Digital Commons Network^™

Putting The “Proof” In The Pudding: Ingredients To Consider In Executing An Effective And Sustainable Diversity Management Strategy Within Esg Conscious Organizations, Diamond D. Dubose

Theses and Dissertations

ESG exchange-trade fund inflows increased to a total of 22 billion dollars in 2020; three times their amount as compared to 2019, reflecting increasing capital market prominence (Wagner & Ballentine, 2020). Many organizations have since engaged in DEI practices because of the appeal Environment, Social, and Governance (also known as ESG) investment ratings provide (Henisz et al., 2019). However, companies must go beyond publishing organizational commitments to diversity to ‘check the box’ if they want to remain in the good graces of their internal and external stakeholders, ultimately validating their financial performance (S. J. Singh, 2021). An obstacle also emerged …

A Quantitative Analysis Of Empathy Trait As A Moderator Of Leadership Behavior, Barbara N. Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

There are indications that empathic concern for others has been declining around the world (Konrath et al., 2014). Empathy has long been recognized as a component of social functioning that significantly influences behavior that impacts relationships with others on both personal and societal levels (Batson, 2009; Davis, 2017; M. L. Hoffman, 2000; Stilwell, 2001). Leaders who apply empathy in their leadership can promote stronger connections with others (Gentry & Sadri, 2007), and foster social closeness and well-being (Morelli et al., 2015). While traits and behaviors are helpful predictors of effective leadership (Judge & Piccolo, 2004; Mumford et al., 2000), there …

Investigating The Behavior Of Redox–Active Organic Molecules In Electrochemical Energy Storage Through Experiment–Guided Computational Simulations, Anton Perera

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

The long–anticipated implementation of using renewable sources such as solar and wind to meet the world’s energy demand is still limited by not having appropriate grid–level energy storage systems on a global scale. When considering grid–scale energy storage solutions, environmental concerns, and techno–economic viability play a crucial role in the practical implementation of such technology. To address this, redox–active organic molecules (ROMs) have been explored for many uses including serving as redox–active molecules in redox flow batteries (RFBs) and providing overcharge protection in lithium–ion batteries (LIBs).

Nevertheless, in order to be a major player in electrochemical energy storage, further optimization …

Addition Reactions Of Olefinic Heterocycles And 4-Hydroxycoumarins, Benjamin Goka

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The work outlined in this dissertation describes acid-base catalyzed projects facilitating the construction of key synthetic analogs with vast therapeutic applications. Three major projects have been covered demonstrating various synthetic routes developed by our research group to furnish key derivatives of heterocyclic compounds, including coumarins, carbohydrate moieties, and beta-lactams. By their catalytic nature, acids, and bases are known to enhance the reactivities of compounds. This allows synthetic chemists to design or chart new and better reaction pathways leading to the delivery of desired reaction products. The first chapter features a summary of the main concepts underpinning the projects.

Chapter 2 …

Superelectrophile Promoted Syntheses Of Aromatic Spirocycles, Jeffrey Caz Ferreira

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Aromatic spirocycles are crucial organic scaffolds that are at the forefront of innovation in various fields of organic electronics, as well as in drug design. The synthesis of these compounds is challenging, especially on an industrial scale and often have suboptimal yields in many traditional syntheses. New synthetic methodologies are being continually explored for the installation of sp3 hydridized spiro junctions. Our research group, as well as other groups, have done exploration of using superelectrophilic synthetic routes that are nicely applied to the formation of aromatic spirocycles. Most relevant to the results discussed in this dissertation are condensation chemistry using …

The Glutamine-Asparagine Interplay: Exploring The Role Of Asparagine Synthetase In Hepatocellular Cancer Cells, Babatunde George Olawuni

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is a liver cancer that accounts for a significant proportion of cancer-related deaths globally; likewise, as the primary metabolic regulatory center in the body, the liver undergoes profound metabolic shifts in carcinogenesis, with net glucose and glutamine consumption. Much attention has been focused on the myriad roles of glutamine in supporting cellular growth over the past several decades, but more recently, the relationship between glutamine and the other amide-bearing amino acid, asparagine, has garnered attention. Asparagine is synthesized from glutamine, aspartic acid, and ATP via the enzyme Asparagine Synthetase (ASNS). Extracellular asparagine reliance has been targeted in …

Race-Based Stressors And Racial Trauma: The Moderating Role Of Parental Racial Socialization, Jessica S. Philip

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Experiences of race-based stressors are linked with worse psychological outcomes for racial/ethnic minority individuals (e.g., Ferdinand et al., 2015). The way in which parents talk to their children about race (i.e., racial/ethnic socialization; RES) may exacerbate or buffer against the strength of this link (e.g., Keum & Ahn, 2021). Therefore, the present study examined the links between race-based stressors, RES, and psychological outcomes (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress, racial trauma) across multiple racial/ethnic minority groups. The present study also explored the different RES messages as potential moderators for the link between race-based stressors and outcomes, as well as differences in these …

Exploring The Connection: Field Ecology Research And Student Wellbeing, Elizabeth Small

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Field work is essential in ecological research, offering the opportunity to gather firsthand data, observe natural processes, and deepen our understanding of ecosystems. In my study on small mammal trophic niche dynamics, I investigate how small mammals—critical players in grassland food webs—adapt their diets in response to environmental disturbances. By examining the drivers of variation in trophic niche among three common small mammal species, I aim to uncover how these animals coexist despite similar dietary requirements. Understanding these dynamics is critical for informing global conservation efforts, especially as we work to reverse the biodiversity crisis and restore damaged ecosystems.However, the …

Leveraging Bioinformatics To Understand Chlorophyll D Biosynthesis In Acaryochloris Spp., Dikshyant Gautam

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Acaryochloris strains can adapt into far red region of the visible spectrum by utilizing its unique chlorophyll called chlorophyll d (Chl d). The genetic machinery behind Chl d has not been discovered yet. Biosynthetic pathway for other chlorophylls like chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and chlorophyll f found in cyanobacteria are however well known. This research aims to understand the biosynthetic pathway responsible for chlorophyll d production. Bioinformatics approaches like comparative genomics, machine learning, and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) were central in this study to identify candidate genes and regulatory mechanisms potentially involved in chlorophyll d synthesis.

An important …

Development And Characterization Of Transparent Soil Using Biodegradable Polysaccharides, Said Badshah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Increasing Retention Of Women In Hunting And Fishing, Shelby Isensee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite national declines in hunting and fishing, women are making inroads in historically male-dominated sports. To further encourage women’s participation, states established programs to recruit, retain, and reactivate [R3] hunters and anglers. Women are participating in these programs and other recreational groups to access opportunities to learn skills and grow their networks. Yet, very little is known about what programs are offered for women, what aspects of programs are most effective to support women’s retention in these activities, and what women’s hunting and fishing groups are available across the landscape. To address these questions, I collected qualitative data from participant …

The Bulletin: Sidney Kimmel Medical College At Thomas Jefferson University, Volume 102, Issue 1, Winter 2024

The Bulletin (formerly the Jefferson Medical College Alumni Bulletin)

This issue includes:

• 6 - Dean’s Column
• 8 - Bicentennial Celebrations
• 10 - ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)
• 12 - Cancer Moonshot Award
• 14 - SKMC Student Blends the Medical Field With the Sports Field: Azra Dees
• 16 - Leading Medicine’s Next Generation Into a New Century: Welcoming Said Ibrahim, MD, MBA, MPH
• 22 - Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety
• 26 - My First Mentee: Robert M. Stein, MD
• 28 - A Message From the SKMC Alumni Board President
• 30 - Alumni Weekend Recap
• 36 - A Message From a Class Agent
• 38 - Meet Cute, SKMC Graduates Find …

Dna Methylation In Aging And Alzheimer's Disease, Raymond Cheng, Jingmin Shu, Hai Chen, Ming Li, Xiaodong Cheng, Li Liu

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

DNA methylation undergoes significant changes with age. These alterations play a pivotal role in the development of age-related diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent advancements in DNA methylome profiling have revealed global hypomethylation patterns, particularly within repetitive elements, as well as gene-specific changes that are associated with neurodegeneration. Age-related alterations in DNA methylation have been implicated in the disruption of key cellular processes, such as inflammation and proteostasis, both central to AD pathology. However, several challenges persist in this field. One major issue is the inconsistency of findings across different brain regions and tissue types, which complicates result interpretation. Furthermore, …

A Simple And Rapid In Vitro Assay For Identification Of Direct Inhibitors Of O6-Methylguanine-Dna Methyltransferase, Vahid Khalaj, Solmaz Aghaamiri, Sukhen C Ghosh, Servando Hernandez Vargas, Majid Momeny, Ali Azhdarinia

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

O6-Methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is a DNA repair enzyme that is overexpressed in certain tumors and is associated with resistance to the DNA alkylating agent temozolomide. MGMT inhibitors show potential in combating temozolomide resistance, but current assays for MGMT enzyme activity and inhibition, primarily oligonucleotide-based and fluorescent probe-based, are laborious and costly. The clinical relevance of temozolomide therapy calls for more convenient methodologies to study MGMT inhibition. Here, we extended the application of SNAP-Capture magnetic beads to develop a novel MGMT inhibition assay that demonstrated efficacy not only with known MGMT inhibitors, but also with the aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor, disulfiram. The …

Fetal Abdominal Obesity In Women With One Value Abnormality On Diagnostic Test For Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, Wonjin Kim, Soo Kyung Park, Yoo Lee Kim

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Previous studies have shown that fetal abdominal obesity (FAO) was already observed at the time of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) diagnosis and persisted until delivery despite management in older and/or obese women. In this study, we investigated whether fetuses of women with milder hyperglycemia than GDM have accelerated abdominal growth, leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 7,569 singleton pregnant women who were universally screened using a 50-g glucose challenge test (GCT) and underwent a 3-h 100-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) if GCT result was ≥140mg/dL. GDM, one value abnormality (OVA), and normal glucose …

Reorganization Of Dopamine Circuitry In The Anterior Corpus Callosum Between Early Adolescence And Adulthood In The Mouse, Megan Caldwell, Josue Criollo Mendoza, Xin Yan Zhu Jiang, Colin Alarcon, Vanessa Ayo-Jibunoh, Shelby Louis, Daniel Maronna, Rania Darwish, Jaquelyn Tomaio, Susana Mingote, Leora Yetnikoff

Advanced Science Research Center

The maturation of forebrain dopamine circuitry occurs over multiple developmental periods, extending from early postnatal life until adulthood, with the precise timing of maturation defined by the target region. We recently demonstrated in the adult mouse brain that axon terminals arising from midbrain dopamine neurons innervate the anterior corpus callosum and that oligodendrocyte lineage cells in this white matter tract express dopamine receptor transcripts. Whether corpus callosal dopamine circuitry undergoes maturational changes between early adolescence and adulthood is unknown but may be relevant to understanding the dramatic micro- and macro-anatomical changes that occur in the corpus callosum of multiple species …

The Split From Precedent: An Analysis Of The Negative Impact Oklahoma V. Castro-Huerta Will Have In Indian Country, Meg A. Bloom

American Indian Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Indian Child Welfare Act, Political Classification Of “Indians,” And Preservation Of Tribal Sovereignty: Children, The Most Precious Resource, Rachel Yost

American Indian Law Review

No abstract provided.

Frequent Use Of Contingency Management And Opioid Treatment Programs That Provide Treatment For More Than Only Opioid Use Disorder, Orrin D. Ware, Matthew D. Novak, Forrest Toegel

Journal Articles

Contingency management is an effective behavioral intervention for treating substance use disorders that provides patients with incentives for objective verification of completed targeted recovery behaviors including abstinence from substances, attending treatment, and medication adherence. Accredited/licensed opioid treatment programs provide effective, medications for opioid use disorder. This study evaluated the prevalence of frequent contingency management use among a national sample of opioid treatment programs in the U.S. (N= 672). A binary logistic regression model examined factors associated with providing contingency management, including state-level fatal overdoses, number of pharmacotherapies, outpatient treatment, facility ownership, and residential treatment. Most evaluated facilities provided contingency management …

Comparing The Predictive Capacity Of Allometric Models In Estimating Grass Biomass In A Desert Grassland, Adam T. Naito, Steven R. Archer, Philip Heilman

Journal Articles

Allometric models provide a rapid, nondestructive means for estimating aboveground biomass (AGB) of perennial grass species. In the absence of site-specific models, allometric relationships developed at other sites at other times are often used. This implicitly assumes that size-biomass relationships are highly robust. In this study, we assess the comparability of allometric relationships developed at two points in time (2005 and 2015) on different soils on a Sonoran Desert savanna in southern Arizona. We used peak growing season field measurements to develop single-species and multispecies regression models using basal diameter and height to predict the current year's AGB for seven …

G‑Quadruplex Structure In The Atp-Binding Dna Aptamer Strongly Modulates Ligand Binding Activity, Edwards N. Aleah, Iannucci N. Alexandria, Jacob Vandenberg, Annastiina Kesti, Tommie Rice, Srishty Sethi, Philip M. Yangyuoru

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Strategic Planning In Higher Education: Perceptions Of Faculty And Administrators At Public Institutions., Brent Graves, Fritz J. Erickson

Journal Articles

Over the past several decades, strategic planning has become ubiquitous in higher education. Yet, there are varying perceptions of its overall value. Perceptions of value are critically important as they can influence the effectiveness and breadth of participation in the strategic planning process, and such participation is widely held to be critical for success. We investigated these issues using an on-line survey distributed to faculty, chairs, and deans at public colleges and universities in the United States. We found that, compared to both faculty and chairs, deans had a more positive assessment of whether the benefits of the process were …

Dust-Driven Mechanism For Marine Particle Aggregation: Interactions Between Clay Minerals, Heterotrophic Bacteria And Organic Matter Influences Aggregation In Marine Systems, Vignesh Gokuladas Menon

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Atmospheric dust deposition plays a crucial role in marine biogeochemical cycles, yet mechanisms underlying its impact on particle dynamics remain unclear. This study investigates the synergistic interactions between marine heterotrophic bacteria and clay minerals in seawater, focusing on their effect on Transparent Exopolymer Particles (TEP) production and organoclay aggregation. Field experiments in the Gulf of Maine and laboratory roller tank studies were conducted using natural microbial communities and model heterotrophic bacterial strains (Alteromonas sp. EZ55, Marinobacter adhaerens HP15, and Sulfitobacter sp. NAS-14.1). Results demonstrate that clay exposure significantly enhances TEP production by bloom-associated heterotrophic bacteria, with increases up to …

Evaluation Of Potential Biomarkers For Lenvatinib Plus Pembrolizumab Among Patients With Advanced Endometrial Cancer: Results From Study 111/Keynote-146, Vicky Makker, Matthew H. Taylor, Carol Aghajanian, Allen L. Cohn, Marcia S. Brose, Christopher Di Simone, Zhu Alexander Cao, Leah Suttner, Andrey Loboda, Razvan Cristescu, Petar Jelinic, Robert Orlowski, Lea Dutta, Junji Matsui, Corina E. Dutcus, Yukinori Minoshima, Mark J. Messing

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Background Lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab demonstrated clinically meaningful benefit in patients with previously treated advanced endometrial carcinoma in Study 111/KEYNOTE-146 (NCT02501096). In these exploratory analyses from this study, we evaluated the associations between clinical outcomes and gene expression signature scores and descriptively summarized response in biomarker subpopulations defined by tumor mutational burden (TMB) and DNA variants for individual genes of interest.

Methods Patients with histologically confirmed metastatic endometrial carcinoma received oral lenvatinib 20 mg once daily plus intravenous pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks for 35 cycles. Archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue was obtained from all patients. T-cell–inflamed gene expression …

Deep Learning Approaches For Gender Classification From Facial Images, Mustafa Abdulfattah Habeeb, Yahya Layth Khaleel, Reem D. Ismail, Z. T. Al-Qaysi, Fatimah N. Ameen

Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data

Gender recognition on the facial level is considered one of the most important technologies that finds use in such fields as a personalized marketing plan, safe systems of authentication, and effective human-computer interfaces. However, it has the following challenges; variation of lighting, facial movement, and ethnic/age face images. AI and DL has been improving on the effectiveness, flexibility, and speed of the gender classification system. AI enables complex and automatic feature learning in Data, while DL is tailored for handle variants in vision-based data. In this paper, we evaluated several architectures including Efficient Net_B2, ResNet50, ResNet18, and Lightning whilst determining …

Corrosion Characteristics Of Ti And Al2o3/Ti Thin Films Sputtered On 316lss, Iman El-Mahallawi, Hanan ِ Abd El-Fattah Dr., Lamiaa Mohamed Dr., Aliaa Abdelfattah

Mechanical Engineering

In this work, two thin films (Ti and Al2O3/Ti) were deposited on 316LSS substrates by the physical vapor deposition (PVD) sputtering technique. Heat treatment was applied for thin films at 400 °C for 2 h. Thin films were divided into two groups, The First group cooled in the air (normalized), and the second cooled in the furnace (annealed). The electrochemical characteristics were investigated by potentiodynamic polarization (POT) and impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests. The corrosion resistance (CRST) for all thin films before and after heat treatment was determined in 3.5% NaCl at room temperature (RT). Scanning electron microscope (SEM), and surface …

Light And Salinity Effects On Vallisneria Americana Seed Germination And Seedling Growth, Chelsea Lawrence, Dorothy Byron, Charles Martin

Gulf and Caribbean Research

No abstract provided.

Benthic And Epibenthic Invertebrate Assemblages Associated With Estuarine Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Differ Between Native And Invasive Plants, Marissa Hall, Kathryn O'Shaughnessy, Bethany Kiley, Ashley Mcdonald, Taber Faurie, Zoey Hendrickson, Anna Reimer, Samantha Smith, Charles Martin

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Estuarine submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) provides vital habitat for macroinvertebrate communities that support diverse food webs and subsequent ecosystem services. Invasive SAV, however, has the potential to alter estuarine food webs through competition with native SAV, resulting in different associated biological communities. In the Mobile-Tensaw Delta (Alabama, USA), the invasive Eurasian milfoil, Myriophyllum spicatum, is fast becoming the dominant SAV, out-competing native SAV such as wild celery, Vallisneria americana. This study investigated the above- and belowground macroinvertebrate assemblages associated with these SAV habitats. We found significantly different assemblages between the SAV, with V. americana supporting more even and …

Prof Nieng Yan 顏寧教授

Honorary Graduates 榮譽博士

No abstract provided.

The Personality Profile Of Nobel Laureate Pearl Buck, Sophia Geng, Aubrey Immelman

Psychology Faculty Publications

This paper presents the results of a psychodiagnostic case study of Nobel laureate Pearl Buck, 1938 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature “for her rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China and for her biographical masterpieces.” Guided by the conceptual perspective of personologist Theodore Millon, psychodiagnostically relevant data about Buck were collected from biographical sources and media reports and synthesized into a personality profile using the Millon Inventory of Diagnostic Criteria (MIDC). Then, the personality profile yielded by the MIDC was analyzed in accordance with interpretive guidelines provided in the MIDC and Millon Index of Personality …