Digital Commons Network^™

Investigating The Impact Of Carboxylated Polystyrene Nanoplastics In The Liver Using Cell Lines And Precision-Cut Liver Slices, Namrata Pandey, Paula Boeira, Nathaniel J. Clark, Eleanor T. Walker, Somaiah Aroori, Jemimah Denson, Richard C. Thompson, Matthew E. Cramp, Shilpa Chokshi, Ashwin Dhanda

Peninsula Medical School

Background and Aims: Increasing reports of plastic accumulation in human tissue have raised concerns about potential adverse health outcomes. Evidence of negative effects of nanoplastics is heterogeneous and provides limited insights into the underlying pathogenic toxicity mechanisms in humans. Methods: In the present study, carboxylate-modified fluorescently labelled polystyrene nanoparticles (PS NPs) were used to investigate uptake and cytotoxicity in three different hepatic models of varying complexity, including HepG2 cells, IHH cells, and human precision-cut liver slices (hPCLS). Results: The results show model- and dose-dependent effects on hepatocytes. 74.2% ± 13.4% of the IHH cells showed PS NPs uptake at 0.1 …

Uae Traditional Folklore Through Modern Media And Its Educational Potential: The Case Of Freej, Shahad Imad Mostafa

Theses

This mixed‑methods study examined how the Emirati animated series Freej preserves traditional folklore through vernacular language, dialect, and idiomatic expressions, and evaluated its educational potential. Guided by four questions on folklore representation, dialect/idiom use, the role of the characters, and curricular applicability, the research combined content analysis of selected episodes, interviews coding and a survey of 100 Emirati participants; survey data were summarized with descriptive statistics to triangulate qualitative insights.

Findings indicated that audiences overwhelmingly perceived Freej as linguistically and culturally authentic: 95% rated the dialect as very/somewhat authentic, 94% said it reflects elders’ speech, and 89% felt the series …

Aligning The Culi Test With Cefr Illustrative Scales, Sasithorn Limgomolvilas

PASAA

No abstract provided.

Artificial Intelligence Assisted Multitask Framework For Dental Detection And Root Canal Filling Assessment On Periapical Radiographs, Chia-Lin Hsu, Li Wei Ou-Yang, Chih-Hao Chang, Yuan-Jin Lin, Po-Lin Huang, Kai-Syun Chiu, Heng-Chia Chen, Tsung-Yi Chen, Jia-Ching Wang, Wei-Chen Tu, Patricia Angela R. Abu

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Accurate evaluation of root canal filling (RCF) quality is paramount for successful endodontic outcomes. However, conventional radiographic interpretation is often subject to subjective variability. This study developed an automated, multitask artificial intelligence (AI) framework using YOLO11 and advanced image pre-processing to identify multiple dental structures and provide quantitative assessments of RCF quality on periapical radiographs.

Materials and methods: We proposed an image enhancement pipeline, which integrate intensity normalization, white top-hat transform, and linear contrast stretching to refine dental contours for training the YOLO11 multitask model. The framework simultaneously detected primary, permanent, dental crowns, and RCFs. Quantitative metrics, including …

A Scientometric Study On Research Trends And Characteristics Of Lymph Node Metastasis In Oral Cancer, Linjian Huang, Xiaocui Tong, Wei Liu, Xinyu Zhang

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Cervical lymph node metastasis (LNM) is the most critical prognostic factor in oral cancer (OC) patients. The purpose of this study was to analyze the scientometric characteristics and research trends of LNM in OC.

Materials and methods: All the papers on LNM in OC were comprehensively retrieved from the Scopus database. The years of publication were divided into before 2016 and after 2016 in the analysis of research trends.

Results: There were 946 papers on LNM in OC, with total citations of 21,154 and the h index of 70. The trend of clinical aspect including lymph …

Comparative In Vivo Study Of 3d-Printed Composite Bioceramic Scaffolds Fabricated By Distinct Pre-Processing Methods, Yu-Ting Li, Ju-Hsuan Yang

Journal of Dental Sciences

No abstract provided.

The Ph-Pi3k/Akt/Mtorc1 Axis In The Survival Of Stem Cells From The Apical Papilla: A Critical Target For Rescue By Microenvironment-Engineered Hydrogels In Pulp Regeneration, Chunlei Zhang, Haisheng Cao, Jie Li, Changqing Yan, Yang Liu, Shuguo Zheng, Xiaozhe Wang

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: The pH within infected root canals fluctuates dynamically under pathological conditions, yet its impact on stem cells from the apical papilla (SCAPs) in dental pulp regeneration remains unclear. This study investigated how potential of hydrogen (pH) variations govern SCAPs survival and the associated signaling to identify therapeutic targets for enhancing tissue regeneration.

Materials and methods: SCAPs were cultured at pH 5.4-10.4. Proliferation and apoptosis were assessed using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assays, real-time live-cell analysis, and flow cytometry. RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) identified differentially expressed genes, which were validated through reverse transcription-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), Western blotting, and mechanistic …

Blood Vessels Expressing Cd31 And Endomucin Contribute To The Formation Of New Hard Tissue Via Osterix-Expressing Cells During The Healing Process Of Pulp Revascularization In Mice, Takatoshi Ikarashi, Keisuke Mitomo, Kentaro Tashiro, Mayuka Haketa, Toshihide Mizoguchi, Akira Yamaguchi, Takashi Muramatsu

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Niche for osteogenesis forms near specialized blood vessels that highly express both CD31 and endomucin (Emcn). However, localization of the vessels remains unknown during wound healing process after pulp revascularization. We investigated the localization of both CD31 and Emcn-expressing vessels and osterix (Osx)-expressing cells after pulp revascularization. Materials and methods: Five-week-old male C57BL/6J mice underwent pulp revascularization in the mesial root canal of the right first maxillary molar. The mice were sacrificed at 1 hour, 7 days, 14 days, and 21 days post-surgery, and immunofluorescence for CD31, Emcn, and Osx was performed. Additionally, calcein labeling was used to visualize …

Sesamin Suppresses High Glucose-Induced Cyclooxygenase-2 And Prostaglandin E2 Production Through Toll-Like Receptor 2-Dependent Oxidative Stress In Human Gingival Fibroblasts, Ya-Lun Li, Yu-Chia Hsu, Fang-Yu Fan, Yung-Li Wang, Yang-Che Wu, Sin-Yu Li, Thi Thuy Tien Vo, Yu-Chia Chang, Yin-Tzer Shih, I-Ta Lee

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Hyperglycemia contributes to periodontal inflammation through oxidative stress and inflammatory mediator production in gingival fibroblasts. Sesamin, a major lignan from sesame, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This study investigated whether sesamin attenuates high glucose (HG)-induced cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) production in human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs), and examined the involvement of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2)-dependent oxidative signaling.

Materials and methods: HGFs were exposed to HG in the presence or absence of sesamin. Cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase activity, COX-2 expression, and PGE₂ production were evaluated. …

Biological Performance Enhancement Of Ni-Free Zr-Based Bulk Metallic Glass For Dental Implants Via Nitrogen Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation, Hsun-Miao Huang, Ying-Sui Sun, Ya-Lin Huang, Kai-Yi Lin, Thantrira Porntaveetus, Thanaphum Osathanon, Wei-Cheng Chen, Her-Hsiung Huang

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Improving the biocompatibility of bulk metallic glass (BMG) alloys is critical for expanding their applications in biomedical fields, particularly in dental implants. This study systematically investigated the suitability of nitrogen plasma immersion ion implantation (NPIII)-treated Zr-based BMG alloy for next-generation dental implant applications, focusing on protein adsorption, platelet responses, and cell behavior.

Materials and methods: NPIII was employed as a surface modification approach to enhance the biological performance of a Ni-free Zr₆₂.₅Cu₂₂.₅Fe₅Al₁₀ BMG alloy. The effects of NPIII treatment on surface characteristics, including crystallinity, chemical composition, layer thickness, roughness, and hydrophilicity, were comprehensively analyzed. Protein adsorption …

Exosomes Derived From Bone Substitute-Induced Gingival Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promote Angiogenesis, Chongyu Shen, Zheng Guan, Rui Chu, Zhengyin Li, Jiangting Lu, Liangkun Xie

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: In certain clinical bone grafting scenarios, bone substitutes frequently interface with the adjacent soft tissues. This study aimed to investigate whether deproteinized bovine bone mineral (DBBM) and coralline hydroxyapatite (CHA) induce paracrine responses in human gingival mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs), thereby altering the pro-angiogenic capacity of their derived exosomes, and to profile specific cargo alterations.

Materials and methods: Exosomes were isolated from GMSCs co-cultured with DBBM (DBBM-G-EXO) or CHA (CHA-G-EXO), while native GMSCs-derived exosomes (G-EXO) were collected as controls. The angiogenic effects of these exosomes on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were evaluated via cell proliferation, scratch wound …

Artem: Enhancing Large Language Model Agents With Spatial-Temporal Episodic Memory, Cassandra Hui Ming Tan, Budhitama Subagdja, Ah-Hwee Tan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Current large language models (LLMs) exhibit significant deficiencies in episodic memory tasks including encoding, storing, and retrieving specific information from temporally dependent events over a long period of time. Recent approaches to handle memory tasks in LLMs, such as in-context learning, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and fine-tuning, may resolve the long-term retention issues, but are still inadequate to handle tasks requiring chronological awareness of the stored information. We introduce Agentic Retrieval with Temporal-Episodic Memory (ARTEM), a hybrid LLM-based agent architecture integrating LLMs with a self-organizing neural network named Spatial-Temporal Episodic Memory (STEM), designed to handle episodic memory tasks. Our approach employs …

The Journey Of High School Teachers Evolving Into Career Educators, Diane B. Ried

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Teacher attrition has been a major challenge in the United States for decades, but more so after covid. This case study explored and expanded the understanding of the different levels of environmental impact on high school teacher retention in a Florida high school as they evolved into career educators. The present study used Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) Ecological Systems Theory to examine the teacher’s retention in a county in northcentral Florida. In order to better understand the experience of career development, this study used Savickas’ Career Construction Theory (2019). This case study investigated strategies, supports, and diversity related initiatives impacting a …

Regulation And Localization Of Urease In Sporosarcina Pasteurii: Implications For Coastal Protection, Amar Kosovac

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coastal erosion is a persistent problem exacerbated by global warming. As the climate changes, the southeastern coast is likely to experience an increased frequency and intensity of storms, which can significantly damage the coastline. The coast is crucial as it serves as a habitat for numerous animals, supports tourism, and underpins infrastructure. Microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) is a novel method to enhance erosion resistance in sandy soils using the non-pathogenic bacterium Sporosarcina pasteurii. S. pasteurii produces urease to catalyze urea into bicarbonate, which drives the precipitation of calcium carbonate. Maximal expression of urease is a limiting factor for …

Population Genomics And Evolution Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Samara T. Choudhury

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacterium ubiquitous in diverse environments and an opportunistic pathogen in humans. It is a leading cause of chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients and of hospital-acquired pneumonia and sepsis. With a large flexible genome and abundant mobile genetic elements, P. aeruginosa exhibits high levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), making it a significant public health threat. Evolutionary processes such as homologous recombination, and horizontal gene transfer generate extensive genomic diversity in this species and facilitate the spread of resistance genes. In this dissertation, I investigate the genetic and evolutionary factors shaping P. aeruginosa population structure …

Audiovisual Motion Onset Asynchrony As Expectation Violation: Effects On Memory And Liking In Media Contexts, Sijia Song

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This research presents the first systematic investigation of motion-onset asynchrony (MOA) as a form of audiovisual temporal incongruency grounded in contemporary spatial audio and extended reality (xR) systems. MOA—the delay between the onset of visual and auditory motion—was manipulated at three levels (0 s, 1.1 s, 3 s) to test its effects on cognitive (memory) and affective (liking) outcomes during short 2D animated video viewing. Guided by inverted-U models of expectation violation, it was hypothesized that moderate MOA would be associated with the highest memory performance and liking ratings and that liking would mediate MOA’s effects on memory. Across two …

Providers' Perceptions Of Barriers And Facilitators To Implementing Non-Pharmacological Treatment For Adults With Chronic Pain: A Meta-Synthesis, Mikhaela Mcfarlin

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Background. Chronic pain is a public health concern impacting approximately 20% of adults in the U.S. Nonpharmacological interventions are considered first-line treatments for patients with chronic pain, yet nonpharmacological interventions remain significantly underutilized. While previous research has explored barriers from the patient’s perspective, limited attention has been paid to providers’ experiences implementing these treatments. This qualitative meta-synthesis aimed to examine provider-perceived barriers and facilitators to implementing nonpharmacolgical treatments for adults with chronic pain. Methods. Independent reviewers conducted systematic searches across PubMed, PsycInfo, CINAHL, and ProQuest Dissertations using relevant (e.g., “mental health provider”, “nonpharmacological”) and applied inclusion criteria to …

Models Of Emulation: Representations Of Foreign, Indigenous, And Accented Speech In Early American Literature, Elaina A. Frulla

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

“Models of Emulation: Representations of Foreign, Indigenous, and Accented Speech in Early American Literature” explores how American writers used depictions of “nonstandard” English and accented English language speech, traditionally described as “literary dialect,” as a way to negotiate identity, power, and political belonging in the formative years of nation building after the American Revolution. Beginning with Noah Webster’s mission to establish a standardized pronunciation of the English language that would simplify and purify spoken American-English and definitively differentiate it from what he saw as the corrupted, cosmopolitan British-English model, each of the three chapters examines literary representations of nonstandard emulated …

New Game Start: Playing With Power, Community And Change In Video Gaming Culture, Jonathan D. Muller

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Video gaming culture has long been a site associated with norms and values of whiteness, masculinity, and neoliberalism, with games, players, and developers all reinforcing these. Recently though, gaming culture has been directly involved with social movements and forms of resistance that are contrary to these norms and values. The typical gamer is no longer a white man, and gaming culture is now acknowledged to include race and gender dynamics that are close to that of the broader population. These communal shifts have both challenged and reinforced existing power structures. This research addresses these shifts and struggles by analyzing how …

Genetic Diversity Of Cryptosporidium Species In New York State, Kimberly A. Mergen

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The knowledge regarding Cryptosporidium infections in New York State (NYS) is severely lacking in two ways: 1) there are currently no NYS-based data regarding the subtypes of Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis, which are the two most prevalent species that infect humans and 2) information regarding uncommon Cryptosporidium species that infect the New York population is also unavailable. Filling these gaps concerning this pathogenic parasite would provide a substantial amount of information when considering public health, outbreak investigations, and prevention measures. Therefore, improving Cryptosporidium subtype and species surveillance in NYS will aid in prevention and control efforts as well …

Viral Diversification And Host-Specific Fitness Of Powassan, Heartland, And Bourbon Viruses In New York State, Rachel E. Lange

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation reports important progress for our understanding of emerging and re-emerging tick-borne viruses circulating in North America including Powassan, Deer Tick, Heartland, and Bourbon viruses. Chapter 2 describes important tools for these viruses including multiplex assays for viral and bacterial pathogens in field-collected ticks and mammals, development of full genome sequencing assays and bioinformatic pipelines for evolutionary analysis, and establishment of tick-specific tools for viral isolation and characterization. Chapter 3 focuses on the disease focality of Deer Tick virus, reporting transovarial transmission in nature in Ixodes scapularis for the first time, further evidence to incriminate shrews as potential Deer …

Emotional Factors Influencing Adaptive Memory: An Examination Of The Role Of Valence In The Survival Processing Effect, Dailyn Q. Clark

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Encoding information (e.g., words) in terms of their survival value produces enhanced recall relative to encoding the same information in terms of its value to other schematically similar situations (Nairne et al., 2007). In the survival memory paradigm, a scenario focused on imagining being stranded in the grasslands of a foreign land is followed by the rating of individual words (e.g., orange, mountain) as to their relevance to that scenario (Nairne et al., 2007). Using an incidental test of memory, it is often revealed that memory for those words is higher than for those same words encoded under non-survival, control …

Studies Towards Chemical Synthesis Of Homogeneous Prion Glycoprotein, Baotong Tian

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders initiated by conformational misfolding of the prion protein (PrP), which generates pathogenic conformers that propagate via templated conversion and accumulate as aggregates. Glycosylation can modulate the PrP folding energy landscape, thereby biasing folding trajectories and the distribution of resulting conformational states. Bank vole PrP contains two N-linked glycosylation sites, and disentangling the contributions of site occupancy versus glycan structure requires homogeneous, site-defined glycoforms. In contrast, biosynthetic expression typically produces heterogeneous glycoform ensembles due to multistep Golgi processing, precluding independent control of glycan identity at each site. Here we report a chemical synthesis strategy of …

As If It Were Food: A Prose Translation Of The Old English Genesis B, Kane R. Malone

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The anonymous Old English poem known as “Genesis B” comes down to us as one of the most inherently human retellings of the Fall of Adam and Eve. Despite this, the piece is seldom read by the average twenty-first century middle-school learner. The poem, originally penned in Old English, has been translated into modern English numerous times, yet as I read through a variety of these translations, they all seemed to downplay the human element which I found intriguing. Thus, I created my own translation of “Genesis B” with a more general audience in mind, looking to create something that …

Rethinking Theories Of Political Discourse: The Limitations Of The Deliberative-Agonistic Split, Connor Moran

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

What are “theories of political discourse,” why do they matter to political theory, and where do current ones fall short? This dissertation mines the existing resources availed by contemporary democratic theory in order to respond to the discursive challenge of “pernicious polarization,” particularly in the United States. The most comprehensive and influential theories of political discourse today have been furnished by the almost 40-year debate between deliberative democracy and agonism, both of which offer normative models centered on ameliorating the quality of political discourse.

The key finding of the dissertation is that the foundational works of the deliberative-agonistic split lack …

The Chemistry Of Red Lipstick: The Impact Red Lipstick Has On Society, Lilliana Weldeslassie

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Cosmetic chemistry is deeply embedded in everyday life, shaping the products people use from morning to night. Among these, red lipstick stands out as a formulation that blends complex chemistry with a cultural meaning. This thesis examines the scientific foundations of red lipstick through its chemical composition, pigment structure, toxicological history, analytical methods, and evolving sustainability practices. Historically, red lipsticks relied on high-risk ingredients such as lead, mercury, and other toxic metals, reflecting an era before chemical safety and regulatory oversight were incorporated.²¹ Modern formulations have established safer synthetic dyes, natural waxes, plant-based oils, and stabilizers created to optimize …

Reviving Southern Divides: Multilevel Explorations Of Gentrification’S Role In School Resegregation In Tallahassee, Florida From 1999 – 2015, Ola U. Kalu

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation examines whether neighborhood gentrification in Tallahassee reshaped Title I elementary schools by improving academic outcomes, changing who enrolled, or both, from 1999 to 2015. Using Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Model as a conceptual scaffold, the study situates schools within their neighborhood and district contexts across three nested analytical levels. A two-wave panel design using 2010 and 2015 school-year observations is linked to a 2000 Census baseline to connect school data with spatially weighted neighborhood change indicators. Mixed-effects multilevel models and fixed-effects robustness checks estimate the associations between neighborhood change indicators and two continuous dependent variables: standardized ELA achievement and …

Multifunctional And Adaptive: Tracking How Fibroblasts Respond To Tissue Injury And Facilitate Tissue Remodeling, Joey R. Tavarez

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Fibrosis is characterized by an accumulation of proteins in the extracellular matrix (ECM) that results in altered tissue architecture and reduced organ function. In the salivary glands, fibrosis leads to loss of saliva, dysbiosis of the oral microbiome, an increase in oral infections, difficulty in digestion of food and an overall reduction in the quality of life. Understanding the progression of fibrosis and how it affects human health is a crucial step for designing effective therapeutics. Understanding fibroblast function is integral to advancing the field due to the many roles they play in maintaining the ECM. To perform preliminary analysis, …

Constructing The Political “Other”: Affective Polarization And Cross-Ideological Portrayals On Instagram, Amanda M. Novellin

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Instagram has frequently been characterized by users as a platform that permits the circulation of hostile and adversarial political content due to comparatively limited moderation practices. In January 2025, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced changes to content moderation policies on Facebook and Instagram, including the removal of third-party fact-checking mechanisms. These platform-level changes further reshaped the political information environment in which online discourse occurs. However, even prior to these policy changes, Instagram had established itself as a prominent space for highly polarized political expression across the ideological spectrum.

This thesis examines how political polarization in the United States is reflected …

German Science, American Manufacturing: Ethnic Capital, Transnational Technology, And Corporate Development At Bausch & Lomb, 1853–1953, George L. Grobe Iv

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation examines the first century of the Bausch & Lomb Optical Company, founded in Rochester, NY in 1853 by German immigrants John Jacob Bausch and Henry Lomb. It argues the firm’s success was driven by leveraging of management’s German ethnic identity as “ethnic capital” to access resources like financial liquidity, immigrant labor, and technical expertise. These resources allowed for the transformation of the firm from a small optical retail shop into a major manufacturer of advanced optical instruments. However, as later generations of the family Americanized, the ability of the firm to leverage ethnic capital eroded until breaking completely …