Digital Commons Network^™

Synthesis, Characterization And Antimicrobial Activity Of New 4-Aminoantipyrine Derivatives Using Ultrasonic Mediation, Naween M. Youns

Baghdad Science Journal

A straightforward, one-pot, three-component reaction between substituted aromatic aldehydes, 2-naphthol and 4- aminoantipyrine have been used to synthesis a series of new 4-(((2-hydroxynaphthalen-1-yl) (phenyl) methylene) amino)-1,5-dimethyl-2-phenyl-1,2-dihydro-3H-pyrazol-3-one derivatives (A1- A5). This reaction was carried out with zirconyl chloride (ZrOCl2.8H2O) as an efficient catalyst under the condition of ultrasound irradiation. The fact that these derivatives have the potential to act as building blocks in the production of new compounds makes them very essential 4-(1-phenyl-1H-naphtho[1,2-e] [1,3] oxazin-2(3H)-yl)- 1,5-dimethyl-2-phenyl-1,2-dihydro-3H-pyrazol-3-one derivatives (A6, A7 and A8). Likewise, the MCRs that resulted in the formation of hetero cyclic compound (1,3-naphthoxazine) and included 4-aminoantipyrine, formaldehyde, and 2-naphthol in …

Isolation And Identification Of Flavonoid Compounds From Euphorbia Milii Plant Cultivated In Iraq And Evaluation Of Its Genetic Effects On Two Types Of Cancer Cell Line, Z. O. Salman, Bushra M.J. Alwash, E. J. Kadhim

Baghdad Science Journal

The "crown of thorns" or Euphorbia milii, a decorative and therapeutic plant species, is regarded as belonging to the genus Euphorbia. E. milii is abundant in phenolic compounds, terpenoids, steroids and alkaloids. The main objective of this study was to investigate the extracted flavonoid and nano-flavonoids against two types of cell lines. Nano-flavonoids were synthesized via chitosan-maleic complex reaction. The structure of nano-flavonoids was analyzed by UV-sp -8001 spectrophotometer with a 200–1000 nm scanning wavelength and the produced compounds were examined. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are used to determine the morphological properties. A strong and …

The Association Of Glycated Hemoglobin And Lipid Profile With Peripheral Artery Disease In Metabolic Syndrome Patients From Northwestern Algeria, Imane Bouragba, Mustapha Diaf, Sarra Souiah, Asmaa Melih, Attouya Mellali

Baghdad Science Journal

Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was incorporated as an indicator of dysglycemia, as opposed to fasting glycaemia, for the purpose of classifying patients based on their vascular incidents. This choice was made due to HbA1c's robust correlation with vascular factors like pulse wave velocity, intima media thickness, and the albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR). However, the relationship between HbA1c and lipid profile in developing artery disease remain uncertain. We set out to investigate the association of HbA1c and lipid profile with peripheral artery diseases (PAD) in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in north-western Algeria. Our cross sectional study was carried out during six months. …

Effect Of Biotic And Abiotic Elicitors On Salvadora Persica Callus In Vitro, Hadaia Y. Jasim, Hadeel M. Habeeb

Baghdad Science Journal

The research was conducted to study the effect of different concentrations of nanoparticles (chitosan and titanium dioxide) of Fusarium oxysporum as elicitors to increase the production of active compounds from Salvadora persica callus. Determine the total flavonoids and alkaloids rustle that chitosan in 5 mg/L, titanium dioxide in 1 mg/L, and Fusarium oxysporum in 5 mg/L give 93.10 mg100mg, 128.7 mg/100mg, and 107.61 mg/100mg respectively whereas alkaloids give 2.39%, 3.91%, and 2.20 % respectively. The results showed superiority in the presence of flavonoids in the samples compared with alkaloids. HPLC (High-performance liquid chromatography) analysis shows significant differences in increasing flavonoid …

Institute For Global Health And Development : Issue 9 - September 2024, Institute For Global Health And Development

IGHD Newsletters

• A Call for Action
• Recent Events
• Supporting Women in Science 2024
• Climate Change and Health Symposium
• Breaking Barriers for Gender and Health Equity
• IGHD Summer Internship Program 2024
• The New Faces at IGHD

Dementia-Focused Programs In Older Adult Centers And Health Care Use Among Individuals With Dementia, Ayse Akincigil, Divya Bhagianadh, Clara J. Scher, Ceara Somerville, Caytln Coyle, Natalie E. Pope, Emily Greenfield

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Faculty Publications and Presentations

There is growing attention to community-based services for preventing adverse health care outcomes among people aging with dementia. We explored whether the availability of dementia-centered programming within older adult centers (ie, senior centers)—specifically, adult day services (ADS), social adult day centers (SADCs), memory cafes, and caregiver support—is associated with reduced hospitalization, emergency room use, and total Medicare costs for community-dwelling individuals ages 75 and older with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), and whether associations differ by the relative size of the local jurisdiction. We used a novel dataset that links Medicare claims data with data from an organizational census …

Surgical Necrotizing Enterocolitis And Spontaneous Intestinal Perforation Lead To Severe Growth Failure In Infants, Allison L Speer, Kevin P Lally, Claudia Pedroza, Yuxin Zhang, Brenda B Poindexter, Walter J Chwals, Susan R Hintz, Gail E Besner, David K Stevenson, Robin K Ohls, William E Truog, Barbara J Stoll, Matthew A Rysavy, Abhik Das, Jon E Tyson, Martin L Blakely

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: We aimed to determine the incidence of growth failure in infants with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) or spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP) and whether initial laparotomy versus peritoneal drainage (PD) impacted the likelihood of growth failure.

Summary background data: Infants with surgical NEC and SIP have high mortality, and most have neurodevelopmental impairment and poor growth. Existing literature on growth outcomes for these infants is limited.

Methods: This is a preplanned secondary study of the Necrotizing Enterocolitis Surgery Trial dataset. The primary outcome was growth failure (Z-score for weight < -2.0) at 18 to 22 months. We used logistic regression, including diagnosis and treatment, as covariates. Secondary outcomes were analyzed using the Fisher exact or Pearson χ2 test for categorical variables and the Wilcoxon rank sum test or one-way ANOVA for continuous variables.

Results: Among 217 survivors, 207 infants (95%) had primary outcome data. Growth …

Bioengineering Of Intestinal Grafts, Madushani Herath, Allison L Speer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Intestinal failure manifests as an impaired capacity of the intestine to sufficiently absorb vital nutrients and electrolytes essential for growth and well-being in pediatric and adult populations. Although parenteral nutrition remains the mainstay therapeutic approach, the pursuit of a definitive and curative strategy, such as regenerative medicine, is imperative. Substantial advancements in the field of engineered intestinal tissues present a promising avenue for addressing intestinal failure; nevertheless, extensive research is still necessary for effective translation from experimental benchwork to clinical bedside applications.

Beneficial Effects Of Lactobacillus Plantarum On Growth Performance, Immune Status, Antioxidant Function And Intestinal Microbiota In Broilers, Xiao Xiao, Tiantian Cui, Songke Qin, Tao Wang, Jinsong Liu, Lihan Sa, Yanping Wu, Yifan Zhong, Caimei Yang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) has been globally regarded as antibiotic alternative in animal farming in the past few years. However, the potential function of L. plantarum in broilers has not been systemically explored. In this study, a total of 560 one-day-old yellow-feathered broilers were randomly divided into 3 groups, fed with basal diet and drank with L. plantarum HJZW08 (LP) at the concentration of 0 (CON), 1000 × 10^5 (LP1000), and 2000 × 10^5 CFU/L (LP2000) for 70 d. Results showed that the body weight (BW), average daily …

Feasibility And Acceptability Of A Nurse-Led Telehealth Intervention (Bolster) To Support Patients With Peritoneal Carcinomatosis And Their Caregivers: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial, Rachel A Pozzar, Andrea C Enzinger, Catherine Howard, Anna Tavormina, Ursula A Matulonis, Susana Campos, Joyce F Liu, Neil Horowitz, Panagiotis A Konstantinopoulos, Carolyn Krasner, Jaclyn A Wall, Kate Sciacca, Larissa A Meyer, Charlotta Lindvall, Alexi A Wright

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Patients with advanced gynecologic (GYN) and gastrointestinal (GI) cancers frequently develop peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC), which limits prognosis and diminishes health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Palliative procedures may improve PC symptoms, yet patients and caregivers report feeling unprepared to manage ostomies, catheters, and other complex needs. Our objectives were to (1) assess the feasibility of an efficacy trial of a nurse-led telehealth intervention (BOLSTER) for patients with PC and their caregivers; and (2) assess BOLSTER's acceptability, potential to improve patients' HRQoL and self-efficacy, and potential impact on advance care planning (ACP).

Methods: Pilot feasibility RCT. Recently hospitalized adults with advanced …

What Supports Are People With Intellectual Disability Living In Group Homes Provided To Access Health Care? A Case Study, Rachel Skoss, Paola Chivers, Glenn Arendts, Caroline Bulsara, Rena Vithiatharan, Jim Codde

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: People with intellectual disabilities living in group homes often have complex health needs, are high health service users and need support from their service provider to access health services. In Australia, little is known about the types and amounts of these supports. Methods: A case study was conducted on a large Western Australian disability provider of group homes to 160 people with intellectual disability. Over an 18-month period, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, the study quantified health service use in hospital- and community-based settings, ways by which the person was supported to access health care and the impact on …

Effect Of Maternal Prebiotic Supplementation On Human Milk Immunological Composition: Insights From The Symba Study, Nivedithaa Divakara, Zac Dempsey, Chitra Saraswati, Johan Garssen, Desiree Silva, Jeffrey A. Keelan, Claus T. Christophersen, Matthew N. Cooper, Susan L. Prescott, Debra J. Palmer, Valerie Verhasselt, Patricia Macchiaverni

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Immunomodulatory proteins in human milk (HM) can shape infant immune development. However, strategies to modulate their levels are currently unknown. This study investigated whether maternal prebiotic supplementation alters the levels of immunomodulatory proteins in HM.

Methods: The study was nested within the SYMBA double-blind randomized controlled trial (ACTRN12615001075572), which investigated the effects of maternal prebiotic (short-chain galacto-oligosaccharides/long-chain fructo-oligosaccharides) supplementation from <21 weeks gestation during pregnancy until 6 months postnatal during lactation on child allergic disease risk. Mother–child dyads receiving prebiotics (n = 46) or placebo (n = 54) were included in this study. We measured the levels of 24 immunomodulatory proteins in HM collected at 2, 4, and 6 months.

Results: Cluster analysis showed that the overall immunomodulatory protein composition of milk samples from both groups was similar. At 2 months, HM of prebiotic-supplemented women had decreased levels of TGF-β1 and TSLP (95% CI: −17.4 [−29.68, −2.28] and −57.32 …

Elemental Content And Safety Evaluation Of Wild-Harvested Australian Abalone (Haliotis Spp.) Viscera: Addressing Safety Concerns In Food Waste Upcycling, Wing H. Chung, Liezhou Zhong, Ryu Takechi, Ranil Coorey, Janet Howieson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Abalone viscera has been shown to be a valuable human nutraceutical, yet the food safety considerations of consuming whole abalone viscera have been largely overlooked. Hence, this research was conducted to investigate and evaluate elemental compositions and safety of it. The elemental data was compared to international food safety regulations and evaluated using the USEPA hazard index (HI) equation and HI-derived estimated upper limit (EDUL) equation, which EDUL allows comparison of novel foods with a large variety of similar existing products. To further demonstrate that food safety of upcycled food could be improved with simple processing, a risk mitigation trial …

Effects Of Increased Nitrate Intake From Beetroot Juice On Blood Markers Of Oxidative Stress And Inflammation In Older Adults With Hypertension, Rebeka Fejes, Nina Pilat, Martin Lutnik, Stefan Weisshaar, Anna M. Weijler, Karsten Krüger, Agnes Draxler, Laura Bragagna, Jonathan M. Peake, Richard J. Woodman, Kevin D. Croft, Catherine P. Bondonno, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Karl Heinz Wagner, Michael Wolzt, Oliver Neubauer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Vascular oxidative stress and low-grade inflammation are important in the pathology of cardiovascular disorders, including hypertension. Cell culture and animal studies suggest that inorganic dietary nitrate may attenuate oxidative stress and inflammation through nitric oxide (NO), and there is a need to investigate whether this translates to humans. Aim: In this randomised, placebo-controlled crossover study, by measuring a combination of multiple blood biomarkers, we evaluated whether previously reported benefits of dietary nitrate translate to a reduced oxidative stress and an improved inflammation status in 15 men and women (age range: 56–71 years) with treated hypertension. Methods: We investigated the …

Measures Of Justice: Researching And Evaluating Lay Legal Assistance Programs, Tanina Rostain, James Teufel

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

In recent years a national movement to train lay advocates and advisors to assist people with their common justice problems has emerged in the United States. A host of new programs have launched that allow trained navigators and justice workers to provide legal assistance. These programs – developed in Alaska, Delaware, South Carolina, Arizona, and Utah, among other places – vary in their substantive focus, the skills they impart, and their approaches to reaching the people and communities they seek to help. The proliferation of lay legal assistance programs creates research imperatives and opportunities. These programs need to be assessed …

Histopathological Evaluation Of Geriatric Ophthalmic Veins: A Cadaveric Study, Farida Mehrhoff, Keanna Theobalt, Alla G. Barry, Robert Hillard

Student Publications

Context: The ophthalmic vein (OV) has become a source of increasing curiosity since many aspects of vascular surgery of the orbit have become feasible. At the same time, histochemical analysis of veins, in general, tends to skip the OV. Moreover, age‑related changes in the OVs remain untouched. Aims: Our research explores features of aging in the OV. Settings and Design: We immunohistochemically evaluated the superior and inferior OVs in 49 orbits of 28 formalin‑embalmed human cadavers (age 77.86 ± 13.38) without visible vascular malformations. Materials and Methods: Specimens were stained by hematoxylin and eosin. Verhoeff, laminin, and CD31 stains were …

Contributions Of White Adipose Tissue To Energy Requirements For Female Reproduction, Elizabeth S Anaya, Evelyn L De Groot, John P Lydon, Stephanie A Pangas, Sean M Hartig

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Body composition impacts female fertility and there are established relationships between adipose tissue and the reproductive system. Maintaining functional adipose tissue is vital for meeting the energetic demands during the reproductive process, from ovulation to delivery and lactation. White adipose tissue (WAT) shows plastic responses to daily physiology and secretes diverse adipokines that affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, but many other interorgan interactions remain to be determined. This review summarizes the current state of research on the dialogue between WAT and the female reproductive system, focusing on the impact of this crosstalk on ovarian and endometrial factors essential for fecundity.

Initiation Of Metformin In Early Pregnancy Results In Fetal Bioaccumulation, Growth Restriction, And Renal Dysmorphology In A Primate Model, Erin Bolte, Tyler Dean, Brandon Garcia, Maxim D Seferovic, Kristin Sauter, Gwendolynn Hummel, Matthew Bucher, Feng Li, John Hicks, Xuan Qin, Melissa A Suter, Enrico R Barrozo, Michael Jochum, Cynthia Shope, Jacob E Friedman, Maureen Gannon, Stephanie R Wesolowski, Carrie E Mccurdy, Paul Kievit, Kjersti M Aagaard

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: In recent years, pragmatic metformin use in pregnancy has stretched to include prediabetes mellitus, type 2 diabetes mellitus, gestational diabetes mellitus, and (most recently) preeclampsia. However, with its expanded use, concerns of unintended harm have been raised.

Objective: This study developed an experimental primate model and applied ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry for direct quantitation of maternal and fetal tissue metformin levels with detailed fetal biometry and histopathology.

Study design: Within 30 days of confirmed conception (defined as early pregnancy), 13 time-bred (timed-mated breeding) Rhesus dams with pregnancies designated for fetal necropsy were initiated on …

Tuberculosis Prevention: Current Strategies And Future Directions, Anca Vasiliu, Leonardo Martinez, Rishi K Gupta, Yohhei Hamada, Tara Ness, Alexander Kay, Maryline Bonnet, Martina Sester, Stefan H E Kaufmann, Christoph Lange, Anna M Mandalakas

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: An estimated one fourth of the world's population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and 5-10% of those infected develop tuberculosis in their lifetime. Preventing tuberculosis is one of the most underutilized but essential components of curtailing the tuberculosis epidemic. Moreover, current evidence illustrates that tuberculosis manifestations occur along a dynamic spectrum from infection to disease rather than a binary state as historically conceptualized. Elucidating determinants of transition between these states is crucial to decreasing the tuberculosis burden and reaching the END-TB Strategy goals as defined by the WHO. Vaccination, detection of infection, and provision of preventive treatment are key …

Assessment Of Novel Protein Ingredient Arthrospira Platensis And Soybean Genotype Amino Acid And Oil Selection Improvements On Broiler Performance For A 28-42 D Feeding Period, Savannah C. Wells-Crofton, Kenneth B. Nelson, Garrett J. Mullenix, Craig W. Maynard, Michael T. Kidd

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Two experiments were conducted to assess the efficiency of including the novel protein ingredient Arthrospira platensis or improved soybean meal in a broiler diet. The first experiment aimed to determine the feeding value of soybean meal produced from varieties of soybeans bred for increased amino acid content (SBAA) and improved oil content (SBO) compared to a conventional soybean variety in an ANOVA design fed to Cobb 500 female broilers for 28–42 d. The SBAA and SBO soybeans contained overall higher amino acid content and lower oligosaccharide content compared to the conventional soybean variety in addition to improved oil quality. The …

Distinct Basal Forebrain-Originated Neural Circuits Promote Homoeostatic Feeding And Suppress Hedonic Feeding In Male Mice, Hailan Liu, Jonathan C Bean, Yongxiang Li, Meng Yu, Olivia Z Ginnard, Kristine M Conde, Mengjie Wang, Xing Fang, Hesong Liu, Longlong Tu, Na Yin, Junying Han, Yongjie Yang, Qingchun Tong, Benjamin R Arenkiel, Chunmei Wang, Yang He, Yong Xu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Feeding behaviour is influenced by two primary factors: homoeostatic needs driven by hunger and hedonic desires for pleasure even in the absence of hunger. While efficient homoeostatic feeding is vital for survival, excessive hedonic feeding can lead to adverse consequences such as obesity and metabolic dysregulations. However, the neurobiological mechanisms that orchestrate homoeostatic versus hedonic food consumption remain largely unknown. Here we show that GABAergic proenkephalin (Penk) neurons in the diagonal band of Broca (DBB) of male mice respond to food presentation. We further demonstrate that a subset of DBBPenk neurons that project to the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus …

Early Season Wheat Response To Electrochemically Precipitated Struvite In Various Soils In The Greenhouse, Tatum Simms, Kristofor R. Brye, Trenton L. Roberts, Lauren F. Greenlee

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Fertilizer-phosphorus (P) materials can be recovered from wastewater and used to supplement mined phosphate rock, where one such material is struvite [MgNH4PO4·6(H2O)]. This study aimed to compare electrochemically precipitated struvite (ECST) reclaimed from synthetic wastewater to other commercial fertilizer-P sources in cultivated soils from Arkansas [silty clay loam (AR-SiCL) and silt loam (AR-SiL)], Missouri [(silt loam; MO-SiL 1 and 2)], and Nebraska [silt loam (NE-SiL) and sandy loam (NE-SL)]. A greenhouse pot study was conducted for 60 days with unvernalized wheat (Triticum aestivum) using five fertilizer-P sources [ECST, chemically precipitated struvite (CPST), monoammonium phosphate (MAP), triple superphosphate (TSP), …

Hereditary Spherocytosis Due To A Novel Variant, P.Q1034x, In The Beta Subunit Of The Spectrin Gene: A Case Report, Emmalee M. Kugler, Akash Patel, Faraz Afridi, Maria I. Scarano, Rafat Ahmed

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Background: Heterozygous pathogenic variants of SPTB cause hereditary spherocytosis (HS) in a quarter of cases. Case report: A 14-day-old male presenting with persistent anemia and hyperbilirubinemia was diagnosed with HS by increased red blood cell osmotic fragility and decreased fluorescence on the eosin-5′-maleimide binding test. For his failure to thrive and hypotonia, genetic sequencing revealed a de novo variant of the SPTB gene (p.Q1034X) on exon 15. This variant is predicted to cause loss of normal protein function either through protein truncation or nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. A variant of uncertain significance (p.R438W) in the chondroitin sulfate synthase 1 (CHSY1) gene …

Diabetes Technology Meeting 2023, Tiffany Tian, Rachel E Aaron, Ashley Y Dunova, Johan H Jendle, David Kerr, Eda Cengiz, Andjela Drincic, John C Pickup, Kong Y Chen, Naomi Schwartz, Douglas B Muchmore, Halis K Akturk, Carol J Levy, Signe Schmidt, Riccardo Bellazzi, Alan H B Wu, Elias K Spanakis, Bijan Najafi, James Geoffrey Chase, Jane Jeffrie Seley, David C Klonoff

Center on Aging Staff Publications

Diabetes Technology Society hosted its annual Diabetes Technology Meeting from November 1 to November 4, 2023. Meeting topics included digital health; metrics of glycemia; the integration of glucose and insulin data into the electronic health record; technologies for insulin pumps, blood glucose monitors, and continuous glucose monitors; diabetes drugs and analytes; skin physiology; regulation of diabetes devices and drugs; and data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. A live demonstration of a personalized carbohydrate dispenser for people with diabetes was presented.

Disruption Of Fuz In Mouse Embryos Generates Hypoplastic Hindbrain Development And Reduced Cranial Nerve Ganglia, Carlo Donato Caiaffa, Yogeshwari S Ambekar, Manmohan Singh, Ying Linda Lin, Bogdan Wlodarczyk, Salavat R Aglyamov, Giuliano Scarcelli, Kirill V Larin, Richard H Finnell

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: The brain and spinal cord formation is initiated in the earliest stages of mammalian pregnancy in a highly organized process known as neurulation. Environmental or genetic interferences can impair neurulation, resulting in clinically significant birth defects known collectively as neural tube defects. The Fuz gene encodes a subunit of the CPLANE complex, a macromolecular planar polarity effector required for ciliogenesis. Ablation of Fuz in mouse embryos results in exencephaly and spina bifida, including dysmorphic craniofacial structures due to defective cilia formation and impaired Sonic Hedgehog signaling.

Results: We demonstrate that knocking Fuz out during embryonic mouse development results in …

Utilization Of Geospatial Distribution In The Measurement Of Study Cohort Representativeness., Keith Feldman, Natalie J. Kane, Stacey Daniels-Young, Bruce Reed, Jessica Welch, Lauren Fitzpatrick, Mark A. Hoffman, Andrea Bradley-Ewing, Elin Grundberg

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: The ability to apply results from a study to a broader population remains a primary objective in translational science. Distinct from intrinsic elements of scientific rigor, the extrinsic concept of generalization requires there be alignment between a study cohort and population in which results are expected to be applied. Widespread efforts have been made to quantify representativeness of study cohorts. These techniques, however, often consider the study and target cohorts as monolithic collections that can be directly compared. Overlooking known impacts to health from socio-demographic and environmental factors tied to individual's geographical location, and potentially obfuscating misalignment in underrepresented …

La Vida: Towards A Motivated Goal Reasoning Agent, Ursula Addison

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

An autonomous agent deployed to operate over extended horizons in uncertain environments will encounter situations for which it was not designed. A class of these situations involves an invalidation of agent goals and limited guidance in establishing a new set of goals to pursue. An agent will benefit from some mechanism that will allow it to pursue new goals under these circumstances such that the goals are broadly useful in its environment and take advantage of its existing skills while aligning with societal norms. We propose augmenting a goal reasoning agent, i.e., an agent that can deliberate on and self-select …

Self-Perceived Cognitive Functioning In Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome: Enhancing Risk Detection In Health Disparity Older Adults, Caroline O. Nester

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome (MCR) is a predementia condition that combines two clinical presentations associated with dementia: slow gait speed and subjective cognitive concerns (SCC). MCR diagnosis is associated with increased risk for dementia over its individual components of SCC or slow gait alone, making it a valuable marker of early neurodegenerative changes. MCR does not require expensive, time-consuming assessments to be diagnosed, broadening accessibility in remote or under-resourced settings. At present, there is no consistent method to assess SCC in MCR – a key diagnostic feature of the syndrome. The lack of understanding about SCC in MCR may limit …

Trends And Predictors Of Internet Use For Health-Related Purposes Among Adults In The United States Of America, Paul Ayamah

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This longitudinal study draws on data from the Computer and Internet Use Supplement (CIUS) of the Current Population Survey (CPS) across 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021 and examines three domains of internet use for health-related purposes: seeking health information online, communicating with healthcare providers via digital platforms, and using electronic health monitoring devices to monitor and transmit health data. The study reveals a 10.60% increase in health-related internet use between 2015 and 2021 among all respondents. Communication with healthcare providers online increased from 21.71% in 2015 to 27.7% in 2021 (p < 0.001), while the use of electronic devices to monitor and transmit health data recorded the least growth of 3.15% in 2014 to 5.93% in 2021 (p < 0.001). Patient communication with a health service provider over the internet demonstrates the most significant increase of 3.74%. Furthermore, this study uncovers disparities between internet use among younger (aged 18-39) and older (aged 75 and older) adults, in which young adults were more likely to seek health information online. From the multivariable logistic regression, factors most likely to contribute to online information seeking include: higher educational attainment, access to multiple digital devices, and access to multiple internet sources.

The study highlights persistent digital divides, particularly among older …

Autophagy And Meiotic Fidelity In C. Elegans, Kaitlin E. Kosinski

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved multi-step recycling process in which cellular material is enclosed in the double membrane-bound autophagosome, which fuses with the lysosome to degrade its contents. Autophagy is essential for development and cellular adaptation to environmental or intracellular stress and is an important regulator of germline stem cell homeostasis in the model nematode C. elegans. We sought to determine if autophagy is important for genome stability during meiosis and found that the core adult C. elegans autophagy genes bec-1, atg-7, unc-51, and atg-18 were all required for proper meiotic development of oocytes. Loss of these …