, Arnold Park, Seungmin Hwang, Meagan E Sullender, L David Sibley, Herbert W Virgin

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Interferon-γ (IFNγ) is a critical mediator of cell-intrinsic immunity to intracellular pathogens. Understanding the complex cellular mechanisms supporting robust interferon-γ-induced host defenses could aid in developing new therapeutics to treat infections. Here, we examined the impact of autophagy genes in the interferon-γ-induced host response. We demonstrate that genes within the autophagy pathway including

A Broadly Reactive Antibody Targeting The N-Terminal Domain Of Sars-Cov-2 Spike Confers Fc-Mediated Protection, Lucas J Adams, Laura A Vanblargan, Zhuoming Liu, Pavlo Gilchuk, Haiyan Zhao, Rita E Chen, Saravanan Raju, Zhenlu Chong, Bradley M Whitener, Swathi Shrihari, Prashant N Jethva, Michael L Gross, James E Crowe Jr., Sean P J Whelan, Michael S Diamond, Daved H Fremont

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Most neutralizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) target the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike (S) protein. Here, we characterize a panel of mAbs targeting the N-terminal domain (NTD) or other non-RBD epitopes of S. A subset of NTD mAbs inhibits SARS-CoV-2 entry at a post-attachment step and avidly binds the surface of infected cells. One neutralizing NTD mAb, SARS2-57, protects K18-hACE2 mice against SARS-CoV-2 infection in an Fc-dependent manner. Structural analysis demonstrates that SARS2-57 engages an antigenic supersite that is remodeled by deletions common to emerging variants. In neutralization escape studies with SARS2-57, this NTD site accumulates mutations, including …

A Mixed-Methods Inquiry Into Pastors' Knowledge And Responses To Human Trafficking In Their Congregations In The Baptist Convention Of Maryland/Delaware, Denise A. Beck

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to discover the knowledge of human trafficking of the pastors in the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware churches and their responses to this crime. The guiding theory was the words of Jesus in Exodus: Chapter 3 concerning slavery and the tribulations of Israelites. A questionnaire provided enlightenment regarding the levels of knowledge in the church communities, how pastors viewed it, the methods by which they received the information, and how they responded to it. This study reflected a gap in the knowledge of pastors in their congregations. The data were collected through emails and …

Toward An Analysis Of The Abductive Moral Argument For God’S Existence: Assessing The Evidential Quality Of Moral Phenomena And The Evidential Virtuosity Of Christian Theological Models, David Ochabski

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The moral argument for God’s existence is perhaps the oldest and most salient of the arguments from natural theology. In contemporary literature, there has been a focus on the abductive version of the moral argument. Although the mode of reasoning, abduction, has been articulated, there has not been a robust articulation of the individual components of the argument. Such an articulation would include the data quality of moral phenomena, the theoretical virtuosity of theological models that explain the moral phenomena, and how both contribute to the likelihood of moral arguments. The goal of this paper is to provide such an …

Christological Application Of The Mosaic Law: A Hermeneutical And Exegetical Exploration, Nabeel Saqib

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study is a hermeneutical and exegetical exploration of the Christological application of the Mosaic Law for Christians. It involves a clear understanding of the relationship between the continuity and discontinuity from the Old Testament to the New Testament, the relationship between Israel and the Church as people of God, and the relationship between the Old and the New Covenant. It also requires a clear understanding of the meaning and purpose of the law for the initial audience, and its current significance for Christians today. Romans 10:4 presents Christ as the culmination of the law as it sees him as …

The Need For A Spiritual Reboot In The Youth Of Great Commission Church, Jean Max B St Louis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The decline of the youth attendance is evident in many Protestant churches. This research paper examined forty-three young believers from three Haitian Baptist churches, respectively, located in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. These data results help develop a suitable spiritual program that includes the six key influencing factors for spiritual growth: discipleship, mentoring, parental influence, church attendance, personal devotion, and ministerial involvement. This spiritual program was tested on a small group of young people from Great Commission Church in Queens. This research uses a mixed-method methodology, which is a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze the data. The …

The Chiefs Of Chota And The Charles Town Merchants: A Vital Alliance That Ensured The Growth And Success Of South Carolina, 1692-1760, Nicola Symonds

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The contributions of three generations of Overhill Cherokee and the Thomas Pinckney family played a significant role in the growth of Charleston, South Carolina, leaving a lasting impact not only on the American nation but also on the survival of their community and the prosperity of South Carolina. These legacies are essential parts of the rich history of the United States. This dissertation provides a unique perspective on the relationship between these men, offering insights that previous historians have yet to uncover. By examining the social, economic, and political histories of the early settlers of Charles Town, as well as …

Examining The Effect Of Utilizing 1:1 Ipad Technology On Third Grade Reading Achievement: A Causal-Comparative Analysis, Sharla E. Edwards

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative causal-comparative study examined the effects of one-to-one (1:1) iPad instruction versus traditional instruction on urban third-grade students' English Language Arts (ELA) achievement. The research is significant given the rising use of technology, like the 1:1 iPad initiative, to combat declining reading proficiency. It highlights the pivotal role of third-grade reading proficiency in future success, aligning with education policies and catering to modern learners. This study provides valuable insights for educators, administrators, and education stakeholders by elucidating the impact of technology on reading achievement. As one-to-one instruction gains prominence, understanding its influence on students' reading performance is crucial due …

And All Those Jazz Hands! A Curricular Show Choir In An Elementary Public School: A Case Study, Anne Valadia Binkley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the known benefits of adolescent participation in secondary music ensembles and the advantages of singing for elementary-aged students, researchers have yet to evaluate the positive effects of student participation in a public school elementary curricular show choir. The potential benefits of an elementary show choir in a public school can reveal more possibilities for music educators to involve students in relevant music-making. This study examines the perspectives of former elementary show choir members, parents, city officials, and elementary school administrators concerned with a public school curricular show choir. Respondents have shared views on benefits to students, families, and the …

Moral Injury: The Hidden Adversary Of War, Lashell Y. Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of United States Army combat veterans who have supported combat operations at least once over the past fourteen years in either Iraq or Afghanistan who self-identified as suffering from symptoms of moral injury. This study was designed to elucidate the impact of faith on resilience and coping mechanisms and broaden previous research on moral injury and whether Army leaders should identify and mitigate moral injury within the ranks. Phenomenology focuses on the interpretation and meaning of how individuals experience their world within a given context. Seven …

A Brief History Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints With Emphasis On The Charismatic Roots Of The Race-Based Priesthood Denial, Wayne A. Denton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation provides an overview of the history of race relations and the evolution of authority in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). It traces the early charismatic leadership of Joseph Smith and his liberal racial views, which increased tension between the LDS church and broader American society. After Smith's death, Brigham Young instituted racist policies like slavery in Utah and a priesthood ban for black members to reduce tensions. In the Progressive Era, LDS scholars theologically entrenched the priesthood ban despite their progressive leanings. A push towards correlation and centralized control of doctrine in the twentieth …

Review Of: Better Safe Than Sorry: Real-Life Stories, Tips, And More–A Guide To Everyday Safety—Mike Atnip, Nathan Shrock

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

This book was written from an Anabaptist perspective geared towards a younger Christian Anabaptist and seems directed at an Amish audience. The book has six different sections relating to various parts of home and farm life. The goal of this book is to encourage the Anabaptist community to use more thought in what risks they take. The sections are as follows: Home and Community, Fire Safety, Farm and Logging Safety, Shop and Construction Safety, Gun/Hunting Safety, and Road Safety. I will be addressing each section individually and giving a summary of my thoughts at the end. Atnip does not specify …

Promoting Culturally Accessible, Community-Centered, Midwifery Care In The Rural Anabaptist Population Of Southwestern Ontario, Canada, Cynthia Soulliere

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

The experience of providing midwifery care in a rural Southwestern Ontario community is discussed, highlighting specific approaches to providing culturally accessible and community-centered care among the Old Order Anabaptists. Midwives in Ontario are primary care providers for perinatal care and the clinic described in this paper works primarily with families from Anabaptist communities. Success in providing culturally accessible care has come from community engagement and responsiveness to ways to improve access to healthcare in this region. Highlighted in this article are the scope of midwifery care in Ontario, home and hospital births, collaboration with other community agencies, and community-based genetic …

Partnering With The Old Order Mennonites In The Finger Lakes Region Of New York State To Identify The Mechanisms Of Protective Immunity Against Atopic Disease Development, Alexandra N. Kaplan, Camille A. Martina, Elizabeth R. Catlin, John Looney, Kirsi M. Järvinen

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

Old Order Mennonites (OOM) follow a traditional agrarian lifestyle; key aspects include home births, large families, limited antibiotic usage, consumption of whole foods and unpasteurized milk, and early exposure to soil, stables, and farm animals. There is evidence that a farming lifestyle protects against asthma and allergies, yet the biological mechanisms behind this protective effect remain unknown. The “Zooming into Old Order Mennonites” (ZOOM) cohort study was established to further explore protective factors and mechanisms. This study compares immune development among OOM children from the Finger Lakes Region of New York to those residing 65 miles northwest in Rochester, NY. …

Vitamin D Status Of Anabaptist Children In Southwestern Ontario, Canada, Janis A. Randall Simpson, Natalee Miller, Taylor Hartwig, Jane Leach, Melissa Purdy, Emily Roth, Victoria Mok Siue, Cynthia Soulliere, Jacqui Tam, Ann Watt

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

The objective was to determine vitamin D status of Old Order Anabaptist children in rural Southwestern, Ontario, Canada, given concerns of community healthcare professionals. Fifty-two children (2.5 months - 6.5 years) (56% female) were recruited. Finger prick blood spot (BSp) samples were analyzed for 25-hydroxy (OH) vitamins D2 & D3 (BSp25(OH)D). Three-day food records were evaluated using Dietary Reference Intakes and Canada’s Food Guide (CFG) (Bush, et al. 2007). Compared to national Canadian data: mean BSp25(OH)D concentrations (78±31 nmol/L) were similar; a slightly smaller proportion (0% vs 2%) were at risk of deficiency (<30 nmol/L) or had inadequate status (4% vs 7%) (<40 nmol/L); and 10% vs 1% had BSp25(OH)D higher than 125 nmol/L. BSp25(OH)D was significantly associated (r2=0.358; p=0.001) with total vitamin D intake. From food alone, vitamin D intake was 68±39 IU/day, lower than the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of 600 IU/day, and intakes were all below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) of 400 IU. Even including supplemental vitamin D, 87% were below the EAR (total intake=213±194 IU/day). No children had vitamin D intakes greater than the Upper Limit. Servings of milk and alternates were 1.6±0.8/day (CFG=2/day). Unfortified farm milk was consumed by 88% of children and 89% received a vitamin D supplement. Results were comparable to recent Canadian data suggesting that most children have adequate vitamin D status. Nevertheless, these findings support the need to encourage appropriate vitamin D intake (from food and supplements) to achieve the RDA for Old Order Anabaptist children in these communities. [Abstract by authors.]

Health Beliefs, Health Practices, And Health-Seeking Behaviors Among Swartzentruber Amish In Clark County, Wisconsin, Courtney J. Schoessow

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

Although the literature contains valuable information about Amish culture, few qualitative studies have been conducted on the health beliefs, health practices, and health-seeking behaviors of the Swartzentruber Amish, the most conservative group of Old Order Amish. The purpose of this study was to describe these dynamics for the Swartzentruber Amish of Clark County, Wisconsin. Utilizing the grounded theory approach, 25 participants were interviewed and seven themes were identified: shared decision-making is common in families; causes of illness are believed to be etiological or the will of God; home remedies are the first choice; preventive medicine is an unfamiliar concept; health …

Perceptions Regarding Drinking Water Quality And Its Effects On Human And Animal Health Among Plain-Sect Community Members, Anil Kumar Chaudhary, Parmveer Singh, Sharmistha Basak

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

The quality of drinking water can affect human and animal health, and plain-sect populations may be more susceptible than other rural populations due to their use of traditional farm management practices and their reliance on well water. Therefore, an interdisciplinary team conducted a pilot study to understand the status of existing drinking water quality, community perceptions regarding causes of water deterioration, its associated effect on human and animal health, and solutions to address such challenges. The study included water testing and a focus group discussion with plain-sect community members. The findings revealed that participants perceived the drinking water quality as …

Title Page And Table Of Contents 11(2), Japas Editors

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

No abstract provided.

Lipid Membrane Self-Assembly And Synthesis In The Lab By Rapid, Low-Cost Microfluidics Approaches, Kathleen Hardwick, Shane O'Reilly

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

Lipid membranes, which self-assemble in nature and under laboratory conditions, can form vesicles called liposomes. The main uses for liposomes are in drug delivery systems and as animal cell models. From the initial research into lipid membrane science, to the systematic literature review using Web of Science, to refining the project scope, to the description of the method, this project follows the process of developing a method for lipid membrane self-assembly and synthesis in the lab. The result was a rapid prototyping method for fabricating microfluidic devices to test different designs for channels, for use with a liposome synthesis protocol. …

Regulation Of Mirnas In Obesity And Diabetes, Eva Maher, Ava O'Meara, Cathy Brougham

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

Introduction: The prevalence of obesity and obesity-related secondary disorders has increased dramatically in recent years. Dysregulated microRNA (miRNA) expression has been linked to the development of obesity and its associated disorders. Adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) are promising cell models of obesity, obesity-related inflammation and diabetes. Furthermore, miRNA expression profiles have emerged as promising targets for the novel treatment of diseases such as obesity. In order to enhance miRNA-based therapies, the miRNA expression profile of obesity and its related disorders must be monitored to further understand the underlying mechanisms of obesity and to identify novel targets.

Aim: The aim of …

The Potential Of Stem Cell Therapy In Multiple Sclerosis Treatment: A Review, Sorina Amarculesei, Ava O'Meara Cushen, Cathy Brougham

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system. There are currently 2.8 million people living with Multiple Sclerosis worldwide, including 9000 people in Ireland, with a prevalence of 193 per 100,000 people. Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis include sensory loss, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, spasticity, depression, optic neuritis, gait ataxia, diplopia, and loss of bladder control. Currently, there is no standardised treatment or cure for Multiple Sclerosis with many strategies focusing on symptoms. Stem cells have emerged as promising approaches for Multiple Sclerosis therapeutics. Clinical trials primarily focus on mesenchymal stem cell-based therapies for Multiple Sclerosis. Furthermore, …