Digital Commons Network^™

Change In Habitual Intakes Of Flavonoid-Rich Foods And Mortality In Us Males And Females, Nicola P. Bondonno, Yan Lydia Liu, Yan Zheng, Kerry Ivey, Walter C. Willett, Meir J. Stampfer, Eric B. Rimm, Aedín Cassidy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Higher baseline intakes of flavonoid-rich foods and beverages are associated with a lower risk of chronic disease and mortality in observational studies. However, associations between changes in intakes and mortality remain unclear. We aimed to evaluate associations between 8-year changes in intakes of (1) individual flavonoid-rich foods and (2) a composite measure (termed the ‘flavodiet’) of foods and beverages that are known to be main contributors to flavonoid intake and subsequent total and cause-specific mortality. Methods: We evaluated associations between 8-year changes in intakes of (1) individual flavonoid-rich foods and (2) a novel ‘flavodiet’ score and total and cause-specific …

Pelvic Index: A New Pelvic Parameter For Assessing Sagittal Spinal Alignment, Justice U Achonu, Kenny Ling, Rohit Bhan, Alexander Garcia, David E Komatsu, Nicholas A Pallotta

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The incidence of correctional surgery for adult spinal deformity (ASD) has increased significantly over the past 2 decades. Pelvic incidence, an angular measurement, is the gold standard pelvic parameter and is used to classify spinal shapes into Roussouly types. Current literature states that restoration of the spine to its original Roussouly classification optimizes outcomes. We propose a new pelvic parameter, pelvic index, as a length measurement to complement pelvic incidence in more accurately characterizing Roussouly types.

METHODS: This study is a retrospective evaluation of sagittal spinal radiographs of 208 patients who were assessed by a single fellowship trained orthopedic …

Quality Assessment Of Hydroquinone, Mercury, And Arsenic In Skin-Lightening Cosmetics Marketed In Ilorin, Nigeria, Olasunkanmi David Bamidele, Blessing A. Kayode, Oluwasegun I. Eniayewu, Adebanjo J. Adegbola, Raphael S. Olatoye, Ngaitad S. Njinga, Sa’Ad T. Abdullahi, Moji T. Bakare-Odunola

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Hydroquinone, Mercury (Hg), and Arsenic (As) are hazardous to health upon long-term exposure. Hydroquinone, Hg, and As were analysed in skin-lightening cosmetics randomly purchased from different cosmetic outlets within the Ilorin metropolis, Nigeria. The amount of hydroquinone in the samples was determined using a UV-spectrophotometry method at 290 nm. Hg and As were quantified using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). UV-spectrophotometry method validation showed excellent linearity (r2 = 0.9993), with limits of detection (0.75 g/mL), limits of quantification (2.28 g/mL), relative standard deviation (0.01–0.35%), and recovery (95.85–103.56%) in the concentration range of 5–50 g/mL. Similarly, r2, LOD, and LOQ for Hg …

Organisational Drivers And Sustainability Implementation In The Mining Industry: A Holistic Theoretical Framework, Prince Amoah, Gabriel Eweje

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

While few studies have examined the role of institutional pressures on sustainable business practices, there is a dearth of empirical research regarding the influence of internal organisational characteristics on sustainability implementation in developing countries. This paper examines internal organisational features and how they influence multinational companies (MNCs) operating in a resource-rich developing country to embrace and embed sustainability into corporate policies and practices. The findings show that the history of past sustainable practices, the level of internationalisation and managerial cognition internally drive MNCs to implement sustainability in their host countries. We discuss that managerial cognition drives MNCs to embrace sustainability …

Effect Of Plant Genotype On Plant-Microbe Interactions And Multi-Generation Ecosystem Selection Of Microbial Communities Associated With Plant Biomass In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Nachiket Shankar

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The microbiome's role in shaping host phenotypes is a critical area of investigation, with implications for ecology, evolution, and host health. Dynamic plant-microbe interactions are influenced by factors like soil type, environment, and genotype. Understanding their impact on microbial communities is key for tailored plant benefits. An artificial ecosystem selection experiment was done for eight generations with Arabidopsis thaliana Ler and Cvi. This revealed distinct microbial communities shaped by genotypes and biomass treatments. Initially, environment dominated, but over time, genotype and biomass gained influence, explaining ~40% of the variation. Moreover, genotype-specific rhizobacterial associations were observed, enhancing understanding of community dynamics …

Developing Specialized Master's Programs In Business Schools: The Convergence Of Mission And Markets, Elizabeth Johansson Bristol

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Practical problems can emerge when new academic programs are developed. If program development decisions are driven primarily by desires for enrollment growth and revenue generation, new programs may be created without clear connections to institutional missions or organizational core competencies. Additionally, introduction of new academic programs may generate internal conflict and competition for resources diminishing the capacity of both new and existing programs. Misalignment with mission, lack of connection to faculty expertise, and fierce internal competition for resources can create an environment where new academic programs are unlikely to thrive. The purpose of this multi-site case study was to understand …

"Here's What's Not Changing": Institutional Adaptations That Respond To A Crisis But Preserve The Core, Hozami A. Helwani

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

An enduring tension in the study of institutions is between the micro level of agents’ activities that shape institutions and the macro level of institutions as enduring entities that tend to resist change. Institutions in crisis offer opportunities to look at urgent and adaptive changes. I study an Islamic organization that is representative of a religious institution, which has deep traditions and meaningfulness to its members. In a time of crisis, in the urban area in the United States where it is located, the organization is pressed by external parties, such as government, media, and leaders from other religions, to …

Neurotechnological Solutions For Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Perspective Review And Concept Proposal, R Laugharne, M Farid, C James, A Dutta, Et Al

Peninsula Medical School

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety condition caused by exposure to severe trauma. It is characterised by nightmares, flashbacks, hyper-vigilance and avoidance behaviour. These all lead to impaired functioning reducing quality of life. PTSD affects 2–5% of the population globally. Most sufferers cannot access effective treatment, leading to impaired psychological functioning reducing quality of life. Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) is a non-invasive brain stimulation treatment that has shown significant clinical effectiveness in PTSD. Another treatment modality, that is, trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy is also an effective intervention. However, both evidence-based treatments are significantly resource intensive as they …

Covid-19 Vaccine Or Booster Hesitancy Among Children Aged 6 Month-5 Years, 5–11 Years, And 12–17 Years In The United States: An Analytic Cross-Sectional Study, Chulwoo Park, Pyramida Vagoyan Zabala, Airi Irene Trisnadi

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

With the increased accessibility of COVID-19 vaccine, many households have had concerns when vaccinating children, leading to vaccine hesitancy. This study examined the COVID-19 vaccine and booster hesitancy among children aged 6 months-5 years, 5–11 years, and 12–17 years in the United States. We analyzed data from Phase 3.8 (March 1, 2023 to May 8, 2023) of the Household Pulse Survey (HPS) collected by the U.S. Census Bureau. We conducted survey-weighted multiple logistic regression models in vaccine hesitancy among respondents with children from those three different age groups, controlling for various demographic factors such as COVID-19 vaccination status, COVID-19 …

The Impact Of Instructional Coaching And Mentoring On First-Year Teachers’ Job Fulfillment And Performance In Urban Schools: Implications For Educational Administrators, Malikah Marshall

Dissertations (2016-Present)

Elementary school teachers in testing grades have had different responsibilities over the years. Urban schools are constantly expected to provide students with a more intense curriculum and rigorous instruction. The duties and responsibilities of a first-year teacher directly affect how novice teachers judge their performance and effectiveness. Teachers are held accountable for student achievement at increasingly higher rates. This study investigates the effect of teacher mentoring and instructional coaching on first-year elementary math teachers’ job satisfaction and student performance. It can create effective teacher mentoring by including instructional coaching to retain new teachers, help self-reported job satisfaction, and increase student …

Pain Assessment Tools For Use In Infants: A Meta-Review, Diana Arabiat, Evalotte Mörelius, Kreshnik Hoti, Jeffery Hughes

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Identifying pain in infants is challenging due to their inability to self-report pain, therefore the availability of valid and reliable means of assessing pain is critical. Objective: This meta-review sought to identify evidence that could guide the selection of appropriate tools in this vulnerable population. Methods: We searched Scopus, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, MIDRIS, EMCare and Google Scholar for eligible systematic reviews. Eligible reviews documented psychometric properties of available observational tools used to assess pain in infants. Results: A total of 516 reviews were identified of which 11 met our inclusion criteria. We identified 36 pain assessment tools (evaluated in …

Beyond The Single-Outcome Approach: A Comparison Of Outcome-Wide Analysis Methods For Exposome Research, Augusto Anguita-Ruiz, Chongliang Luo, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Outcome-wide analysis can offer several benefits, including increased power to detect weak signals and the ability to identify exposures with multiple effects on health, which may be good targets for preventive measures. Recently, advanced statistical multivariate techniques for outcome-wide analysis have been developed, but they have been rarely applied to exposome analysis. In this work, we provide an overview of a selection of methods that are well-suited for outcome-wide exposome analysis and are implemented in the R statistical software. Our work brings together six different methods presenting innovative solutions for typical problems arising from outcome-wide approaches in the context of …

Vol 68 #6, Melanie Argo

MPLA Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Principals’ Leadership Of The Integration Of The Neurosequential Model In Education, Alison Grace Ostrom

Dissertations

The impact of childhood trauma on students in schools has become a relevant issue for today’s school leaders in the United States (Mendelson et al., 2015). The effects of trauma often interfere with students’ ability to learn and manage the demands of a school environment. Students are coming into schools with diverse academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs, which has led school leaders to adopt trauma-informed approaches and programs in schools (Rossen, 2020). There are many trauma-informed programs available to school principals, one of them being the Neurosequential Model in Education (NME). This particular approach connects trauma-informed practices to neurobiological principles …

Exploring The Relationship Among Clinical Judgment, Academic Resiliency, Student Predictors, And Exam Remediation In Prelicensure Nursing Students Preparing For Next Generation National Council Licensure Examination [For] Registered Nurses, James Franklin Oberlander

Dissertations

As the field of nursing becomes increasingly more complex, nursing students are psychologically challenged as they progress through a program of study, prepare for the licensure examination, and enter professional practice. Identifying factors that influence student outcomes is necessary for faculty to effectively guide students toward successful completion of nursing school and passing the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Along with academic and nonacademic demographic variables, the main objective of this exploratory, quantitative research study was to investigate the relationship between clinical judgement, academic resiliency, exam remediation, and NCLEX-RN first attempt pass rates. One hundred six senior, …

An Investigation Into What Contributes To High Rates Of Preschool Inclusion In Rural Kansas School Districts, Lena Mae Kisner

Dissertations

The inclusion of Kansas preschoolers with developmental delays in general early childhood environments has shown little growth over the past seven years. An initial examination of public data for federal fiscal years 2018, 2019, and 2020 showed inclusion rates in preschools in Kansas public school districts differed by special education administrative configuration (SEAC). Kansas uses three different types of SEACs (i.e., single district, special education cooperative, and interlocal). The special education cooperative (also known as cooperative) and interlocal SEACs had the lowest rates of inclusion in preschools and highest proportion of rural school districts. Despite the lower rates of inclusion …

Student Desire To Stay In A Program: The Influence Of Faculty Caring And Cultural Identification With Faculty, Elizabeth Ann Cunniff

Dissertations

The Future of Nursing 2020-2030 report (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2021) stated nurses should reflect the characteristics of the people they serve to ensure individuals receive culturally competent and equitable health care. Over the next decade and beyond, the U.S. population will become more racially and ethnically diverse, but the nursing workforce has not kept pace with the changing demographics (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2023). To increase diversity among nurses, nursing schools need more diverse graduates from prelicensure nursing programs, but attrition is greater among students with diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds (Barbé et …

Exploring Teachers’ Reflections And Narratives Of Negative Language, Maya Khemlani David, Ameer Ali, Francisco Perlas Dumanig, Muhammad Hassan Abbasi

Journal of English and Applied Linguistics

Language is used to communicate and express feelings and emotions. In the teaching context, teachers use language to share knowledge and information with students. Teachers’ use of negative language, such as duffer, stupid, and lazy, may result in students feeling mistreated, discouraged, and worthless. Such language can also negatively affect students’ cognitive processes, feelings, and emotions and blunt their curiosity, and their interest in performing better may be reduced. Although much of the previous research has demonstrated the cause-effect relation between negative teacher talk and students’ unsatisfactory performance, none of the studies, to the best of our knowledge, explored teachers’ …

Cyclin D1 Extensively Reprograms Metabolism To Support Biosynthetic Pathways In Hepatocytes, Heng Wu, Betsy T. Kren, Andrew N. Lane, Teresa A. Cassel, Richard M. Higashi, Teresa Whei-Mei Fan, George S. Scaria, Laurie L. Shekels, Mark A. Klein, Jeffrey H. Albrecht

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Cell proliferation requires metabolic reprogramming to accommodate biosynthesis of new cell components, and similar alterations occur in cancer cells. However, the mechanisms linking the cell cycle machinery to metabolism are not well defined. Cyclin D1, along with its main partner cyclindependent kinase 4 (Cdk4), is a pivotal cell cycle regulator and driver oncogene that is overexpressed in many cancers. Here, we examine hepatocyte proliferation to define novel effects of cyclin D1 on biosynthetic metabolism. Metabolomic studies reveal that cyclin D1 broadly promotes biosynthetic pathways including glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, and the purine and pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis in hepatocytes. Proteomic …

Immunization With The Amino-Terminus Region Of Dense Granule Protein 6 (Gra6) Of Toxoplasma Gondii Activates Cd8+ Cytotoxic T Cells Capable Of Removing Tissue Cysts Of The Parasite Through Antigen Presentation By Human Hla-A2.1, Rajesh Mani, Corinne Mercier, Marie-France Delauw, Yasuhiro Suzuki

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

CD8þ T cells from HLA-A2.1-transgenic mice, but not wild-type mice, immunized with the amino- terminus region (aa 41e152) of dense granule protein 6 (GRA6Nt) of Toxoplasma gondii secreted large amounts of perforin and granzyme B in response to GRA6Nt through antigen presentation by HLA-A2.1 in vitro. When those CD8þ T cells were transferred into chronically infected HLA-A2.1-expressing NSG mice deficient in T cells, cerebral cyst burden of the recipients of HLA-A2.1-transgenic T cells, but not of WT T cells, became significantly less than that of control mice with no cell transfer. Furthermore, the significant reduction of the cyst burden by …

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Of Macrophage Response To Radiation Therapy, Harrison Yang, Brock Howerton, Logan Brown, Tadahide Izumi, Dennis C. Cheek, Jason Anthony Brandon, Francesc Marti, Roberto Gedaly, Reuben Adatorwovor, Fanny Chapelin

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive imaging modality which, in conjunction with biopsies, provide a qualitative assessment of tumor response to treatment. Intravenous injection of contrast agents such as fluorine (19F) nanoemulsions labels systemic macrophages, which can, then, be tracked in real time with MRI. This method can provide quantifiable insights into the behavior of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the tumor microenvironment and macrophage recruitment during therapy.

Methods: Female mice received mammary fat pad injections of murine breast or colon cancer cell lines. The mice then received an intravenous 19F nanoemulsion injection, followed by a baseline 19F MRI. …

Md_Harmonize: A Python Package For Atom-Level Harmonization Of Public Metabolic Databases, Huan Jin, Hunter N. B. Moseley

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

A major challenge to integrating public metabolic resources is the use of different nomenclatures by individual databases. This paper presents md_harmonize, an open-source Python package for harmonizing compounds and metabolic reactions across various metabolic databases. The md_harmonize package utilizes a neighborhood-specific graph coloring method for generating a unique identifier for each compound via atom identifiers based on a compound’s chemical structure. The resulting harmonized compounds and reactions can be used for various downstream analyses, including the construction of atom-resolved metabolic networks and models for metabolic flux analysis. Parts of the md_harmonize package have been optimized using a variety of computational …

Design And Characterization Of A Novel Eef2k Degrader With Potent Therapeutic Efficacy Against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Changxin Zhong, Rongfeng Zhu, Ting Jiang, Sheng Tian, Xiaobao Zhao, Xiaoya Wan, Shilong Jiang, Zonglin Chen, Rong Gong, Linhao He, Jin-Ming Yang, Na Ye, Yan Cheng

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Dysregulated eEF2K expression is implicated in the pathogenesis of many human cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), making it a plausible therapeutic target. However, specific eEF2K inhibitors with potent anti-cancer activity have not been available so far. Targeted protein degradation has emerged as a new strategy for drug discovery. In this study, a novel small molecule chemical is designed and synthesized, named as compound C1, which shows potent activity in degrading eEF2K. C1 selectively binds to F8, L10, R144, C146, E229, and Y236 of the eEF2K protein and promotes its proteasomal degradation by increasing the interaction between eEF2K and the …

Ethical Considerations In Working With Roman Catholic Seminarians And Men And Women In Religious Formation, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

There are many ethical challenges when mental health professionals work clinically with Roman Catholic seminarians as well as with men and women in religious formation. This article highlights several of the most prominent ethical issues and challenges confronted by mental health professionals working with these clients. These topics include issues of competence in evaluating, treating, and consulting with seminarians, those in religious life, or those applying to enter religious life. Issues of informed consent must also be considered so that seminarians, religious life clients, applicants, and their religious superiors have clarity about the limits of confidentiality and who maintains the …

The Exploration Of Perceptions Of Patient-Clinician Communication In Black Mothers Diagnosed With An Acute Post-Partum Hypertensive Crisis, Melanie P. Fant

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

For Black American mothers, postpartum stressors are magnified as about half of this population are single mothers, and many suffer from inadequate social and healthcare needs. Expected postpartum stressors, coupled with social stressors that Black American mothers face, can mask or influence patient reporting of early postpartum hypertensive crisis symptoms. Patients diagnosed with preeclampsia risk developing even more severe complications, such as cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States. Black American women face the challenge of inadequate communication with their healthcare providers, medical mistrust, and perceived discrimination when accessing health care. Pregnant women, …

A Multi-Faceted Approach To The Alzheimer’S Disease Proteome: From Human To Mouse Models, Jay M. Yarbro

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Amyloid pathology is the central hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD). We analyzed the dementia with Lewy bodies disease (DLBD) proteome, a disorder also associated with amyloid pathology, and compared to the AD proteome, identifying conserved alterations in amyloid pathology and shared components in amyloid plaques, including MDK and NTN1. We additionally evaluated major AD mouse models to determine their relevance to human disease and identify shared proteomic alterations. We observed alterations in several highly conserved matrisomal components consistently im- plicated in proteomic analyses of human amyloidosis disorders. We additionally identified several pathways influenced by amyloid-pathology that …

Matrix Gene Splicing And Emergence Of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, Christopher Patton

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is a continual threat to the commercial poultry industry. In the past 40 years there have been five outbreaks of HPAI in North America. Rapid responses to these outbreaks have been crucial in preventing HPAI from becoming endemic in North America. The three worst outbreaks of HPAI in North America occurred in 1983-84, 2014-15, and 2021-23. The most recent outbreak was the worst North American HPAI outbreak in recorded history and will likely result in endemicity. Here we described the three worst recorded HPAI outbreaks in North America. The first of these outbreaks occurred in …

An Examination Of Non-Core Teacher Training In Special Education, Courtney Farber

Masters Projects

Research has shown that many non-core educators such as art, music, and physical education educators may lack the training needed to properly service students with special needs in their classrooms. The undergraduate programs researched were found to only require one course about special education. This lack of training leaves educators unprepared and always wondering how to best teach students with special needs in their classrooms. The lack of educator training also means that students with special needs are not able to participate to their full ability within these classes. This project looks at the training received by educators, the different …

Building Stronger Student-Teacher Relationships With Students Of Color, Diana Berlanga

Masters Projects

This project examines the racial disparity that exists among students of color and positive teacher-student relationships. Research shows that teacher bias influences teachers' perception of students of color. Teacher social identities play a role in how teachers build student-teacher relationships, which affects some students of color experience in school. For instance, students of color are less likely to experience academic recommendations and more likely to receive harsh discipline. However, research shows that teachers can improve their teacher bias by self-discovering their teacher’s social identity in the classroom. In addition, teachers could improve their interactions with students of color by exploring …

Melanoma Detection Based On Deep Learning Networks, Sanjay Devaraneni

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Our main objective is to develop a method for identifying melanoma enabling accurate assessments of patient’s health. Skin cancer, such as melanoma can be extremely dangerous if not detected and treated early. Detecting skin cancer accurately and promptly can greatly increase the chances of survival. To achieve this, it is important to develop a computer-aided diagnostic support system. In this study a research team introduces a sophisticated transfer learning model that utilizes Resnet50 to classify melanoma. Transfer learning is a machine learning technique that takes advantage of trained models, for similar tasks resulting in time saving and enhanced accuracy by …