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Embodied Co-Regulation: A Neuroregulatory-Informed Dance/Movement Therapy Transition Intervention Method For Arousal Regulation For Adolescents In A Partial Hospitalization Program, Anamaria Guzman

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis introduces a novel Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) approach, focusing on nervous system arousal regulation during transitions between therapy groups. The core of the method involves a brief 5-minute exercise designed to modulate arousal levels, encompassing alertness and energy, aiming to establish a baseline homeostasis. Rooted in Polyvagal Theory and Developmental Neurobiology, the approach assumes the co-regulation of nervous systems within a group therapeutic setting. Two primary outcomes are self-assessed: 1) somatic experiences documented through narratives and 2) nervous system biodata measured using the Flowtime headband monitoring of brainwaves, heart rate, and other biomarkers. Results indicated that all six sessions …

The Experiences Of Post Secondary School Completion Of Academically Talented African American Teenaged Parents, Adrienne Denise Butler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teen pregnancy and parenting are cited as the reasons 1 in 3 teens drop out of high school. For African American teenagers, the drop-out rate is slightly higher, with 38% of teen parents leaving high school without a diploma. Living in impoverished communities with substandard educational facilities and opportunities, academically talented African American teen mothers must make choices about education and parenting. Pregnant teens must consider their future and decide whether to keep their baby, to complete high school or dropout, and if to attend a postsecondary institute. The problem is the low college attendance and graduation rate for parenting …

Relationship Identification Between Triggers And Electrophysiological Changes In The Brain And The Overall Human Physiology During Migraines, Dominic Sandell

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This research aims to reinforce that migraines have environmental triggers, establish that migraines cause changes in the brain’s electronics and the body’s overall electrophysiology, and define the relationship between the changes and the triggers. The hypothesis is that there is a relationship between environmental triggers and specific electrophysiological changes in the brain and the overall human electrophysiology. The population will be the young adults of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and the sample size will be determined using the aforementioned gender split between female and male as well as the Sample Size for Known Population equation. Throughout the study, the participants will …

2024 Phi Beta Kappa Induction Ceremony Program, Phi Beta Kappa, Psi Of California Chapter At Chapman University

Phi Beta Kappa Induction Ceremony Programs

The 2024 Induction Ceremony for the Psi of Chapter California was held on May 7, 2024 at the Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University. In this ceremony, 22 outstanding students were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.

Exploratory Physiological Experiments Are Not Clinical Trials, Erik A. Richter, David E. James, John P. Kirwan, Juleen R. Zierath

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Electrostatics Of Mucins As Key Contributors To Mucus Stasis In Cystic Fibrosis, Elex Skylar Rose

All ETDs from UAB

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, which encodes a channel responsible for the transport of chloride and bicarbonate ions across the apical cell surface. In the respiratory tract, defective CFTR results in viscous and adherent mucus that becomes static within the airway, which leads to chronic infections, progressive lung damage, and early mortality. Historically, CF mucus stasis has been attributed to significant airway dehydration; however, growing evidence has demonstrated that aberrant electrostatic properties of mucins also contribute to mucus stasis in CF. Mucins are large, polymeric glycoproteins …

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: Pathophysiology And The Effects Of The Microbiome, Anjali Jacob

Senior Honors Theses

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic neonatal lung disease that occurs in over 50% of premature infants. BPD is characterized by damage to the alveoli and bronchioles and improper vasculature formation. It is primarily caused by overexposure to oxygen through mechanical ventilation, but there are other risk factors that make infants more susceptible to BPD. Microbial composition impacts risk for developing BPD, and research is ongoing about the effects of the microbiome on BPD pathogenesis; this information is also valuable for preventative treatment. This paper reviews the normal function of the lungs, pathogenesis of BPD and how it affects normal …

Comparing Oxidative Balance Of Summer And Winter Acclimatized Birds, Olivia R. Gulseth

Honors Thesis

The oxidative stress system allows air-breathing animals to deal with the potentially harmful byproducts of metabolism. How this system reacts to the increasing thermoregulatory demands in winter for birds from cold winter climates is poorly understood. The purpose of this project was to compare the oxidative balance of summer (warm acclimatized) and winter (cold acclimatized) phenotypes of overwintering songbirds in South Dakota to determine if there is a significant difference between the seasonal phenotypes and among species. Seasonal differences in oxidative balance were expected due to the increased metabolic costs of elevating metabolism to maintain body temperature during winter. Blood …

Normal And Varied Morphological Structure Of The Fossa Ovalis And Its Clinical Relevance, Christian G. Valverde

Theses & Dissertations

Congenital heart defects are atop the list of the most common type of birth defects in modern obstetrics. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 40,000 births each year are diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, composing an annual rate of 1%. Of those 40,000 births, roughly 1 in 4 are severe enough to require surgical intervention. Acknowledging that heart disease has been the leading cause of mortality for the past several decades, the former can certainly have additive effects toward this trend. There are several different etiologies and forms of heart defects that are often found …

Biallelic Borcs8 Variants Cause An Infantile-Onset Neurodegenerative Disorder With Altered Lysosome Dynamics., Raffaella De Pace, Reza Maroofian, Adeline Paimboeuf, Mina Zamani, Maha S. Zaki, Saeid Sadeghian, Reza Azizimalamiri, Hamid Galehdari, Jawaher Zeighami, Chad D. Williamson, Emily Fleming, Dihong Zhou, Jennifer L. Gannon, Isabelle Thiffault, Emmanuel Roze, Mohnish Suri, Giovanni Zifarelli, Peter Bauer, Henry Houlden, Mariasavina Severino, Shunmoogum A. Patten, Emily G. Farrow, Juan S. Bonifacino

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BLOC-one-related complex (BORC) is a multiprotein complex composed of eight subunits named BORCS1-8. BORC associates with the cytosolic face of lysosomes, where it sequentially recruits the small GTPase ARL8 and kinesin-1 and -3 microtubule motors to promote anterograde transport of lysosomes toward the peripheral cytoplasm in non-neuronal cells and the distal axon in neurons. The physiological and pathological importance of BORC in humans, however, remains to be determined. Here, we report the identification of compound heterozygous variants [missense c.85T>C (p.Ser29Pro) and frameshift c.71-75dupTGGCC (p.Asn26Trpfs*51)] and homozygous variants [missense c.196A>C (p.Thr66Pro) and c.124T>C (p.Ser42Pro)] in BORCS8 in five …

The Effect Of Social Isolation On Orexin Production And Hedonic Drive In Female Mice, Hudson J. Mcnerney, R. Parrish Waters

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Social stress is a primary instigator of psychological disorders in humans. While social stress results from social dominance relationship (i.e., being subordinated or maintaining a dominant position), social isolation is an intense psychosocial stressor for social organisms (including mice and humans) that can have profound effects on physiological and neurobiological systems. One of these negative effects is a loss of feelings of reward, or anhedonia. Rewarding feeling in response to positive stimuli, or ‘hedonic drive’ is largely controlled by orexins. Two neuropeptides, orexin A and orexin B, are produced in the lateral hypothalamus, and can be disturbed by intense or …

Advancing Sentiment Analysis Through Emotionally-Agnostic Text Mining In Large Language Models (Llms), Jay Ratican, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

The conventional methodology for sentiment analysis within large language models (LLMs) has predominantly drawn upon human emotional frameworks, incorporating physiological cues that are inherently absent in text-only communication. This research proposes a paradigm shift towards an emotionallyagnostic approach to sentiment analysis in LLMs, which concentrates on purely textual expressions of sentiment, circumventing the confounding effects of human physiological responses. The aim is to refine sentiment analysis algorithms to discern and generate emotionally congruent responses strictly from text-based cues. This study presents a comprehensive framework for an emotionally-agnostic sentiment analysis model that systematically excludes physiological indicators whilst maintaining the analytical depth …

Exploring The Influence Of Integrating Soft Skills Training Into The Undergraduate Stem Curriculum On The Stem Identity Of Students, Candace King

Dissertations

One of the major issues that STEM graduates face is overcoming Imposter Syndrome, and there is a consensus amongst STEM graduates and job recruiters that the current higher education system is missing some elements that could better prepare students for a successful STEM career. A solution to this issue results from recent research on the importance of “soft skills.” In general, “soft skills” or non-technical skills, include communication, critical thinking, and self-motivation. These skills complement “hard skills,” or technical skills, such as skills needed for performing laboratory experiments, like pipetting and Western blotting. The lack of soft skills among recent …

Development Of An Enhanced Sampling Workflow To Accelerate Molecular Docking With Sparse Biophysical Information, Zachary Stichter

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Rapid docking of flexible biological macromolecules remains a significant open challenge in protein structure determination. While rigid docking is relatively simple with toolkits such as TagDock, a key obstacle to rapid flexible docking is the complexity and roughness of the free energy surface associated with protein conformational motion (often termed the many-minima problem), meaning conventional molecular dynamics methods do not effectively sample protein conformations near the interaction complex in accessible timescales. Methods such as metadynamics and replica exchange molecular dynamics exist to ameliorate this obstacle, yet these methods use nonphysical biases or random swaps to enhance sampling. In contrast, high …

Structure-Based Design And Semi-Synthesis Of Kratom-Derived Mu-Opioid Receptor Agonists With Varying Intrinsic Efficacy, Emily Wells

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Real-Time Measurements From Wearable Sensors To Enhance Stability On Uneven Terrain, Sophie Copelin

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The presented thesis is a study of sensation associated with inversion/eversion movement about the anterior/posterior axis. The long-term goal is to create a system that provides feedback to a prosthesis user, so their chances of falling is decreased. This feedback system would use wearable sensors to detect certain angles, so that sensory feedback could be provided. The study aimed to determine if Xsens Movella DOT sensors could be used in a system like this, so the accuracy of the Xsens Movella DOT sensors was assessed and the difference in angles that could be determined by them when compared to that …

Kat8 Beyond Acetylation: A Survey Of Its Epigenetic Regulation, Genetic Variability, And Implications For Human Health, Lindsey Yoo, David Mendoza, Allison J. Richard, Jacqueline M. Stephens

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Lysine acetyltransferase 8, also known as KAT8, is an enzyme involved in epigenetic regulation, primarily recognized for its ability to modulate histone acetylation. This review presents an overview of KAT8, emphasizing its biological functions, which impact many cellular processes and range from chromatin remodeling to genetic and epigenetic regulation. In many model systems, KAT8’s acetylation of histone H4 lysine 16 (H4K16) is critical for chromatin structure modification, which influences gene expression, cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Furthermore, this review summarizes the observed genetic variability within the KAT8 gene, underscoring the implications of various single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that affect its …

Exploring The Effects Of N,N-Dimethylbiguanide And Ω-3 Pufas On Muscle Stem Cell Differentiation, Enayah Alhshim

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The impacts of omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acid and metformin hydrochloride (Met-HCl) on muscle stem cells differentiation, mimicking the fetal muscle development under gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), were investigated. ω-3 fatty acids have been known for their ability to regulate adipogenic transcription factors such as Sterol Regulatory Element-Binding Protien (SREBPs) and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors (PPARs). This regulation resulted in gene expression modification for lipid metabolism and adipocyte differentiation, thus preventing excessive fat accumulation. Additionally, emerging evidence suggested that ω-3 fatty acids may also exert direct effects on myogenic processes that influence muscle stem cells proliferation, differentiation, and maturation. Meanwhile, Met-HCl, an …

Sarcopenia And The Importance Of Resistance Training And Protein-Rich Diets For Prevention Of Muscle Loss In Older Adults: A Literature Review And Informational Pamphlet, Madison Steele

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The growing prevalence of sarcopenia among older adults as well as youths has prompted further research aimed at developing effective preventative measures and treatment plans. Sarcopenia is often thought to occur solely due to aging, but several other factors contribute to progressive muscle loss. Previous research studies have found an effect of physical activity and dietary protein levels on the risk of developing sarcopenia as well as its onset age. This study aims to review existing knowledge in the field to compile an extensive list of sarcopenia causes and methods of prevention. The main causes identified in this review are …

Lack Of Access To Healthcare And Neurology Within East Texas, Ashton Arlen

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Within East Texas, there is a critical shortage of physicians and lack of access to healthcare that is taking a major toll on the health of residents. For Texas as a whole, almost 70% of their 254 counties are classified as a rural. Within the United States, Texas has the largest amount of hospital closures and rural areas including East Texas have lost over half of their hospitals since 1960 (Nevins et al. 2021). The area endures some of the highest rates of chronic health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and mental health conditions.

In knowing about the many …

Development And Usage Of Analytic Tools And Recommendations For Validation And Reliability Studies Using Consumer-Grade Wearable Technology, Bryson Carrier

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: Wearable technology is increasingly utilized across various fields, yet the validity and reliability of the physiological data these devices provide are often unverified due to a lack of rigorous testing standards.

Purpose: This dissertation contains three primary works, and therefore multiple purposes. The purpose of the first project (Chapter 2) is to introduce a new risk of bias assessment tool, specifically for assessing methodological quality and the risk of bias in validity and reliability studies using wearable technology, with a focus on consumer-grade wearable technology. The purpose of the second project (Chapter 3) was to perform a systematic review …

Effectiveness Of A Virtual Simulation Program As A Novel Approach To Improve Clinical Judgment In Prelicensure Nursing Students, Monica Millard

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Problem: Limited clinical placement opportunities for practicing decision-making skills have widened the academic-practice gap. Research shows a disturbing decline in entry-level competency among newly graduated registered nurses. Innovative strategies like virtual patient simulation may foster decision-making skills and prepare prelicensure nursing students for practice. However, research is lacking in examining virtual patient simulation (VPS) as an effective approach for developing clinical judgment in prelicensure nursing students. The American Association for Academic Nursing has determined that clinical judgment is an essential nursing attribute. Moreover, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing developed the Next Generation National Council Licensure Exam based …

Sound Marks, Deborah R. Gerhardt, Jon J. Lee

Minnesota Law Review Vols. 106:2 onward (2021-present)

A lion roars just before a film rolls. A doughboy giggles. A giant green man laughs a hearty, “Ho, Ho, Ho.” These iconic sounds are all federally registered as trademarks. They identify specific brands and distinguish their products and services from the competition. Human brains treat sounds like these as categorization tools and cognitive shortcuts--ideal trademark symbols. But what about the sounds your favorite toys or electronic devices make? Or those made by a fictional character in the latest blockbuster? This Article tackles these issues and others. We push back against the widely-held belief that all unconventional trademarks--product designs, colors, …

Modeling Acute Myocardial Infarction And Cardiac Fibrosis Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Multi-Cellular Heart Organoids, Myeongjin Song, Da Bin Choi, Jeong Suk Im, Ye Na Song, Ji Hyun Kim, Hanbyeol Lee, Jieun An, Ami Kim, Hwan Choi, Joon-Chul Kim, Choongseong Han, Young Keul Jeon, Sung Joon Kim, Dong-Hun Woo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Heart disease involves irreversible myocardial injury that leads to high morbidity and mortality rates. Numerous cell-based cardiac in vitro models have been proposed as complementary approaches to non-clinical animal research. However, most of these approaches struggle to accurately replicate adult human heart conditions, such as myocardial infarction and ventricular remodeling pathology. The intricate interplay between various cell types within the adult heart, including cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells, contributes to the complexity of most heart diseases. Consequently, the mechanisms behind heart disease induction cannot be attributed to a single-cell type. Thus, the use of multi-cellular models becomes essential for creating …

Development And Characterization Of A Low Intensity Vibrational System For Microgravity Studies, Omor Khan

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The advent of extended-duration human spaceflight demands a better comprehension of the physiological impacts of microgravity. One primary concern is the adverse impact on the musculoskeletal system, including muscle atrophy and bone density reduction. Ground-based microgravity simulations have provided insights, with vibrational bioreactors emerging as potential mitigators of these negative effects. Despite the potential they have, the adaptation of vibrational bioreactors for space remains unfulfilled, resulting in a significant gap in microgravity research. This paper introduces the first automated low-intensity vibrational (LIV) bioreactor designed specifically for the International Space Station (ISS) environment. Our research covers the bioreactor's design and characterization, …

Local Anesthetic Systemic Toxicity: Last Protocol Development, Implementation, And Evaluation For Healthcare Providers, Rachel Vaughn

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

LAST is an uncommon but deadly complication of local anesthetic administration. Healthcare facilities benefit from protocol implementation to help streamline best evidence-based practice. The American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine warrants a LAST emergency protocol for any healthcare facility practicing regional anesthesia. Healthcare personnel encountering patients at risk for LAST must understand the symptoms and treatment of LAST to improve response time and patient outcomes. The project implemented a LAST protocol at a rural hospital in Southern Illinois in July 2023. The investigator held an educational service to discuss the new LAST protocol and implementation. The educational service …

Implementation And Effectiveness Of Stress Management Strategies Among Stem Students At The University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Dylan Hiser

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

High-stakes exams often induce significant stress among STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) students, impacting their academic performance and overall well-being. As the opportunity for careers in STEM grows rapidly, understanding the stressors that students face remains critical in mitigating the effects of this stress and ensuring the success of these students. The objective of this study is to determine how well STEM students respond to recommended interventions that mitigate exam stress and to identify trends in these students’ exam scores. To accomplish this, a set of surveys was sent to undergraduate STEM students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The …

The Biochemical And Metabolic Impact Of 8-Weeks Of Intermittent Energy Restriction On Resistance-Trained Adults: A Pilot Study, Dillon Wells

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of refeeds and diet breaks on biochemical, body composition, and resting metabolic rate (RMR) measures during an energy-restricted diet.

Methods: Resistance-trained men between the ages of 18-45 participated in an 8-week IER weight loss diet plan. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two dietary intervention groups: Group 1 received two days/week of refeeds (REF), and Group 2 received a one-week diet break every two weeks (BRK). All participants followed a standardized volume weight training protocol. Baseline and post-intervention dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans and blood measures were conducted …

Igwas: Image-Based Genome-Wide Association Of Self-Supervised Deep Phenotyping Of Retina Fundus Images, Ziqian Xie, Tao Zhang, Sangbae Kim, Jiaxiong Lu, Wanheng Zhang, Cheng-Hui Lin, Man-Ru Wu, Alexander Davis, Roomasa Channa, Luca Giancardo, Han Chen, Sui Wang, Rui Chen, Degui Zhi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Existing imaging genetics studies have been mostly limited in scope by using imaging-derived phenotypes defined by human experts. Here, leveraging new breakthroughs in self-supervised deep representation learning, we propose a new approach, image-based genome-wide association study (iGWAS), for identifying genetic factors associated with phenotypes discovered from medical images using contrastive learning. Using retinal fundus photos, our model extracts a 128-dimensional vector representing features of the retina as phenotypes. After training the model on 40,000 images from the EyePACS dataset, we generated phenotypes from 130,329 images of 65,629 British White participants in the UK Biobank. We conducted GWAS on these phenotypes …

Importance Of Mind-Body Medicine And Human Flourishing In The Training Of Physicians, Aviad Haramati

Marshall Journal of Medicine

No abstract provided.