Digital Commons Network^™

Developing And Using Cholera Models In Northwest Syria, Emily Rose Tobik

Public Health Theses

Researchers have utilized transmission dynamic modeling to determine interactions between hosts and pathogens in many humanitarian settings. However, modeling for the cholera outbreak in Northwest Syria (NWS) has yet to be completed. This thesis presents a path towards cholera model building in NWS by investigating the current cholera outbreak, outlining how to create a compartmental model in this region given its complexities, and determining ways potential cholera models could be utilized in NWS. Intricacies involving the region's ongoing civil war, significant internally displaced persons (IDP) population, and the February 2023 earthquake add complexities to modeling in this region. For the …

Association Of Diurnal Temperature Range With Pediatric Influenza Hospitalization Rates In The United States, 2009 – 2019, Khang Duy Tran

Public Health Theses

Introduction: Climate change may have a negative impact on respiratory illnesses, such as influenza. Diurnal temperature range (DTR), an indicator of climate change, is the difference between the maximum and minimum temperature within a day or a week. As the climate warms, global DTR decreases, though there might be regions where DTR increases instead. Previous literature conducted in non-U.S. regions found both positive and negative associations between DTR and influenza infections. A group especially vulnerable to the effects of DTR are children less than 5 years of age due to their less-developed thermoregulation capability. This study thus aimed to explore …

Neurodivergent Transgender And Gender Diverse Youth And Young Adults’ Experiences Of Dual Minority Status In Healthcare Settings In Connecticut, Mac Reutter

Public Health Theses

Introduction The co-occurrence of gender diversity and neurodiversity has received increased attention in recent years. Clinical statistics suggest that transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals are more likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder than their cisgender counterparts, and that transgender and gender diverse neurodivergent (TGD-ND) individuals, particularly autistic individuals or those with ADHD, are at elevated risk of poor mental health outcomes compared to their neurotypical or cisgender counterparts. Thus, the TGD-ND population is both a notable proportion of the TGD population and a contingent of the population facing significant health disparities. A minority stress model is useful …

Copyrighting Brain Computer Interface: Where Neuroengineering Meets Intellectual Property Law, Favio Ramirez Caminatti

Cybaris®

No abstract provided.

Any, James J. Brudney, Ethan J. Leib

Faculty Scholarship

Our statute books use the word “any” ubiquitously in coverage and exclusion provisions. As any reader of the Supreme Court’s statutory interpretation docket would know, a large number of cases turn on the contested application of this so-called universal quantifier. It is hard to make sense of the jurisprudence of “any.” And any effort to offer a unified approach—knowing precisely when its scope is expansive (along the “literal-meaning” lines of “every” and “all”) or confining (having a contained domain related to properties provided by contextual cues)—is likely to fail. This Article examines legislative drafting manuals, surveys centuries of Court decisions, …

Natural Dyeing With Madder: Exploring Traditional Techniques And Color Characteristics, Guangguo Tian, Rongrong Cui, Chuanlan Liu, Xiaorui Hu

Faculty Publications

The color red has a significant presence in cultures around the world. The organic dye madder, derived from plants, has been used throughout human civilization and remains an important natural dye. The research reviews five traditional madder dyeing techniques from China, Europe, Turkey, and Japan. The techniques are applied to cotton, linen, silk, and wool fabrics, and their similarities and differences are compared and analyzed. Additionally, the environmental sustainability, resource conservation, and process efficiency of these dyeing techniques are also evaluated in this article. The chromatic value of dyed textile color was tested by means of an American Hunterlab spectrophotometer, …

Self-Disclosure Of Mental Illness In The College Classroom: The Role Of Stigma And Avoidance, Christopher Gjesfjeld, Jeffrey Kahn

Faculty Publications - Social Work

Many college students identify having a mental health condition, yet students may be ambivalent about self-disclosing their mental health. While stigma and self-disclosure have been examined in research, personal factors may also impact self-disclosure behaviors. The present study examined 150 U.S. college students with a self-identified mental health condition. Research aimed to predict classmate self-disclosure by stigma, avoidance beliefs, and the interaction of these variables. Multiple regression analysis found a significant interaction effect, whereby stigma was negatively associated with self-disclosure only under conditions of low avoidance. Implications suggest that self-disclosure interventions target stigma and avoidance beliefs to encourage greater self-disclosure.

Long-Term Health Effects Of Work Trajectories Among Middle-Aged And Older Adults: The Mediating Role Of Work, Material, And Social Environments, Oejin Shin, Ji Young Kang, Seoyeon Ahn, Borin Kim, Sojung Park

Faculty Publications - Social Work

Using data from 14 waves (2003–2016) of the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study (KLIPS) (N = 1,627 individuals aged 45–64; 22778 observations), in this study, we conducted sequence analysis and a multi-categorical variable mediation analysis (1) to examine to what extent long-term work histories exhibit varying degrees of de-standardization and precariousness using sequence analysis (2) to explore the potential mediating effects of work, material, and social environments in the association between multiple work sequences and self-rated health. We found the coexistence of a relatively stable long-term employment pattern and a high prevalence of precariousness. The health and economic …

Biom 3010: Medical Measurements (Syllabus), Carl D. Herickhoff

Biomedical Engineering Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Theory and application of major types of sensors used in biomedical engineering and clinical medicine; principles of signal processing and instrumentation, such as frequency domain analysis, operational amplifiers, and filtration.

Qualitative Analysis Of Anti-Abortion Discourse Used In Arguments For A 6-Week Abortion Ban In South Carolina, Victoria C. Lambert, Emily E. Hackworth, Deborah Lynn Billings Phd

Publications

Background: On June 24, 2022, The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, leaving abortion legislation entirely up to states. However, anti-abortion activists and legislators have organized for decades to prevent abortion access through restrictive state-level legislation. In 2019, South Carolina legislators proposed a bill criminalizing abortion after 6 weeks gestation, before most people know they are pregnant. The current study examines the anti-abortion rhetoric used in legislative hearings for this extreme abortion restriction in South Carolina. By examining the arguments used by anti-abortion proponents, we aim to expose their misalignment with public opinion on abortion and demonstrate that their …

Exploring The Diversity Of Microeukaryotic Communities In New England Tide Pools, Adri K. Grow, Robin S. Sleith, Taylor R. Sehein, Michaela Labare, Laura A. Katz

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Though historically understudied, due in large part to most species being uncultivable, microbial eukaryotes (i.e. protists) are abundant and widespread across diverse habitats. Recent advances in molecular techniques, including metabarcoding, allow for the characterization of poorly known protist lineages. This study surveys the diversity of SAR (Stramenopila, Alveolata, and Rhizaria), a major eukaryotic clade that is estimated to represent about half of all eukaryotic diversity. SAR lineages use varied metabolic strategies like mixotrophy in dinoflagellates (Alveolata), parasitism in apicomplexans (Alveolata) and labyrinthulids (Stramenopila), and life cycle stages that include encystment and attachment (e.g. in ciliates, Alveolata) to survive in highly …

Guest Editorial Special Section On The 2022 Ieee International Instrumentation And Measurement Technology Conference, Sergio Rapuano, Kristen M. Donnell, Pawel Niewczas

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Coaxial Cable Sensing: Review And Perspective, Chen Zhu, Jie Huang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The development of sensors has been a hot research topic in both scientific and industrial communities over the past decades. In recent years, a new sensing technology based on coaxial cables has emerged. Inspired by the fiber Bragg grating and motivated by the demand for structural health monitoring, coaxial cable Bragg gratings were first proposed and demonstrated with superior large strain capability ($>$ 5%). Mimicking the mature sensing modalities in fiber-optic sensors, coaxial cable sensors are developed to be promising alternatives for fiber-optic sensors in harsh-environment applications involving heavy duty, large strains, high pressures, and high temperatures. Over the …

Analysis On The Effect Of Averaging Duration On Radio Frequency Dosimetry In Residential Environments, Reza Asadi, Hadi Aliakbarian, Amir Sahraei, Reza Yazdani, Donghyun Kim

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Potential Hazards of Electromagnetic Waves Have Raised Concerns in Related Authorities to Propose Standards and Limit Lines on the Electromagnetic Field Levels. Most of the Radio Frequency (RF) Dosimetry Measurement Procedures Referred to in Safety Compliance Standards, suggest 6-Minute Averaging, in Addition to Spatial Averaging, Which Can Be Time-Consuming for Primary Measurements. Measurement Analysis in Residential Environment in This Paper Demonstrates that Lowering the Time Interval of Measurements to About 30 Seconds, Which Suggests the Possibility of Reducing the Measurement Time with Minimal Reduction to Measurement Accuracy. for All Measurement Results Shown in This Paper, having a 30-Second Averaging …

Cooperative Deep $Q$ -Learning Framework For Environments Providing Image Feedback, Krishnan Raghavan, Vignesh Narayanan, Sarangapani Jagannathan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In This Article, We Address Two Key Challenges in Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) Setting, Sample Inefficiency and Slow Learning, with a Dual-Neural Network (NN)-Driven Learning Approach. in the Proposed Approach, We Use Two Deep NNs with Independent Initialization to Robustly Approximate the Action-Value Function in the Presence of Image Inputs. in Particular, We Develop a Temporal Difference (TD) Error-Driven Learning (EDL) Approach, Where We Introduce a Set of Linear Transformations of the TD Error to Directly Update the Parameters of Each Layer in the Deep NN. We Demonstrate Theoretically that the Cost Minimized by the EDL Regime is an Approximation …

Wls 3012 : Medical Spanish For Health Care And Allied Fields, World Languages & Cultures

Approved Course Proposals

No abstract provided.

Neu 4100a, B, D, E, F : Undergraduate Research In Neuroscience, Biological Sciences

Approved Course Proposals

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Tarantula Cubensis Extract On Renal Ischemia Reperfusion Injury In Rats, Sai̇me Özbek Şebi̇n, Tuncer Nacar, Ayhan Tanyeli̇, Ersen Eraslan, Mustafa Can Güler, Erdem Toktay, Eli̇f Polat, Hati̇ce Tuğçe Gedi̇k

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Renal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) related acute kidney injury (AKI) is an important health problem and has not yet been fully treated. Tarantula cubensis extract (TCE) is a homeopathic drug that has antiinflammatory and antioxidant effects. This study aimed to investigate the effects of TCE on renal ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats. Materials and methods: This study was carried out on 48 Spraque-Dawley male rats, which were divided into six groups. The first, second, and third groups were control, sham, and IR groups, respectively. Group four received IR and 0.2 mL of 96% ethanol. Group five and six received ischemia and reperfusion …

Crm1 Expression: Association With High Prognostic Value In Laryngeal Cancer, Tali̇h Özdaş, Si̇bel Özdaş, İpek Canatar, Erdal Coşgun, Eli̇f Burcu Şenyurt, Orhan Görgülü

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Laryngeal cancer is a very common malignant tumor of the head and neck. While laryngeal cancer does not show any obvious early symptoms, it tends to have a poor prognosis in advanced clinical stages. Chromosome region maintenance 1 (CRM1) mediates the nuclear export of some RNAs, major and tumor suppressor proteins and has been associated with the pathogenesis of many tumors. However, the clinicopathological significance of CRM1 gene expression in laryngeal cancer has not been clarified yet. Therefore, this study aims to detect the expression of CRM1 in laryngeal cancer and to investigate its relationship with clinicopathological parameters and …

Neu 4275 : Undergraduate Internship In Neuroscience, Biological Sciences

Approved Course Proposals

No abstract provided.

Neu 3900a, B, D, E, F : Independent Study In Neuroscience, Biological Science

Approved Course Proposals

No abstract provided.

Multiomics For Elucidating The Pathogenesis Of Liver Cancers: A Transcriptomic Signature Of Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma, David R. Requena Anicama

Student Theses and Dissertations

Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma (FLC) is a rare liver cancer affecting adolescents and young adults. Almost all FLC patients present a somatic heterozygous deletion in chromosome 19p13.12, producing the chimeric transcript DNAJB1::PRKACA, which is sufficient to drive FLC in mice. Nevertheless, a few cases of liver tumors presenting FLC histopathological characteristics but missing the chimera DNAJB1::PRKACA have been reported. They have either 1) a lack of protein expression of PRKAR1A, 2) the presence of the chimeras ATP1B1::PRKACB or ATP1B1::PRKACA, or 3) a chromosome gain of PRKACA or loss of PRKAR2A, accompanied with inactivation of BAP1. A few RNA-seq studies compared FLC …

Importance Of Spending Time In Nature, Peyton M. Daniel

A with Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Intermittent Compressive Force On Extracellular Matrix Homeostasis Of Human Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells, Novena Dameria Pakpahan

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Background: Mechanical force, caused by orthodontic tooth movement, affects periodontal tissue homeostasis including destruction and formation. For instance, the compression side causes bone resorption while bone formation lines in the tension side. Periodontal ligament cells play roles in modulating periodontal tissue homeostasis as well as regeneration via immunomodulation, proliferation, and migration. Extracellular matrix (ECM) is a cellular microenvironment that aids in cell migration, cell growth, and differentiation and serves as a physical barrier against microorganisms. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) plays a key role in the degradation of ECM, including collagen, gelatines, and casein. The MMP functions can be inhibited by tissue …

Diversity Of Blood-Sucking Insects And Vector-Borne Diseases In Pig Farms In Thailand, Kritsada Thongmeesee

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) have been recognized as important diseases in humans and animals across the globe. Blood-sucking insects, such as mosquitoes, tabanid flies, and stable flies may carry pathogens, transmit, and cause VBDs in hosts, including pigs. In Thailand, most of the pig farms have backyard system implying that pigs could be easily exposed to blood-sucking insects and lead to infection with vector-borne pathogens (hemoplasmas, Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), and Trypanosoma (T.) evansi). However, the information about vector-borne pathogens in pigs in Thailand needs to be updated. The objectives of this dissertation were to study the occurrence and genetic diversity …

Teaching Shante Curtelia Dominique Ophelia Brown Johnson : An Autoethnography Of A Black Male, Seventh-Day Adventist, Jazz Avant-Garde Artist, Michael Gayle

Dissertations

Leadership is part and parcel of societies and cultures. Leadership research can provide understanding that in turn provides knowledge, resources and growth opportunities for leaders. Leadership may be understood from a personal perspective as being bound up with identity. As I examine myself as a person and as a leader, I realize that several identities are prominent: Black male identity, Christian identity, jazz avant-garde artistic identity. Each of those identities have features that contribute to leadership.

The purpose of this study is to describe and explore leadership experiences of a Black male, from the Seventh-day Adventist Christian tradition who is …

Childhood Trauma And The Faith Maturity Of Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors And Seminarians, Pete A. Palmer

Dissertations

Problem

Unfortunately, Childhood Trauma is a fact of life. For instance, children lose parents/guardians through death or divorce. Children grow up in impoverished situations. Children have parents who suffer from mental illness and/or commit suicide. In addition, more unfortunately, some children are mistreated, neglected, and/or abused. The long-lasting impact of Childhood Trauma includes increased morbidity and mortality, and decreased opportunities for prosperity. This research sought to establish a statistical relationship between Childhood Trauma and Faith Maturity. Childhood Trauma has been demonstrated to affect attachment processes in children and, since religion is an attachment process and God is an attachment figure, …

Diversity, Phylogenetics And Life Cycles Of Diplostomoidean (Digenea: Diplostomoidea) Of The Upper Midwest, Jakson Martens

Theses and Dissertations

The superfamily Diplostomoidea Poirier, 1886 consists of a diverse, globally distributed group of parasitic flatworms parasitic as adults in reptiles, birds, mammals, and very rarely, fish. The superfamily Diplostomoidea has a tumultuous history full of genus synonymizations and resurrections. Currently, the superfamily consists of 39 genera parasitizing primarily piscivorous animals as adults to include birds, reptiles, and mammals. This group of parasitic worms remains a highly active area of research and has recently undergone several major systematic changes including the abandonment of a subfamily-based system. Additionally, the influx of data entries in GenBank has lead to confusing nomenclature and misidentifications …

Assessing Options For Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Increasing Energy Production From Municipal Solid Waste Utilizing Epa Models, Marcus Richburg

Theses and Dissertations

The population of the planet surpassed the 8-billion-person mark in 2022, and the increase in population has brought about an increase in waste, both household and commercial. The municipal solid waste that is created is primarily stored in landfills, particularly in the United States. These landfills release methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, creating what is known as anthropogenic emissions, due to their being caused by man-made issues. These two primary gases, along with others, make up greenhouse gases, and their reduction is key to potentially reducing or even reversing the greenhouse effect. Total municipal solid waste generation in …

Spectral Classification Of Eight Stars In Open Cluster Ngc 457, Anthony Braden

Theses and Dissertations

This project aimed to perform spectral analysis and classification on eight target stars in the open star cluster NGC 457 with the University of North Dakota Space Studies Observatory. Selected targets came from a search in the SIMBAD database with a radius of two arcseconds around the cluster's center. The eight brightest stars in the visual spectrum were chosen, which did not have luminosity classifications. Six observing sessions were performed over two years to maximize data quality, given the unpredictability of terrestrial observations. Spectral data were acquired in both high- and low-resolution mode. The spectral data were calibrated and analyzed …