Digital Commons Network^™

The Immunological Pathogenesis Of Persistent Lyme Disease And Babesiosis, Evan Navori

Public Health Theses

Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS) and persistent babesiosis are late-stage manifestations of two tick-borne diseases. Both are characterized by protracted symptoms despite the use of standard antimicrobial treatment. PTLDS is thought to be associated with immune dysregulation rather than active infection, while persistent and relapsing babesiosis is due to long-lasting infection caused by host immunodeficiency, pathogen antimicrobial resistance, and immune evasion. This thesis examines the immunological host deficits underlying both conditions, one too strong and the other too weak, and explores the mechanisms that contribute to prolonged disease states. Numerous studies suggest that Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative bacteria of Lyme …

An Analysis Of The Impact Of Genetic Diversity In Pfsec13 And Pfendo Genes On Pre-Clinical Drug Response To Med6-189 Analogs: A Novel Potent Class Of Antimalarial Compounds, Don-Pedro Ume

Public Health Theses

Malaria is a deadly disease responsible for 263 million cases and 597,000 deaths in 2023, with the majority being from the WHO African Region. While resistance to chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) emerged decades ago, there have been records of partial resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) in African countries like Rwanda, Uganda, and Ethiopia. Given that ACTs are the main malaria drug of choice in Africa, there is a need to develop novel antimalarial agents that target pathways not explored by the current antimalarial therapies. Mutations in coding genes (PfSec13 and Pfendoplasmin or PfEndo) have been previously associated with resistance …

Crimes Of The Past, Present, And Future: Considering The Global Problem Of Microplastic Pollution And The Potential For Success Within The Public Trust Doctrine, Rose Heppner

Emory International Law Review

Microplastic pollution is a global and transboundary issue—one that international states have failed to properly address through regulatory bodies, multilateral treaties, and nonbinding conventions. Despite efforts by the international community to reduce plastic pollution, the problem has been exacerbated exponentially year over year by an ever-expanding plastic industry. The U.N. Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution is currently leading discussions for the most promising solution: a binding treaty targeting the full lifecycle of plastic. Unfortunately, pro-plastic industry groups and lobbyists have been granted a seat at the table, and negotiations have yet to produce a final treaty draft.

Although legislation …

Automatic Identification And Visualization Of Reaction Mechanisms Contained Within Direct Dynamics Simulations, Trent Kobulnicky, Emmanuel Boafo, George L. Barnes

Faculty Publications – Chemistry

Direct dynamics simulations are employed in many areas of chemistry and biochemistry. When paired with an appropriate underlying ab initio, semiempirical, or DFT-based potential energy surface and proper sampling of initial conditions, direct dynamics simulations provide an atomic-level view of the reaction dynamics within the system of interest, yielding considerable fundamental insights. Moreover, when a sufficient number of simulations are conducted, they provide a wealth of information regarding the overall trends in reactivity. However, they also generate large data sets that often require significant manual interpretation through inspection or developing case-specific analysis techniques. Here, we present an analysis method …

No Evidence Of Immune Priming In Bumble Bee Hosts Against Novel Exposure To A Honey Bee Virus, Austin Calhoun, Ben M. Sadd

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Ongoing global change presents novel challenges to species persistence, including heightened emerging infectious diseases (EID) exposure. While invertebrates lack vertebrate acquired immunity, many species exhibit “immune priming” with enhanced protection to repeated pathogen exposures. This phenomenon could be critical for species of conservation concern, such as for wild bumble bees, where EID risk is amplified through contact with managed bee pollinators. We investigate the potential for immune priming against the honey bee-derived Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) in Bombus impatiens bumble bees. We test the hypothesis that prior pathogen-associated exposure affords greater resistance and tolerance upon secondary pathogen exposure, due …

Oriented Surface Immobilization Of Antibodies Using Enzyme-Mediated Site-Specific Biotinylation For Enhanced Antigen-Binding Capacity, Emily Beitello, Kwame Osei, Trent Kobulnicky, Faith Breausche, Jon A. Friesen, Jeremy D. Driskell

Faculty Publications – Chemistry

The effectiveness of surface-immobilized antibodies is often diminished by improper antibody orientation and limited stability, impeding the analytical performance of biosensors. Here, we report a novel enzyme-mediated strategy to biotinylate the Fc region of an anti-horseradish peroxidase (anti-HRP) antibody with site-specificity that enables oriented immobilization on a streptavidin-functionalized surface. Microbial transglutaminase (mTG) catalyzes the covalent coupling between the amine functional group on a biotin analogue (NH₂-PEG₄-biotin) and the side chain of a privileged glutamine residue (Q295) located on the heavy chain Fc region of IgG antibodies. For comparison, an anti-HRP antibody was biotinylated using an amine-reactive …

Synthesis Of Alkyl Substituted Carbatripyrrins And Their Application To The Preparation Of Carbaporphyrins And Oxacarbaporphyrins, Ian A. Mclauchlan, Bethany K.X. Overbey, Tyler J. Smolczyk, John J. Woods, Timothy D. Lash

Faculty Publications – Chemistry

Unsubstituted carbatripyrrins have previously been shown to be useful intermediates in the synthesis of benzocarbaporphyrins and related core-modified analogues. However, the absence of substituents often resulted in the formation of poorly soluble products. In this study, four examples alkyl substituted carbatripyrrins were constructed by base-catalyzed condensation of dihydrofulvenes with pyrrole aldehydes. Further reaction with a pyrrole dialdehyde in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid afforded a series of carbaporphyrins, while reactions with 2,5-furandicarboxaldehyde generated oxacarbaporphyrins. These results demonstrate that alkyl substituted carbatripyrrins are promising precursors to new carbaporphyrinoid structures.

Material, Health, And Social Vulnerability And Loneliness Among Older Adults: From The Welfare Regime Perspective, Ji Young Kang, Oejin Shin, Sojung Park, Jihye Baek, Minyoung Kwak

Faculty Publications - Social Work

Loneliness in later life is a significant global public health issue that negatively impacts well-being, life satisfaction, and mental health. This study investigates how material, health, and social vulnerabilities contribute to loneliness among older adults using a welfare regime framework. It examines the link between vulnerability and loneliness in the United States, Korea, Sweden, Spain, and Germany using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) alongside its international sister studies, encompassing both Western and East Asian welfare states. Findings indicate that older adults in less generous welfare regimes experience higher levels of loneliness and material vulnerability. A multidimensional approach reveals that …

Bat Genomes Illuminate Adaptations To Viral Tolerance And Disease Resistance, Ariadna E. Morales, Yue Dong, Thomas Brown, Kaushal Baid, Dimitrios Georgios Kontopoulos, Victoria Gonzalez, Zixia Huang, Alexis Walid Ahmed, Arkadeb Bhuinya, Leon Hilgers, Sylke Winkler, Graham Hughes, Xiaomeng Li, Ping Lu, Yixin Yang, Bogdan M. Kirilenko, Paolo Devanna, Tanya M. Lama, Yomiran Nissan, Martin Pippel, Liliana M. Dávalos, Sonja C. Vernes, Sebastien J. Puechmaille, Stephen J. Rossiter, Yossi Yovel, Joseph B. Prescott, Andreas Kurth, David A. Ray, Burton K. Lim, Eugene Myers, Emma C. Teeling, Arinjay Banerjee

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Zoonoses are infectious diseases transmitted from animals to humans. Bats have been suggested to harbour more zoonotic viruses than any other mammalian order1. Infections in bats are largely asymptomatic2,3, indicating limited tissue-damaging inflammation and immunopathology. To investigate the genomic basis of disease resistance, the Bat1K project generated reference-quality genomes of ten bat species, including potential viral reservoirs. Here we describe a systematic analysis covering 115 mammalian genomes that revealed that signatures of selection in immune genes are more prevalent in bats than in other mammalian orders. We found an excess of immune gene adaptations in the ancestral chiropteran branch and …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Free Radical Scavenging Dendrimer Nanogels Via Cross-Linking Reaction-Enabled Flash Nanoprecipitation, Lin Qi, Da Huang, Huari Kou, Anna Chernatynskaya, Nuran Ercal, Hu Yang

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

This work reports the development and evaluation of dendrimer-based nanogels based on Poly amidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer generation 5, engineered to act as a carrier with reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging capabilities. We developed a cross-linking reaction-enabled flash nanoprecipitation method in which the cross-linking reaction occurs during the flash nanoprecipitation process to form a cross-linked nanostructure. Using this approach, an N-hydroxy succinimide (NHS)-functionalized ROS-responsive thioketal cross-linker (TK-NHS) was synthesized and utilized to cross-link DAB-core PAMAM dendrimer G5, resulting in the formation of G5-TK nanogels. The resulting nanogels were characterized using dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy, and their cytocompatibility, irritancy, cellular …

Scalable Fabrication Of High-Payload Dendrimer-Based Nanoparticles For Targeted Atherosclerosis Therapy, Huari Kou, Lin Qi, Da Huang, Jiandong Wu, Honglan Shi, Hu Yang

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Nanoparticle-based therapeutics hold promise for the treatment of atherosclerosis, but challenges such as low drug-loading capacity and a lack of scalable, controllable production hinder their clinical translation. Flash nanoprecipitation, a continuous synthesis method, offers a potential solution for scalable and reproducible nanoparticle production. In this study, we employed a custom-designed multi-inlet vortex mixer to perform cross-linking reaction-enabled flash nanoprecipitation, facilitating controlled and scalable synthesis of cross-linked Poly amidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer nanoparticles. Notably, this approach allows simultaneous nanoparticle cross-linking and drug loading in a single step. The mannose moiety enabled specific targeting of macrophages via mannose receptors, enhancing the localization of …

2025 Faculty Summer Seminar - The Living Word Of God: Still Alive Today?, Center For Catholic Studies, Seton Hall University

Center for Catholic Studies Faculty Seminars and Core Curriculum Seminars

About the 2025 Faculty Seminar - p.6

Josephine De Vito - p.10 Understanding the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Holy Scriptures

Elizabeth Brewer Redwine - p.13 Reading and Listening in Difficult Times: Classroom Strategies

Judith Stark - p.18 Beyond Genesis 1-3: The Many Ways to Conceptualize Nature

Gloria Thurmond - p.25 Study to Show Thyself Approved

John P. Wargacki - p.29 Jacob Marley as 'Intercessor" in Ebenezer Scrooge's Journey of Transformation in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol

Seton Hall University Statement: The Catholic Intellectual Tradition – p.32

About the Authors -p.35

Using The Background Of Occupational Therapy To Argue Our Role In Stress Management: Proposed Lines Of Inquiry, Klaire M. Gowins

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

The purpose of this ALE presentation is to present research in support of the development of the Student Stress Management Center (SSMC) at EKU. The researchers’ long-term proposition, beyond the scope of this poster, is to effectively communicate to various audiences the importance and occupation-based characteristics of a Student Stress Management Center for students within the higher education setting. In preparation for that goal, this poster reviews scholarly literature relevant to the field of occupational therapy and its philosophical roots to lay groundwork for clarifying whether and how a revised articulation of the philosophical base is needed, relative to the …

Comparative Effectiveness Of Biologic Or Targeted Synthetic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs In Terms Of Opioid Tapering And Discontinuation Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Shadi Bazzazzadehgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: Pain is the most common patient-reported outcome in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), frequently managed with long-term opioid therapy (LTOT), despite limited evidence supporting its efficacy and safety. Given the inflammatory nature of RA pain, biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) may relief pain and facilitate opioid withdrawal. This study compared rates of any opioid tapering, rapid opioid tapering, and opioid discontinuation among Medicare beneficiaries with RA who initiated b/tsDMARDs, including tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi bDMARDs), non-TNFi bDMARDs, or Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi).

Methods: A new-user cohort study design was implemented using 5% Medicare (2012-2020). Beneficiaries with RA, …

A Dog Tail: To Trust Or Not To Trust, Victoria A. Denishchich, Christa C. Christ

University of South Carolina Upstate Student Research Journal

Trust plays an important role in relationships and social functioning while also influencing communication, cooperation, and emotional well-being. Previous research has found that dogs enhance social relationships, approachability, and perceptions of safety and friendliness in everyday interactions. However, not much is known about how the effect dogs have on perceptions of trust applies when photographs are used. Such info is essential given the amount of online social interaction that occurs in society today. This current study examined whether the presence of a dog in a photo affects our trust levels in strangers. In Study 1, 74 participants viewed photos of …

Technology Integration In Online Feminist Pedagogy, Xinyue Ren

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Feminist pedagogy refers to a liberatory way of teaching to develop democratic and transformative learning experiences in which students can be empowered to make a social change (Grissom-Broughton, 2020). Previous research showed that feminist pedagogy was often used to guide course design and development in various disciplines, such as music, art, language, and environmental education (Cannizzo, 2021; Grissom-Broughton, 2020; Jespersen, 2014; Springgay & Zaliwska, 2017). For example, in music education, instructors increased the representations of multicultural voices in course materials and applied in-depth discussions and essays as learning assessments to develop critical and reflective thinking among students. In a feminist-oriented …

Swk 3800 : Social Work Practice: Individuals And Families, Human Services

Approved Course Proposals

No abstract provided.

The Time Is Now For Oral Health To Embrace Trauma-Informed Care, Carlos Smith, Ruth Bravo-Anez Med, Ncc, Shelvia English Phd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

Trauma-informed care (TIC) starts with a comprehension of trauma and the recognition of its profound impact on individuals and their well-being.1 Trauma is pervasive and affects almost everyone in one way or another. This dynamic extends to dental care as well: people approach and respond to subsequent encounters with dental professionals based on past experiences, especially if trauma is involved. By adopting a trauma-informed approach, healthcare professionals can cultivate empathy and responsiveness to patients’ needs and enhance their self-efficacy.

Inquiries Into The Mycobacterial Caseinolytic Protease System, Felipe Badke D'Andrea

Student Theses and Dissertations

Despite progress over the last century, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), remains the leading cause of death from an infectious disease worldwide. The high global burden of Mtb, alongside its protracted treatment regimen and insidious rise of multi-drug resistance, underscores the need for non-canonical drug targets and pathways to improve antitubercular chemotherapy. Mtb's success as a pathogen is linked to its ability to infect and evade clearance by the human immune system despite a wide range of noxious host stressors. Along with transcriptional responses, the maintenance of protein homeostasis is critical to this adaptability and pathogenicity. …

Nurture Is Nature: The Molecular Basis Of Caregiver Genotype Effects On Larval Growth And Caste Development In The Clonal Raider Ant, Patrick Konrad Piekarski

Student Theses and Dissertations

The distinction between nature (genetics) and nurture (environment) is blurry, in part because the environment includes the genes of social partners. This is especially evident for parents and their offspring, where genes expressed in one partner profoundly influence the physiology and behavior of the other. Such indirect genetic effects (IGEs) are mediated through social interactions. Although parental care has evolved in many disparate lineages, in most systems it is challenging to delineate the effects of genetics and environment on the phenotypes of caregivers and offspring. This is because most animals with parental care reproduce sexually, meaning each genotype is represented …

Molecular And Cellular Mechanisms Of Lim Protein Mechanotransduction, Donovan Yong Zhi Phua

Student Theses and Dissertations

For tissues to develop and maintain mechanical homeostasis, cells must be able to perceive and respond to mechanical cues in their local environments (mechanosense). While there has been significant progress in understanding the physiological significance of mechanosensation, the mechanisms by which proteins convert mechanical stimuli into biochemical signals (mechanotransduction) are poorly understood. The actin cytoskeleton serves as a nexus for cellular mechanotransduction, generating and transducing forces into intracellular signals that coordinate cell migration, cellular contractility, organelle dynamics, and gene expression. However, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which cytoskeletal mechanotransduction is achieved is limited. LIM domain proteins are a …

A Comprehensive Parcel-Level Dataset On Farmland Assessment: Addressing Grid-Cell Data Bias Estimation, Wai Yan Siu, Man Li, Arthur J. Caplan

ODU Articles

Grid-cell data are increasingly used in research due to the growing availability and accessibility of remote sensing products. However, grid-cell data often fails to represent the actual decision-making unit, leading to biased estimates in socio-economic analysis. To this end, this paper presents a comprehensive parcel-level dataset for Salt Lake County, Utah, spanning from 2008 to 2018. This dataset combines detailed spatial and temporal data on land ownership, land use, and preferential farmland tax assessments under the Greenbelt program. Compiled from multiple geospatial sources, the dataset includes nearly 200,000 parcel-year observations, providing valuable insights into landowner decision-making and the impact of …

Evaluating The Long-Term Effectiveness Of Marsh Terracing For Conservation With Integrated Geospatial And Wetland Simulation Modeling, Nick Carpenter, Laura Costadone, Thomas R. Allen

ODU Articles

Coastal marshes provide essential ecosystem services, yet they are vulnerable to anthropogenic stressors and climate change, particularly sea level rise (SLR). Restoration approaches like marsh terracing have emerged as nature-based strategies to enhance resilience and reduce habitat loss. This study applies the Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM) to assess the potential of marsh terraces to mitigate future losses, while also examining the model’s limitations, including its assumptions and capacity to reflect complex marsh processes. A geospatial approach was used to generate 3D representations of terraces through morphostatic modeling within digital elevation models (DEMs). Under a no-restoration scenario, SLAMM projections …

A Comparison Of Involved And Uninvolved College Students' Stress And Coping During Covid-19, Abbie Alsene

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I compare the stress and coping of involved students and uninvolved students at liberal arts colleges during COVID-19. The study seeks to understand if there are differences between the two student populations. Three research questions guide the study. First, how has COVID-19 affected the stress levels of involved students compared to uninvolved students at liberal arts colleges? Second, how do involved students cope with their stress related to COVID-19 compared to uninvolved students at liberal arts colleges? And lastly, what is the relationship between how involved college students view COVID-19 and their levels of stress in comparison …

Investigation Of The Human Temporal Styloid Process As A Bony Indicator Of Speech, Sommer A. Martin

Theses and Dissertations

The temporal styloid process in humans serves as an attachment point for the styloglossus, stylohyoid, and stylopharyngeus, which are involved in tongue movement and deglutition. I hypothesized that the length of the ossified styloid process in humans is the result of selection for increased musculature that would support tongue movements involved in speech. This hypothesis assumes that the relative length of the ossified temporal styloid process is unique to humans. A comparative analysis of the presence or absence of the temporal styloid process was conducted on ten genera of Old-World primates, and it was found that the length of this …

Larval Environments Affect The Implementation Of The Sterile Insect Technique On Aedes Mosquitoes, Katherine G. Evans

Theses and Dissertations

Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is an effective method for controlling pests and has been increasing in popularity to control Aedes mosquitoes. SIT involves inundating an area with sterilized male mosquitoes to reduce egg hatch and ultimately the number of wild adults. Previous research indicates that enacting mortality early in the larval life of Aedes mosquitoes can result in counter-productive effects, due to reduced competition among developing larvae. I hypothesize that the effectiveness of SIT at reducing adult populations is modified by densitydependent mortality and density-dependent growth among larvae. I performed two field-to-lab studies and developed an individual-based model to test …

“Money Is Just A Tool, Not The Goal”: Examining Messages That Parents Tell Their Children About Money, Hannah Delorto

Theses and Dissertations

Parental communication plays a crucial role in a young person's development of financial knowledge and behaviors, such as budgeting, saving, investing, retirement preparation, consumer skills, and avoiding excessive debt. This research focuses on emerging young adults aged 18-25, who are a vulnerable group of spenders. Participants shared memorable messages they received about money and rated the messages for positive or negative affect. Then, they answered questions measuring their financial literacy, perceived financial wellbeing, attitude about the importance of money. Four major themes were represented in the data of memorable messages: daily habits, long-term goals, family finances, and the meaning of …

Boys Build, Girls Glam: An Examination Of Adult Language Use In Informal Steam Education Settings, Alexandra Horton

Theses and Dissertations

Research on STEAM education has primarily focused on formal education settings such as schools, with more research needed in informal or non-traditional education settings. As children frequently engage with informal and non-traditional education settings, it is important to understand how we can transmit information in these settings to bolster and further the learning process and increase engagement. STEAM fields have been plagued by racial and gender inequities that have led to these groups being marginalized and excluded (Blair et al., 2017; Eaton et al., 2020; Martin, 2018; Martin & Phillips, 2019; Miller et al., 2018; Newall et al., 2018, Sheffield …

The Experiences Of Black Male Dei Administrators At Historically White Institutions, Kwame R. Patterson Jr

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the lived experiences of Black male Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) administrators at Historically White Institutions (HWIs) in higher education. Drawing from Critical Race Theory (CRT) and the Campus Racial Climate Model, this research utilized a qualitative narrative inquiry to understand how Black male DEI administrators experience and navigate their roles, as well as the support systems they rely on to overcome barriers encountered at HWIs. I conducted interviews with 11 Black male DEI administrators from various HWIs. Three major themes emerged from the analysis: (1) Limited Legacy: What am I here for?, which highlights the unique …

Analyzing Factors Influencing Employee Turnover In Tech Companies: A Predictive Modeling Approach, Shinjon Ghosh

Theses and Dissertations

Employee turnover poses substantial challenges for technology firms, and understanding its key drivers through predictive modeling is essential for developing effective retention strategies. This study investigates factors influencing employee turnover in technology companies by implementing a predictive modeling approach on the IBM HR Analytics Employee Attrition dataset. The research aims were identifying key factors contributing to employee attrition, developing predictive models to forecast turnover risk, and analyzing interactions among significant predictors. By examining a range of features, the results highlight significant variables (Over Time, Monthly Income, Marital Status, etc.) of attrition and offer actionable insights for developing targeted employee retention …