Digital Commons Network^™

Childhood Experiences Of Black Americans Growing Up With A Suicidal Sibling, Barbara Maulding

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Through this retrospective interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) qualitative research project, the childhood experience of growing up with a sibling who experienced a non-fatal suicide attempt was explored. The researcher used IPA as the conceptual foundation. This qualitative phenomenological study included interviewing eight siblings to retrospectively explore the childhood experience of growing up with a suicidal sibling (who had at least one incident of nonfatal suicidal behavior). The interview with each participant consisted of one interview and one follow-up review per Seidman’s semi-structured interviewing guide for phenomenological research. The results were analyzed using hand coding to explore the thematic elements. The …

Maternal Restricted- And Over- Feeding During Gestation Perturb Offspring Sperm Epigenome In Sheep, Linkai Zhu, Nicole Tillquist, Giovanna Scatolin, Rachael Gately, Mia Kawaida, Amanda Reiter, Sarah Reed, Steven Zinn, Kristen Govoni, Zongliang Jiang

Faculty Publications

In brief: Inadequate maternal nutrition during gestation can have immediate and lifelong effects on offspring. This study shows that maternal restricted - and over- nutrition during gestation do not affect semen characteristics in F1 male offspring but alters offspring sperm sncRNA profiles and DNA methylome in sheep. Abstract: There is a growing body of evidence that inadequate maternal nutrition during gestation can have immediate and lifelong effects on offspring. However, little is known about the effects of maternal nutrition during gestation on male offspring reproduction. Here, using a sheep model of maternal restricted - and over - nutrition (60 or …

The Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 (Hsv-1) Vaccine Strain Vc2 Causes Intratumor Infiltration Of Functionally Active T Cells And Inhibition Of Tumor Metastasis And Pro-Tumor Genes Vegf And Pdl1 Expression In The 4t1/Balb/C Mouse Model Of Stage Four Breast Cancer, Rafiq Nabi, Farhana Musarrat, Jose Cesar Jose, Ingeborg M. Langohr, Vladimir N. Chouljenko, Konstantin G. Kousoulas

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Oncolytic viruses (OVs) provide new modalities for cancer therapy either alone or in combination with synergistic immunotherapies and/or chemotherapeutics. Engineered Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 (HSV-1) has shown strong promise for the treatment of various cancers in experimental animal models as well as in human patients, with some virus strains licensed to treat human melanoma and gliomas. In the present study we evaluated the efficacy of mutant HSV-1 (VC2) in a late stage, highly metastatic 4T1 murine syngeneic. Method: VC2 was constructed VC2 using double red recombination technology. For in-vivo efficacy we utilized a late stage 4T1 syngeneic and immunocompetent …

Energetic Budget Of Diploid And Triploid Eastern Oysters During A Summer Die-Off, Sarah Bodenstein, Sandra M. Casas, Terrence R. Tiersch, Jerome F. La Peyre

Faculty Publications

Triploid oysters are widely used in off-bottom aquaculture of eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica. However, farmers of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) and Atlantic coast estuaries have observed unresolved, late-spring die-offs of triploid oysters, threatening the sustainability of triploid aquaculture. To investigate this, the physiological processes underlying oyster growth (e.g., feeding, respiration) and mortality of one-year-old diploid and triploid oysters were compared in early summer following an uptick in mortality. It was predicted that higher triploid mortality was the result of energetic imbalances (increased metabolic demands and decreased feeding behavior). Oyster clearance rates, percentage of time valves were open, absorption efficiency, …

Novel Liquor-Based Hot Sauce: Physicochemical Attributes, Volatile Compounds, Sensory Evaluation, Consumer Perception, Emotions, And Purchase Intent, Ricardo S. Aleman, Jhunior A. Marcía, Ismael Montero-Fernández, Joan King, Shirin Kazemzadeh Pournaki, Roberta Targino Hoskin, Marvin Moncada

Faculty Publications

Hot sauces are popular peppery condiments used to add flavor and sensory excitement to gastronomical preparations. While hot sauce occupies a retail category well over a century old, a novel production method using liquor as the base preservative rather than traditional vinegar is now commercially available, and its uniqueness begs study. Hot sauces produced with tequila, rum, vodka, and bourbon were compared to traditional vinegar-based hot sauces concerning physicochemical properties, volatile compounds, microbiological quality, sensory scores, emotions, and purchase intent (PI). Under accelerated conditions, pH, titratable acidity (TA), water activity (Aw), viscosity, and color were analyzed weekly for 20 weeks, …

Serum Mannan-Binding Lectin-Associated Serine Proteases In Early Pregnancy For Gestational Diabetes In Chinese Pregnant Women, Ming Gao, Jing Li, Rui Zhang, Ninghua Li, Weiqin Li, Shuang Zhang, Peng Wang, Hui Wang, Zhongze Fang, Zhijie Yu, Gang Hu, Junhong Leng, Xilin Yang

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Aims: This study aimed to explore associations of mannan-binding lectin-associated serine protease (MASP) levels in early pregnancy with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We also examined interactions of MASPs and deoxycholic acid (DCA)/glycoursodeoxycholic acid (GUDCA) for the GDM risk and whether the interactive effects if any on the GDM risk were mediated via lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) 18:0. Materials and methods: A 1:1 case-control study (n = 414) nested in a prospective cohort of pregnant women was conducted in Tianjin, China. Binary conditional logistic regressions were performed to examine associations of MASPs with the GDM risk. Additive interaction measures were used to examine …

Reconsidering The Good Of Improving Accountability, Roy L. Heidelberg

Faculty Publications

Among the rhetorical pleas that follow most instances of public dissatisfaction is the call for more or better accountability. Accountability is a lauded notion, a “golden concept” that is considered widely as critical to the success of democratic government. Such pleas, I will argue, are misplaced. Rather than starting from the premise of accountability as an idea that no one can be against, I consider the possibility that accountability undermines the very notion it ostensibly promotes: self-government. The concept of accountability in modern political theory is tied more closely to the emergence of an impersonal administrative state than it is …

The Inscrutable Bisexual: An Essay On Bisexuality And Immutability, Eliot T. Tracz

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Solubility Enhancement Of Atorvastatin Calcium Using Cyclodextrin, Karthik Abburi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study is intended to increase the solubility and dissolution rate of Atorvastatin calcium (ATN Ca) by formulating the drug- hydroxy-propyl-beta cyclodextrin (HPBCD) complexes using solvent-assisted extrusion (SAE) using a twin-screw extruder. Various studies on ATN Ca saturation solubility in water and other pH mediums revealed a pH-dependent solubility with a difference. Thus, the saturation solubility for ATN Ca and Solvent Assisted Extruded complex was conducted in water and different pH mediums in this study. Phase solubility studies between ATN Ca and CDs revealed an AL-type solubility profile exhibiting a linear increase with HPBCD. Drug-HPBCD complexes were made using …

Computational Investigation Of The Structures And Vibrational Spectra Of Isolated And Hydrated Ions, Kayleigh R. Barlow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High-accuracy electronic structure theory methods are important in the field of chemistry for probing molecular properties of chemically relevant systems that are often difficult to obtain experimentally. This work focuses primarily on using robust computational techniques to characterize not only small triatomic anions but also anion-water clusters in addition to investigating their vibrational frequencies near the complete basis set (CBS) limit. The MP2 and CCSD(T) ab initio methods are used with second-order vibrational perturbation theory (VPT2) and vibrational configuration interaction (VCI) theory in this work to compute the fundamental vibrational frequencies of small anions. Due it being arduous to experimental …

Formulation Development And Characterization Of Dual Drug Loaded Hot-Melt Extruded Inserts For Better Ocular Therapeutic Outcomes: Sulfacetamide/Prednisolone, Indrajeet Karnik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this investigation was to formulate, characterize, and evaluate a bioadhesive, hot-melt extruded (HME), immediate- and extended-release ophthalmic inserts containing a fixed-dose combination of Prednisolone Sodium Phosphate (PSP) and Sulfacetamide Sodium (SA) to improve the treatment outcomes of multiple ocular bacterial infections. The HME inserts were prepared using FDA-authorized biocompatible polymers including Polyox WSR N10 LEO NF (polyethylene oxide; PEO), Klucel™ HF (hydroxypropyl cellulose; HPC-HF), and Ethocel™ (Ethylcellulose; EC). The inserts were then assessed for physicochemical characteristics, weight variation, surface pH, uniformity of thickness, drug content, swelling index, thermal analysis, drug–excipient compatibility, moisture uptake and loss, surface morphology, …

A Care Ethical Defense Of Intergenerational Obligations, Owen Spalding

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper argues that an ethic of care can justify an obligation or set of obligations to future generations. To do this, I analyze a comparable project by Thomas Randall and while ultimately agreeing with his basic conclusion, I show that he needlessly rejects arguments that would help to establish this obligation. Specifically, I defend against his critiques of Nel Noddings and Anca Gheaus. From here, I move on to show that an ethic of care centered on needs is more effective for making policy decisions than the sufficientarian model established by Randall.

Impact Of Graphene Nano-Platelets On Calcium Silicate Hydrate Formation, Weam Elmahmoud

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) is a vital component in cementitious materials, providing strength and durability. It forms during the hydration process of cement, where calcium ions react with silica-rich compounds to form a gel-like structure. The nanocrystalline units within C-S-H contribute to its unique properties and serve as a binding agent in the hardened cement paste. However, the mechanisms and impacts of nanomaterials, such as graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs), on C-S-H at the nanoscale level are not fully understood.

Incorporating GnPs into cement-based composites has shown promise in enhancing C-S-H formation and properties. GnPs possess exceptional mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties, making them …

Impact Of Flow Conditions On Graphene-Coated Soil And Geotextile Materials, Brennan Power

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Levees are fundamental infrastructures for reducing and mitigating flood risk during extreme weather events. Unfortunately, levees do not eliminate flood risk entirely due to floods potentially exceeding a levee’s capacity. Graphene has become a significant material for enhancing the mechanical properties of materials such as concrete and soil. The focus of this study was to determine methods to coat two materials commonly used in levee sites, sand and geotextile, with graphene to determine the stability of the coating on the materials under different flow conditions simulating real-life scenarios such as wet and dry periods. These graphene-coated materials could then be …

Characterization Of Inter- And Intramolecular Non-Covalent Interactions Through Computational Quantum Chemistry, Carly Alyssa Rock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Computational quantum chemistry proves to be a highly effective means of exploring the nature and properties of a wide range of chemical systems that may be challenging to characterize experimentally. One area of particular interest is the investigation of non-covalent interactions, which play a crucial role in a wide variety of biological, chemical and physical processes. Obtaining accurate descriptions of systems dominated by weak inter- and intramolecular non-covalent interactions often requires sophisticated ab initio methods used in conjunction with robust basis sets. This approach, however, can become extremely computationally demanding as the size of the system of interest increases. Within …

Design, Synthesis, And Application Of Indolizine-Donor Containing Fluorophores For Near-Infrared And Shortwave-Infrared Biological Imaging, William E. Meador

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Low energy light in the near infrared (NIR, 700 – 1000 nm), shortwave infrared (SWIR, 1000 – 1700 nm), and extended SWIR (ESWIR, 1700 – 2700 nm) has numerous important applications including fluorescence biological imaging, secure display technologies, and photodetectors. While inorganic materials have dominated each of these spectral regions, organic molecules that absorb and emit light in these regions are being heavily researched due to their high degree of molecular tunability via structure-function relationships, cheap production due to the avoidance of precious metals, ease of manufacturing through solution processability, and operation under physiological and ambient conditions. This dissertation illustrates …

Earthscibert: Pre-Trained Language Model For Information Retrieval In Earth Science, Rishabh Shrestha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Large Language Models (LLMs), such as Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPT) and Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT), have significantly advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP), achieving state-of-the-art results in various tasks. Notably used in systems like Google Search, these models can be domain-tuned through domain-specific pre-training. In Earth Science, where massive data is generated and made publicly available by institutions such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), understanding the usage of such datasets in scientific literature is critical to assessing their scientific impact.

This thesis develops and introduces EarthSciBERT, a domain-specific BERT developed for Earth Science by pre-training BERT …

Determining The Geochemical Variability Of Groundwater During Riverbank Filtration, Transfer And Injection In The Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer In Shellmound, Mississippi, Alexandra Megan Ward

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With long-term water level decline in the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial aquifer (MRVAA), the Groundwater Transfer and Injection Pilot project is analyzing the feasibility of Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) to increase groundwater availability in the Delta region of Mississippi. The MAR method chosen for this project included pumping water from a well adjacent to the Tallahatchie River using riverbank filtration, transferring the water through a 2-mile pipeline, and injecting the water into the MRVAA. However, by transporting river water into the aquifer, the water quality must be examined at both the river extraction site and the injection well site. The …

Community Life Engagement On The College Campus, Ashley Luce, Lindsay Krech, Jennifer Sulewski, Kathleen Becht

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

As colleges and universities open their doors to students with intellectual disabilities (ID), it is essential that students are afforded opportunities and the support necessary to authentically engage in their campus communities. Community life engagement (CLE) refers to people accessing and participating in their communities outside of employment. This resource shares how college and university staff can use the four CLE guideposts to facilitate the development of natural campus connections and support for students with ID on college campuses

A Comparative Look At Various Countries' Legal Regimes Governing Automated Vehicles, Brittany Eastman, Shay Collins, Ryan Jones, Jj Martin, Marjory S. Blumenthal, Karlyn D. Stanley

Journal of Law and Mobility

News and commentary about automated vehicles (AVs) focus on how they look and appear to operate, along with the companies developing and testing them. Behind the scenes are legal regimes—laws, regulations, and implementing bodies of different kinds—that literally and figuratively provide the rules of the road for AVs. Legal regimes matter because public welfare hinges on aspects of AV design and operation. Legal regimes can provide gatekeeping for AV developers and operators seeking to use public roads, and they can allocate liability when something goes wrong. Guiding and complementing legal regimes is public policy. Policy documents such as articulations of …

Children Of Men: The Roberts Court’S Jurisprudence Of Masculinity, Melissa Murray

Faculty Articles

On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its much-anticipated decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, upholding a Mississippi ban on pre-viability abortions and overruling Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, once the twin pillars of the Court’s abortion jurisprudence. Given the intense focus on Dobbs, the Court’s other consequential decisions on gun rights and religious freedom received less attention. The neglect of these other decisions is unfortunate because, when viewed in tandem with Dobbs, these other decisions suggest the Roberts Court’s commitment to an ascendant “jurisprudence of masculinity” that prioritizes, both …

Valuing Medical Innovation, Daniel J. Hemel, Lisa Larrimore Ouellette

Faculty Articles

Scholars and policymakers across the ideological spectrum agree that the U.S. drug pricing system is deeply flawed. Most reform proposals focus on one symptom: high prices for existing drugs. But high prices aren’t all that ails the U.S. drug pricing system: Current law also provides weak incentives for medical innovation across wide areas, including vaccines, antibiotics, cancer preventives and early-stage cancer treatments, and cardiovascular drugs. Impediments to pharmaceutical innovation not only slow the growth of U.S. life expectancy but also exacerbate racial disparities in health outcomes. High drug prices and slow pharmaceutical progress are two facets of the same problem: …

Exploring Faculty Perspectives On Open Access At A Medium-Sized, American Doctoral University, Rachel E. Scott, Julie Murphy, Cassie Thayer-Styes, Chad E. Buckley, Anne Shelley

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

Faculty hold widely varying perspectives on the benefits and challenges afforded by open access (OA) publishing. In the United States, conversations on OA models and strategy have been dominated by scholars affiliated with Carnegie R1 institutions. This article reports findings from interviews conducted with faculty at a Carnegie R2 institution, highlighting disciplinary and individual perspectives on the high costs and rich rewards afforded by OA. The results reiterate the persistence of a high degree of skepticism regarding the quality of peer review and business models associated with OA publishing. By exploring scholars’ perceptions of and experiences with OA publishing and …

Assessment Of Living Shorelines For Restoring Fish Habitats: A Case Study From Coastal Alabama, Claire Legaspi, Matheus De Barros, Alexandra Rodriguez, Ronald Baker

Gulf and Caribbean Research

No abstract provided.

A Preliminary Assessment Of The Spawning Potential Ratio Of Five Target Species Of The Coastal Gillnet Fishery In Guyana And Suriname, Tomas Willems, Elford Liverpool, Michael Hiwat

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Data—limited stock assessment methods have the potential to positively impact livelihoods of fishermen around the world by providing management recommendations that aim to optimize sustainable yields from fisheries. Some years ago, a novel length— based (LB) method was developed for the assessment of spawning potential ratio (SPR), a measure of the reproductive capacity of fish stocks. We applied the LB—SPR method to 5 important target species of the coastal gillnet fishery in Guyana and Suriname. Nebris microps (Smalleye Croaker; 32% SPR) and Macrodon ancylodon (King Weakfish; 34% SPR) had the highest spawning potential, but remained below the 40% target level …

Richard W. Heard, Sara E. Lecroy, Joyce M. Shaw, Chet F. Rakocinski

Gulf and Caribbean Research

No abstract provided.

Benthic Nutrient Fluxes Response To Seasonal Hypoxia In Coastal Zones, Nicole Mucci

Open Access Master's Theses

Nutrient loading into coastal waterbodies causes excessive phytoplankton growth that increases organic matter supply to the benthos and decreases availability of dissolved oxygen. Areas of hypoxia (<2mg/l dissolved oxygen) form on seasonal timescales in coastal zones and alter microbial metabolisms in the benthic region. Nutrient efflux from sediment can serve as a major nutrient source for pelagic primary production in shallow coastal areas, creating positive feedbacks in eutrophication. Here, we examined benthic nutrient fluxes under hypoxic and oxic conditions in Greenwich Bay, RI, the Northern Gulf of Mexico, and through mesocosm manipulations using in situ benthic chambers. We also used sediment cores to further elucidate sediment nitrogen and phosphorus cycling processes. Phosphate efflux was elevated at some sites under hypoxia but not others, neither supporting nor refuting previous research that suggests phosphate movement in sediment is controlled primarily by redox conditions. In the mesocosm experiment, the sediment effluxed ammonium and consumed NOx at elevated rates under hypoxia, implying that hypoxia promoted organic matter remineralization, denitrification, and/or dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA). The effect of hypoxia on nitrogen flux in the two natural study sites was inconclusive: in August 2021, ammonium was released from sediments while in July of 2020, ammonium was consumed by sediment. Both were intermittently hypoxic periods in Greenwich Bay. Ammonium was also released during the oxic sampling period, October of 2020. In the Northern Gulf, the sediment released both nitrate and ammonium non-linearly with nearly no concentration change during the first few hours of all benthic chamber deployments but evidence of release into the chamber later in the deployments. Environmental variables, including the presence of microbial mats and macrofauna, likely created conditions for non-diffusive sediment efflux in the Gulf. In addition, the supply of labile organic matter and the strength and duration of hypoxia may have played a role in regulating sediment flux in all study sites.

Researching Covid To Enhance Recovery (Recover) Pregnancy Study: Rationale, Objectives And Design, Torri D Metz, Rebecca G Clifton, Richard Gallagher, Rachel S Gross, Leora I Horwitz, Vanessa L Jacoby, Susanne P Martin-Herz, Myriam Peralta-Carcelen, Harrison T Reeder, Carmen J Beamon, James Chan, A Ann Chang, Maged M Costantine, Megan L Fitzgerald, Andrea S Foulkes, Kelly S Gibson, Nick Güthe, Mounira Habli, David N Hackney, Matthew K Hoffman, M Camille Hoffman, Brenna L Hughes, Stuart D Katz, Victoria Laleau, Gail Mallett, Hector Mendez-Figueroa, Vanessa Monzon, Anna Palatnik, Kristy T S Palomares, Samuel Parry, Christian M Pettker, Beth A Plunkett, Athena Poppas, Uma M Reddy, Dwight J Rouse, George R Saade, Grecio J Sandoval, Shannon M Schlater, Frank C Sciurba, Hyagriv N Simhan, Daniel W Skupski, Amber Sowles, Tanayott Thaweethai, Gelise L Thomas, John M Thorp, Alan T Tita, Steven J Weiner, Samantha Weigand, Lynn M Yee, Valerie J Flaherman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: Pregnancy induces unique physiologic changes to the immune response and hormonal changes leading to plausible differences in the risk of developing post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC), or Long COVID. Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy may also have long-term ramifications for exposed offspring, and it is critical to evaluate the health outcomes of exposed children. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Multi-site Observational Study of PASC aims to evaluate the long-term sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection in various populations. RECOVER-Pregnancy was designed specifically to address long-term outcomes in maternal-child dyads.

METHODS: RECOVER-Pregnancy cohort is a …

Application Of Nitrate To An Anaerobic Subsurface Bioremediation, Cassie Marie Roberts

Masters Theses

"The highly contaminated subsurface matrix of the Baird and McGuire Superfund site is currently threatening the health and safety of the surrounding environment of Holbrook, MA. Contaminants of significant concern due to high concentration are inorganic arsenite and petroleum hydrocarbons, such as naphthalene. Parsons Corporation and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection have implemented a bioremediation pilot to attempt to degrade the hydrocarbons and arsenic with the application of nitrate. The nitrate would act as an electron acceptor for biodegradation of the hydrocarbon contaminants, produce nitrite that would oxidize reduced iron, and iron oxides would sequester arsenic. Preliminary data showed …

Scalable And Continuous Fabrication Of Dendrimer Based Gene And Protein Delivery Systems, Joseph Johnston

Masters Theses

"Gene and protein therapeutics play critical roles in the drug market and represent the future of biopharmaceuticals. Polymeric nanoparticle-based gene/protein delivery systems are promising owing to their ability to protect the cargo from degradation, improving intracellular delivery and transfection efficiency as well as abundant sources and flexibility to be modified. Yet the successful industrialized production and clinical application of polymeric nanoparticle-based delivery systems have long been limited by unsatisfied delivery efficiency and the lack of reproducible and scalable methods for the preparation of uniform nanoparticles with good batch to batch consistency. To address the unsatisfied efficacy and difficulty in scale-up …