Digital Commons Network^™

Three Decades Of Rat Genomics: Approaching The Finish(Ed) Line, Theodore S Kalbfleisch, Melissa L Smith, Julia L Ciosek, Kai Li, Peter A Doris

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

The rat, Rattus norvegicus, has provided an important model for investigation of a range of characteristics of biomedical importance. Here we survey the origins of this species, its introduction into laboratory research, and the emergence of genetic and genomic methods that utilize this model organism. Genomic studies have yielded important progress and provided new insight into several biologically important traits. However, some studies have been impeded by the lack of a complete and accurate reference genome for this species. New sequencing and genome assembly methods applied to the rat have resulted in a new reference genome assembly, GRCr8, which …

Anxiety-Like Behaviors In Mice Unmasked: Revealing Sex Differences In Anxiety Using A Novel Light-Heat Conflict Test, Sydney E Lee, Sung-Hoon Park, John C Aldrich, Laura K Fonken, Andrew D Gaudet

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Anxiety and chronic pain afflict hundreds of millions worldwide. Anxiety and pain are more prevalent in females compared to males. Unfortunately, robust sex differences in human anxiety are not recapitulated in rodent tests, and results from rodent pain studies frequently fail to translate clinically. Therefore, there is a need to develop tests that reflect the differential salience of anxiety or pain-related stimuli between the sexes. Accordingly, here we introduce the Thermal Increments Dark-Light (TIDAL) conflict test. The TIDAL test places an anxiety-relevant stimulus (dark vs. illuminated chamber) in conflict with a heat-related stimulus (incrementally heated vs. isothermic chamber); mice freely …

An Update On Novel Taxa And Revised Taxonomic Status Of Bacteria Isolated From Domestic Companion And Agricultural Animals Described In 2023, Sara D. Lawhon, Claire R. Burbick, Trinity Kreuger, Elena Ruiz-Reyes, Erik Munson

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

With the proliferation of abundant bacterial genomic data comes the recognition of new organisms as well as a better understanding of the relatedness of known bacteria. Recognizing the associated taxonomic changes enhances communication and understanding about the significance of novel organisms and deeper understanding of known pathogens. This review addresses the addition of multiple gastrointestinal bacteria that form the normal microbiota in a variety of animals including honeybees as well as novel bacteria from domestic animals including an alpha-hemolytic Streptococcus species from guinea pigs, two Moraxella spp. from cows and goats, a new Capnocytophaga species from cats, a thermophilic Campylobacter …

Classifying Supersonic Frequencies For Active Acoustic Side-Channel Exploitation, Destin Hinkel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Computing side-channel research explores the manner in which physical emanations from systems can be used to reconstruct data. Acoustic side-channels are those physical emanations that produce a sonic frequency that is subsonic, supersonic, or considered in the range of human hearing [1]. Acoustic side-channel attacks (SCAs) are typically performed passively: a listening device captures aural frequencies from a machine via a microphone that are transmitted to the attacker for analysis [1]–[3]. Machine learning models have been presented to classify individual keystrokes according to variations in acoustic frequency [4]. Furthermore, the SonarSnoop framework presents a novel active approach that involves both …

Effectiveness Of Enhanced Care For Treatment Of Acute Or Persistent Diarrhea In Malnourished Children Aged 0 Months To 10 Years: A Systematic Review, Ridwa Alam, Khadija Vadsaria, Ahmad Khan, Uswa Jiwani, Aqsa Ishaq, Anmol Minaz, Ashraf Sharif, Jai K. Das, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Shabina Ariff

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Background: Diarrhea poses a significant public health challenge, particularly affecting children under five. The link between malnutrition and diarrhea is well established, with diarrhea being a primary cause of malnutrition in young children and malnutrition exacerbating the severity of diarrhea. While the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a comprehensive approach to both diarrhea and malnutrition management, including oral rehydration, continuous feeding, zinc supplementation, and antibiotics for specific strains, it does not adequately address the complex needs of malnourished children with diarrhea who may benefit from enhanced care in the form of follow-up and monitoring beyond initial treatment. We aimed to …

Artificial Intelligence Uncertainty Quantification In Radiotherapy Applications – A Scoping Review, Kareem A Wahid, Zaphanlene Y Kaffey, David P Farris, Laia Humbert-Vidan, Amy C Moreno, Mathis Rasmussen, Jintao Ren, Mohamed A Naser, Tucker J Netherton, Stine Korreman, Guha Balakrishnan, Clifton D Fuller, David Fuentes, Michael J Dohopolski

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background/purpose: The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in radiotherapy (RT) is expanding rapidly. However, there exists a notable lack of clinician trust in AI models, underscoring the need for effective uncertainty quantification (UQ) methods. The purpose of this study was to scope existing literature related to UQ in RT, identify areas of improvement, and determine future directions.

Methods: We followed the PRISMA-ScR scoping review reporting guidelines. We utilized the population (human cancer patients), concept (utilization of AI UQ), context (radiotherapy applications) framework to structure our search and screening process. We conducted a systematic search spanning seven databases, supplemented by manual …

The Application Of Generative Ai For Sketch-To-Image Conversion, Jeremy J. Kozlowski

Master's Theses

Sketches have historically been the primary way to identify individuals when images are unavailable. Most commonly, this appears in a police investigation, where the police release a sketch to the public in an attempt to find a suspect. However, sketches occasionally do not provide much detail due to the limitations of both the witness and the artist. A poor sketch greatly hinders the public’s ability to identify someone, decreasing the chances they will be found. To improve upon this inefficient way of identifying individuals, we propose a new pipeline that leverages deep generative artificial intelligence models to create detailed images …

2024 Rc Ac, Greg Jordan

Advisory Council

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Wildfires On Predation Risk, Perch Selection, And Background-Matching In Western Fence Lizards, Elmer Ernesto Gutierrez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Fires are a naturally occurring phenomenon, driving a range of behavioral, reproductive, and morphological adaptations in wildlife. However, we are now living in a new geological epoch—the Pyrocene—characterized by human-induced extreme fire behavior. This shift results in a need to understand how animals survive and adapt in post-fire environments. In this study, we investigated the following questions: (1) Does predation risk increase in burned habitats after a fire? (2) How does dorsal darkness morphology vary between burned and unburned habitats? and (3) Do animals select perches that enhance their background-matching in post-fire environments? We used the Western Fence Lizard ( …

Exploring The Impact Of Leaders’ Emotional Intelligence On Employee Retention And Job Satisfaction: An Employee-Centric Perspective, Stacia Mccambridge

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Employee retention and job satisfaction are crucial for the success of higher education institutions, as turnover incurs high costs and disrupts operations. This qualitative phenomenological study explored how leaders’ emotional intelligence, as defined by self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management emotional intelligence, impacts employee satisfaction and retention in university settings in Southern California. The theoretical framework used for this study was the emotional intelligence theoretical framework of Goleman et al. (2002), which includes self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management competencies to conduct surveys and interviews. The two research questions that guided this study of how employees described, based …

Nutraceutical Supplement Mitigates Insulin Resistance In Horses With A History Of Insulin Dysregulation During A Challenge With A High-Starch Diet, Caroline Loos, Annette Castelein, Eric Vanzant, Emma Adam, Kyle R. Mcleod

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Insulin dysregulation (ID) is associated with an increased risk of laminitis which often necessitates the need for clinical intervention. To test the contention that the prophylactic supplementation of nutraceuticals could mitigate ID in susceptible horses, 16 mature horses with a history of ID were supplemented with either the placebo (n = 8) or nutraceutical (n = 8) once daily. Horses were housed in dry lots with ad libitum access to grass hay and fed a concentrate twice daily to provide 0.5 g starch/kg BW/meal. A combined glucose–insulin tolerance test was performed on all horses before and after 4 weeks of …

Progesterone Regulates Tissue Non-Specific Alkaline Phosphatase (Tnsalp) Expression And Activity In Ovine Utero-Placental Tissues, Claire Stenhouse, Katherine M. Halloran, Emily C. Hoskins, Robyn M. Moses, Guoyao Wu, Heewon Seo, Gregory A. Johnson, Larry J. Suva, Dana Gaddy, Fuller W. Bazer

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP; encoded by the ALPL gene) has a critical role in the postnatal regulation of phosphate homeostasis, yet how TNSALP activity and expression are regulated during pregnancy remain largely unknown. This study tested the hypothesis that progesterone (P4) and/or interferon tau (IFNT) regulate TNSALP activity during pregnancy in sheep. Methods: In Exp. 1, ewes were bred and received daily intramuscular injections of either corn oil vehicle (CO) or 25 mg progesterone in CO (P4) for the first 8 days of pregnancy and were hysterectomized on either Day 9, 12, or 125 of gestation. In Exp. …

Graduation Rates Of Students With Disabilities At A Participating Southern University, Kelly Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this non-experimental, correlational quantitative study was to compare the graduation rates of first-time, full-time students with disabilities to those of first-time, full-time students in the general population at the participating university. The sample used for analysis was full-time, first-time students entering between 2015 and 2020. Using archival data from the Disability Services database and the University's Banner system, four- and six-year graduation rates were compared. The original data set consisted of 22,070 students in the starting focus cohorts. After removing entering transfer students and students who enrolled in less than 15 credits for their entering semester, 8,337 …

The Central And Peripheral Analgesic Effect Of Vietnamese Traditional Herbal Formula Thai Binh Hv Decoction On Experimental Animal Models, Nhu Quy Nguyen Thi, Mai Linh Nguyen Thi, Quan Nguyen Van, Huu Tran Duc, Ngan Nguyen Hoang

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background: The extract of Thai Binh HV (TBHV), a traditional Vietnamese herbal formula, has been found to be safe and anti-arthritis effects, but the mechanism of analgesic action of this formula has not been clarified as yet. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the central and peripheral analgesic effects of TBHV. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on Swiss mice and Wistar white rats to evaluate the analgesic effect of TBHV with three models corresponding to different pain agents (hot plate, acetic acid-induced writhing, and carrageenaninduced paw edema). Control drugs in the study included oral codeine …

Journey Of Decisions: Understanding Parental Perspectives On Vaccine Hesitancy And Decision-Making Approaches In Childhood Vaccinations, Carlene Joy Brown

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of parental attitudes toward childhood vaccinations and decision-making styles. Overall, this study worked to comprehensively examine the factors influencing vaccine hesitancy among parents of children under 18 utilizing quantitative and qualitative methodologies and conducting qualitative analytic comparisons to enhance understanding for future research practices.

The study’s objective in the first phase was to quantitatively assess whether decision-making styles predict vaccine hesitancy, considering demographic factors. The contextual research question guiding this phase was, “Do general decision-making styles predict vaccine hesitancy controlling for age, gender, level of education, employment status, marital status, …

Wander, Ellie Lin, Special Collections, Fleet Library

11th Baker & Whitehill Student Artists' Book Contest 2025

Entry for the 11th Baker & Whitehill Student Artists' Book Contest. Opening reception and award ceremony Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at 6:30pm, Fleet Library, Main Reading Room. Juror: Roger S. Williams.

Victory Gardens: Helping On The Home Front, A Curriculum Outreach Project, Kelly Hoomes

Master's Theses

The Victory Garden: Helping on the Homefront traveling trunk outreach project links past, present, and future by introducing students to the historical significance of World War II victory gardens and emphasizing the continued relevance today. Partnering with Kennesaw State University’s Museum of History and Holocaust Education (MHHE), the traveling trunk focuses on a fifth-grade audience, aligning with Georgia Standards of Excellence for Social Studies, Health, and Science. The traveling trunk designed as a “museum-in-a-box" includes primary sources, artifacts, and a practical gardening activity that fosters critical thinking and analysis. By encouraging an understanding of the past and the connections to …

The Relationship Between Chute Behavior And Morbidity In Cattle, Andrea Rankin

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Most cattle see a handling chute at least once in their lives. Handling plays a huge role in cattle management, whether it’s for transportation, auction sales, deworming, medical treatments, or AI purposes. Morbidity related to Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is one of the biggest causes of economic loss for ranchers and can be related to handling stress. Auction-derived calves (ADC; n=92) were brought to the University of Arkansas Savoy Research Facility for processing and monitoring for behavioral cues and disease. The objective of this study was to find a relationship between the calves’ behavior in the chute and morbidity. The …

The Diverse Effects Of Continual Organic Inputs On Soil Biogeochemical Properties And Microbial Communities In Sandy Ultisols Under Organic Production, Zhine Wang

All Dissertations

The objectives of this study were to understand how continual organic amendment inputs improve Nitrogen (N) cycling, microbial diversity and functional traits. Fully crossed factorial experiments were designed to test four cover crop treatments (cereal rye, hairy vetch, mixture of the rye and vetch, and no cover crop fallow) and two levels of manure compost application (with manure application and blank control) in organic vegetable production from 2020 to 2023. Cover crop biomass, soil chemical and biological properties were analyzed for the distribution and availability of soil labile N (Chapter 2), the abundance of N-cycling genes (Chapter 3), the structure …

Optimization Of Polymeric Micelles As A Delivery System For Crispr/Cas9 Ribonucleoprotein, Lucian Williams

All Dissertations

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) is an adaptive immune system in bacteria that has been harnessed to perform precise genetic modifications in mammalian cells. Among CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins, Cas9 has emerged as a transformative tool in gene editing due to its simplicity, high specificity, and versatility compared to the other Cas proteins and gene-editing technologies. Despite its potential to cure genetic disorders, the clinical application of Cas9 has been hindered by challenges such as immunogenicity, off-target effects, and low delivery efficiency. To address these issues, this dissertation explores using polymeric nanoparticle systems to encapsulate and protect Cas9 and …

Protocol Transformations Across Osi Network Stack Layers For Attack, Evasion, And Defense, Nathan Tusing

All Dissertations

Network endpoints frequently contend with errors and deviations within protocols. Many factors account for these deviations including noise, tampering, and algorithm implementations. Intermediate nodes are expected to modify instantiated protocols and not guarantee correctness. This ability to modify traffic enables all sides of network security to alter security and performance properties of protocols, and we define this intermediary modification of an instantiated protocol as a transformation. Protocol transformations traverse layers of the OSI reference model and changes a protocol's time series byte sequence. Within this thesis, we show that this framework applies to multiple domains and protocols. Common examples of …

Leveraging High-Frequency Water Quality Data And Machine Learning For Monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms, Ibrahim Busari

All Dissertations

Freshwater management is one of the most critical resources on the earth due to the plethora of water use and its limited availability. Increased algae proliferation is one of the significant problems of freshwater bodies that is triggered by nutrient enrichment and enabling conditions such as light and warm temperatures. This algal proliferation is toxic to the ecosystem through their biomass and potential toxin production that can cause hypoxic conditions and is often referred to as Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). Current monitoring approaches include laboratory analysis of water samples to observe algal cells, monitoring of water quality parameters using water …

Advancing Substance Use Disorder Treatment Using Genomics And Metabolomics, Lindsey Contella

All Dissertations

Advancing our understanding of genetic, metabolic, and environmental factors in substance use disorder (SUD) could lead to more effective therapies. In 2022, 16.5% of the U.S. population was diagnosed with SUD, yet current treatments lack efficacy for all patients, making a precision medicine approach crucial. This dissertation explores SUD's relationship with tryptophan (TRP) metabolism through the kynurenine pathway (KP) as a potential therapeutic target. Chapter I reviews current knowledge on SUD and KP. Chapter II identifies how SUD alters KP metabolite concentrations, identifying a reduced concentration of the neuroprotective metabolite, kynurenic acid (KA) and elevated concentrations of the neurotoxic metabolite, …

Recyclable Composites Prepared From Animal Coproducts And Industrial Waste Sulfur, Perla Y. Sauceda-Oloño

All Dissertations

Pursuing sustainable and environmentally friendly materials has become a significant objective in materials science, particularly flame retardants and construction materials. This dissertation explores the development and evaluation of novel composites and high sulfur-content materials (HSMs) as potential alternatives to conventional, environmentally harmful materials.

Chapter one reviews recent advancements in environmentally benign flame-retardant additives, highlighting the potential of bio-derived phenols, polysaccharide derivatives, and greener phosphorus sources. The review discusses how green additives can enhance the flame retardancy, thermal stability, and smoke suppression properties of various polymers while addressing the challenges and future directions in the field.

Chapter two investigates the production …

Community Perceptions, Acceptability, And The Durability Of House Screening Interventions Against Exposure To Malaria Vectors In Nyimba District, Zambia, Kochelani Saili, Christiaan De Jager, Freddie Masaninga, Brian Chisanga, Andy Sinyolo, Japhet Chiwaula, Jacob Chirwa, Busiku Hamainza, Emmanuel Chanda, Nathan N. Bakyaita, Clifford Maina Mutero

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: House screening remains conspicuously absent in national malaria programs despite its recognition by the World Health Organization as a supplementary malaria vector-control intervention. This may be attributed, in part, to the knowledge gap in screen durability or longevity in local climatic conditions and community acceptance under specific cultural practices and socio-economic contexts. The objectives of this study were to assess the durability of window and door wire mesh screens a year after full house screening and to assess the acceptability of the house screening intervention to the participants involved. Methods: This study was conducted in Nyimba district, Zambia and …

Roger Williams University 2024 President's Report: A Message From President Miaoulis, Roger Williams University

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Influence Of Native And Invasive Grasses On The Behavior Of Aedes Aegypti In South Texas, Emily Medelez

Theses and Dissertations

Invasive grasses in South Texas can have widespread negative effects, displacing native species, reducing biodiversity, and posing risks to public health. These grasses may flourish in moist, shaded environments, which not only support their growth but also creates habitats favorable for mosquito activity. This can increase the population and alter the behavior of mosquitoes, potentially raising the risk of disease transmission. In this thesis, I look at the behavior of mosquito species Aedes aegypti, primary vector of the yellow fever virus. I analyzed the influence of oviposition, flight and resting behaviors. I tested the relative attraction of Aedes mosquitoes …

Microwave-Assisted Green Synthesis Of Spiroindolinopyranopyrazoles, Esther Owusu

Theses and Dissertations

Green Chemistry, usually known as sustainable chemistry, is widely implemented worldwide to safeguard human health and the environment. Recent investigations in organic synthesis and chemical transformation have demonstrated that green chemistry techniques are significantly reducing both chemical waste and reaction time. In order to fulfill this ecological requirement, it is crucial to lessen the utilization of perilous solvents and noxious chemicals, while also creating innovative reaction methods that decrease the production of trash. The implementation of such methodologies can greatly enhance the field of green chemistry. A more environmentally friendly synthetic method was utilized to generate spiro chemicals and their …

Using High-Pressure Processing To Improve The Quality Of Dark-Cutting Beef, Ashley A. Hahn

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Previous studies have shown high-pressure processing (HPP) can be utilized to improve lean color of dark-cutting beef color by increasing the lightness and redness of steaks. However, the optimal parameters of length of time product is held under pressure and at which pressure must be applied have yet to be fully defined. Furthermore, the impact of HPP on color labile muscles in dark-cutting beef are currently unknown. Therefore, two studies were designed and specific efforts were focused on first defining optimal parameters for color stable muscles, followed by determining the effect of HPP on dark-cutting color labile muscles.

In the …

Relationship Between Host Genomics And Microbiomics In Beef Cattle, Andrew D. Lakamp

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

As sequencing technology becomes more affordable and throughput increases, microbiome information is becoming more readily available. For beef cattle selection, microbial information has a variety of uses including being a target for genetic prediction or used as a means to explicitly describe additional phenotypic variability in other traits.

Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), commonly known as pinkeye, is a disease that infects the ocular surface and surrounding tissue which is an animal health and producer economic concern. Vaccinations have shown to have variable effectiveness, while limited genetics studies have suggested that direct genetic selection for resistance would be slow. Therefore, an …