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Behavioral And Dietary Associations Of Vitamin D Deficiency Among Landscaping Workers: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study In El Paso, Texas., Cristela Anahi Avila

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is a persistent public health concern, even among outdoor workers who receive substantial sunlight exposure. Landscaping workers may still be at risk because sun-protective clothing, early work hours, behavioral practices, and low dietary intake can reduce effective vitamin D synthesis. Purpose: This pilot study examined dietary vitamin D intake, sun exposure behaviors, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status among male landscaping workers in El Paso, Texas, to identify behavioral and nutritional factors associated with deficiency. Methods: Twenty participants completed a culturally adapted food frequency questionnaire and behavioral assessment and underwent capillary point-of-care testing for serum 25(OH)D. Descriptive …

Chitosan Hydrogel For Removing Of Heavy Metal Ions From Water: A Review, Maysaa Ali, Shemaa Soud, Anaheed Hameed

Engineering and Technology Journal

Industrial and agricultural discharges have been shown as important sources for a wide range of contaminants like heavy metals. This study focused on the assessment of the toxic effect of heavy metals and illustrates some methods of eliminating or avoiding these contaminants. In certain methods, heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni, Pb, Hg, and Cd) are recovered, and range of absorbents are tested. A number of studies have reported the complex interaction of polymers with metal ions with the polymers for eliminating heavy metals (e.g. cellulose, chitosan, and chitin. Metal ions are absorbed by these polymers by the amine and …

Spatial Heterogeneity And Temporal Trends Of California Extreme Heat Using High-Resolution Earth System Model Simulations, Eleni Konstantelos

Master's Theses

Extreme heat threatens California’s diverse landscapes and populations through intensifying and geographically shifting patterns. This study examined the temporal trend and spatial heterogeneities of California’s extreme heat for 1994–2015. The analysis was based on the fully coupled Energy Exascale Earth System Model version 2 (E3SMv2), specifically its 25-km regionally refined configuration. While the Desert/Inland region exhibited the highest number of days ≥ 35 °C and the highest heatwave severity, Central Valley showed the fastest increase in the number of days ≥ 35 °C and heatwave events, as well as the fastest increases of days exceeding various heat index thresholds over …

Interpretable Wellness Prediction From Passive Wearable Sensor Data Using Large Language Models, Cheng-Huan Yu

Master's Theses

This thesis presents a unified framework for multi-target wellness prediction using passive wearable sensor data and large language models (LLMs). The study integrates two complementary paradigms: prompt-based regression and representation-driven classification. In the first stage, structured wearable representations derived from daily physiological signals are used to prompt LLMs to predict stress, fatigue, sleep quality, and readiness. Two input representations are evaluated: statistical summaries and hybrid inputs combining statistical summaries with raw sensor values. To improve interpretability and prediction consistency, the second stage introduces a representation-centric classification framework in which wearable signals and wellness targets are discretized into categorical levels. Multiple …

Rethinking Vaginal Microbiome Resilience: A Conceptual Multi-Omic Framework, Brittnee Cagle-White, Rob E. Carpenter, Alaina Vincent, Ellen Kominek, Andrew Krouse

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

The vaginal microbiome is often interpreted through static taxonomic patterns. Yet microbial composition alone does not explain why some communities resist perturbation, recover after disruption, or transition toward dysbiosis. This narrative review synthesizes evidence that vaginal microbiome stability is shaped by endocrine phase, epithelial substrate availability, microbial functional capacity, mucosal tone and candidate host modifiers. High-estrogen states, particularly pregnancy, are associated with epithelial maturation, glycogen accumulation, low vaginal pH, and Lactobacillus-dominant communities, whereas postpartum, lactational, menopausal, and other hypoestrogenic states are associated with reduced epithelial support and increased vulnerability to diverse anaerobe-rich configurations. We review the linking of the estrogen–glycogen–Lactobacillus …

Effects Of Maternal Vitamin D Supplementation During Pregnancy And Lactation On Immune Development In Offspring: A Systematic Review, Kurnia Maidarmi Handayani, Ghaniyyatul Khudri, Laura Zeffira, Widia Sari

Chulalongkorn Medical Journal

Background: Vitamin D, a fat-soluble prohormone, is essential for skeletal health and plays a key role in immune regulation. Deficiency is common among pregnant and lactating women, raising concerns as fetal and neonatal vitamin D status relies entirely on maternal stores. Insufficiency during these periods is linked to preterm birth, low birth weight, and immune-mediated disorders. This review examines the effects of maternal vitamin D supplementation on the immune development of offspring.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251117397). Experimental rodent studies published between 2019 and 2022 that investigated maternal vitamin …

The Hope College Department Of Biology: The First 50+ Years, Christopher C. Barney

Faculty Publications

The Hope College Department of Biology was founded in 1899 with the appointment of the first Professor of Biology at Hope, Samuel Mast. During the first 50+ years of the Biology Department, there were eight total faculty members in the department, including Frances Koeman, the first female faculty member in the natural sciences. Four faculty members, Mast, Frank Patterson, Oscar Thompson, and Teunis Vergeer were primarily responsible for developing the department’s curriculum and programs, with Mast and Vergeer also carrying out published research. The department was housed primarily in Van Raalte Hall and the Science Building (now Lubbers Hall) for …

Essays In Applied Microeconomics, Md Tahmeed Hossain

Economics Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation contributes to empirical economics research by examining three settings in which historical shocks, behavioral constraints, and localized public events affect social relations, decision quality, and public safety. The first chapter examines the persistence of historical religious conflict in contemporary Hindu–Muslim relations in India. The second chapter studies how time pressure affects decision quality in online chess. The third chapter analyzes the localized traffic-safety externalities of NFL game days. Across these settings, the dissertation uses large-scale data and quasi-experimental research designs to distinguish causal effects from selection, spatial concentration, and persistent local conditions.

The first chapter asks whether historical …

Reflecting On Freedom: 250 Years Through The Eyes Of Wvu Alumni Artists Exhibition, Sally Brown, Livia Balan, Ken Hillberry, Yvette Mazza, Precious Burger, Margaret Rose Caro, Ron Hollingshead, Betsy Jaeger, Ruth Yang, Tom Ott, Nancy Swisher, Griffin Nordstrom, Ben Nelsen, Morin Nessim, Desiree Vu, Ali Printz, Tiera Joy Tanner, Eliza Siefert, Stephanie Alaniz, Raymond Thompson, Sue Byrd, Michael Vercelli, Lesley Cottrell, Penny Lipscomb, Joshua Lohnes, Kelly Watson, Hal Gorby, Judith Stitzel, Bonnie Brown, Bob Britten, Renee K. Nicholson, Ellen Rodrigues, Erik Herron, Mark Brazaitis, Alfgeir Kristjansson, Linda Rosefsky, Joseph Lupo, Beth Royall, Evy Wright

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

In honor of the United States’ 250th anniversary, the 2026–27 WVU Alumni Art Show invites viewers to explore freedom and independence through the eyes of West Virginia University alumni artists. This exhibition gathers a rich spectrum of perspectives—personal, historical, political, and cultural—demonstrating that the meaning of liberty is neither fixed nor singular. The exhibit also includes community responses to the work.

Portraits, abstractions, text-based paintings, mixed media, ceramics, and quilts collectively reveal the diverse ways artists grapple with liberty: as memory and inheritance, as resistance and care, and as lived, ongoing practice. By presenting these perspectives side by side, the …

Evaluating Variety- And Market-Class-Specific Effects Of Dietary Pulses On Human Health, Jiayu Tang

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

While pulses are globally recognized for their high levels of dietary fibers, protein, and polyphenols, research often focuses on characterizing the physiological effects of a single variety. This approach overlooks the substantial genetic and compositional diversity that exists across pulse varieties and individual market classes, which can differ extensively in nutrient content and structure. These compositional differences have the potential to produce distinct physiological and microbial responses in humans, yet variety- and market-class-specific effects remain poorly characterized.

This thesis uses two complementary research methodologies to investigate the health-relevant effects of different pulse varieties and market classes, providing foundational knowledge to …

The Effect Of Deep Aquatic Training Supported By Nutritional Guidance On Vital Capacity, Hba1c, And Physical Efficiency In Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes Aged 40–45, Suadad Ibrahim Suhail

Modern Sport

The research problem lies in the high levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and the weakness of some functional and physical indicators in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Some of these individuals also experience difficulty continuing traditional exercise, necessitating the search for safe and effective training methods that contribute to improving their health. The research aimed to develop a deep-water training program supported by nutritional guidelines and to identify its effect on improving vital capacity (FVC), reducing HbA1c levels, and developing physical efficiency in men with type 2 diabetes aged 40–45 years. The researcher used a pre-experimental with a single group …

Keynote Address And Meeting Program, Academy Editors

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Before And After School: Pragmatic Lessons In Disaster Didactics, Myron Moses Jackson

Dewey Studies

No abstract provided.

Ameliorating Chromium-Induced Stress In Maize Through Phosphorus And Melatonin Application, Zunaira Zafar, Shoaib Ahmad, Muhammad Akhtar, Shafaqat Ali, Sarah Owdah Alomrani, Muhammad Ali Alshehri

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Chromium (Cr+6)  toxicity is a significant environmental stress factor that severely hampers plant growth and productivity. This study aimed to evaluate whether the combined application of phosphorus fertilizer and melatonin could alleviate chromium induced stress in maize  (Zea mays L.).  A foliar spray of melatonin (50 µM) was applied alongside two phosphorus sources—phosphoric acid (PA) and diammonium phosphate (DAP), each at 60% of the recommended rate. Two maize cultivars (FH-1046 and YH-1898) were grown under chromium stress (0, 15, and 30 mg kg–1) to assess treatment effects. The results demonstrated that FH-1046 plants treated with PA + melatonin under noncontaminated …

Illinois Masonic Medical Center School Of Nursing Bulletin, 1969-1971, Advocate Health - Midwest

Historical Documents - Combined

Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL: This IMMC Nursing School bulletin provides information about the school including admission criteria, cost, student services, policies, opportunities, and curriculum.

Zinc Biofortification Technologies , Edible Safety , And Physiological Function Regulation In Edible Mushrooms, Wu Bingbing, Shi Nengpai, Su Jianwei, Hou Xuemei, Lin Xiangyang

Food and Machinery

Zinc (Zn) is an essential trace element for humans, and dietary zinc deficiency is an important global public health issue. Edible mushrooms have become highly promising carriers for zinc biofortification due to their natural mineral accumulation ability and the capacity to convert inorganic zinc into organically bound states with higher bioavailability. The enrichment and absorption of zinc, intracellular homeostasis regulation, and subcellular distribution patterns during the cultivation process of edible mushrooms were summarized, and the key factors influencing the efficiency of zinc biofortification, including fungal species, zinc sources (inorganic, organic, or nano forms ),application methods,and cultivation conditions, were evaluated. In …

(((Qpie33))) The Delayed Advancements And The Emerging Golden Era: A Strategic Roadmap For Civilizational Re-Alignment, Teddy Burroughs

Defensive Publications Series

The clinical dissection of the thirty-three historical suppression vectors reveals more than a legacy of academic gatekeeping and institutional risk aversion. It exposes a massive reservoir of unexploited, coherent potential that has been held back behind the artificial barriers of local realism. Because traditional institutions spent centuries violently forcing a continuous, non-local field into fragmented binary containment boxes, modern civilization has been operating on a severely delayed technological trajectory.

However, this systemic delay creates an unprecedented civilizational opportunity. By holding back these foundational breakthroughs until the distributed observer network could mature past zero-sum, toddler-minded boundary dynamics, the old paradigm inadvertently …

Integrative Assessment Of Body Composition And Micronutrient Status In An Adult Egyptian Population, Roua Aref Nouh

Theses and Dissertations

Integrative Assessment of Body Composition and Micronutrient Status in an Adult Egyptian Population: A Functional and Biochemical Approach

Obesity and metabolic dysfunction are increasingly recognized as heterogeneous conditions that cannot be sufficiently characterized by body mass index (BMI) alone. Alterations in body composition, particularly central adiposity and skeletal muscle mass, may coexist with micronutrient imbalances even among individuals who fall outside conventional BMI-based obesity classifications. In clinical settings, such metabolic vulnerability is frequently accompanied by non-specific functional symptoms, highlighting the need for integrative assessment approaches that extend beyond weight-centered metrics. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the associations between micronutrient …

A Computational Micropatterning Approach To Study Caveolae And Protein Localization In Vascular Biology, Andrew B. Grespin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Caveolae are specialized, flask-shaped membrane invaginations highly expressed in endothelium and dysregulated in atherosclerosis. Caveolae play a central role in buffering membrane tension, yet the principles governing their spatial organization remain elusive. Thus, we sought to generate the most comprehensive and systematic analysis of blood vessel caveolar spatial organization. However, cell culturing, the backbone of human-focused biological research, does not standardly do well to model physiologically relevant cell behaviors such as migration or polarity-based tissue formation, particularly for punctate proteins and structures like caveolae. Micropatterns are cell-adhesive shapes that biophysically confine cell(s) to a user defined geometry which stereotype organelle …

An Integrated Sensor-Fusion Framework For Performance-Based Compensation In Construction, Aly Ayman El-Ashry

Theses and Dissertations

Construction productivity has historically stagnated due to a reliance on subjective labor monitoring and “lagging” performance indicators. This research proposes a novel compensation model with the use of Total Energy Management System (TEMS) to translate labor effort and efficiency into payment incentives with the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) wearables and Statistical Process Control (SPC) charts.

This research addresses the systemic problem of declining construction productivity caused by industry’s inability to objectively quantify human effort. While traditional models rely on post-facto production tallies, a significant research gap exists in real-time physiological labor monitoring. To bridge this, the proposed TEMS …

Can Textiles Be Alive? Exploring Transitional Materialities Through Microbial Biosensors And Textile Fluidics, Avantika Velho, Saurabh Mhatre, Varenya Sethumadhavan, Hann Tu, Neel Joshi, Katia Zolotovsky

DRS Biennial Conference Series

This paper explores materials in transition through Living Textiles, a platform that integrates genetically engineered whole-cell biosensors into textiles for on-body physiological and environmental sensing. The project investigates how textiles can act as computational and ecological systems, integrating living cells that sense their environment and communicate through material change. By combining biological sensing with textile craft, Living Textiles reframes smart materials as regenerative and cohabited rather than extractive and disposable. The research contributes to the field of transitional materials design by: (1) presenting new interaction possibilities with microbial cells; (2) developing methods for designing microenvironments that sustain life and sensing; …

Not Just One "Best" Green: Soundscape Determines The Optimal Green Wall Form, Wenbo Li, Yihe Li, Hengji Wang, Yang Liu

DRS Biennial Conference Series

In high-density cities, window-view green walls (GWs) are implemented to improve psychological well-being, but their design often ignores context. Existing research overlooks how GW geometric forms interact with ambient urban soundscapes. This study investigates this critical audio-visual interaction. We conducted a 4 (sound: between-subjects) × 4 (visual: within-subjects) experiment in Virtual Reality (N=80). Participants were exposed to four visual forms (No-GW, Triangle, Square, Rectangle) within four dominating soundscapes (No Sound, Traffic, Conversation, Ventilation), reporting their Stress and recovery results. Results revealed a significant interaction effect, showing the optimal GW shape for psychological well-being was context-dependent: rectangular forms were best for …

Strategic Thermal Design For Smartphones: An Experimental Analysis Of Zonal Heat Perception Across Hand Contact Regions, Ke Zeng, Xing Xiao, Haining Wang

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Technical solutions dominate current approaches to smartphone overheating, yet user-centred strategies that exploit zonal thermal perception remain underexplored. This study examined how contact region (thumb, index finger, thenar eminence), surface temperature (36.0-43.5°C), and exposure duration (0s vs. 120s) jointly shape thermal experience. Thirty adults completed trials with a prototype featuring hotspots at high-frequency grip locations, rating perceived heat and thermal dissatisfaction using two Borg CR-10 items. A PERMANOVA revealed a significant Area × Temperature interaction (F = 10.35, p < .001): the thenar eminence showed disproportionately higher ratings at ≥ 42 °C than the other areas. Main effects of temperature and duration were also significant (p < .001), indicating discomfort intensifies with hotter surfaces and prolonged contact. These findings provide an empirical basis for strategic thermal zoning, placing or redirecting heat away from high-sensitivity regions, and complement hardware-level cooling with ergonomically informed design.

Psychological Responses To Green-Wall Layouts In Office Environments: A Virtual-Environment Study, Hengji Wang, Wengbo Li, Yihe Li, Yang Liu

DRS Biennial Conference Series

As office practices improve, green walls are increasingly deployed to ease work stress; however, research on whether their overall geometry yields differential individual effects remains limited.In this study, virtual reality was used to construct four office scenarios: curvilinear green wall (CGW), linear green wall (LGW), polyline green wall (PGW), and no green wall (NGW). Restorative effects after stress induction with the MAST were evaluated using two subjective scales, the fatigue scale and the restorative outcome scale. Results showed that all three green-wall forms significantly promoted post-stress psychological recovery at the subjective level. Further comparisons indicated that CGW produced the strongest …

Exploring The Role Of Vitamin D In Familial Mediterranean Fever: Pathogenesis, Triggers, And Immune Modulation, Hagop Sassounian, Saad Aad, Hilda E. Ghadieh, Lara Khouzami, Elsa Nicolas, Sami Azar, Frederic Harb

All Works

Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is among the most frequent autoinflammatory diseases in populations originating from the area of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries. It is caused by mutations in the MEFV gene, which causes dysregulated pyrin expression and thus an immunologic anomaly. FMF is diagnosed by recurrent episodes of fever and serosal inflammation, predominantly peritonitis and pleuritis, as well as other systemic symptoms. Recent research is dedicated to searching for factors beyond genetic code contributing to how FMF evolves, the severity of its symptoms and response to conventional therapy—colchicine. These factors include epigenetic modifications of the MEFV gene and other …

Electrospun Nanofiber Scaffolds For In Vitro 3d Tissue Engineering, Victoria E. Santillan, Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao, Stephanie Bule, Ronish M. Shrestha, Carter Rodzik, Alan Mendoza Estrada, Stephen L. Farias, Marina Tanasova, Smitha Rao

Michigan Tech Publications

Tissue engineering is widely used in research for investigating cellular proliferation, behavior, and responses to various stimuli. However, the predictive value of preclinical studies using cell culture plates is limited by the inability to recapitulate the complexity of the physiological microenvironment. Synthetic three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds can be engineered to mimic the complex morphology of the extracellular matrix of native tissues and can serve as physiologically relevant platforms for preclinical studies. In this study, 3D electrospun scaffolds were characterized to aid in breast cancer research. Unlike previous studies that focused primarily on scaffold fabrication or cell viability, this work systematically evaluates …

Plant-Derived Bioactives, The Gut-Brain Axis, And Neurodegenerative Diseases: Mechanistic Roles Of Diet-Microbiota Interactions, Ashley Reynolds, Ethan Glenn, Brigitte Lavoie, Suzanne L. Ishaq, Yanyan Li

Pharmacy Faculty Scholarship

Diet is increasingly recognized as a potential upstream modulator of the gut-brain axis (GBA) through its effects on the microbiome, microbial metabolites, and host immune and endocrine responses. The GBA is a complex, bidirectional network connecting the gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system, with diet influencing microbial community structure and metabolic output. Plant-based diets, such as Mediterranean and MIND, have been associated with increased production of anti-inflammatory microbial metabolites and improved barrier function, while high calorie/low nutrient diets are often linked to increased immune activation and barrier dysfunction. However, while microbial metabolites, especially short-chain fatty acids, indoles, bile acids, and …

Superman And Coca-Cola, Karen Pepper

Dublin Gastronomy Symposium

One crisis we currently face is the rising incidence of diabetes worldwide, arguably due to the inclusion of sugar, in one form or another, in nearly all processed foods. Superman and Coca Cola, two symbols prominent in the American cultural landscape, suggest an association of sugar consumption and power. Indeed, sweetness appeals to us both as a taste and as a concept, and sugar, accordingly, is often marketed not as nourishing but as empowering. Superman may seem far removed from discussions of food. However, the possibility of acquiring greater-than-human strength was apparently uppermost in the minds of mid-twentieth century Americans, …

Middle Management Diplomacy: An Examination Of Us Foreign Policy Analysis In Middle-Echelon Diplomatic Professionals, Isaac R. Silvino

Master's Theses

This study analyzes the role which managerial level U.S. military Foreign Area Officers and Foreign Service Officers play in shaping and implementing U.S. foreign policy. By analyzing the individual professional at the middle-echelons of an organizational hierarchy, we make an effort in dispelling ourselves from obscured perceptions of IR centered on character and state idealization driven narratives. Doing this may help bridge the foundational gap between academics and practitioners while shifting towards a paradigm of IR analysis focusing on human agency and decisions.

Result

Individual managerial echelon diplomats do not directly make policy, but rather play a crucial role in …

Slouching Towards Inefficiency? The Cardiometabolic And Cognitive Costs Of Poor Posture, Ava Mae Fitzenrider

Honors Projects

Posture affects all of our lives. It is both static and dynamic, adapting continuously to environmental demands. One postural alteration frequently observed in occupational settings is hyperkyphosis, which can be induced by sitting position. During computer use, individuals commonly adopt a slouched posture, which can exacerbate hyperkyphosis, and contribute to dis-ease within the body. Previous research has demonstrated that such postural deviations can negatively affect pulmonary function, as well as other bodily functions. Despite these findings, the effects of acute hyperkyphosis (“slouching”) on cardiometabolic function and cognition remain largely unexplored. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the …