Digital Commons Network^™

The History Of -Eer In English: Suffix Competition Or Symbiosis?, Zachary Dukic, Chris C. Palmer

Graduate Publications – English

Ecological models of competition have provided great explanatory power regarding synonymy in derivational morphology. Competition models of this type have certainly shown their utility, as they have demonstrated, among other things, the relevance of frequency measures, productivity, compositionality and analyzability when comparing the development of morphological constructions. There has been less consideration of alternative models that could be used to describe the historical co-development of suffixes that produce words with sometimes similar forms or meanings but are not inevitably or solely in competition. The symbiotic model proposed in this article may help answer larger questions in linguistics, such as how …

Working Definitions For Equity, Timothy Berry, Henry Morris, Brian Martensen

All Resources

The underpinnings of what it means for higher education to support diversity, equity and inclusion is often problematized by different interpretations of key terms necessary to work systematically. Inspired by efforts in both the office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Academic Affairs, we will use the following working definitions in its efforts to increase awareness, understanding and collective action as we work toward our vision and mission.

Breaking Down Microtubule Formation: Characterizing The Biochemical And Cellular Functions Of The Γ-Tubulin Ring Complex, Adi Y. Berman

Student Theses and Dissertations

The γ-Tubulin ring complex (γ-TuRC) is an essential regulator of the microtubule cytoskeleton. It is composed of>30 individual proteins that include the major component, γ-tubulin, as well as γ-tubulin complex proteins 2-6 (GCP2-6), mitotic-spindle organizing proteins associated with a ring of γ-tubulin proteins 1 and 2 (MOZART, or MZT1 and MZT2), and an actin molecule. This ~2.2MDa assembly regulates microtubule dynamics by facilitating the nucleation of new microtubules, modulating microtubule minus-end dynamics by acting as a minus-end cap, and anchoring microtubules to specify their cellular localization. These three major activities of the γ-TuRC, nucleation, capping, and anchoring, contribute to …

Optimal Control Frameworks For A Class Of Epidemiological And Oncological Models, Asma Ali H Alghamdi

Mathematics Dissertations - Archive

In this thesis, we employ optimal control frameworks in two distinct contexts: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and esophageal cancer. For HIV, we introduce a comprehensive data-driven nonlinear optimization framework designed for personalized therapies. This framework utilizes a deterministic in-host nonlinear ordinary differential equation (ODE) model and formulates two optimization problems using individual patient data. The first problem focuses on estimating patient-specific parameters through constrained optimization, while the second problem determines optimal combination therapies to reduce viral load to undetectable levels. Several numerical experiments suggest that our framework can provide a robust and effective optimal dosages with lower toxicity levels to …

Synthesis And Bioevaluation Of Piperazine-Based Compounds As Anti-Cancer Agents In Pancreatic Cancer, Holly E. Moots

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Pancreatic cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancer-related death and new therapies are needed. In this investigation two piperazine-based compound classes were discovered with anticancer activity against human pancreatic cancer cells. The use of piperazine moieties in medicinal chemistry has garnered increased interest because FDA-approved anticancer piperazine derivatives (i.e. Imatinib) have demonstrated significant impact in cancer treatment.

The first half of this study describes the discovery of a class of piperazine-based compounds that function as far upstream binding protein 1 (FUBP1) inhibitors. FUBP1 is a single-stranded DNA/RNA binding protein that functions as a master regulator of various genes, including …

Machine Learning Algorithms To Study Multi-Modal Data For Computational Biology, Khandakar Tanvir Ahmed

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Advancements in high-throughput technologies have led to an exponential increase in the generation of multi-modal data in computational biology. These datasets, comprising diverse biological measurements such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and imaging data, offer a comprehensive view of biological systems at various levels of complexity. However, integrating and analyzing such heterogeneous data present significant challenges due to differences in data modalities, scales, and noise levels. Another challenge for multi-modal analysis is the complex interaction network that the modalities share. Understanding the intricate interplay between different biological modalities is essential for unraveling the underlying mechanisms of complex biological processes, including …

Lessons From An Iconic Grouper: Sex, Science, And Serendipity, Yvonne J. Sadovy De Mitcheson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

From a common little damselfish and spectacular grouper aggregations, to disappearing reef fishes and the dark side of the international seafood trade, my journey has passed through a fascinating and worrying period of change in the way we view and treat our oceans. Although much of my career has been in the Indo—Pacific, I focus here mainly on my professional ‘roots’ in the Caribbean and on the Nassau Grouper Epinephelus striatus, a species that kept me curious, taught me patience, never to assume and always to stay hopeful. This fish is almost an obsession; why can we not better safeguard …

Next-Generation Alpha Irradiation Platform: Design, Development, And Applications In Radiobiological Research, Harsh Arya

Physics Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation unveils the innovative design, development, and application of a next-generation alpha irradiation platform, specifically crafted for pre-clinical and university-level radiobiological research. Driven by the quest to overcome the inherent limitations of existing alpha particle irradiators, this study explores the profound therapeutic potential of alpha particles in cancer treatment. Known for their exceptional high linear energy transfer (LET), alpha particles exhibit a unique prowess in inducing clustered DNA damage, sparking intriguing possibilities for highly targeted cancer therapies. Yet, their application has been historically constrained by their limited range of biological tissues and the absence of precise delivery systems.

Our …

The Cumulative Incidence And Site Of Recurrent Metastatic Breast Cancer And Post-Metastasis Survival Of Females With An Initial Diagnosis Of Non-Metastatic Breast Cancer In New South Wales, Sarah Jane Lord

Theses

This dissertation aimed to investigate the population-level incidence, site, and survival of recurrent metastatic breast cancer (rMBC) occurring after stage I−III breast cancer, and changes over time. Breast cancer mortality has declined over the last 30 years due to advances in screening, diagnosis, and treatment. However, the impact of improved cancer care on rMBC is not yet well understood because cancer registries do not routinely report on cancer recurrence (Chapter 1). A systematic review of 20 population-based studies provided evidence of improvements in survival for people with de novo metastatic breast cancer (stage IV at diagnosis) since 1995 in high-income …

Heteroleptic Coumarin-Based Silver(I) Complexes: Possible New Antimicrobial Agents, Erika Mooney, Brendan Twamley, Gordon Cooke, Emma Caraher, Matthias Tacke, Fintan Kelleher, Bernadette S. Creaven

Articles

Heteroleptic coumarin-based silver(I) complexes with improved solubility profiles were synthesised using either triphenylphosphine or an N-heterocyclic carbene as adduct ligands, and were fully characterised using IR and NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and, where possible, X-ray crystallography. The triphenylphosphine adducts formed well-resolved structures, where the oxyacetate ligands asymmetrically chelated the silver(I) ion in a bidentate chelating mode, and the silver(I) ion was also bound to two triphenylphosphine ligands. The solubility profile and photostability of the adducts were considerably improved compared to those of previously isolated simple coumarin silver(I) complexes. Analysis of the coumarin N-heterocyclic carbene(NHC) silver(I) adduct indicated that it likely …

Teaching Difficult Topics: Reflections From The Undergraduate Music Classroom, Olivia R. Lucas, Laura Moore Pruett

Faculty Publications

Teaching Difficult Topics provides a series of on-the-ground reflections from college music instructors working in a wide variety of institutional settings about their approaches to inclusive, supportive pedagogy in the music classroom. Although some imagine the music classroom to be an apolitical space, instructors find themselves increasingly in need of resources for incorporating issues of race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, and historical trauma into their classrooms in ways that support student learning and safeguard their classroom communities. The teaching reflections in Teaching Difficult Topics examine difficult themes that fall into three primary categories: subjects that instructors sense to be …

Recent Advances In Chemistry And Antioxidant/Anticancer Biology Of Monoterpene And Meroterpenoid Natural Product, Benedict J. Barras, Taotao Ling, Fatima Rivas

Faculty Publications

Monoterpenes and meroterpenes are two large classes of isoprene-based molecules produced by terrestrial plants and unicellular organisms as diverse secondary metabolites. The global rising incidence of cancer has led to a renewed interest in natural products. These monoterpenes and meroterpenes represent a novel source of molecular scaffolds that can serve as medicinal chemistry platforms for the development of potential preclinical leads. Furthermore, some of these natural products are either abundant, or their synthetic strategies are scalable as it will be indicated here, facilitating their derivatization to expand their scope in drug discovery. This review is a collection of representative updates …

Development Of A Ni-Catalyzed Enantioselective Intramolecular Mizoroki- Heck Reaction For The Synthesis Of Phenanthridinone Derivatives, Diana Rachii

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

The Birch reduction-alkylation coupled to the desymmetrizing Mizoroki-Heck reaction is a novel synthetic tool to form potentially bioactive phenanthridinone analogs from inexpensive and easily available starting materials. This work describes a rare example of the direct replacement of palladium for nickel in our previously reported enantioselective intramolecular Heck reaction. A Ni-catalyzed enantioselective intramolecular Mizoroki-Heck reaction has been developed to transform symmetrical 1,4- cyclohexadienes with attached aryl halides to phenanthridinone analogs containing quaternary stereocenters. Moreover, this approach provides direct access to six-member ring heterocyclic systems bearing all-carbon quaternary stereocenters, which have been much more challenging to form enantioselectively with nickel-catalyzed Heck …

Development Of Small Ligands Targeting Pathogenic Rna Repeats In Neurodegenerative Diseases, Zhihua Chang

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Pathogenic microsatellite RNA expansions are toxic and can cause neuronal degeneration and dysfunction. Therapeutics that eliminate or neutralize these RNA repeats hold great promise for the treatment of many neurodegenerative diseases because they are uniformly fatal but there is no effective treatment available today. New compounds targeting these pathogenic RNA repeat sequences represent new hope to treat these diseases. The overall goal of my dissertation is to develop a high-throughput screening assay to identify small ligands as potential drug candidates against disease-associated RNA repeats and probe binding mechanisms to guide the design of optimized drug candidates, and eventually validate therapeutic …

Traditional Chinese Medicine: Employing Integrative Medicine As An Approach To Treat Cancer, Jade Hudson

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis explores the history of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) through its depiction in the four classics of TCM and examines the evolution of the field to date. The five categories of TCM treatments analyzed in this paper include acupuncture, dietary therapy, herbal medicine, moxibustion, and physical exercise. Research highlights significant positive outcomes in cancer patients who incorporate TCM alongside modern cancer treatments, such as reduced nausea, vomiting, fatigue, anorexia, pain, and improvements in quality of life and overall well-being. However, notable risks associated with TCM herbal medicine and moxibustion underscore the need for further research into these practices before …

Advanced Mathematical Graph-Based Machine Learning And Deep Learning Models For Drug Design, Farjana Tasnim Mukta

Theses and Dissertations--Mathematics

Drug discovery is a highly complicated and time-consuming process. One of the main challenges in drug development is predicting whether a drug-like molecule will interact with a specific target protein. This prediction accelerates target validation and drug development. Recent research in biomolecular sciences has shown significant interest in algebraic graph-based models for representing molecular complexes and predicting drug-target binding affinity. In this thesis, we present algebraic graph-based molecular representations to create data-driven scoring functions (SF) using extended atom types to capture wide-range interactions between targets and drug candidates. Our model employs multiscale weighted colored subgraphs for the protein-ligand complex, colored …

Geographical Variation In Songs Of Bachman’S Sparrow (Peucaea Aestivalis), L. Nguyen, K. Doñas, J. Jackson, R. Kannan

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We present an analysis of geographic variation in primary song components of the Near Threatened North American endemic, Bachman’s Sparrow (Peucaea aestivalis). These songs have 2 distinct portions: an introductory tweet we call the "whistle" and a more complex second portion that we call the "trill". We analyzed 327 songs from 111 recordings downloaded from eBird.org from the entire current range of the species. We grouped the recordings into 3 distinct geographic clusters, East, Central, and West. The data measured from spectrograms suggest a significant statistical difference among groups for 3 measured characteristics: frequency range of trill, number of horizontal …

A Class Of Game-Theoretic And Fokker-Planck Optimal Control Frameworks In Colon And Esophageal Cancer, Mesfer Alajmi Phd

Mathematics Dissertations - Archive

In this dissertation, we first present a new stochastic framework for parameter estimation and uncertainty quantification in colon cancer-induced immune responses. A stochastic process that captures the system's inherent randomness determines the dynamics of colon cancer. The stochastic framework is based on the Fokker-Planck equation, which represents the evolution of the probability density function corresponding to the stochastic process. We formulate an optimization problem that takes individual patient data with randomness present and solves it to obtain the unknown parameters corresponding to the individual tumor characteristics. Furthermore, we perform a sensitivity analysis of the optimal parameter set to identify the …

Identifying Nutrient Dynamics And Relative Groundwater Contribution In Wetlands At Fish Lake Environmental Center, Lapeer Mi, Rose Allen

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Wetlands are complex ecosystems that are dependent on hydrologic processes and water chemistry. Understanding the role that water chemistry and nutrients play in wetland ecosystems is crucial to wetland management and restoration. The Fish Lake Environmental Education Center near Lapeer Michigan, is glacially influenced, and contains a large bog. Between the bog and lake there are multiple kettles that contain ephemeral wetlands in the spring. Bogs are primarily precipitation sourced, whereas the kettle wetlands may be a combination of precipitation and groundwater sourced. Previous studies indicated that groundwater flow direction is towards Fish Lake, but it was unclear to what …

Bacillus Subtilis-Derived Peptides Disrupt Quorum Sensing And Biofilm Assembly In Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, Kyle R. Leistikow, Daniel S. May, Won Se Suh, Gabriel Vargas Asensio, Adam J. Schaenzer, Cameron R. Currie, Krassimira R. Hristova

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most clinically important pathogens in the world, with infections leading to high rates of morbidity and mortality in both humans and animals. The ability of S. aureus to form biofilms protects cells from antibiotics and promotes the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes; therefore, new strategies aimed at inhibiting biofilm growth are urgently needed. Probiotic species, including Bacillus subtilis, are gaining interest as potential therapies against S. aureus for their ability to reduce S. aureus colonization and virulence. Here, we search for strains and microbially derived compounds with strong antibiofilm activity against multidrug-resistant S. …

Nanotube Spectral Fingerprinting And Machine Learning For Optimized Bioimaging/Sensing Applications, Aceer Nadeem

Open Access Dissertations

This thesis presents a multifaceted exploration of the optimization and application of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in biomedical contexts, with a specific focus on enhancing their stability, functionality, and use as optical biosensors. The research spans several key areas, including the development of innovative techniques that couple machine learning with spectral fingerprinting for advanced diagnostics, the investigation of SWCNT chirality and its implications for cellular interactions, and the optimization of lyophilization processes to improve long-term stability and reproducibility.

The first section of the thesis delves into the fundamental properties of SWCNTs, emphasizing their unique electronic and optical characteristics. These properties, …

Occurrence And Fate Of Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfas) In Atmospheric Deposition, Surface Waters, And Sediments Discharging To The Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire, Katherine Alexina Wieck

Master's Theses and Capstones

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of several thousand synthetic organic compounds commonly utilized in the manufacturing of consumer products and in industrial processes since their initial development in the 1940s. Although the widespread presence of PFAS in environmental matrices derives from many different industrial and domestic sources, recent studies characterizing their fate in aqueous systems have primarily focused on point source discharge, such as those from wastewater treatment facilities, airports, and industrial complexes. Focusing on point sources neglects atmospheric deposition, an important diffuse background source of PFAS into surface waters and sediments. Furthermore, atmospheric deposition is likely …

Icvd Polymer Thin Film Bio-Interface-Performance For Fibroblasts, Cancer-Cells, And Viruses Connected To Their Functional Groups And In Silico Studies, Asmaa Taha

Nanotechnology Research Centre

Thin polymer coatings are used to improve the interface between biological species and functional materials. Their interaction is significantly influenced by the functional groups and roughness of the polymer film and prediction of the interaction is thus of great interest. However, for conventional polymer films, this cannot be examined independently because of the interplay of defects, residual solvent molecules, roughness, and functional groups. Solvent-free polymer films prepared by initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) exhibit conformal, defect-free characteristics and enable precise tailoring of the functional groups. This facilitates to isolate the contribution of functional groups on the bio-interface performance. Consequently, in …

Stress Physiology Of Bats: Methodological And Biological Studies Using Hair Cortisol, Marcus Jorgensen

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stress physiology in bats can be studied through various non-invasive methods, with hair cortisol levels being a particularly valuable measure. Hair cortisol analysis provides insights into the long-term stress levels and physiological states of bats, as it captures cortisol accumulation over time. This method helps researchers understand how different stressors and environmental factors impact bat populations. In mydissertation, I focused on assessing the validity and reliability of hair cortisol measurements in bats and explored the implications of these measurements for understanding bat stress physiology. In the first chapter, I evaluated the use of commercial enzyme immunoassay kits to measure cortisol …

Optimizing Large Language Models And Multimodal Approaches For Biomedical Publication And Satellite Imagery, Youngsun Jang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation comprises two main sections: the first focuses on natural language processing (NLP) for extracting key information from scientific literature using large language models (LLMs), and the second addresses remote sensing for detecting natural disasters, such as floods, from satellite imagery using a multimodal approach. The first section investigates methods to enhance Transformer-based models in classifying and extracting information from biomedical scientific publications. Key contributions include the development of a custom dataset for classification and Question and Answering (Q&A) tasks, fine-tuning Transformer models like the Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) and addressing multi-span answer issues with the TAg-based …

Human Olfactory Assessment Of Scented Volatile Chemical Product Emissions, Jordan Cross, Brian Magnuson, Zachary Limaye, Rashmika Manipati, Chunxu Huang, Jianghui Liu, Brandon Boor, Nusrat Jung

International High Performance Buildings Conference

No abstract provided.

Functionalized 1,4-Naphthoquinone-Annulated N-Heterocyclic Carbenes For Biomedical Applications, Dilsha Samanali Wickramasinghe

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Gold has long been recognized for its medicinal applications, dating back centuries. The use of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs), stable, tunable ligands, has revolutionized the development of metal complexes, particularly those involving gold. Among these, Au-NHC complexes have shown significant promise in treating various diseases, especially arthritis and cancer. More recently, our research has focused on synthesizing dual-targeting naphthoquinone-annulated NHC-based gold(I) complexes, which have demonstrated impressive therapeutic potential in cancer treatment. This emphasizes the growing importance of gold-based complexes in developing more selective and effective cancer therapies. By strategically tuning the electronic and steric properties of these complexes, we have explored …

Associations Between Urine Specific Gravity And Race/Ethnicity At The Population Level: Implications For Hydration Status Categorization, Ian P. Winter, Brain K. Ferguson, Patrick B. Wilson

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

Objective

We aimed to evaluate how urine specific gravity (USG) and rates of supposed hypohydration vary by race/ethnicity, and to examine how adjustment for several important factors impacts estimated USG.

Methods

Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, this cross‐sectional study evaluated a total of 4195 (2098 female, 2097 male) Americans and categorized them as supposedly hypohydrated (USG≥1.020) or not using spot urine samples. USG and prevalence of supposed hypohydration were compared across racial/ethnic groups, separately by gender. The analyses considered the impact of urine creatinine, body composition, age, dietary nutrients, and physical activity.

Results

Differences in supposed hypohydration …

Advanced Techniques In Time Series Forecasting: From Deterministic Models To Deep Learning, Xue Bai

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation discusses three instances of temporal prediction, applied to population dynamics and deep learning.

In population modeling, dynamic processes are frequently represented by systems of differential equations, allowing for the analysis of various phenomena. The first application explores modeling cloned hematopoiesis in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) via a nonlinear system of differential equations. By tracking the evolution of different cell compartments, including cycling and quiescent stem cells, progenitor cells, differentiated cells, and terminally differentiated cells, the model captures the transition from normal hematopoiesis to the chronic and accelerated-acute phases of CML. Three distinct non-zero steady states are identified, representing …

Conformational Investigation Of Biopolymers Through Molecular Dynamics (Md) Simulations And In-Droplet Hdx-Ms Utilizing Cvssi, Samira Hajian Foroushani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Over the last two decades, mass spectrometry (MS) has received significant interest in biological study platforms, especially in the areas of proteomics and metabolomics. With the development of soft ionization methods like electrospray ionization (ESI), mass spectrometry has emerged as a potent method for directly characterizing proteins in their native state. The recent invention of capillary vibrating sharp-edge spray ionization has opened new avenues for the study of biopolymer native structure including the usage of droplet charge tuning and in-droplet hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) labeling. With this new technique comes the opportunity to study biopolymer ion structure preservation with molecular dynamics …