Digital Commons Network^™

The Global Dynamics Of Some Rational Difference Equations Exhibiting Neimark-Sacker Bifurcation, Connor O'Loughlin

Open Access Dissertations

This thesis is presented in manuscript format. The first chapter will introduce preliminary definitions and theorems that will be used in the succeeding chapters.

The second chapter will consider the dynamics of a second-order sigmoid Beverton-Holt equation

x_n+1 = x²_n / ax²_n + x²_n-1 + d

where the parameters a and d are positive numbers and the initial conditions are non-negative numbers. For this equation, we will begin by giving a description of the local dynamics of the equation, and then will also examine the global dynamics, including an investigation into the basins …

Strategies Towards The Synthesis And Analysis Of Materials With Potential Environmental Impacts, Justin Pantano

Open Access Dissertations

There are a number of environmental issues that are proving to have strong effects on local populations. Chief among them is the growing concentration of contaminants in seawater, of which there are limited ways to detect in a consumer-friendly way. Contaminants such as nitrite and phosphate have strong adverse effects on aquatic life, including algal blooms and observed hypoxia in fish. The main work presented in this dissertation discusses some ways to leverage organic chemistry to develop materials to help combat these contaminants. Chapter 2 discusses the design of a novel monomer and investigates its ability to polymerize under ring-opening …

Evaluation Of The Toxicokinetic Mechanisms Of Perfluoroalkyl Substances: Accumulation, Distribution, And Elimination, Sangwoo Ryu

Open Access Dissertations

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse class of anthropogenic chemicals associated with several adverse health outcomes in humans. The accumulation of these PFAS have been examined over several decades, however, the elucidation of the toxicokinetics of these chemicals are still in its infancy. The distribution and elimination mechanisms of specific PFAS, notably perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), have undergone comprehensive investigation, however, there are more than 10,000 currently detected PFAS in the environment that have not been examined. It is, therefore, imperative to not only address individual PFAS but also to encompass overarching trends and correlations …

13c Labeling For Cho Cell Metabolism Tracing And Ms Based Analysis For Advanced Upstream Culture Monitoring To Support Cqa Understanding, Xin Bush

Open Access Dissertations

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) make up a large part of biopharmaceutical sales due to their great success in treating cancer, autoimmune, and cardiovascular diseases. Due to an increasing number of mAbs using innovative approaches in drug development, combined with changes in the drug market, there is an increased need for optimizing process intensification and quality control. Thus, a profound understanding of cellular metabolism and how this impacts the protein product’s critical quality attributes (CQA) would be of great value. Among the quality attributes of mAbs, post-translational modifications such as N-linked glycosylation are of particular importance as they affect the activity, efficacy, …

Importance Of Spending Time In Nature, Peyton M. Daniel

A with Honors Projects

In this honors project, the author explores the benefits of forest schools and forest bathing in education.

Protective Effect Of Memantine And Bacopa Monnieri On Lps-Induced Shsy5y Cells Via Amyloidosis, Anti-Inflammatory And Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathways, Archi Anupam Thakor

Selected Full-Text Master Theses 2021-

Background:

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the extracellular accumulation of Amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques, causing neurotoxicity and leading to neurodegeneration. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is processed into various Aβ isoforms. It has been shown to contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, activating mitochondrial apoptotic pathways and pro-inflammatory factors and leading to neuronal cell death. Memantine (MN) and Bacopa Monnieri (BM) are postulated to have neuroprotective effects, most likely via anti-amyloidogenic and anti-apoptotic mechanisms. The in vitro models suggest a potential for further development of biologically based adjuvant therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases. However, more precise identification …

The Combination Of Cucurbitacin B And Evodiamine Induces Apoptosis And Inhibits Cell Propagation In Glioma Cells, Vrutti Vikasbhai Mehta

Selected Full-Text Master Theses 2021-

Background

Glioblastoma Multiform (GBM) is a lethal brain tumor. Despite aggressive treatment, the median survival time is 6 to 18 months. These malignant astrocytic tumors exhibit a high proliferation rate and acquire resistance against many existing therapeutic regimens. Temozolomide is a first line chemotherapeutic treatment prescribed along with surgery and radiation but due to the high resistance to the drug and a low patient survival rate, new drugs and drug combinations must continue to be investigated and developed. GBM cells like any cancer cells avoid differentiation and apoptosis. Thus, the induction of differentiation and apoptosis in glioblastoma cells may be …

Neuromodulatory Mechanisms Of Neuropeptides In The Amygdala, Cody Adam Boyle

Theses and Dissertations

The amygdala is a limbic structure critical for emotional processing as well as roles in learning and memory. Disruption of the normal activity of the amygdala has been implicated in several disorders including phobia disorders, anxiety-like disorders, and substance abuse. The function of the amygdala and its role in various disorders is directly related to its underlying cellular activity. The amygdala is both a cortical- and striatal-like structure containing mainly glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons, respectively. This dissertation has three aims related to the neuropeptide modulation of these cell types in the basolateral (BLA) and central amygdala (CeA). The first aim …

Environmental Toxicity Of Isoxazoline Drugs On Non-Target Species, Haley M. Cooper

Theses and Dissertations

Lyme disease affects tens of thousands of people every year in the United States, causing serious illness and even death. It is caused by the bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, through infected black-legged tick bites. The range of these ticks is expanding, causing Lyme disease cases to increase. Considerable effort has been put toward research and eradication of Lyme disease, with limited success. Isoxazoline drugs, commonly used to prevent flea and tick infestations in dogs, could be dispatched in the field to keep black-legged ticks off the reservoir host of Lyme disease, the White-footed mouse. Little research has been done on …

West Tennessee River Basin Authority (Wtrba) 2022 Annual Report, Tennessee. Department Of Environment & Conservation.

WTRBA Annual Report

No abstract provided.

Working Conditions, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, And Health Behaviors In Latino And Other Minoritized Groups Living In The United States, Tailisha M. Gonzalez

Dissertations and Theses

Background: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM or ‘diabetes’) poses a significant public health challenge to the healthcare system, economy, and well-being of communities in the United States (U.S.). There are also substantial racial/ethnic and social disparities in diabetes incidence and control that have persisted for decades. For Latinos and other minoritized groups in the U.S., diabetes disparities may be linked to working conditions. Globally, work is considered a major determinant of health and yet studies in the U.S. tend to focus on legacy hazards, such as chemical, biological, and environmental factors. In recent years, occupational health scholars have argued …

Misconceptions Around Biological Differences Of Male And Female Athletes, Joe Smith

A with Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Modifiable Health Disparities And Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors In Latino Migrant Seasonal Farmworkers: A Meta-Analysis, Cindy Mendez

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States (U.S.). Existing literature concluded that Latino migrant seasonal farmworkers endure higher rates of adverse health disparities and chronic diseases than the general U.S. population. However, research on the Latino migrant seasonal farmworkers’ modifiable health disparities (i.e., alcohol use and smoking) and cardiovascular disease risk factors (i.e., high cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and overweight/obesity) is scarce, particularly studies comparing male and female Latino migrant seasonal farmworkers. PURPOSE: This meta-analysis had two aims. First, examine whether male or female Latino migrant seasonal farmworkers in the U.S. have …

High Throughput Cellular Screening Technologies For Engineering Enhanced-Solubility And Deimmunized Biologics, Andrew Y. Chang

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

High throughput cell-based screening methodologies have become core development tools for the generation and engineering of various biotherapeutics. For example, SpCas9 variants for use in CRISPR-Cas9 therapeutics have been engineered for enhanced specificity using a high throughput directed evolution approach in E. coli. Additionally, antibodies are routinely discovered and engineered for high affinity binding using yeast surface display. These high throughput techniques typically involve generation of large protein libraries which require innovative screening strategies depending on the target protein’s function. In this thesis work, we describe high throughput protein library screening approaches to address recombinant biologic aggregation and immunogenicity …

Molecular Mechanisms Of Wild-Type And Mutant Prion Formation, Daniel J. Walsh

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Prion diseases are a class of infectious neurodegenerative disorders which affect humans and many other mammalian species. The causative agent is a unique pathogen known as a prion or PrPSc, a misfolded form of a host-encoded glycoprotein which replicates by templated conformational change. Distinct strains of prions with unique phenotypic and pathologic presentations appear to be encoded by subtle conformational changes within the misfolded protein. While the general manner of prion transmission is known, our detailed understanding of these mechanisms remains incomplete, limiting efforts for the discovery or design of therapeutic treatments for these fatal diseases. In vitro synthesis of …

Interactomics And Targeted Protein Degradation For Kinase Substrate Discovery, Juan C. Mercado Del Valle

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Reversible phosphorylation is one of the most important post translational modifications that has allowed us as a species to quickly adapt to changing molecular environments due to external stimulation. This process is only capable through the activity of kinases to carry out the targeting of specific substrates defined by their recognition motif allowing for selective phosphorylation and activation and inactivation of distinct pathways as well as other changes that permit cell survival. By being so important for the maintenance of the cells disruption often leads to worsening of the cells, leading to various diseases like cancer, immunological and neurodegenerative disorders. …

Family Of Origin Influence On Workplace Dynamics: A Qualitative Study, Megan E. Malave

Theses and Dissertations

This study delves into the intricate interplay between Family of Origin influences and the professional practice of Organizational Development (OD) practitioners. Rooted in the recognition that Family of Origin experiences significantly shape individual perspectives and behaviors, this research investigates how OD practitioners leverage this understanding to navigate complex workplace dynamics. Grounded in the Use of Self framework, which emphasizes intentional utilization of one's complete being for enhanced effectiveness, this study explores the multifaceted connections between Family of Origin dynamics and common relational aspects such as leadership, influence, power, conflict, and belonging. Through qualitative analysis of OD practitioners' perspectives, the study …

A Global Perspective On Mindfulness-Based Interventions In Schools, Rebecca H. Laff

Theses and Dissertations

The practice of mindfulness, which originated in ancient Buddhist philosophy, has gained popularity in secular society through the work of Western researcher Jon Kabat-Zinn. Kabat-Zinn's focus on using mindfulness to help chronically ill patients cope with stress soon expanded into non-clinical areas, including education. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) adapted from Kabat-Zinn’s work, have been utilized in schools since 2005, but there has been a lack of systematic research on the effectiveness of MBIs in classroom settings globally. To address this gap, this critical interpretive synthesis (CIS) study conducted a comprehensive literature review of quantitative and qualitative studies from around the world …

Volume 45: Full Issue

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations 50th Anniversary Edition: Becoming a Polytechnic

Life After Dobbs, Gerard V. Bradley

Journal Articles

The article begins, "The  Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each State from regulating or prohibiting abortion. Roe and Casey arrogated that authority. We now over rule those decisions and return that authority to the people and their elected representatives." It is now one year, and one full election cycle, since the Supreme Court closed its opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization with those words. That is time enough to gauge how the "people and their elected representatives" have used the authority "return[ed]" to them.

Analysis Of D- And L- Isomers Of (Meth)Amphetamine In Human K2edta Plasma, Brian Robbins, Jacob Perry, Mary Long, Rob E. Carpenter

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

Methamphetamine and its metabolite amphetamine are frequently abused drugs. Whether obtained legally or from clandestine laboratories it is of relevance to determine the chiral makeup of these drugs for investigative purpose. Although urine and oral fluid matrices are commonly offered, less available to independent laboratories are techniques to verify dextro (D-) or levo (L-) (meth)amphetamine from human K2EDTA plasma. This paper outlines the development and validation of a method that includes the addition of internal standard and a two-step liquid-liquid extraction to remove the analytes from human K2EDTA plasma by triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The assay was validated according …

Prevalence Of Hesperevax Sparsiflora Var. Brevifolia (Short-Leaved Evax) At Ocean Ranch, Humboldt County, California: Exploring The Effects Of Disturbance, Shelby Diquirco, Matthew Estrada, Alana T. Fraley, Alexander D. Smith

Environmental Science & Management Senior Capstones

The prevalence of special-status plants within a landscape can be an indicator of the ecological health of that site, and therefore inform restoration efforts and post-restoration monitoring. Hesperevax sparsiflora var. brevifolia (short-leaved evax) is a special status species found within the Ocean Ranch unit of Humboldt, California. A primary threat to native plant communities are invasive plant species. Coastal dune ecosystems are largely dominated by invasive species, including Ammophila arenaria (European beachgrass). To work towards the eradication of A. arenaria, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife utilized treatment combinations of herbicide and prescribed fire at Ocean Ranch in …

Cryptic Patent Reform Through The Inflation Reduction Act., Arti K. Rai, Rachel E. Sachs, Price W. Nicholson

Articles

If a statute substantially changes the way patents work in an industry where patents are central, but says almost nothing about patents, is it patent reform? We argue the answer is yes — and it’s not a hypothetical question. The Inflation Reduction Act (“IRA”) does not address patents, but its drug pricing provisions are likely to prompt major changes in how patents work in the pharmaceutical industry. For many years scholars have decried industry’s ever-evolving strategies that use combinations of patents to block competition for as long as possible, widely known as “evergreening,” but legislators have not been receptive to …

The Great Regulatory Dodge, Helen Nissenbaum, Katherine Strandburg, Salome Viljoen

Articles

U.S. privacy law is in a renewed moment of regulatory possibility, with both Congress and the states considering sweeping consumer privacy laws. These new proposals to enact “omnibus” privacy protections could be couched as an antidote to the current U.S. privacy regime: a patchwork of sectoral privacy laws stitched atop the background of FTC consumer contract enforcement. However, this Essay maintains that a one-size-fits-all approach cannot successfully capture both privacy’s value and its variability. Yet, it is clearly the case that the present- day sectoral regime in the United States suffers from significant shortcomings. These shortcomings allow behaviors that seem …

Unreasonable Risk: The Failure To Ban Asbestos And The Future Of Toxic Substances Regulation, Rachel Rothschild

Articles

Every day, Americans are exposed to hundreds of chemicals in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the products we use. The vast majority of these chemicals have never been tested far safety. Many have been shown to cause serious health harms, ranging.from cancer to autoimmune illness to IQ loss. They also have disproportionate effects on some of the most vulnerable populations in our society, such as children, minorities, and industrial workers.

The law that is supposed to protect Americans from dangerous chemical exposures-the Toxic Substances Control Act ("TSCA")-was long considered a dead letter after the Environmental Protection …

In Silico Analyses Of Diversity And Dissemination Of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes And Mobile Genetics Elements, For Plasmids Of Enteric Pathogens, Suad Algarni, Jing Han, Dereje D. Gudeta, Bijay K. Khajanchi, Steven C. Ricke, Young Min Kwon, Douglas D. Rhoads, Steven L. Foley

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction: The antimicrobial resistance (AMR) mobilome plays a key role in the dissemination of resistance genes encoded by mobile genetics elements (MGEs) including plasmids, transposons (Tns), and insertion sequences (ISs). These MGEs contribute to the dissemination of multidrug resistance (MDR) in enteric bacterial pathogens which have been considered as a global public health risk.

Methods: To further understand the diversity and distribution of AMR genes and MGEs across different plasmid types, we utilized multiple sequence-based computational approaches to evaluate AMR-associated plasmid genetics. A collection of 1,309 complete plasmid sequences from Gammaproteobacterial species, including 100 plasmids from each of the following …

Attachment Issues: Microbes, Minerals, And The Persistence Of Soil Organic Matter, Md Shafiul Islam Rion

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The remnants of microorganisms are now understood to account for the majority of organic matter in many mineral soils. Despite the significance of this microbial necromass for soil carbon storage, we know relatively little about how the traits of microorganisms interact with soil minerals to determine the stability of microbe derived carbon in soil. Soil minerals differ in their surface area and chemistry potentially influencing microbial attachment, biofilm formation, and the persistence of microbial necromass. To address this knowledge gap, we grew twelve bacterial species from four broad groups of varying cell wall morphology (Gram positive, Gram negative, filamentous actinobacteria, …

Advancing Assessments Of Climate Change Vulnerability Of West Virginia Watersheds, Joseph T. Molina

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As climate change is becoming increasingly recognized as a threat to aquatic ecosystems, climate adaptation planning, in both the long- and short-term, is becoming more common in natural resource management. There is a need within conservation agencies to develop methodologies and assessments that support adaptation planning to efficiently disperse conservation dollars and effectively strengthen ecological and community resilience as climate changes continue. My thesis aims to provide West Virginia natural resources managers with climate vulnerability assessments that can be used to determine where and how conservation efforts should be administered. Additionally, I demonstrate a methodology that can be built upon …

Specialized Metabolism In Retina, Retinal Pigmented Epithelium, And Testis, Siyan Zhu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The retina and its neighboring retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) are high energy-demanding and metabolically active tissues with specialized and complementary metabolism. They are metabolically interdependent and impact each other’s viability. Interestingly, many of the metabolic features in the retina and RPE are shared with the testis. For example, testis is also energy costly due to continuous sperm differentiation and it has similar metabolic inter-dependence between different testis cells. Both the retina and testis are vulnerable to mitochondrial metabolic impairments.

We conducted three research projects to understand 1) the nutrient utilization and communication in retina and RPE; 2) The profiling of …

Leveraging Data Science To Promote Sustainable Resource Recovery From Organic Waste Streams In Rural Regions, Mohammed Tamim Zaki

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Conventional organic waste management practices such as landfilling contribute to global warming and degrade environmental and human health. Alternatively, organic waste can be treated to recover energy, nutrients, and carbon through resource recovery technologies. Data science could benefit such technologies by improving their efficiency through data-driven process modeling along with reducing environmental and economic burdens via life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA), respectively.

A critical review of 616 peer-reviewed articles published during 2002–2022 was conducted on the use of data science methods in resource recovery from organic waste. Although applications of machine learning (ML) methods have drastically increased …