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Full Issue, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

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About The Mcnair Scholars Program, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

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Evaluating Reward-Based Processing And Its Clinical Correlates In Adolescents With Epilepsy And Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders, Daniela A. Ventura

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

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The Effects Of Augmented Reality On Perceived Credibility And Photo Editing Motivation, Jose Zarate

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

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An Intelligent Multi-Modal Framework Towards Assessing Human Cognition, Ashish Jaiswal

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Cognition is the mental process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and senses. Fatigue is a loss in cognitive or physical performance due to physiological factors such as insufficient sleep, long work hours, stress, and physical exertion. It adversely affects the human body and can slow reaction times, reduce attention, and limit short-term memory. Hence, there is a need to monitor a person's state to avoid extreme fatigue conditions that can result in physiological complications. However, tools to understand and assess fatigue are minimal. This thesis primarily focuses on building an experimental setup that induces cognitive fatigue (CF) …

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The Associations Between Stress, Depression, And Health Complications: A Comparative Study Between Young And Old African American Childbearing Adolescents, Lakyah Morgan

2023 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Stress and depression are noted as major psychological determinants impacting health outcomes for childbearing women. African American (AA) women have been shown to experience “wear and tear” or “weathering” over time with increasing complications. Via secondary analysis, the current study explored the association between stress, depression, and maternal and infant health complications and examined a potential trend of “weathering” emerging between younger and older AA childbearing adolescents. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved primary study examined birth experiences and mental health of adolescents up to nine months postpartum. The current study noted significant associations between postpartum depression (EPDS scores) and …

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Why Are We Creatives? Understanding The Psychology Of Creativity Between Children And Adults With References To Leonardo Da Vinci And Michelangelo Buonarroti, Jordyn R. Garca

2023 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

This paper examines the differences in creativity between children and adults, including certain components that can influence creativity, or in certain instances, can also diminish it. With the support of biographers, clinical psychologists, and scholars, this paper also includes information regarding the lives of two of the world’s most well-known artists, and in certain instances the challenges they faced regarding childhood and mental health. Growing up, it is often encouraged that children should develop their creativity and learn to make their own decisions without fear of failure. However, it is not commonly accepted in society for an individual to want …

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Investigation Of Rate Pressure Product As A Metric To Quantify Cardiac Workload In Sleep Apnea Events, Carlos Cruz

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

An investigation on the use of rate pressure product (RPP) to measure the cardiac workload in sleep apnea patients is presented. RPP is the product of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate (HR). The application of RPP to quantify cardiac workload is combined with the detection of respiratory events occurring in close proximity (less than 30 seconds apart). These two combined factors provide a unique framework for analyzing sleep apnea events and are the primary novelty of the study. Close proximity events are referred to as respiratory event chains (RECs). Statistical analyses were conducted on various RPP metrics as …

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The Effects Of Poloxamer 188 On Wound Closure In A Mouse Brain Endothelium Model, Mia Claire Grubbs

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays a crucial role in maintaining central nervous system homeostasis and, if structurally and functionally compromised, can lead to severe neurological consequences. This thesis explores the therapeutic potential of Poloxamer 188 (P188) in the context of BBB wound healing. P188, FDA-approved copolymer that is known for its cytoprotective properties, is examined for its impact on endothelial monolayers through in vitro scratch wound assays. The study aims to establish a consistent endothelial monolayer model, quantify wound healing dynamics, and assess the efficacy of P188 at varying concentrations. The thesis goals include detailed methodologies such as cell culture …

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Just Extracurriculars?, Emily Gold Waldman

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

Extracurricular activities have been the battleground for a striking number of Supreme Court cases set at public schools, from cases involving speech to religion to drug testing. Indeed, the two most recent Supreme Court cases involving constitutional rights at public schools--Kennedy v. Bremerton School District (2022) and Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. (2021)--both arose in the extracurricular context of school sports. Even so, the Supreme Court has never fully clarified the status of extracurricular activities themselves. Once a school offers an extracurricular activity, is participation merely a privilege? Does the fact that extracurricular activities are voluntary for students affect …

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Demystifying Artificial Intelligence (Ai) For Early Childhood And Elementary Education: A Case Study Of Perceptions Of Ai Of State Of Missouri Educators, Kathryn Arnone, James Hutson, Karen Woodruff

Faculty Scholarship

Artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on society have received a great deal of attention in the past five years since the first Stanford AI100 report. AI already globally impacts individuals in critical and personal ways, and many industries will continue to experience disruptions as the full algorithmic effects are understood. However, with regard to education, adopting in disciplines remains limited largely to Computer Science and Information Technology in postsecondary education. Recent advances with technology are especially promising for their potential to create and scale personalized learning for students, to optimize strategies for learning outcomes, and to increase access to …

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Re-Regulating Dietary Supplements, Jessie L. Bekker, Alex Flores, Michael S. Sinha

Journal of Food Law & Policy

In 1994, Congress introduced the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) to create a regulatory framework for the dietary supplement industry. Despite the increased market size of dietary supplements, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) pre-market authority to regulate the introduction of dietary supplements into the stream of commerce has remained subdued. Under DSHEA, the FDA has limited authority to review dietary supplements before entering the market. Unlike pharmaceuticals, which must be proven safe and effective prior to approval and marketing, dietary supplements can be sold to consumers without such reassurances. We call on Congress to amend DSHEA to …

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Growing Agriculture Literacy’S Presence In America’S Classrooms, Emily Stone

Journal of Food Law & Policy

“Americans, as a whole, were at least two generations removed from the farm and did not understand even the most rudimentary of processes, challenges, and risks that farmers and the agricultural industry worked with and met head-on every day.” This quote perfectly describes the mindset of agriculture stakeholders in 1981 as they began to realize the drastic steps our education system had taken away from using principles of agriculture in K-12 education. As they saw it, Americans were moving out of rural America, away from farms, and becoming less connected to the food they daily consumed. Simultaneously, the education system …

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The Contradictory Nature Of U.S. Laws And Nutrition Programs And Their Effects On Infant Feeding, Lily Patel

Journal of Food Law & Policy

The contradictory nature of U.S. laws, including the laws concerning infant feeding, though supposedly aligned with policies to promote wellness in Americans, can exacerbate gender and race inequality and work against the National Strategy. The overarching goal of U.S. laws concerning infant feeding is to ensure that infants are fed, nourished, and receive proper nutrition. However, the laws often appear to be directly contradictory to one another in the priorities they are promoting.

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Free For All: Proposing Legislation To Eliminate Food Insecurity In Arkansas Public Schools, A. Mills Bryant

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Schools serve millions of students daily as one of the largest food distribution sites in the United States. However, more than 13.1 million children in the United States, and almost 150,000 in Arkansas, are food insecure. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, most Arkansas schools offered free and reduced lunch to students at or below the poverty line through participation in the National School Lunch Program (“NSLP”). During COVID-19, Congress passed The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) and The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES”) (hereinafter “The Acts”). This legislation effectively eliminated food insecurity in participating American public schools, …

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Chewing The Welfare Cud: A Digested Analysis Of A Consumer Versus Producer-Defined Standard Of Welfare Practices In Animals Raised For Human Consumption, Caitlin C. Robb

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Since the eighteenth century, animal well-being remains a concern for American citizens. Yet, underlying this concern is the thought that while humans should not be cruel to animals, animals are still private property subject to human ownership. Therefore, multi-faceted questions of what constitutes “animal welfare” find a place in modern American debate. One such question becomes: should the producer or the consumer define welfare practice standards of animals raised for human consumption?7 This note provides an answer to this question by first analyzing the robust history of animal welfare in the United States, along with the domestic and international impact …

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Encapsulating Holistic Intercultural Competence Development In Higher Education: A Literature Review On Assessments And Competencies, Constantina Rokos, Svetlana N. Khapova, Marcus Laumann

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

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Racial Dis/Embodiment: A Discourse Theoretical Analysis Of University International Offices’ Websites, Gian-Louis Hernandez

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Special Issue

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Comprehensive, Evidence-Based, Consensus Guidelines For Prescription Of Opioids For Chronic Non-Cancer Pain From The American Society Of Interventional Pain Physicians (Asipp)., Laxmaiah Manchikanti, Adam M. Kaye, Nebojsa Nick Knezevic, James Giordano, Megan K. Applewhite, Alexander Bautista, Amol Soin, Susan K. Blank, Mahendra R. Sanapati, Jay Karri, Paul J. Christo, Alaa Abd-Elsayed, Alan D. Kaye, Aaron Calodney, Annu Navani, Christopher G. Gharibo, Michael Harned, Mayank Gupta, Mustafa Broachwala, Nalini Sehgal, Andrew Kaufman, Bradley Wargo, Daneshvari R. Solanki, Eric S. Hsu, Gerard Limerick, Allen Dennis, John R. Swicegood, Konstantin Slavin, Lee Snook, Ramarao Pasupuleti, Radomir Kosanovic, Rafael Justiz, Robert Barkin, Sairam Atluri, Shalini Shah, Vidyasagar Pampati, Standiford Helm Ii, Vahid Grami, Vicki Myckowiak, Vincent Galan, Vijay Singh, Vivek Manocha, Joshua A. Hirsch

School of Pharmacy Faculty Articles

BACKGROUND: Opioid prescribing in the United States is decreasing, however, the opioid epidemic is continuing at an uncontrollable rate. Available data show a significant number of opioid deaths, primarily associated with illicit fentanyl use. It is interesting to also note that the data show no clear correlation between opioid prescribing (either number of prescriptions or morphine milligram equivalent [MME] per capita), opioid hospitalizations, and deaths. Furthermore, the data suggest that the 2016 guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have resulted in notable problems including increased hospitalizations and mental health disorders due to the lack of appropriate …

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A Practice Theoretic Perspective On Influence, Gulay T. Guzel

Faculty Journal Articles

The extant literature on influence explores how attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are shaped. This research falls into three main categories: social influence, persuasive communication–based influence, and choice architecture–based influence. Collectively, these literatures offer conceptualizations of influence that can be applied to improve consumer well-being and business efficacy. Yet while this body of work is impressive, it stops short of illuminating the full spectrum of influence; in particular, current theories has been unable to fully account for embodied activities and the interconnected nature of consumption activities within social influences. This paper begins to fill this gap by exploring the origins (impingement …

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Ethanol Dysregulates Sirt1-Mediated Lipogenic Signaling Pathways Through Α4*-Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors In Hepatocytes., Caitlin Christina Wilkerson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is a broad spectrum of diseases ranging from steatosis to severe hepatic cirrhosis, none of which have any FDA approved therapies. Downregulation of hepatic Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) activity by ethanol has been shown to lead to an upregulation of the pro-lipogenic gene targets under its jurisdiction, resulting in increased lipogenesis and triglyceride accumulation. It was hypothesized that ethanol acts on α4*-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α4*-nAChRs) in hepatocytes to decrease Sirt1 expression, which ultimately dysregulates lipid metabolic homeostasis. Ethanol’s effects were investigated in cultured AML12 hepatocytes and in WT primary mouse hepatocytes acutely exposed to ethanol. Consistent with …

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Connections Between Polyvictimization, Daily Stress, Emotion Regulation, And Mental Health Symptoms: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study., Zoe L. Bridges-Curry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background and Objectives: Individuals who experience polyvictimization, or victimization across multiple life contexts, evidence particularly severe outcomes across a range of mental health diagnoses. Preliminary evidence suggests that emotion regulation difficulties and stress sensitization effects may help explain observed links between trauma exposure and mental health symptoms. However, the use of between-subjects designs to address within-subjects processes – a common approach across this literature – can result in erroneous interpretation of findings. Moreover, widespread reliance on retrospective trait measures of emotion regulation, daily stressors, and mental health symptoms have limited insight into the ways that these processes unfold in daily …

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Environmental Exposures And Aging., Daniel Chris Gomes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, research into air pollution has shown that exposure to certain components in air pollution, primarily PM2.5 can accelerate biological aging and thereby lead to increased susceptibility to multiple diseases. We hypothesize that prolonged exposure to air pollutants can result in premature aging leading to extensive tissue dysfunction and susceptibility to diseases. To examine this, we exposed mice to PM2.5 for 9, 15, and 21 days, then measured the telomere lengths, cellular senescence, and histone methylation patterns of multiple cell types. We found consistently increased telomere attrition, cellular senescence and advanced age-consistent histone methylation patterns in groups exposed …

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Study Of The Effects Of Chronic Cadmium Exposure On The Pathogenesis Of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension., Dakotah Dominique Cathey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We reported pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) patients had elevated levels of Cd in both blood and urine, therefore, this study tested whether Cd directly induces PAH or facilitates PAH pathogenesis in mouse models. C57/6J mice were initially exposed to drinking water with or without 5ppm Cd for 8 weeks. Then, half the mice in both control and Cd groups were given SU5416 and hypoxia (SuHx) for 4 weeks to induce PAH, resulting in 4 subgroups: Control, Cd, PAH, and Cd+PAH. Diastolic and systolic functions of the left and right ventricles (LV, RV) were examined with echocardiography before and after PAH. …

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Genetically Engineering Gingipains For High Yield Large Scale Purification., Andrew E. Fuchs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a keystone oral pathogen in the progression of periodontal disease and has been implicated in the etiology of many other systemic human diseases. P. gingivalis produces primary virulence factors termed the gingipains, a group of cysteine proteases. There is a high demand for high purity gingipains for downstream in vitro studies where P.g. is implicated, both oral and systemic. Gingipain production candidate mutant P.g. strains were generated to isolate each gingipain for large scale purification and the purified gingipains characterized. Two mutants were determined not to be viable for large scale purification of gingipains, each for different …

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The Interplay Between Lung Adenocarcinoma, Nutrient Availability, And The Microbiome., Alexis A. Vega

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lung cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer diagnosed, and has the highest lethality rate across all other forms of cancer in the U.S. While current therapeutic options include chemo-, immuno-, and radio-therapy, the benefits of caloric or nutrient restriction on cancer cells has also been investigated. Due to the many biological functions associated with methionine, many have proposed a methionine restricted diet would lead to favorable outcomes when combating cancer. Although our cells are incapable of synthesizing methionine, the bacteria found in our microbiome can. Furthermore, recent discoveries suggest an independent microbiome found within tumors that …

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Genetic Risk Scores For Hypertension And Chronic Kidney Disease In African Americans., Aastha Kakar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hypertension (HT) and chronic kidney diseases (CKD) are complex conditions, disproportionally prevalent among African Americans (AA) and are influenced by multiple genetic as well as environmental factors. Genetic risk scores (GRS) enable the analysis of the combined effects of multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This study investigates the association of blood pressure (BP) and CKD GRS with BP, hypertension (HT) and CKD; early-onset HT and CKD; and investigates interactions of the GRSs with environmental measures in AA. We observed a significant association between the BP-GRS with HT, SBP and DBP. The odds of HT for one standard deviation (s.d.) increase …

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A Phenomenological Study Of The Perceptions Of Inclusive Preschool Education Through The Lens Of Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Educators., Brooke Noon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Young children with special needs have been educated in early childhood settings with typically developing peers for over 40 years. Successful educational inclusion in the least restrictive environment requires appropriate aids and supports (Individuals with Disabilities Act, 2004). Although researchers have studied many aspects of special education, little investigation has been conducted on the perspectives of dual certified interdisciplinary early childhood educator’s (IECE) perceptions on full inclusion in preschool. This study was designed to examine the connection between the perceptions of IECE teacher’s experiences as a dual certified educator in preschool. In total, 10 IECE teachers were interviewed and completed …

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Investigating The Effects Of Subchronic Dietary Zinc Supplementation On Diet-Induced Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease., Oluwanifemi Esther Bolatimi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Zinc deficiency is associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Previous studies show zinc supplementation improves steatosis, but its therapeutic effects in established MASLD remain unclear. We developed a model to characterize the effects of zinc supplementation on high-fat diet (HFD) induced MASLD and hypothesized established MASLD would be attenuated. Mice were fed control diet or HFD for 12 weeks and then grouped into normal or zinc-supplemented diets for 8 additional weeks. At euthanasia, plasma and liver tissues were collected for phenotypic analysis. Twelve weeks of HFD altered glucose clearance and body composition. Eight weeks of subsequent zinc supplementation …

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The Impact Of Environmental Pollutants On Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease Pathogenesis., Tyler Charles Gripshover

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Steatotic liver disease is brought upon by differing etiologies and its global prevalence is expected to keep increasing over the next several decades. Particularly, alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) manifests from excessive alcohol consumption where the liver retains lipids and progresses with metabolic dysfunction. Previous studies have demonstrated that environmental pollutants, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) promote metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), in diet-induced obesity models. However, it is unknown if environmental pollutants may also promote ALD pathogenesis. Thus, this dissertation focuses on characterizing the effects of PCB126 in a rodent ALD model followed by multiple ‘Omics approaches to identify mechanisms …

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Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Full Issue, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

About The Mcnair Scholars Program, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

Evaluating Reward-Based Processing And Its Clinical Correlates In Adolescents With Epilepsy And Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders, Daniela A. Ventura

McNair Scholars Research Journal

The Effects Of Augmented Reality On Perceived Credibility And Photo Editing Motivation, Jose Zarate

McNair Scholars Research Journal

An Intelligent Multi-Modal Framework Towards Assessing Human Cognition, Ashish Jaiswal

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The Associations Between Stress, Depression, And Health Complications: A Comparative Study Between Young And Old African American Childbearing Adolescents, Lakyah Morgan

2023 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Why Are We Creatives? Understanding The Psychology Of Creativity Between Children And Adults With References To Leonardo Da Vinci And Michelangelo Buonarroti, Jordyn R. Garca

2023 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Investigation Of Rate Pressure Product As A Metric To Quantify Cardiac Workload In Sleep Apnea Events, Carlos Cruz

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

The Effects Of Poloxamer 188 On Wound Closure In A Mouse Brain Endothelium Model, Mia Claire Grubbs

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Just Extracurriculars?, Emily Gold Waldman

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

Demystifying Artificial Intelligence (Ai) For Early Childhood And Elementary Education: A Case Study Of Perceptions Of Ai Of State Of Missouri Educators, Kathryn Arnone, James Hutson, Karen Woodruff

Faculty Scholarship

Re-Regulating Dietary Supplements, Jessie L. Bekker, Alex Flores, Michael S. Sinha

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Growing Agriculture Literacy’S Presence In America’S Classrooms, Emily Stone

Journal of Food Law & Policy

The Contradictory Nature Of U.S. Laws And Nutrition Programs And Their Effects On Infant Feeding, Lily Patel

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Free For All: Proposing Legislation To Eliminate Food Insecurity In Arkansas Public Schools, A. Mills Bryant

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Chewing The Welfare Cud: A Digested Analysis Of A Consumer Versus Producer-Defined Standard Of Welfare Practices In Animals Raised For Human Consumption, Caitlin C. Robb

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Encapsulating Holistic Intercultural Competence Development In Higher Education: A Literature Review On Assessments And Competencies, Constantina Rokos, Svetlana N. Khapova, Marcus Laumann

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Racial Dis/Embodiment: A Discourse Theoretical Analysis Of University International Offices’ Websites, Gian-Louis Hernandez

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

School of Pharmacy Faculty Articles

A Practice Theoretic Perspective On Influence, Gulay T. Guzel

Faculty Journal Articles

Ethanol Dysregulates Sirt1-Mediated Lipogenic Signaling Pathways Through Α4*-Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors In Hepatocytes., Caitlin Christina Wilkerson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Connections Between Polyvictimization, Daily Stress, Emotion Regulation, And Mental Health Symptoms: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study., Zoe L. Bridges-Curry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Environmental Exposures And Aging., Daniel Chris Gomes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Study Of The Effects Of Chronic Cadmium Exposure On The Pathogenesis Of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension., Dakotah Dominique Cathey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Genetically Engineering Gingipains For High Yield Large Scale Purification., Andrew E. Fuchs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Interplay Between Lung Adenocarcinoma, Nutrient Availability, And The Microbiome., Alexis A. Vega

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Genetic Risk Scores For Hypertension And Chronic Kidney Disease In African Americans., Aastha Kakar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A Phenomenological Study Of The Perceptions Of Inclusive Preschool Education Through The Lens Of Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Educators., Brooke Noon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Investigating The Effects Of Subchronic Dietary Zinc Supplementation On Diet-Induced Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease., Oluwanifemi Esther Bolatimi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Impact Of Environmental Pollutants On Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease Pathogenesis., Tyler Charles Gripshover

Electronic Theses and Dissertations