Digital Commons Network^™

Investigating The Impact Of Psychological Interventions On Autoimmune Disease Progression In Women, Nicole Datastanyan

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Autoimmune disease arises when an individual's immune system mistakenly attacks and damages the body’s tissues. Autoimmune disease disproportionately affects women, with eighty percent of diagnosed patients being female. This research proposal aims to explore the relationship between psychological factors (e.g., stress, anxiety, depression) and the progression of autoimmune diseases. This poster will propose a detailed study to assess whether reducing psychological distress through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can slow disease progression. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of talk therapy to relieve symptoms of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, stress, or grief. Two hundred female patients diagnosed with …

"Screen Time" And The Perception Of It Among Different Social Classes, Jasmine Ayon

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

“Screen Time” and the subsequent demonization of it is a phenomenon that is not as analyzed through a social and comparative lens as much as psychological and health ones. To address this gap in research, we performed a content analysis on articles concerning families and “screen time” use that were published on two well-known parenting websites SheKnows and Parents.com from 2019 - 2022 (n = 220). In this paper, we address how these articles talk about screen time use among different social classes. In our analysis, we found what appears to be a double standard in the way screen time …

Repurposing Non-Toxic And Cost-Effective Organic Ligancds To Enhance The Removal Of Uranium And Thorium From Wastewater, Will Campbell

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Cheap, effective and industrially practical remediation methods for uranium and thorium are of utmost importance. Electrocoagulation is a cheap but only mildly effective method for the remediation of these elements. It was recently shown that chelating ligands enhance this process. Unfortunately, few ligands have been tested for this enhancement. Of these, the most effective, Alizarin Red S, had a 99.2% uranium removal efficiency but was expensive ($3.6 / g), toxic to humans and environmentally harmful. Therefore, ligands that avoid these downsides are needed before any industrial application can occur. Potential ligands were found via exhaustive searches of MilliporeSigma’s database. Over …

Biochar/Hydrochar Applications In Disinfection Byproduct Removal For Drinking Water, Ashleu Mussio Marquez, Donna Rouhani, Ismail Abdulraheem, Kers Ung-Watson, Ahmadreza Khatamgooya, Scarlet Nelson, Dr. Jaeyun Moon, Dr. Erica Marti

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

This project aims to investigate the process of disinfection byproduct (DBP) removal in drinking water, looking into the applications of biochar and hydrochar, which are low cost and environmentally sustainable adsorbents. These carbon-based adsorbents are derived from agricultural waste biomass, such as walnut shells. These adsorbents will be used to capture and remove contaminants in water, such as DBPs. DBPs are formed when chemical disinfectants react with organic and inorganic substances naturally present in water. The targeted DBPs for adsorption include trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids, haloacetonitriles, and nitrosamines. An example of high concentration DBP formation is during emergency chlorination, where excess …

November 22, 2024 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

“I’M A Needed Commodity In The Academy”: Racial Capitalism And The Positioning Of Race As Capital In The Faculty Job Market, Román Liera, Aireale Rodgers

Department of Educational Leadership Scholarship and Creative Works

Guided by racial capitalism, interest convergence, and positioning theory, we analyzed focus group data from 30 racially minoritized PhD candidates to understand how they experienced and responded to racial commodification in the academic job market. Although our participants perceived their hireability might be contingent on their performance of “the right typeof diversity,” they decided to position themselves in authentic and humanizing ways. The study highlights how racial commodification incentivizes racially minoritized PhD students in the academic job market to position themselves such that Historically White Serving Institutions could exploit them while maintaining the status quo. We provide recommendations for faculty …

Analysis Of Adverse Events Associated With Sglt2 Inhibitors And Molecular Mechanisms Using Faers Database And Transcriptome Data, Rahinatu Bawah Ali

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, we explored the differential effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors on cardiovascular and renal health, utilizing both clinical data and molecular insights. Focusing on three commonly prescribed SGLT2 inhibitors—Dapagliflozin, Canagliflozin, and Empagliflozin—we employed the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database to assess adverse events, including myocardial infarction, cardiac failure, tachycardia, acute kidney injury (AKI), renal failure, urinary tract infections, and fungal infections. This analysis was complemented by transcriptomic data from kidney cell lines treated with these drugs, processed through NCBI’s GEO2R and Limma programs, to reveal the gene expression profiles linked to these …

Hurricane Evacuation: Navigating Uncertainty During Covid 19 And With Existing Communication Scales, And Considering Public And Expert Perception Of Alternative Scales, Leilani D. Paxton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the effectiveness of current hurricane warning products and communication strategies, exploring factors influencing public perception of risk and decision-making during evacuations. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining survey data, focus group discussions, and interviews with meteorologists and emergency managers. The first paper examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hurricane risk perception and evacuation decisions. Findings indicate that while COVID-19 concerns played a role in some individuals' decisions, particularly those with pets or concerns about shelter conditions, the majority of participants evacuated for Hurricane Ian. The study highlights the importance of providing clear, consistent, and …

A Proteogenomic Analysis Of Cervical Cancer Reveals Therapeutic And Biological Insights, Jing Yu, Li Ding, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Although the incidence of cervical cancer (CC) has been reduced in high-income countries due to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and screening strategies, it remains a significant public health issue that poses a threat to women's health in low-income countries. Here, we perform a comprehensive proteogenomic profiling of CC tumors obtained from 139 Chinese women. Integrated proteogenomic analysis links genetic aberrations to downstream pathogenesis-related pathways and reveals the landscape of HPV-associated multi-omic changes. EP300 is found to enhance the acetylation of FOSL2-K222, consequently accelerating the malignant proliferation of CC cells. Proteomic stratification identifies three patient subgroups with distinct features in prognosis, …

Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Arenavirus Utilises Intercellular Connections For Cell To Cell Spread, Owen Byford, Amelia B Shaw, Hiu Nam Tse, Alex Moon-Walker, Erica Ollmann Saphire, Sean P J Whelan, Martin Stacey, Roger Hewson, Juan Fontana, John N Barr

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The Arenaviridae family of segmented RNA viruses contains nearly 70 species with several associated with fatal haemorrhagic fevers, including Lassa, Lujo and Junin viruses. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis arenavirus (LCMV) is associated with fatal neurologic disease in humans and additionally represents a tractable model for studying arenavirus biology. Within cultured cells, a high proportion of LCMV spread is between directly neighbouring cells, suggesting infectivity may pass through intercellular connections, bypassing the canonical extracellular route involving egress from the plasma membrane. Consistent with this, we visualized abundant actin- and tubulin-rich connections conjoining LCMV-infected and uninfected cells within cultures, resembling tunnelling nanotubes (TNTs). Within …

2024-11-22 University Graduate Committee Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate., University Graduate Committee.

Faculty Senate Records

Meeting minutes from the University Graduate Committee from November 22, 2024.

Exploring Mental Health Providers' Willingness To Integrate Digital Applications For Gen-Z Students, Chanlinee Karawek

Undergraduate Research Symposium Lightning Talks

Mental health services have expanded significantly throughout recent years, alongside the virtualization of said services since the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, digital mental health applications (DMHAs) are now widely available. Generation-Z college students are a demographic that both grew up with this technology and is associated with a high risk of mental illness development during their time in higher education. Integration of familiar technology and necessary mental health services could potentially help address their unique psychological needs. This study explores mental healthcare providers’ perspectives on incorporating DMHAs into their therapy services to Gen-Z college students. An anonymous survey was …

Climate Change And Its Effects On Maternal Mental Health, Sara Cordero

Undergraduate Research Symposium Lightning Talks

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns primarily caused by human activities, which have facilitated more climate crises, such as floods, wildfires, hurricanes, etc. They tend to have the greatest effect on vulnerable populations, such as women and children. This study is aimed to view how climate change-related environmental stressors impact the mental health and well-being of mothers. A scoping literature review approach was used by analyzing scientific databases (i.e. APA-Psycinfo, Scopus, PRIMO) to find peer-reviewed papers that studied the effects of extreme weather events and climate change on maternal mental health. Results suggest that hurricanes, …

Maternal Substance Use And Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Nicu) Admission Among Medicaid Beneficiaries: A State-Wide Audit, Vidhani Goel, Ana L. Reyes, Bertille Assoumou, Dodds P. Simangan, Farooq Abdulla, Megumi Akiyama, Deborah A. Kuhls, Kavita Batra

Undergraduate Research Symposium Podium Presentations

Introduction: Mounting evidence suggested a strong association between maternal substance abuse and poor neonatal outcomes. This study aims to investigate an association between maternal substance abuse and NICU admissions and transitions in the LOC among newborns who were Medicaid beneficiaries.

Methods: A hybrid linkage approach was utilized to link two datasets (Birth Registry and Nevada Medicaid Claims) spanning 2015-2021 with nearly 85% linkage efficiency. The infant records were analyzed using univariate and bivariate statistical methods with significance level set at 5%.

Results: A total of 84,181 infant records were identified, of which 70,817 (84.1%) admitted to a single LOC during …

Improving Healthcare Utilization Models And Uncovering Health Behavior Patterns In Asian Americans Through Data Disaggregation, Luke Cho

Undergraduate Research Symposium Podium Presentations

Although Asian Americans are made up of 20+ distinct ethnicities with unique health outcomes, previous healthcare research has treated them as a monolithic group, covering up many important disparities in health outcomes and healthcare utilization patterns. This study examines how disaggregating Asian American health data by ethnicity improves models analyzing healthcare utilization patterns, focusing on routine physicals, dental checkups, alternative medicine consultations, and preference for ethnic concordance.

Using data from the 2015 Asian American Quality of Life survey (2,609 adults in Austin, Texas), binomial generalized linear models (GLMs) analyzed the impact of income, age, gender, insurance status, and ethnicity on …

Utilizing A Hybrid Apprach To Link Maternal And Neonatal Records, Vidhani S. Goel, Ana Reyes, Bertille Assoumou, Dodds P. Simangan, Farooq Abdulla, Megumi Akiyama, Deborah A. Kuhls, Kavita Batra

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Linkage of independent datasets allows comprehensive and robust analysis. This study aims to utilize a hybrid strategy to link maternal records with neonatal data with an overarching goal of investigating correlates of adverse birth outcomes.

To link 126,757 records from Nevada Medicaid with 249,181 maternal records from Birth Registry, a hybrid linkage approach was utilized. Data normalization was first performed for the standardization of linkage keys. First, a deterministic approach was used to link these records using a unique identifier followed by a fuzzy or probabilistic algorithm using a set of block variables. These block variables included date of birth, …

The Relationship Between Gender And Experienes Of Weight Stigma From Healthcare Providers, Isabella J. Aceituno, Shannon Sagert

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Healthcare providers are a common source of weight stigma, which is associated with lower physician trust, poorer patient outcomes, and the avoidance of healthcare services. Currently, there is a lack of consensus in research on whether women and men are equally likely to experience weight stigma from healthcare providers. The present study examined whether gender differences exist in weight stigma received from healthcare providers in childhood or adulthood, comfort seeking medical care, and healthcare avoidance. Adult participants (N = 196) reported the frequency at which they experienced stigmatizing experiences in healthcare environments in the past 12 months and during childhood …

Latina Maternal Anxiety And Early Child Development: A Scoping Review, Micaela Gigena

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Latina mothers' mental health struggles, particularly anxiety, can significantly impact their children's development. In Latino culture, stigma and shame surrounding mental health discussions often prevent individuals from seeking help, which can exacerbate effects. This scoping review aims to examine currently available research on the impact of maternal anxiety on early child development in Latina populations across North America, South America, and the Caribbean. A literature search was performed to find relevant peer-reviewed and grey literature through five electronic databases. Out of 469 results, 33 relevant studies were identified for full-text screening. Data will be extracted to explore the association between …

Characterizing The Mechanical And Visoelastic Properties Of Sodium Alginate, Vesper Evereux

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

A crucial part of tissue engineering lies in understanding and characterizing the mechanical and viscoelastic properties of various types of biomaterials. Understanding these properties allows better biomaterials to be produced with characteristics more similar to those of the human body and with better biocompatability. In this study, sodium alginate was chemically crosslinked with calcium chloride and subsequently tested for it's instantaneous Elastic Modulus, instantaneous Shear Modulus, and equivalent viscosity using indentation testing methods consisting of a stress-relaxation test and nonlinear curve-fitting analysis. Two and three millimeter indentation tests were performed using a low-cost and portable device built in-lab that resulted …

Examining The Effects Of Food Insecurity And Socioeconomic Status On Breastfeeding Duration Among Latina Mothers In Las Vegas, Nika Jenabi

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Background: This study aims to investigate breastfeeding duration among Latina mothers in Clark County. We hypothesize that Latina mothers who experience significant health disparities, including low food security and limited economic resources, are likely to have shorter breastfeeding durations.

Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional design. The preliminary sample included 54 mothers who met the following inclusion criteria: aged 18 or older, self-identifying as Latina, having at least one child under 5 years old, and residing within Clark County. The survey included questions related to experiencing food insecurity, socioeconomic factors, and breastfeeding duration. Data analysis was performed using STATA 17 …

Evaluating Human Plasma Biomakers For Alzheimer's Disease; Phosphorylated-Tau 217, Phosphorylated-Tau 181, And Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein, Mason Jonah, Mayarae N. Mugosa, Bella Hou, Emma-Nikole Krilchev, Zhengshi Yang, Dietmar Cordes, Aaron Ritter, Jefferson W. Kinney

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is primarily identifiable by amyloid-beta (Aβ) neuronal plaques, neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) that form as aggregates of hyperphosphorylated tau (ptau) proteins clump together, and the presence of neuroinflammation; all of which are otherwise known as the hallmarks of AD pathology. Recent emerging research has discovered striking similarities between AD and diabetes mellitus pathology, illustrating how insulin deficiency and insulin resistance–both of which result in the chronic hyperglycemic state seen in the diabetic–are involved in an increase in the phosphorylation of tau. This leads to and intensifies the formation of intracellular NFTs serving …

Association Between Polygenic Scores For Brain Structure And Alzheimer's Disease, Eunjae Lee, Faria Tavacoli, Tingwei Liu, Brittany Diaz Ruiz, Hayley Ho, Alice Lee, Jingchun Chen

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition and the most common type of dementia. Research has shown that volumetric changes in subcortical brain structures, which make up roughly 25% of the brain's total volume and affect many physiological functions. This research project aims to investigate the genetic association between brain structures and AD. GWAS data of eight different brain structures (ICV, accumbens, amygdala, caudate, hippocampus, pallidum, putamen, and thalamus) were used to create polygenic scores (PGSs) in a discovery (cases/controls = 2,651/2,768) and replication dataset (cases/controls = 553/644). We utilized PRSice-2 software to generate PGSs and assess genetic correlations …

The Sacred Duty Of The Christian Storyteller: The Rediscovery Of Divine Creative Heritage And Its Function In The Public Square, Trinity Wood

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis assesses the specific value of the storytelling medium and evaluates how one’s artistic duty coexists with their spiritual responsibility as a Bible-believing Christian. Storytelling has a proven power to evoke change within society and within the hearts of its members, and creativity is an innate characteristic we share with the original Divine Creator. Creativity is our birthright and our inheritance from God the Father, as beings made in His Image. The secular entertainment industry often appears as foreign enemy territory to the Christian creative – in most recent years, faith-based content has garnered a poor reputation for itself …

Sex, Tech, And Faith: Ethics For A Digital Age, Kate Ott

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Review of Sex, Tech, and Faith: Ethics for a Digital Age by Kate Ott. Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith (Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation), Vol. 76, No. 3 (December 2024), pp. 230-231.

Predicting Cloud-To-Ground Lightning In The Western United States From The Large-Scale Environment Using Explainable Neural Networks, Dmitri A. Kalashnikov, Frances V. Davenport, Zachary M. Labe, Paul C. Loikith, John T. Abatzoglou, Deepti Singh

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Lightning is a major source of wildfire ignition in the western United States (WUS). We build and train convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to predict the occurrence of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning across the WUS during June-September from the spatial patterns of seven large-scale meteorological variables from reanalysis (1995-2022). Individually trained CNN models at each 1° × 1° grid cell ( = 285 CNNs) show high skill at predicting CG lightning days across the WUS (median AUC = 0.8) and perform best in parts of the interior Southwest where summertime CG lightning is most common. Further, interannual correlation between observed and predicted …

Bike Buses: An Evaluation Of An Emerging Active Transportation To School Intervention, Evan Howington, Nathan Mcneil, John Macarthur

TREC Faculty and Staff Publications

Bike buses are a relatively new form of active transportation to school (ATS) that have primarily emerged in Europe and the United States. A form of coordinated, group bike riding along a defined route to school, bike buses are an outgrowth of Safe Routes to School interventions in North America that seek to reverse the declining rates of walking and biking to school among children. Our initial phase of research included a literature review of social and environmental factors affecting ATS in the contemporary North American context, and two convenience surveys of bike bus coordinators and parent participants. This initial …

Integrated Sustainability Analysis Of A Shared Micro-Mobility System In University Campus: Life-Cycle Assessment And User Impact Study Of Electric Scooters, Md Afif Rahman Chowdhury

LSU Master's Theses

The objective of this study is to evaluate the environmental, economic, and social impacts of implementing e-scooter technology on the LSU campus. The study is structured into three main parts: (1) an environmental life-cycle assessment of e-scooters, (2) a comparative environmental and economic impact assessment of e-scooters, cars, and campus shuttle buses, and (3) a comprehensive survey of e-scooter users to assess their characteristics, satisfaction levels, and comfort while using e-scooters on the LSU campus.

To achieve the objectives of the study, a life-cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to assess the environmental sustainability of e-scooters, encompassing all stages from raw …

Perceptions Of Effectiveness Of Eye Movement Desensitized And Reprocessing For Those Diagnosed With Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Megan C. Stefanelli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a short-term psychotherapy approach first introduced in 1987 by Francine Shapiro. Currently, EMDR is only a first-line treatment to relieve symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, this treatment modality could be expanded to generalized anxiety disorder if additional research was available. Further, research has demonstrated the effectiveness of EMDR from a quantitative perspective; however, there has been scarce research supporting the use of EMDR as a first-line treatment approach from a qualitative perspective. This hermeneutic qualitative study aimed to explore the psychological and physiological effects of EMDR on the brain from a …

Factors Related To Racial Trauma Distress Among Bipoc College Students, Miguel Castano, Richard Chang, Giezel Guevarra

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Racial trauma distress is when post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms occur due to repeated and cumulative experiences of racism and can negatively impacted Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). Consensus in research findings strongly suggest that BIPOC students are more likely to experience racism on university campuses than non-BIPOC students. To mitigate some of these negative outcomes, existing research has shown that psychological safety, resilience, and intraminority solidarity are protective factors for BIPOC students experiencing race-related distress. However, little is known about the frequency of racial trauma distress among BIPOC college students and how these variables may protect against racial …

"We Are All About Equality": D/Deaf Inclusivity In Little Wimmin, Ruth Ann Leber

Theses and Dissertations

Figs in Wigs integration of a British Sign Language interpreter in their performance of Little Wimmin is a compelling example of inclusive theatre for D/deaf audiences. By examining the works of foundational D/deaf studies scholars Neil Glickman and Paddy Ladd alongside the works of contemporary D/deaf scholars such as Tom Humphries, Carol Padden, and Michael Richardson we can gain valuable insight into the evolution of the D/deaf culture and identity. This paper will refer to diversity scholar Susanne Ricee when defining the difference between accommodation, access, accessibility, and inclusivity. It will explore the current advantages and limitations of D/deaf accommodations …