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Early Screening Of Alzheimer’S Disease Through Verbal Communication And Using Large Language Models (Llms), Venkatanand Ram Addepalli

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

With advancements in technology and the growth of artificial intelligence, the gap between healthcare challenges and solutions is narrowing. This study explores the use of large language models (LLMs) to screen for Alzheimer's disease through patient-physician conversations. Fine-tuning and instruction-tuning techniques were applied to improve predictions. The performance of fine-tuned open-source models like LLaMA and GPT-3 was compared to smaller models such as TinyLLaMA and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) models. The models were tested to determine their ability to classify individuals as cognitively normal (CN) or at any stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Reinforcement learning through human feedback was used to …

Acquired Treatment Resistance In Prostate Cancer Via The Production Of Radiation Derived Extracellular Vesicles Containing Mitochondrial Proteins, Caitlin Miller

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Radiation treatment (RT) is one of the most commonly administered treatments for prostate cancer (PCa) patients, yet the recurrence of tumors after RT remains one of the significant challenges in the eradication of PCa. In addition to induction of DNA damage, ROS production, and cell death, we found that RT promotes Extracellular vesicle (EV) production in PCa cells, at least in part, through H₂O₂ production (Miller CE et al., Antioxidants 2022, PMID 36358489). Since we observed EV production upon RT, EVs and their contents could play a role(s) in cancer survival after RT. By using flow cytometry …

Understanding The Mechanism Of Ferroptosis Susceptibility Variation In Colorectal Cancer, Aziza Alshahrani

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Despite the use of chemotherapeutic agents, CRCs remains to be difficult to cure at least partially due to their intrinsic and/or acquired resistance to cell death inducers. Ferroptosis is a form of regulated cell death that caused by the accumulation of lipid peroxides. Studies have shown that dysregulation of ferroptotic pathways is associated with the development of resistance to various cancer treatment. Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) is a known target for inducing ferroptosis due to its critical role in detoxifying lipid hydroperoxides, and ferroptosis suppressor protein (FSP1) also …

Porcupine’S Role In The Enhancement Of Enzalutamide Efficacy In Drug Resistant Prostate Cancer, Katelyn Jones

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Androgen receptor (AR) signaling continues to participate as a vital component of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Subsequently, this has led to the development of Androgen Signaling Inhibitors (ASI), specifically Enzalutamide (ENZ), which is a direct inhibitor of AR, to clinically manage CRPC. Inevitably, ENZ treatment only provides improvement for approximately two months before advancing to an incurable form, ENZ-resistant CRPC. With PCa ranking as the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in USA males, there is an urgency and necessity for the discovery and development of novel therapeutic approaches for CRPC. Wnt signaling has been extensively documented in its involvement …

Therapeutic Approaches And Novel Mechansims In Cancer Progression, Kendall Simpson

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Prostate cancer (PCa) remains the most diagnosed cancer among men in the United States. There are various therapeutic routes that are implored to combat this fatal disease, and our work aims to increase the options made available to PCa patients. A combination treatment of Enzalutamide (Enz), an FDA approved drug for castration-resistant PCa patients, and Metformin, an FDA approved drug for type 2 diabetes, was utilized to enhance the efficacy of Enz in Enz-resistant PCa, both in vitro and in vivo. Thymic Lymphoma is one of the most common malignancies that can occur in various tissues and organs. Genomic stability …

Delineating Contributions Of Genotype And Lineage To Lung Cancer Therapy Response, Kassandra Jo Naughton

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) heterogeneity is a major challenge for determining effective treatment strategies. Adenocarcinomas (ADCs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) are histologically and epigenetically distinct subtypes of NSCLC. Patients with ADC tumors harboring mutations in both KRAS and LKB1 (aka STK11) have lower survival rates than those with KRAS-only tumors. KRAS/LKB1 tumors are not only aggressive, but also respond poorly to immunotherapy. However, these data are limited to ADCs, and it is unclear if SCCs with this genotype are also resistant to immunotherapy. We developed a mouse model of Kras^mut/Lkb1^mut capable of producing …

Rps6kb1 Is A Critical Target For Overcoming Tumor Lineage Plasticity And Therapy Resistance, Saptadwipa Ganguly

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Most tumors initially respond to treatment, yet refractory clones subsequently develop owing to resistance mechanisms which can be classified as intrinsic or extrinsic resistance. The intrinsic resistance is usually present prior to any treatment whereas the extrinsic resistance develops as a result of exposure to some kind of therapy. In order to target these “therapy resistant” tumor cells an unbiased screen of an FDA-approved drug library against cancer cells was performed. This was followed by synthesis of chemical analogs of the most effective drug.

The studies led to the identification of a derivative of the antihistamine drug ebastine, designated Super-ebastine …

The Bridge, Volume 21, 2024, Bridgewater State University

the bridge

Designers:

Mollie Rose Burk

Liz Cowden

Zachary Lucius

Colm McDonough

Arlene Perez

Editor-in-Chief

Ashley LaVergne

Editors:

Jaina Hicks

Emma Voelker

Faculty Advisor:

Jessica Melendy

Design Advisor:

Professor Alain Blunt

Generating Climate Resilience Or Intensifying Vulnerabilities? A Feminist Poltitical Ecology Analysis Of Climate Resilient Agriculutre Projects In Sri Lanka’S Dry Zone, Nethmi Sachithma Perera Bathige

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

Conserving water for irrigation of crops has become a concern in the dry zone of Sri Lanka due to changes in climate patterns. In response, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has developed climate-resilient water management projects designed to build climate-resilience and water management practices among farmers. One such program called ‘Wew Gam Pubuduwa’ disseminates climate smart home gardening techniques, where women farmers receive sprinkler and drip irrigation systems, seeds and fertilizers, as well as training on water management methods. This study draws on a feminist political ecology framework to analyze the experiences of women home gardeners who …

The Role Of A Leader: Establishing Psychological Safety In The Church, Gaylen Sheree Pearl Jones

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abuse is an intentional attempt to cause harm to others. Within any environment there is the possibility of abuse; abuse can be physical, sexual, psychological, and more. This project addressed the phenomena of psychological safety in the church to reduce psychological abuse. Psychological abuse, also referred to as emotional abuse, is a form of abuse that induces fear and intentionally affects one’s emotional health. Psychological safety in the church is a phenomenon that needs to be addressed. This project examined biblical and psychological resources to gain a better understanding on how to create psychologically safe environments that will discourage emotional …

The Temporal Dynamics Of Memory And Learning In Psychosis Proneness, William Nichols Koller

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Psychosis is characterized by salient conflicts between reality and one’s experience of it, but the cognitive processes that give rise to these conflicts are not fully characterized. Similar conflicts are felt by many members of the general population, albeit to a lesser extent. By studying these experiences in a subclinical context (i.e., psychosis proneness), we stand to gain new insights about the cognitive processes that support psychotic-like thought across a continuum. In this dissertation, I propose an updated cognitive model that predicts a link between the positive and disorganized symptoms of psychosis and distinct disruptions in memory and learning. More …

Centering Climate Science In Learning, Déana Scipio, Priya Pugh, Kali Natarajan, Deb L. Morrison, Bethany Kogut, Karli Honebein, Michelle Grove, Jen Eklund

Climate, Water, and the Environment Research

The Washington State ClimeTime Network has been designed to build capacity for climate science learning, as well as broader NGSS implementation. As a network, we acknowledge the diversity of scientific histories and practices and continue to explore these variations to deepen our teaching and learning of climate science. This paper provides visions of what we mean by climate science centered learning, principles for fostering climate science learning, and guidance for capacity-building to achieve systemic implementation of climate science learning.

Histological Evaluation Of Pulp Response To Pulpine Ne Versus Biodentine As Direct Pulp Capping Materials In A Dog Model, Hagar Bastawy, Maha Ahmed Niazy, Mona Farid, Asmaa Harhash, Mona Aboelwafa, Ashraf Abu-Seida

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Introduction: The material used for pulp capping has a significant impact on the outcome of vital pulp therapy. This study compared the pulp tissue response to Pulpine NE versus Biodentine as direct pulp capping materials in a dog model.

Methods: Twenty-four teeth in two mongrel dogs (1-2-year-old) were used. In each dog (n=12 teeth), the dental pulps were exposed in 8 teeth (2 experimental groups, 4 teeth each) and left unexposed in 4 teeth (control group, n=4 teeth). A class V cavity was performed on the buccal surface of the selected teeth in the experimental groups. The exposed …

Synopsis On The Role Of Diode Laser In Root Canal Disinfection, Ashraf Abu-Seida, Mohamed El-Tayeb, Elhassan Hassanein

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Effective root canal disinfection is necessary for success of endodontic treatment. Traditional chemo-mechanical techniques such as sodium hypochlorite, mechanical preparation and calcium hydroxide used for intracanal disinfection usually fail in cases of biofilm-related infections. Therefore, several new strategies are applied for root canal disinfection. One of these strategies is using of diode laser that has recently gained significant attention in the endodontic practice due to its antibacterial action, bio-stimulation, decrease of pain and improvement of success. Moreover, it has several advantages like its low cost, easily application, penetration power into dentine and smaller size device compared with other types of …

Using Biophilic Design To Enhance Resilience Of Urban Parks In Semarang City, Indonesia, Novia Sari Ristianti, Santy Paulla Dewi, Retno Susanti, Rina Kurniati, Naily Syafira Zain

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

Biophilic design is an approach for creating resilient, sustainable cities by constructing resilient buildings that connect humans and nature by integrating natural adaptation and aesthetic appeal in urban spaces. Biophilic design enables improved climate resilience and mental health. Semarang City in Java, Indonesia is a concrete jungle metropolis that will benefit from the application of biophilic design. Although several urban parks are constructed in public areas, certain design elements remain extremely simple. For example, the vegetated-setting contextminimal and unable to generate sufficient interest in community physical activities. Hence, the connection between humans and nature is limited, which demonstrates the lack …

Evaluation Study: The Effect Of Using Ascorbic Acid With And Without Contrast Agent On Patient Blood Samples Exposed To Different X-Ray By Cyclic Voltammetry, Dunya Ali Mustafa, Hind Moafak Abduljabbar, Luma Naji Joudha, Muhammed Mizher Radhi

Al-Nisour Journal for Medical Sciences

Ascorbic acid commonly referred to as vitamin C, a naturally occurring antioxidant, can lessen the negative effects of ionizing radiation. With regard to medical imaging, contrast agents are frequently employed to improve the visibility of particular body structures throughout X-ray examinations. The purpose of the presented work is using cyclic voltammetric analysis to assess the impact of utilizing contrast medium (iodine solution), both without and with ascorbic acid (AA), on patient blood samples exposed to different X-rays. In this study, we investigate whether the addition of ascorbic acid in combination with a contrast agent, can provide any protective effects …

Prevalence Of Intestinal Parasites And Awareness Of Sample Of Patient Attending Al Kindy Hospital, Israa Mohammed Ali Alameen, Entsar Khaleel Samen, Adan Alnaamneh, Wisam M. Al Smadi

Al-Nisour Journal for Medical Sciences

Food is one of the main vehicle to transport parasites, the high demand for food in Baghdad city has a role in safety protocol overlooking, in this study we try to asses the people knowledge about intestinal parasite infection and we take Al kindy hospital as an example about the number of parasite infections in specific area in Baghdad city, , the data that were collected by questionnaire (666 reply) and from recording and archive room in Al kindy hospital ( 1727 result from patients samples) are reported and analyzed, the result showed that Iraqi people have a good information …

Heritage Values And Community Perception : A Look Into The Historic Ruins Of Dinajpur Rajbari, Murchana Madhury, Labanya Sarker

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

The establishment of the value and effective protection of historical ruins comprises a subject of rising interest, as evidenced by an increasing amount of research involving several disciplines. In Bangladesh, debates on the relevance of such abandoned, degraded, deformed, or empty structures—unlike other intact monuments in heritage studies—rarely take into account the attitude of the locals towards these ruins. Analyzing the case of Dinajpur Rajbari, Bangladesh, the paper intends to explore the value ascribed to historic ruins by the surrounding community. The study uses a case study approach built on Mason’s value typology, which has widely contributed to the identification …

Unleashing Wellness: Exploring The Impact Of Pet Therapy On Anxiety Reduction, Quality Of Life, And Treatment Adherence In Pediatric Oncology Patients, Karina Brouwer

Nursing | Senior Theses

Pet therapy is a complementary intervention that involves the interaction between a person and animal, with the focus of improving psychological well-being within diverse populations. In particular, children with oncological disorders have increases in anxiety and stress levels, therefore it is imperative to study the impact of animal interventions within this population. This literature critique explores the impact of pet therapy interventions on anxiety, stress, and quality of life perceptions in pediatric oncology patients. This research proposal will investigate how animal therapy interactions within pediatric oncology patients influence their anxiety levels and perceptions of quality of life and how these …

Developmental Effects Of Child Abuse: The Relevance Of Timing, Laura Luz Alvarez Pineda, Karla Susana Saldaña

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: Early physical, sexual, and emotional child abuse has been associated with long-life cognitive, emotional, and physical health repercussions. Purpose: The current paper, in addition to a literature review, proposes a research design to examine the emotional outcomes of physical, emotional, and sexual child abuse on Hispanics when a psychosocial therapy program is implemented. Methods: Participants will be recruited from children’s hospitals, daycares, and preschools around the Bay Area. Parental-informed consent will be obtained prior to participation. This longitudinal quantitative quasi-experimental study will be comprised of three phases to measure posttraumatic stress and depression symptoms, and suicidal ideation. Results: Multivariate …

Bespoke Regulation Of Artificial Intelligence, Brenda M. Simon

Faculty Scholarship

The decision to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) has far reaching consequences. Determining how to address budding applications of AI technology should depend on their effects. This article describes how regulation should be carefully tailored to avoid harm while maximizing social welfare, building on Orly Lobel's taxonomy of regulatory tools. Part I examines the foundational difficulties in governing AI, including industry influence in regulation and deficiencies in enforcement. Part II elaborates on Lobel's framework, detailing the benefits and limitations of a variety of tools, such as voluntary standards, soft law mechanisms, and public-private partnerships. It describes how bringing in diverse stakeholders …

Shareholder Primacy Versus Shareholder Accountability, William W. Bratton

Seattle University Law Review

When corporations inflict injuries in the course of business, shareholders wielding environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) principles can, and now sometimes do, intervene to correct the matter. In the emerging fact pattern, corporate social accountability expands out of its historic collectivized frame to become an internal subject matter—a corporate governance topic. As a result, shareholder accountability surfaces as a policy question for the first time. The Big Three index fund managers, BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street, responded to the accountability question with ESG activism. In so doing, they defected against corporate legal theory’s central tenet, shareholder primacy. Shareholder primacy builds …

Defining Religion And Accommodating Religious Exercise, Justin Collings, Anna Bryner

Indiana Law Journal

It is a volatile time in the jurisprudence of the First Amendment’s Religion Clauses. In recent terms, the U.S. Supreme Court has revisited many key Church-State and free exercise questions, and the Justices seem poised to revisit several more. Each of these fundamental questions presupposes an antecedent question: what, for constitutional purposes, is religion itself? The Court has never answered this question consistently or systematically. But, at least in the case of constitutionally mandated religious exemptions, a clear pattern emerges over time: the broader the Court’s definition of religion, the weaker its regime of religious exemptions. The reverse has also …

Commandments Before Amendments: The Ministerial Exception & How The Court Prioritizes Religious Rights Over Other Constitutional Protections, Evelyn Doran

Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality

No abstract provided.

Verses Turned To Verdicts: Ysl Rico Case Sets A High-Watermark For The Legal Pseudo-Censorship Of Rap Music, Nabil Yousfi

Seattle University Law Review

Whichever way you spin the record, rap music and courtrooms don’t mix. On one side, rap records are well known for their unapologetic lyrical composition, often expressing a blatant disregard for legal institutions and authorities. On the other, court records reflect a Van Gogh’s ear for rap music, frequently allowing rap lyrics—but not similar lyrics from other genres—to be used as criminal evidence against the defendants who authored them. Over the last thirty years, this immiscibility has engendered a legal landscape where prosecutors wield rap lyrics as potent instruments for criminal prosecution. In such cases, color-blind courts neglect that rap …

Paideia: A Mentorship Framework For Training Aspiring Pastors To Lead In Our Changing World, David Beavis

Doctor of Leadership

There is a pastoral leadership crisis in the US. With the convergence of pastors aging out, burning out, moral derailment, or simply choosing another career outside of pastoral work, there is a great need to raise up the next generation of pastors. However, traditional institutions for training pastors (such as seminary or bible college), though important, are not sufficient in and of themselves for producing future pastors. We live in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) world with novel pastoral challenges perpetually emerging. But our normative pastoral training assumes a world (Christendom) that no longer exists.

What is required is …

E-Cigarette Toxicity And Neurological Function: An Escalating Public Health Concern, Anushka Patel

Inquiro (undergraduate research journal)

pp. 32-34

https://www.uab.edu/inquiro/issues/current-issue/e-cigarette-toxicity-and-neurological-function-an-escalating-public-health-concern

Tips From Sir Cluckerton: Effective And Fun Social Media With A Library Mascot, Allison Boswell, Laura Pitts

Research, Publications & Creative Work

In 2021, the Houston Cole Library (HCL) at Jacksonville State University (Jacksonville, AL) added a mascot to enhance social media posts, and the result has been successful. HCL’s simple low-cost mascot has consistently stimulated positive interactions between the library staff/faculty and students, community members and university officials. HCL’s library mascot has created a cult-like following that watches and comments on his adventures. This current discussion indicates how any library can create their own mascot regardless of budget restrictions and time commitments.

A Tale Of Two Turtles: Sympatry Of Two Lotic Musk Turtle Species In The Pascagoula River Drainage, Grover J. Brown, Brian R. Kreiser

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Competition and hybridization between closely related species have remained topics of interest for decades. The ranges of the Razorback Musk Turtle (Sternotherus carinatus) and Stripe-necked Musk Turtle (Sternotherus peltifer) are mostly non-overlapping, but they are sympatric in south and central Mississippi, USA. In allopatry, each species fills the niche of a lotic, bottom-walking musk turtle and each can range in habitat from small, montane headwater streams to large, muddy bayous in the coastal plain. Using environmental, morphological, and genetic data, we assessed whether the two species exhibit different habitat associations, differ in morphology, and maintain reproductive isolation in sympatry. The …

Combination Of Hdac And Fyn Inhibitors In Synovial Sarcoma Treatment, Kyra Parker, Yanfeng Zhang, Gavin Anchondo, Ashlyn Smith, Sergio Guerrero Pacheco, Tadashi Kondo, Le Su

Research, Publications & Creative Work

The SS18-SSX fusion protein is an oncogenic driver in synovial sarcoma. At the molecular level, SS18-SSX functions as both an activator and a repressor to coordinate transcription of different genes responsible for tumorigenesis. Here, we identify the proto-oncogene FYN as a new SS18-SSX target gene and examine its relation to synovial sarcoma therapy. FYN is a tyrosine kinase that promotes cancer growth, metastasis and therapeutic resistance, but SS18-SSX appears to negatively regulate FYN expression in synovial sarcoma cells. Using both genetic and histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi)-based pharmacologic approaches, we show that suppression of SS18-SSX leads to FYN reactivation. In support …