Digital Commons Network^™

Predictors Of Sleep Duration In Undergraduate Students Attending A Health Sciences University In Japan, Aaron M. Eakman, Yuki Kawakatsu, Miki Takahata, Daisuke Kudo, Shinji Satake, Toshiaki Sato

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background: Inadequate sleep is a pressing public health concern contributing to absenteeism and poor school performance, especially in health sciences students. In this study we investigated the sleep quality and duration of undergraduate students in a prefectural university of health sciences program and explored factors explaining sleep duration (i.e., < 6 hours per night vs > 6 hours) using multiple variable logistic regression.

Method: This cross-sectional survey study included 369 nursing, occupational therapy and physical therapy students who completed Japanese versions of the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, in addition to well validated sleep-related and mental health-related assessments.

Results: We found just 11.7% of the …

Association Between Sociocultural Factors, Obesity, And Depression In The Hispanic/Latino Population, Maia Junco

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increasing prevalence of obesity and mental health disparities among Hispanic/Latino populations in the United States underscores the need to understand how sociocultural factors shape physical and psychological health. The purpose of this study was to examine how acculturation, diet quality, and fiber intake affect BMI and depressive symptoms over time. The study was guided by acculturation theory and the biopsychosocial model. The study used longitudinal secondary data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) with a sample of N=8,816, including adults who completed examination visits, 1 (2008–2011) and 2 (2014–2017). Path analysis was conducted to assess direct …

Psilostachyin B As Potential Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Targeting Ctla-4 And Pd-L1 In The Development Of Cancer Immunotherapy: A Computational Investigation, Moh Dliyauddin, Nabila Shafa Yumna Salsabila, Noviana Dwi Lestari, Sapti Puspitarini, Mansur Ibrahim, Sri Rahayu, Muhammad Sasmito Djati, Muhaimin Rifa’I

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Immunotherapy is a promising treatment approach by targeting immune checkpoints such as CTLA-4 and PD-L1 to overcome cancer progression. The utilization of Curcuma longa and Phyllanthus niruri as potential immune checkpoint inhibitors offers an alternative cancer therapy. Computational analyses including molecular docking and molecular dynamics with validation using Molecular Mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA), Dynamic Cross-Correlation Matrix (DCCM), and Principal Component Analysis (PCA), were performed in this study. Results show that Psilostachyin B is the most promising inhibitor candidate against CTLA-4 and PD-L1, with binding affinity values of -6.9 and -6.8 kcal/mol, respectively. Molecular dynamics simulation results indicated that Psilostachyin B …

Stolen Humanity On Display: Lacking Legislation For Human Remains In U.S. Museums, Sarah M. Fassio

Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts

In museums across the United States, displays of human remains are not rarities. Yet few attendees stop to consider the provenance behind those once-living parts of our ancestors. To do so, one would have to contend with an unpleasant history rife with scientific racism and graverobbing for the personal collections of society’s upper crust. Considering the origins of such displays reveals that the labels and names attached to human remains in museums often serve more to alienate them from their humanity than they do to connect or contextualize.

Legal regulations pertaining to displayed human remains are piecemeal. There are federal …

The Construction Of Ph- And Temperature-Responsive Drug Delivery Systems Based On Metal Organic Frameworks And Phase Change Materials, Wanying Wei

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, core-shell microparticles were synthesized using coaxial electrospray techniques, with Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 encapsulating either Rhodamine B or Doxorubicin in the core. ZIF-8 is a material well regarded for its effectiveness in drug delivery systems. Phase change materials are composed of a 4:1 mixture of lauric acid and stearic acid in the shell. The PCM chosen has a melting point close to physiological body temperature. The structural morphology and thermal stability of the microparticles were confirmed using Scanning Electron Microscopy, X-ray Diffraction, Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Thermogravimetric Analysis, and Infrared Spectroscopy. The release of the drug was influenced by …

The Role Of The Cytosolic Chaperonin Cct In The Folding And Assembly Of G Protein Complexes, Mikaila I. Sass

Theses and Dissertations

All organisms depend on cellular signaling pathways to dictate cell growth, responses to stimuli, and all other cellular functions necessary to maintain health and survival. Many of these signals rely on G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and their associated heterotrimeric G proteins for signal detection and transduction. To perform this function, the three subunits of the G protein must be assembled after synthesis on the ribosome. This process requires additional proteins called molecular chaperones to assist in folding of the subunits and assembly into the G protein heterotrimer. Among these chaperones, the cytosolic chaperonin CCT plays an essential role in …

Neurophysiology And Endocrine Responses To Hunger And Satiety Mechanisms: The Brain-Gut Crosstalk, Nour Shakir Rezaieg, Muthanna M. Awad

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Background: Obesity is a main public health problem which substantially increases the risk of many diseases. The complex neural circuitry controls energy homeostasis and food consumption by the incorporation of hormonal and neural signals. Circulating hormones, in specific the gut hormones, have been found to be very important in appetite regulation. These hormones transfer energy situation signs to the brain throughout three principle paths: the circulation system, activation of the vagus nerve, and direct modification of main brain regions such as the hypothalamus and brainstem. The control of food eating is not exclusively dependent on the homeostatic processes, rather it …

Vitamin K And Women's Health: A Review, Sharifa Alblooshi

All Works

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin essential in various physiological functions such as blood coagulation, bone metabolism, cardiovascular health, glucose regulation, immune function, neuroprotection, and vascular health. In this narrative review, studies from databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and the institutional database of Zayed University were selected. The role of vitamin K in women's health, with a focus on osteoporosis, postmenopausal health, cardiovascular health, diabetes, cancer, kidney health, brain health, vascular health, and pregnancy were explored. The role of vitamin K in activating vitamin K-dependent proteins is essential for many of its functions. Vitamin K-dependent proteins such as osteocalcin …

Establishment Of A Reverse Genetics System For Studying Human Immune Functions In Mice, Priya Pal, Shuai Gao, Hongbo Gao, Xiwen Qin, Marina Cella, Qiankun Wang, Liang Shan

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Reverse genetics approaches in mice are widely used to understand gene functions and their aberrations in diseases. However, limitations exist in translating findings from animal models to human physiology. Humanized mice provide a powerful bridge to understanding human physiology and mechanisms of disease pathogenesis while maintaining the feasibility of working with small animals. Methods for generating humanized mouse models that allow scientists to probe contributions of particular genes have been rudimentary. Here, we established an efficient method for generating genetically modified human cord blood-derived CD34

Pi(4)P Recruits Cide Proteins To Promote The Formation Of Unilocular Lipid Droplets During Adipogenesis And Hepatic Steatosis, Jin Wu, Mingming Gao, Xiaoqin Wu, Yang Liu, Taiping Zhang, Yan Liang, Haixia Yang, Chengxin Ma, Youpi Ye, Chunmei Chang, Peng Li, Feng-Jung Chen, Hongyuan Yang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Lipid droplets (LDs) are evolutionarily conserved organelles that play important roles in metabolism. Each LD is enclosed by a monolayer of phospholipids, distinct from bilayer membranes. The composition of LD surface phospholipids and their impact on LD growth and function remain to be defined. Phosphoinositides mark cellular organelles and regulate organellar function. Here, we demonstrate that PI(4)P decorates a subset of LDs to recruit and activate CIDE proteins. Enhanced expression of ORP2 and ORP5, LD-associated lipid transfer proteins that remove PI(4)P from LDs, abolished the localization and function of CIDE proteins. Blocking the synthesis of PI(4)P on the LD surface …

The Role Of Sglt2 Inhibitors In Atherosclerosis: A Systematic Review, Mohammad Hamza Bin Abdul Maik, Muhammad Ibtisam, Sarah Sheikh, Muhammad Awais Bin Abdul Malik, Ayesha Ihsan, Muhammad Arham, Usman Haq, Abida Parveen

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Background

Atherosclerosis, a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, involves lipid accumulation, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, initially developed for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), have demonstrated cardiovascular benefits beyond glycemic control. Emerging evidence suggests their potential role in slowing atherosclerosis progression and enhancing plaque stability.

Methods

A systematic review of PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases was conducted to identify preclinical and clinical studies on SGLT2 inhibitors and atherosclerosis. Studies published in English up to December 2024 were screened using predefined criteria. Data on mechanisms, lipid metabolism, endothelial function, vascular inflammation, and …

Current Landscape Of Preclinical Models For Pediatric Gliomas: Clinical Implications And Future Directions., Syed M. Faisal, Monika Yadav, Garrett R. Gibson, Adora T. Klinestiver, Ryan M. Sorenson, Evan Cantor, Maria Ghishan, John R. Prensner, Andrea T. Franson, Kevin Ginn, Carl Koschmann, Viveka Nand Yadav

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGGs), particularly diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs), are among the most lethal brain tumors due to poor survival and resistance to therapies. DMGs possess a distinct genetic profile, primarily driven by hallmark mutations such as H3K27M, ACVR1, and PDGFRA mutations/amplifications and TP53 inactivation, all of which contribute to tumor biology and therapeutic resistance. Developing physiologically relevant preclinical models that replicate both tumor biology and the tumor microenvironment (TME) is critical for advancing effective treatments. This review highlights recent progress in in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models, including patient-derived brain organoids, genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs), and …

Breaking Down The Barriers To Animal-Free Research, Lauren Hope, Jarrod Bailey

Non-Animal Methods and 3Rs

For centuries, animals have been used in research due to their genetic and physiological similarities to humans. However, significant differences exist between humans and animals, which have the potential to confound results obtained from such experiments. These differences result in reduced translatability of animal data to humans, which is a major contributing factor to the 92% failure rate for novel therapies in clinical trials. Advances in scientific research have enabled the development of human-focused New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), which include in silico and 3-D in vitro models. By harnessing these novel approaches, greater predictive power for human biology, human diseases …

Biocomputing Approach To Modeling And Modulating Calcium Signaling, Sehee Sun

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Biocomputing is an emerging field that seeks to perform computational tasks using biological substrates and processes. Unlike conventional computing systems based on silicon hardware, biocomputing leverages the parallelism, energy efficiency, and complex dynamics of living systems. Among various cellular mechanisms, calcium (Ca2+) signaling stands out as a central regulator of diverse biological functions, offering a promising basis for programmable logic and control in living cells.

This thesis introduces a novel framework for modeling and modulating Ca2+ dynamics using biologically inspired Boolean logic circuits. Specifically, we propose the Ca2+ Boolean Logic (CaBL) model, in which Ca2+ fluxes and interactions are abstracted …

Mindfulness And Entrepreneurship: Looking Back And Moving Forward, Eva Katharina Peters

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This dissertation spans three chapters covering the topics of mindfulness and entrepreneurship. The first chapter is a literature review summarizing the existing literature on mindfulness in entrepreneurship. The review provides an organizing framework for structuring the knowledge of mindfulness in entrepreneurship, along with an integrative framework and a detailed agenda for future research. Building on the insights generated through the literature review, the following two chapters provide empirical evidence for the role of mindfulness in entrepreneurship. The second chapter is an empirical study exploring how mindfulness relates to entrepreneurial well-being via its relation to co-founding team relationship quality and team …

Majors, Minors, And Certificates, Saint Mary's College Of California

Undergraduate Academic Catalog

No abstract provided.

Integration Of Mechanism-Driven Computational Modeling And Public Data Resources For Chemical Toxicity Assessment, Elena Chung

Theses and Dissertations

Regulatory toxicology depends primarily on animal testing, which limits throughput, mechanistic interpretability, and applicability to human-relevant endpoints. This dissertation presents computational approaches that integrate publicly available bioactivity data with machine learning to support chemical safety evaluation. Oral carcinogenicity was modeled using curated chemicals from the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) and activity data from over 1,900 PubChem assays. Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models trained on statistically prioritized assays demonstrated strong predictive performance and were applied to rank the carcinogenic potential of more than 16,000 compounds. Hepatotoxicity was evaluated using a hybrid modeling approach that combined structural …

Case-Based Learning In Neurophysiology An Educational Paradigm For Preparing Undergraduate Medical Students For Better Clinical Acumen, Reshu Gupta, Raman Grover

Indian Journal of Health Sciences and Biomedical Research KLEU

Background:

Case-based learning (CBL) is an effective educational strategy of solidifying basic physiological concepts and integrating them to clinical application and clinical sciences. The study aimed to measure its effectiveness in achieving the defined learning outcomes and assess and evaluate the academic performance and perception of 1

st

year medical students in neurophysiology toward developing a better clinical acumen.

Materials and Methods:

A quasi-experimental study of 100 1

st

year medical students was conducted. 89 students in the first and 86 in the second CBL session were final participants after dropouts. After a conventional lecture on neurophysiology, they were assessed …

Decision Intelligence In The Age Of Industrial Transformation: A Survey From Industry 4.0 To Industry 7.0, Eman Sayed

Sustainable Machine Intelligence Journal

Industrial revolutions have continually redefined how production systems sense, decide, and act. However, much of the literature remains concentrated on Industry 4.0, offering limited insight into the Decision Support Systems required for the emerging paradigms of Industries 5.0, 6.0, and 7.0. This survey traces the progressive evolution of decision intelligence across these stages, examining both computational foundations and socio-ethical dimensions. In Industry 4.0, decision-making is guided by rule-based automation and data-driven analytics. Industry 5.0 introduces human-centric frameworks that emphasize explainability, fairness, and collaborative intelligence. Industry 6.0 integrates biological, cognitive, and computational feedback, demanding systems that adapt to neural and physiological …

Review Of "Modelling The Logistics Of Mantzikert" By Philip Murgatroyd, Vincent Gaffney, John Haldon And Georgios Theodoropoulos, Lucas Mcmahon

Canadian Military History

Review of Modelling the Logistics of Mantzikert by Philip Murgatroyd, Vincent Gaffney, John Haldon and Georgios Theodoropoulos

Investigating Heart Rate Responses To Different Speaking Behaviours Under Different Thermal Sensations, Xuange Zhang, Minhyun Lee, Nyme Mohammad Uddin, Junjiang Luo

CIB Conferences

This study examines the effects of different speaking behaviors—Silent, Speech, and Conversation—on heart rate (HR) under varying thermal sensation (TS) levels. The research investigates how HR responds to the interaction of behaviors and thermal conditions, using statistical analyses and polynomial regression to identify trends and patterns. The results show distinct HR responses across the three behaviors, with Silent exhibiting the most stable and consistent patterns, Speech showing the highest variability, and Conversation displaying intermediate responses. These findings highlight the dynamic interplay between speaking behaviors and thermal environments, demonstrating that behaviors like Speech and Conversation can influence physiological responses differently depending …

Macrophage Heterogeneity And Function In The Lung, Xin Li

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Macrophages are critical custodians of the lung, orchestrating immune surveillance, maintaining tissue homeostasis, and coordinating both innate and adaptive responses. This dissertation examines their heterogeneity and specialized functions, focusing on IMs, which reside in the lung interstitium, and AMs, which occupy the airspace. Through comprehensive single-cell transcriptomic profiling of murine and human samples, we identify multiple IM and AM subsets defined by distinct chemokine, cytokine, receptor, and innate immune gene signatures. These subsets display clear divisions of labor, contributing to immune cell recruitment, tertiary lymphoid structure formation, and alveolar homeostasis.

In IMs, coordinated chemokine programs not only recruit inflammatory cells …

A Forward Genetic Screen Identifies Potassium Channel Essentiality In Shh Medulloblastoma Maintenance, Jerry J Fan, Anders W Erickson, Julia Carrillo-Garcia, Xin Wang, Patryk Skowron, Xian Wang, Xin Chen, Guanqiao Shan, Wenkun Dou, Shahrzad Bahrampour, Yi Xiong, Weifan Dong, Namal Abeysundara, Michelle A Francisco, Ronwell J Pusong, Wei Wang, Miranda Li, Elliot Ying, Raúl A Suárez, Hamza Farooq, Borja L Holgado, Xiaochong Wu, Craig Daniels, Adam J Dupuy, Juan Cadiñanos, Allan Bradley, Anindya Bagchi, Branden S Moriarity, David A Largaespada, A Sorana Morrissy, Vijay Ramaswamy, Stephen C Mack, Livia Garzia, Peter B Dirks, Xuejun Li, Siyi Wanggou, Sean Egan, Yu Sun, Michael D Taylor, Xi Huang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Distinguishing tumor maintenance genes from initiation, progression, and passenger genes is critical for developing effective therapies. We employed a functional genomic approach using the Lazy Piggy transposon to identify tumor maintenance genes in vivo, and applied this to SHH medulloblastoma (MB). Combining Lazy Piggy screening in mice and transcriptomic profiling of human MB, we identified the voltage-gated potassium channel KCNB2 as a candidate maintenance driver. KCNB2 governs cell volume of MB-propagating cells, with KCNB2 depletion causing osmotic swelling, decreased plasma membrane tension, and elevated endocytic internalization of EGFR, thereby mitigating proliferation of MB-propagating cells to ultimately impair MB growth. …

2025 Central Washington University Commencement, Central Washington University

Commencement Programs

A commencement program from graduation ceremonies at Central Washington University.

Am I A Scientist? Using Pláticas To Understand Stem Identity Development Among High School Latinx Students In Advanced Science Classes, Sara Sorto Carvalho

Social Justice in Educational Leadership EdD Dissertations

This qualitative study explores how Latinx students experience Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors science classes in high school, and how these experiences shape their STEM identity. Despite making up the largest demographic group at Solaris High School in Northern California, Latinx students are significantly underrepresented in advanced science courses. Using a pláticas methodology grounded in Critical Race Theory (CRT), Latinx Critical Race Theory (LatCrit), and Community Cultural Wealth (CCW), this study centers student voice to understand how systemic problems, such as tracking and deficit thinking, impact students’ access to and navigation of rigorous science classes. The study includes individual and …

Microplastics In Urine, Sputum And Lung Lavage Fluid From Patients With Respiratory Illnesses, Faezeh Jahedi, Neamatollah Jaafarzadeh Haghighi Fard, Mehdi Ahmadi, Afshin Takdastan, Maryam Haddadzadeh Shoushtari, Reza Dehbandi, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Because of the ubiquity of microplastics (MPs) in the environment there are concerns regarding human exposure. In this study, MPs have been determined in three physiological fluids: urine, sputum and bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF); from 30 adult patients in Iran with respiratory conditions. A total of nine small (20–100 μm) and mainly green and red fibres of polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene construction were detected in urine samples of eight participants. By contrast, 358 MPs that were dominated by small, white and transparent fibres, but also included larger (100–500 μm) fibres and fragments and spherules of various sizes, were detected in sputum …

The Evolution Of Sprinting Performance: Technological And Regulatory Influences From 1976 To 2024, Dariusz Tadeusz Skalski, Magdalena Prończuk, Kinga Łosińska, Ewelina Lulińska, Joanna Motowidło, Petr Stastny, Adam Maszczyk, Grzegorz Trybek

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: This study examines the progression of sprinting performance across the 100m, 200m, and 400m events from 1976 to 2024, highlighting the influence of technological advancements and regulatory changes. Over the past decades, sprinting has been significantly shaped by developments in track surfaces, footwear technology, training methodologies, and regulatory frameworks. Understanding these factors is essential for assessing how sprint times have evolved and what future trends might emerge. Materials and methods: Utilizing a comprehensive dataset from international athletics federations, this research applies time series analysis, regression modeling, and variance testing to assess trends, gender disparities, and performance variability. Data sources …

Music As Medicine: The Impact Of Music On Pain Reported After Surgery, Anastasia Pike, Gregory T. Chesnut

Journal of Global Awareness

The impact of music on subjective reporting of pain and anxiety has been increasingly described in medical literature. Multimodal methods of alleviating postoperative pain and anxiety, including the use of live or recorded music in perioperative settings, have been shown to improve patient-reported pain levels and, in some studies, to result in decreased opioid usage. The overprescription of opioids after surgery can contribute to long-term abuse or trafficking of medications, and the use of non-opioid medications, alternative methods of pain relief, and environmental/auditory stimuli offer new mechanisms to promote safe opioid prescribing while improving both pain control and patient wellbeing. …

The Impact Of Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Antagonist On Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells, Jeanne Michelle Dugas

Master's Theses

Obesity is a condition that affects over 40% of American adults and contributes to numerous preventable health issues. This condition is caused by increased adipose tissue, which forms when stem cells transform into adipocytes. Mesenchymal stem cells, including human adipose-derived stem cells (hASC), are multipotent with the ability to differentiate into adipocytes, osteocytes, or chondrocytes. Many factors affect this transformation, including the peptide growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). The main role of GHRH is to trigger the release of growth hormone, but it has also been found to play an important role in adipocyte metabolism. We expect that if the differentiation …

Factors Influencing Student Motivations And Experiences In Stem Course Office Hours, Gabriella R. Dauber, Jeremy L. Hsu

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Office hours are a part of nearly all science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, with many academic and affective benefits for students who attend. However, despite their ubiquity, there has only been limited past work examining the sources of knowledge students draw from to shape their perceptions of office hours, as well as the factors that influence students' experiences in STEM course office hours. Here, we conducted semistructured interviews with 20 students enrolled in an introductory STEM course to investigate what motivates students to attend STEM course office hours, the factors that shape their experiences in office hours, and …