Digital Commons Network^™

Caspase-11 And Nlrp3 Exacerbate Systemic Klebsiella Infection Through Reducing Mitochondrial Ros Production, Yuqi Zhou, Zhuodong Chai, Ankit Pandeya, Ling Yang, Yan Zhang, Guoying Zhang, Congqing Wu, Zhenyu Li, Yinan Wei

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Introduction: Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative bacterium and the third most commonly isolated microorganism in blood cultures from septic patients. Despite extensive research, the mechanisms underlying K. pneumoniae-induced sepsis and its pathogenesis remain unclear. Acute respiratory failure is a leading cause of mortality in systemic K. pneumoniae infections, highlighting the need to better understand the host immune response and bacterial clearance mechanisms. Method: To investigate the impact of K. pneumoniae infection on organ function and immune response, we utilized a systemic infection model through intraperitoneal injection in mice. Bacterial loads in key organs were quantified, and lung injury was assessed. …

Iodinated Disinfection Byproduct Formation From Iohexol In Sunlit And Chlorinated Urban Wastewaters, Reagan Patton Witt, Marcelo I. Guzman

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Iodinated disinfection by-products (I-DBPs) are of growing concern due to their elevated toxicity compared to their chlorinated counterparts, with links to adverse health effects such as bladder cancer and miscarriages. Medical imaging agents like iohexol, commonly used in healthcare facilities, introduce iodine into wastewater systems. This study investigates the photodegradation of iohexol and the subsequent formation of products, including I-DBPs, during simulated final wastewater treatment under chlorination and sunlight exposure. Experiments were conducted with solutions containing 30 μM iohexol, 3 mg L⁻¹ humic acids, and 5.5 mg L⁻¹ hypochlorite. Samples were irradiated at λ ≥ 295 nm and …

Improving Proteostasis Of Trafficking-Deficient GabaAReceptor Variants By Activating Ire1, Xu Fu, Ya Juan Wang, Kyung A. Lee, Lucie Y. Ahn, Xi Chen, Brock T. Harvey, Meng Wang, Hailey Seibert, Pei Pei Zhang, Adrian Guerrero, Ashleigh E. Schaffer, Christopher I. Richards, R. Luke Wiseman, Jeffery W. Kelly, Ting Wei Mu

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABA_ARs) are essential for maintaining the excitation–inhibition balance in the central nervous system. Genetic variations of GABA_ARs result in a variety of neurological disorders, such as epilepsy. A key pathogenic mechanism involves protein misfolding and defective assembly of GABA_ARs in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), resulting in impaired surface expression and loss of function. Here, we investigated three trafficking-deficient variants of the GABA_AR α1 subunit (GABRA1), including D219N (ClinVar Variation ID: 127232), G251D (Variation ID: 419523), and P260L. We demonstrated that selective pharmacological activation of the IRE1/XBP1s signaling …

Tackling Paradoxes And Double Binds For A Healthier Workplace: Insights From The Early Covid-19 Responses In Quebec And Ontario, Daniel Côté, Amelia León, Ai-Thuy Huynh, Jessica Dubé, Ellen Maceachen, Pamela Hopwood, Marie Laberge, Samantha Meyer, Meghan K. Crouch, Joyceline Amoako

Études primaires

The urgency of managing the COVID-19 health crisis in workplaces led to tensions, work overload, and confusion about preventive measures. This study presents a secondary analysis of qualitative data on paradoxes and double binds (PDBs) experienced by precarious essential workers in Canada who interacted with the public and their supervisors. Based on 13 interviews from a larger qualitative dataset, we examine how workers navigated public health recommendations and organisational demands during the pandemic. Findings reveal multiple organisational and managerial PDBs—both COVID-19-related and pre-existing—that contributed to psychological distress and compromised well-being. We argue that PDBs represent a significant occupational health hazard …

Optimizing Hospital Operational Efficiency Using Ai: A Multi-Objective Nsga-Ii Model For Real-World Medical Data In Syria, Khder Alakkari, Bushra Ali, Teba Majed Hameed

Mesopotamian Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

This study presents an AI-driven multi-objective optimization approach using the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) to enhance hospital operational efficiency in Syria. Using real-world data from the Tishreen University Hospital over a 60-day period, the research addresses three conflicting objectives: minimizing average patient waiting time, reducing daily operational costs, and maximizing the number of patients treated. Six key operational variables were selected to build the optimization model, including bed availability, physician count, and daily admissions. The NSGA-II algorithm successfully generated a set of Pareto-optimal solutions, each reflecting different trade-offs among the objectives. Statistical analysis and visualizations confirmed the complexity …

Machine Learning Approaches For Predicting Breast Cancer Recurrence: A Comparative Analysis, Noor Razzaq Abbas, Hussein Alkattan, Isam Bahaa Aldallal

Mesopotamian Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

This paper reports a comparative analysis of four supervised machine learning algorithms: RF, SVM (using radial and linear kernels), Logistic Regression, and Multi-Layer Perceptron, for breast cancer recurrence prediction on a carefully curated clinical dataset. The data set, first collected by Royston and Altman and subsequently released on Kaggle, has patient age, menopausal status, tumor size, histological grade, lymph node status, estrogen and progesterone receptor levels, hormone therapy for treatment, recurrence-free survival time, and a binary recurrence outcome. The data set was then divided after the elimination of identifiers and z-score normalization in an 80:20 ratio using stratified sampling. Models …

Order Of The Coif Program, August 18, 2025, University Of South Carolina School Of Law Order Of The Coif

Order of the Coif Programs and Documents

No abstract provided.

Deep Learning Approaches For Predicting Strain Energy In Heterogeneous Materials, Junesh Gautam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Finite Element Analysis (FEA) faces computational challenges when analyzing nonlinear and heterogeneous materials. Utilizing the Mechanical MNIST dataset, comprising 60,000 simulated samples of 28x28 pixel domains under large deformation, the study evaluates classical regression methods (Linear Regression, Random Forest, Gradient Boosting) and advanced deep learning architectures (Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Residual Networks (ResNet)). CNN models achieved superior performance, with a Mean Squared Error (MSE) of 4.21 and an R2 value of approximately 0.982, outperforming classical regression models and slightly surpassing ResNet architectures. These deep learning methods automatically learn spatial relationships from pixel-based representations, eliminating the need for manual feature …

Satellite And Uas Synergy For Large-Scale Crop Canopy Cover Mapping With Deep Learning, Muhammad Ali Irshad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Essential Oils Alone Or In Combination With Monensin In An In Vitro Model Of Ruminal Acidosis, Jorge L. Bonilla Urbina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of essential oils and/or monensin on the concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFA), ammonia, and pH in a ruminal acidosis in vitro model. Red Angus steers (n = 4; BW = 435 ± 9 kg) with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were allocated in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Treatments were 1) Fed no essential oils (RB) or monensin sodium (MON:CON); 2) Fed RB at a rate of 14 g daily with no Mon (RB+); 3) Fed no RB and fed Mon at 400 mg daily (MON+); 4) Fed …

Minds, Made Up Or Malleable? Covert Commands At The Eclipse Of Vaccine Communications, David H. Lee

Publications and Research

Abstract: Although millions have died from SARS-CoV-2 illness, COVID vaccines are credited with stemming the tide. Vaccinations and boosters significantly decrease the incidence of severe illness and death (even if they don’t usually prevent COVID-19 infection). Despite the success of global vaccination efforts, frequent reports of vaccine hesitance and refusal suggest that public health communications need improvement.

The chapter begins by acknowledging adverse events associated with COVID vaccination, including rare cases of anaphylaxis, GBS, and myocarditis. An inoculation-theoretic rationale is offered for this admission of vaccine risks: just as immune defenses mount when organisms are exposed to pathogens, so too …

The Role Of Mentorship In The Advancement Of Black Women In Higher Education Administrative Roles, Kimberley Colclough

Publications and Research

This research study focused on the lived experiences of Black women administrators in higher education institutions, the obstacles they face in pursuit of support and career advancement, and how they benefited from a relationship with a mentor. This descriptive phenomenological qualitative study was implemented by conducting in-depth interviews with a small sample of (6) six African American women administrators from various higher education institutions located in the Northeast, West Coast, and Midwest regions of the United States. This phenomenological qualitative study was conducted to understand and describe the lived experiences mentorship for a select group of Black women leaders in …

Don’T Do More With Less: Sustainable Work As A Management Value, Amanda Koziura

Library Faculty Research

Discusses a series of decisions a middle manager made to keep the work of her department sustainable and how she incorporated her values into her process.

The Legacy Of Dobbs: How The Supreme Court’S Decision To Review Gender- Affirming Care Bans Signals Its Intent To Eliminate The Protections Of Bostock And Obergefell Against Laws Designed To Discriminate Against Lgtbq+ Individuals, Jennifer S. Bard

Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality

No abstract provided.

Design And Fabrication Of Tpms-Based Bone Scaffolds: A Cost-Effective Approach Using Plga-Nha And 3d-Printed Pva Molds, Yasser Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis introduces a new cost-effective method for fabricating bone scaffolds from triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) geometries—namely Gyroid and Diamond structure—using a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-nanohydroxyapatite (PLGA-nHA) composite and 3D-printed polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) molds. Current TPMS scaffold fabrication techniques depend on costly laser-based techniques like selective laser sintering and thus remain inaccessible. Herein, we reveal a cost-effective and repeatable indirect approach via fused deposition modeling (FDM) for printing water-soluble PVA molds, which are then iteratively cast filled with a PLGA-nHA solution. The protocol was optimized through concentration modulation and controlled evaporation of the solvent for optimum infiltration and uniformity in the …

Concept Application Of Active Magnetic Bearing Technology For Offshore Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines, Isaac Ansah

Theses and Dissertations

Wind energy continues to lead the global transition to renewable power, driven by its minimal environmental impact and high scalability. Offshore wind farms benefit from stronger and consistent wind resources. However, these advantages are tempered by challenges related to installation, maintenance, and drivetrain reliability. Conventional bearings, which support the drivetrain system, are prone to wear related failures due to lubrication breakdown and mechanical fatigue from continuous loading. This study explores the integration of Active Magnetic Bearings as an alternative to conventional bearings in offshore Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines. Using advanced engineering simulation tools, the main driveshaft of a 130 MW …

Hillslope Degradation: Coarse Sands May Move Faster But Fines Dominate Flux, Robert Chance

Theses and Dissertations

Hillslopes are one of the most pervasive landforms on Earth yet the details of the processes that drive their evolution are not completely understood. Excluding boulders, the majority of mass and volume in soil-mantled hillslopes is composed of sand-sized and finer grains. Understanding the transport rates and governing transport mechanisms of these grains is therefore key to advancing our knowledge of hillslope evolution.This research investigates sand-sized sediment transport through field experiments at 20 sites tracking surface sediment motion and 11 sites measuring depth-dependent transport. These empirical results are compared against outputs from a novel grain-based hillslope diffusion simulation (GBHDS), which …

An Exploratory Investigation Of The Impact Of Psychological Intimate Partner Violence On College Women: A Qualitative Study, Dana Juel Conzemius-Schindler

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have found psychological intimate partner violence (P-IPV; defined as emotional and verbal abuse utilized to degrade, demean, create fear, control, or isolate; Tolman, 1989; Sullivan et al., 2012) is detrimental to mental health functioning, including increased sexual risk behaviors, depressive and anxious symptomology, and relationship dissatisfaction (Hellemans et al., 2015; Overstreet et al., 2015). Despite this, little is known regarding the academic and psychological lived experiences of survivors of P-IPV. Therefore, the current study sought to qualitatively explore the lived experiences of female-identified students exposed to psychological intimate partner violence while in college. Through a Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR; …

Adhd Research And Practice: An Evaluation Of Psychologists’ Utilizations Of Adhd Assessments In Practice, Desiree Giesen

Theses and Dissertations

The incidence of first-time Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnoses among adults has been on the rise. There is limited research on effective practices for evaluating adult ADHD, with previous studies showing conflicting results regarding the effectiveness of various assessment measures. The current study investigates the assessment tools chosen by psychologists and their perceived importance in evaluating ADHD. A cross-sectional design was used with 200 participants who were primarily licensed psychologists. The unstructured clinical interview with the client was the most used assessment tool and was rated as having the highest importance, whereas continuous performance tasks were rated as having the lowest …

Assessment Of Medical Laboratory Science Student Motivation And Perceived Transfer Of Knowledge Towards Information Literacy, Shannon Jongeward

Theses and Dissertations

Information literacy skills are a cornerstone of higher education as they allow students to effectively locate, evaluate, and utilize information from various sources. Evidence-Based Practice, a process commonly used in healthcare for decision making, incorporates using the best available research, one’s clinical expertise, and the patient’s values. Information literacy is foundational to developing evidence-based practice skills. Medical Laboratory Scientists (MLS) utilize evidence-based practice to assist in making decisions about clinical laboratory tests and processes to ensure quality in testing and the appropriate use of resources; therefore, it is important for MLS programs to include elements of evidence-based practice into their …

Exploring Student-Athlete Perceptions On Nil Opportunities In The Cannabinoid Industry, Katherine Klimchock

Theses and Dissertations

The introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) regulations in collegiate athletics has created new financial and branding opportunities for student-athletes. Simultaneously, there has been an evolving legal landscape surrounding cannabinoids both at the state and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) levels. This dissertation in practice explores this emerging intersection by examining student-athlete perceptions of NIL opportunities with cannabinoid brands and highlighting the perceived advantages and disadvantages of such deals. This dissertation in practice consists of three artifacts. Artifact I provides essential background information on NIL, cannabinoids, and the House v. NCAA settlement. Recognizing the legal, institutional, and cultural shifts …

The Roles Of Readily Releasable Stores Of Endolysosome Iron In The Pathogenesis And Treatment Of Alzheimer's Disease, Darius N.K Quansah

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized clinically as progressive decline in cognition and dementia. Pathologically, AD is characterized by the extracellular presence of senile plaques composed of accumulated amyloid beta (Aβ) proteins and intraneuronal accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated tau proteins. In addition to these pathological hallmarks, AD pathogenesis is characterized by increases in intracellular iron and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the link between the two have been well described by Fenton’s chemistry. Endolysosomes appear to be affected very early in the onset of AD. Endolysosomes contain labile stores of iron which can be readily …

From Theory To Practice: Addressing The Operational Challenges Of School Principals, Darin Murry Scherr

Theses and Dissertations

School principals play a crucial role in the effectiveness of educational institutions, yet many enter leadership positions lacking adequate preparation for operational responsibilities. This Dissertation in Practice examines the challenges principals face in managing financial, staffing, and facility operations and the impact of these challenges on principal retention. Using a qualitative multiple-case study approach, the research investigates the experiences of new and veteran principals within Bismarck Public Schools to identify gaps in their operational preparedness.Findings highlight five key themes: (1) gaps in financial and budgetary training, (2) the role of mentorship and support systems, (3) balancing instructional leadership with operational …

Ecological Dynamics In Beaver-Engineered Boreal Wetlands: Amphibian Phenology, Occupancy, And Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Communities, Talon Stammen

Theses and Dissertations

Boreal wetlands are ecologically rich yet vulnerable ecosystems shaped by hydrological dynamics, cold climate regimes, and landscape-scale disturbances. Among the most influential agents of change in these systems are beavers (Castor canadensis), whose engineering activities create a mosaic of lentic habitats at varying stages of ecological succession. This dissertation investigates the structure and dynamics of amphibian and aquatic macroinvertebrate communities across a beaver-influenced wetland landscape in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, USA.The first study (Chapter II) examines breeding phenology and detection patterns of boreal anurans using a combination of passive acoustic monitoring and visual encounter surveys at 25 wetlands over four …

Targeted Coaching In The Detroit Promise Path: A Thematic Network Analysis Of Current Challenges And Opportunities For Student Success, Maryse Danielle Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

The Detroit Promise Program is one of the many college promise programs operating within the United States that offers full college tuition coverage to students within the city who meet certain residential criteria. Detroit’s population has one of the highest proportions of Black and first-generation students and the lowest average socioeconomic class in the country. From the time of the Promise Program’s launch until now it has seen minor improvements in college degree competition rates, but this rate is still low compared to the national average. The Detroit Promise Path, which is an off branch of the Detroit Promise Program, …

Zaasijiwan: An Indigenized Health Communication Framework For American Indian And Alaska Native Communities, Jennifer Wolf

Theses and Dissertations

The Zaasijiwan Framework represents an Indigenized health communication model developed to enhance the cultural relevance, trust, and effectiveness of public health messaging for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. This qualitative study integrated Indigenous and Western public health knowledge to inform the development of the framework. A comprehensive literature review and two rounds of key informant interviews with health communication professionals informed the design of the framework. Findings emphasized the importance of community co-creation and strengths-based narratives, along with other framework elements, in overcoming medical mistrust and improving health outcomes. The final framework offers public health professionals, Tribal, and …

Poison! An Africana Legal Studies Investigation Into Enslaved Africans And Their Deadly Roots, Angi Porter

Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality

No abstract provided.

Comparative Analysis Of Lstm-Based And Traditional Hydrologic Models For River Discharge Prediction: A Case Study Of The Goose River, Adewale Ajao

Theses and Dissertations

Streamflow predictions are important in planning water resources and effective hydrological management. Physically based models such as the Hydrologic Engineering Center-Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) have been used in the past for this purpose. Still, the use of machine learning models such as Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) has been proven to complement the use of traditional models. This study compares the reliability performances of HEC-HMS and LSTM models to predict the streamflow of Goose River Watershed in North Dakota. The objective of the research is to perform a comprehensive comparative analysis between the performance of HEC-HMS and LSTM models to predict …

Machine Learning-Guided Discovery Of Metal-Ligand Catalysts For Affordable Green Hydrogen Produced Via Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzers, Achouak Benarbia

Theses and Dissertations

The rising demand for clean and sustainable energy sources has underscored the critical role of hydrogen in the global energy transition. However, the widespread adoption of green hydrogen remains constrained by the high cost and scarcity of platinum-based electrocatalysts used in Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzers. This dependence inflates production costs and poses long-term risks related to supply security and scalability. While numerous studies have explored alternative materials, the discovery of efficient and stable non-platinum catalysts remains a major bottleneck due to the vastness of chemical space and the resource-intensive nature of experimental screening. To address this challenge, this study …

Enhancing Green Hydrogen Integration In Distributed Energy Systems, Solomon Evro

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates strategic integration of green hydrogen into Distributed Energy Systems (DES) as a means of addressing three closely related challenges: first, uncertainties in hydrogen supply due to renewables intermittency; second, non-existence of practical, scalable modeling solutions for early-phase DES planning involving Alkaline Water Electrolyzers; and third, a lack of sufficient policy frameworks facilitating mass deployment. Existing hydrogen production models are often too complex for effective use in DES and do not relate stack number, input power, and renewable resource fluctuation. To address this limitation, the paper introduces a new probabilistic electrolyzer sizing method based on cumulative distribution function …