Developing Three-Dimensional (3d) Skin Models To Study The Interaction Between The Skin Microbiome And Immune Cells In Chronic Wounds, Laith Basch, Asha Gopu, Hannah Welp, Mahnoor Mukarram, Precious Ochuwa Imokhai, Kim Huynh, Shantanu Amin, Randy Jacobs

Student Publications

Developing three-dimensional (3D) skin models provides a physiologically relevant platform to investigate the dynamic interactions between the skin microbiome and immune cells in chronic wounds, offering insights into delayed healing, persistent inflammation, and microbial dysbiosis. Traditional in vitro models fail to replicate the complex architecture of human skin and its immune-microbiome crosstalk, motivating the development of biomimetic systems that incorporate stratified epidermal layers, dermal fibroblasts, and innate immune components such as macrophages and neutrophils. Engineered 3D skin constructs inoculated with wound-associated microbiota, including Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Cutibacterium acnes, can reveal how biofilm formation, quorum sensing, …

Prepration And Characterization Of Alginate Biocomposite Films From Natural Seaweed Containing Glycerol And Silica, Bahareh Ebrahimi Mojaveri

Master's Theses

This study focuses on the development of sodium alginate, a seaweed-derived biopolymer, as a sustainable alternative to conventional food packaging films. The alginate is extracted from natural brown seaweed with a yield of 31% and is formed into alginate films by the solution casting method. This study discusses the alginate extraction and film formation techniques as well as the conditions that affect film properties. Additionally, it explores using composite formulations to enhance alginate properties through additives such as glycerol and silica. Glycerol, tested at different concentrations (15, 25, and 50 wt.%), works as a plasticizer to enhance the flexibility of …

Time Series Analysis Of Temperature And Pollen Exposure On Asthma Outcomes In Atlanta, Georgia, Victoria Okereke-Viktorsson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The effects of climate change contribute to volatile temperature changes, which coupled with pollen exposure pose a significant threat to asthmatic people, potentially impacting methods for asthma management. The purpose of this ecological time-series study was to use the carbon dioxide theory of climate change, Dutch hypothesis, and social ecological model to estimate the relationship between average temperature and average pollen concentrations on average asthma morbidity outcomes for adults living in metropolitan Atlanta from 2020 to 2022 (N = 37,913). Results varied in terms of years, socioeconomic status (SES) vulnerability, gender, and racial group. Overall, a linear regression model revealed …

Simbinder-If: Structure-Aware Antibody Affinity Optimization Via Efficient Preference Learning, Xinyan Zhao, Yi-Ching Tang, Rivaaj Monsia, Victor J Cantu, Ashwin Kumar Ramesh, Siyu Yang, Xiaozhong Liu, Zhiqiang An, Xiaoqian Jiang, Yejin Kim

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Motivation: Antibody therapeutic efficacy depends on high-affinity target engagement, yet laboratory affinity maturation is slow and costly. Most protein language models (PLMs) lack explicit training for high affinity, and current preference optimization methods introduce computational overhead without clear affinity improvements. Therefore, structure-aware and parameter-efficient approaches for antibody affinity optimization are urgently needed.

Results: We propose SimBinder-IF, a structure-aware antibody optimization model trained by freezing the Evolutionary Scale Modeling inverse folding (ESM-IF) structure encoder and fine-tuning only its decoder via Simple Preference Optimization (SimPO) to prefer stronger binders. In generalization tests across seven held-out complexes (93 477 mutants), SimBinder-IF shows a …

Can Machines Testify? Llms And The Boundaries Of Testimonial Epistemology, Michael J. Cummins

Philosophy Summer Fellows

As Large Language Models and AI chatbots become increasingly prevalent, pressing questions are raised about whether beliefs formed through LLM interactions carry the same epistemic weight as beliefs formed through human testimony. How we answer this question depends on whether LLMs can function as testifiers, a role which is typically assumed to require a human or human-like agent. This assumption has gone largely unexamined, yet its consequences are significant: if LLM outputs cannot constitute testimony, then the justificatory tools of testimonial epistemology are unavailable to any beliefs formed through LLM interaction. This paper challenges that assumption. It first argues that …

Kras-Independent Factors Drive Pi3k Signaling And Circumvent The Necessity Of Kras-Driven Pi3k Activation In Pdac, Lucas Christopher Bialousow

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has one of the lowest five-year survival rates among cancers and is characterized by near-ubiquitous occurrence of oncogenic KRAS mutations. Oncogenic KRAS activates several downstream pathways, including ERK 1/2 MAPK and PI3K, which are critical for PDAC. However, accumulating evidence suggests that PI3K activity can be maintained independent of oncogenic KRAS. The high prevalence of KRAS^G12R in PDAC challenges the prevailing model of KRAS-driven PI3K activation, as this mutant is defective in direct engagement with PI3Kα. These observations raise important questions regarding how PI3K signaling is sustained in PDAC. Here, we investigated KRAS-independent mechanisms that …

An Examination Of Spatial Structure In The Faunal Composition Of Mesopelagic Fish Assemblages Across The Open-Ocean Gulf Of Mexico, Including Possible Transitions Near The Oceanic Rim, Bianca Ruiz

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The Gulf of Mexico harbors a unique pelagic ecoregion, recognized for its diverse assemblages of mesopelagic fishes (200 – 1000 m depth distribution during daytime), which play a crucial role in deep-ocean food web dynamics. While mesopelagic fishes are well documented in the Gulf, little is known about how assemblage distribution patterns change where the oceanic domain meets the continental slope domain, a region dubbed the ‘oceanic rim.’ In the northern and eastern Gulf, a spatially extensive pelagic sampling and analysis program provides an opportunity to investigate onshore-offshore gradients in oceanic fish distributions. This thesis examined the nature of surficial …

Dupilumab For Patients With Allergic Fungal Rhinosinusitis, Amber U Luong, Joshua M Levy, Sarah K Wise, Joseph K Han, Mamoru Yoshikawa, Luo Zhang, Rodney Schlosser, Prerna Ranganathan, Paula Dakin, Jennifer Maloney, George D Yancopoulos, Andrew P Fontenot, Neelam A Phadke, Lacey R Robinson

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Background: Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) is a severe subtype of chronic rhinosinusitis characterized by fungal hypersensitivity and accentuated type 2 inflammation. Dupilumab-a fully human mAb blocking IL-4/13, approved for type 2 inflammatory diseases, including chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps-may benefit patients with AFRS.

Objective: We sought to understand the effect of dupilumab in AFRS.

Methods: In this phase 3 trial, patients with AFRS age ≥6 years were randomized to dupilumab or matched placebo for 52 weeks. The primary end point was Lund-Mackay computed tomography score, quantifying sinus opacification, at 52 weeks. Secondary end points were multiplicity-controlled and hierarchically tested.

Results: …

Effects Of Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy On Dental Plaque Microbiome, Qingguo Wang, Bing-Yan Wang, Derek Wilus, Hua Xie

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease affecting approximately 40% of U.S. adults aged 30 years and older, is characterized by dysbiosis of the dental plaque microbiome. However, although scaling and root planing (SRP) is the cornerstone of periodontal treatment, its effects on the taxonomic composition and functional potential of the dental plaque microbiome remain incompletely understood. In this study, we used whole-metagenome shotgun sequencing to characterize taxonomic composition and functional potential in dental plaque microbiomes collected from 39 patients with Stage II or III generalized periodontitis before and 3–4 months after SRP. Consistent with clinical improvement, periodontal therapy significantly reduced probing …

Pick Up The Pieces: Multicultural Men’S Experiences Of Represenentation And Belonging In Higher Education, Lucion Armani Fuller

Master's Theses

To examine how multicultural students experience identity, representation, and belonging within U.S. higher education structured around monoracial classification systems, the present study interviewed six self-identified multicultural male college students. Drawing on Frantz Fanon’s concept of identity fragmentation and Critical Multiracial Theory, the study explored how institutional categorization and racialized perception shape lived experiences of identity formation and misrecognition. Using semi-structured interviews and reflexive thematic analysis informed by interpretive phenomenology, participant narratives were analyzed to understand how identity is negotiated within institutional spaces. The study has three themes. The first is experiencing imposed identity and racial misrecognition. The second is navigating …

Evaluation Of Microwave Treatment Of Pfos-Laden Granular Activated Carbon, Rachel Melo Fonseca

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the microwave treatment as a potential regeneration approach for PFOS-laden granular activated carbon (GAC). PFOS was used as a model legacy PFAS, and calcium was selected to examine how inorganic constituents may influence PFAS loading and fluorine behavior during treatment. Microwave temperature profiling showed that GAC temperatures increased with treatment time and power level, reaching approximately 400-950°C. Selected microwave conditions reduced PFOS-derived extractable organic fluorine (EOF), with apparent EOF reduction increasing from 65.5% after 1 min to 96.8% after 4 min. Calcium increased PFOS-derived EOF loading before microwave treatment but did not show a consistent effect on …

From Seductress To Sovereign: A Reassessment Of Cleopatra Vii’S Power, Gender, And Historic Representation, Jordan L. Myrick

History Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

Cleopatra VII is one of the most famous women in history. As Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BCE and a major player in the Augustan age, she had the power to change the fate of empires. Despite her powerful position in history, however, Cleopatra’s historical narrative is often focused on the alliances that surrounded her. She has been portrayed as a seductive ruler who snared Julius Caesar and Marcus Antonius and whose drive for power led to the downfall of her kingdom. This original image of Cleopatra seems to have stemmed from the Augustan …

Maintaining Excellence Under Pressure: The Stress–Performance Paradox In A Multi-Campus State University System, Rico D. De Asis Dr.

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: This study examines how multiple stress dimensions (levels, sources, effects, and coping mechanisms) relate to teaching performance in resource-constrained Southeast Asian public higher education, addressing the geographic concentration of faculty stress research in Western contexts.

Methods: Using multiple regression analysis with 80 permanent faculty members across three campuses of a state university system, I assessed relationships between stress factors and teaching performance. The study employed validated stress assessment instruments examining stress levels, sources (student, teacher, environment, work-related), effects (self, family, work), and coping mechanisms.

Results: Self effects of stress demonstrated the strongest negative relationship with teaching performance (R² …

Batik Motifs For The Distinctive Jarik Of The Samin Community In Reinterpreting The Essence Of Samin Surosentiko Pitutur Luhur, Sugeng Wardoyo, Aryo Anggorojati, Tri Wulandari

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

The Samin community (Sedulur Sikep) in Margomulyo, Bojonegoro, has the value of Pitutur Luhur inherited by Samin Surosentiko, but it has not been represented in the batik jarik motif as a communal identity. This creation-based research aims to explore this value, realize it in the design of written batik, and examine its philosophical meaning as an effort to preserve intangible cultural heritage. The method used is practice-based research with a qualitative approach through literature study (ethical data), participatory observation, and in-depth interviews with elders (emic data). The creation process refers to the stages of experimentation, manekung, and the formation of …

Hippocampal “Timing Interval Cells” Exhibit Scalable Dynamics For Explicit Timing, Kori-Anne Citrin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ability to organize experiences in time is fundamental to episodic memory and enables animals to predict and guide future behavior. Hippocampal time cells are thought to provide a neural representation for the temporal component of memory. However, time cells have been observed in working memory tasks where animals were not required to keep track of elapsed time. Therefore, it remains unclear what are the hippocampal patterns of activity during explicit timing. Here, utilizing behavioral perturbations and calcium imaging in dorsal CA1, we identified a previously unknown pyramidal neuron subpopulation that flexibly scales its activity during explicit timing. As head-fixed …

Using Greater Resilience Information Toolkit As A Transformative Strategy For Native American Women, Kathy Prue-Owens, Marie Zephier, Lauren Shaw, Nicole Weis

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background/Purpose: Native Americans (NAs) exhibit lower quality of life due to poverty, inadequate health services, historica/ongoing discrimination. NA women are underrepresented when it comes to the epidemic of violence, mental health and wellness outcomes.The purpose of this mixed method study was to explore the relationship between Native American (NA) women cultural beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions by gathering cultural input on the Greater Resilience Information Toolkit (GRIT) program.

Methods: This is a mixed-method community-based participatory research (CBPR) study. Self-efficacy is the theoretical framework. Upon Institutional Review Board approvals, flyers were posted at the tribal wellness center. Prior to focus groups, participants …

Analisis Makna Denotatif, Konotatif, Dan Struktur Harmoni Pada Lagu Rabiya Karya Duane Fatri Rasfaesia, Rohid Atana, Tutut Pristianti

Journal of Language, Literature, and Arts

This study aims to analyze the denotative and connotative meanings, as well as the harmonic structure, in the song Rabiya by Duane Fatri Rasfaesia. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed using Roland Barthes' semiotic theory to examine the meanings embedded in the lyrics and harmony theory to analyze the song's musical structure. The research data consisted of the song lyrics and harmonic composition. Data were collected through literature review, interviews, and documentation. Interviews were conducted with the songwriter, a Sumbawa community leader, and listeners to strengthen the interpretation of the findings. Data trustworthiness was established through source and technique triangulation, …

Hospital-Acquired Infections Among Hispanic Diabetic Patients: Considering Geographic And Substance Use Factors In Southern Puerto Rico, Fabian A. Ramirez Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) remain a major cause of preventable morbidity, mortality, and healthcare utilization among hospitalized patients. Limited research has examined the relationship between diabetes and HAIs in Puerto Rican populations. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its association with HAI characteristics and hospitalization outcomes among patients in southern Puerto Rico. The chronic care model provided a framework for evaluating whether diabetes status, geographic location, and substance use were associated with outcomes. Data were obtained through retrospective review of electronic health records from N = 846 patients …

“He Had Named Himself The Stranger”: From 'Germanic' Heroic Hospitality To Elvish Memorial Mediation In Tolkien’S Book Of Lost Tales, Paolo Pizzimento Dr.

Journal of Tolkien Research

This article examines the narrative functions of strangeness and hospitality in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Book of Lost Tales, focusing on Eriol’s transformation from foreign traveller into listener, witness, and transmitter of Elvish tradition. Through a comparative reading of selected Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon texts—particularly Hávamál, Gylfaginning, and Beowulf—it identifies recurrent literary configurations in which hospitality regulates admission, identity, reciprocity, danger, and access to knowledge. The comparison is morphological rather than genetic: it does not posit direct derivation or a uniform Germanic code. Drawing on Jan Assmann’s theory of cultural memory, the article argues that Tolkien redirects …

Implant Prosthodontics At The Vcu School Of Dentistry, David R. Burns Dmd, John W. Unger Dds, W. Tyler Haynes

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Pharmaceutical Drug Regulation After Loper Bright, Aleja Norton-Abad

DePaul Law Review

No abstract provided.

Introduction: The Folklore And Ethnology Of Antisemitism, Simon J. Bronner

Jewish Folklore and Ethnology

A global rise in incidents and beliefs in the twenty-first century that monitoring and polling organizations label “antisemitic” raises several questions addressed by contributors to this special issue. A basic one is definitional regarding discourse about the shifting meaning of antisemitism in light of post-Holocaust events and digital age communication. A historical question is whether contemporary forms of antisemitism are connected to or a break from the term’s nineteenth-century roots. Related to that issue in modern discourse is whether antisemitism is an umbrella concept or separate from anti-Judaism, anti-Jewish, anti-Israel, and anti-Zionism movements. The materials of folklore—both as esoteric forms …

Design And Structural Architecture Of A Non-Equilibrium Hydrothermal Liquefaction Reactor Utilizing Multi-Stage Wave-Field Catalysis And Fluidized Acoustic Boundary Transport, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

This technical design paper presents the formalized architecture for a continuous-flow, process-intensified Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) system designed to convert heterogeneous, highly viscous organic waste streams—such as municipal sewage sludge, microplastics, and halogenated industrial wastes—into drop-in synthetic biocrude and valuable chemical fractions.

Legacy HTL systems suffer from severe, interlocking mechanical liabilities: thermal boundary-layer coking, flow stagnation, extreme chloride/fluoride corrosion, and rapid catalytic deactivation via structural sintering. This architecture systematically bypasses these limits by abandoning static reactor geometry and internal dynamic mechanical components.

The physical configuration relies on a vertical, gravity-assisted cascade of high-pressure, un-equilibrated spherical reaction vessels constructed from high-performance alloys …

Building A Self-Reinforcing Open-Hardware Engineering Ecosystem A Modular Systems Method Where Every New Invention Strengthens The Entire Portfolio, Michael Victor Caldwell Mr.

Defensive Publications Series

 Most inventions are developed as isolated systems. A different approach is possible: designing an interconnected engineering ecosystem where each invention is built from reusable modules, and every improvement to a shared module strengthens multiple systems across the portfolio.

This document describes a methodology for creating self-reinforcing open-hardware architectures through modular design, shared subsystems, cross-domain integration, and continuous refinement.

The goal is not to replace traditional engineering validation. Instead, this approach creates a structured pathway where concepts become easier to prototype, evaluate, improve, and adapt through shared engineering foundations.

Tdc Disclosure #7 — Fertilizer & Soil Amendment System (Cvnr‑A1.5 Integration) Caldwell Fertilizer & Soil Amendment System (Fsas‑1.0) A Mobile + Industrial Open‑Hardware Mineralized Fertilizer Pellet And Soil‑Rebuilding System Using Disaster Debris, Flood Silt, Bio‑Char, And Organics, Michael Victor Caldwell Mr.

Defensive Publications Series

The Caldwell Fertilizer & Soil Amendment System (FSAS‑1.0) is a mobile + industrial open‑hardware architecture designed to convert disaster debris — including flood silt, clay, organics, bio‑char, sewage organics, wood fibers, and mineral waste — into high‑value fertilizer pellets and soil‑rebuilding amendments using the inventor’s CVNR‑A1.5 Mineralized Fertilizer System.

FSAS‑1.0 produces:

• mineralized fertilizer pellets

• bio‑char soil enhancers

• silt‑clay soil amendments

• organic‑mineral blends

• erosion‑control pellets

• reforestation support pellets

These products support agricultural recovery, reforestation, erosion control, and long‑term soil health after disasters.

Tdc Disclosure #6 — Composite Lumber Manufacturing System (Veti‑3.0 Integration) Caldwell Composite Lumber Manufacturing System (Clms‑1.0) A Mobile + Industrial Open‑Hardware Vortex‑Aligned Composite Lumber Production System Using Disaster Wood Debris, Trees, And Cellulose Waste, Michael Victor Caldwell Mr.

Defensive Publications Series

The Caldwell Composite Lumber Manufacturing System (CLMS‑1.0) is a mobile + industrial open‑hardware architecture designed to convert disaster wood debris — including broken studs, soaked lumber, fallen trees, branches, plywood fragments, cabinetry, furniture, and cellulose waste — into high‑strength composite lumber using the inventor’s VETI‑3.0 (Vortex Ejector Tip Integrated) system.

CLMS‑1.0 produces lumber that is:

• stronger than dimensional lumber

• mold‑resistant

• warp‑resistant

• termite‑resistant

• fire‑resistant

• flood‑resistant

• extremely low‑cost

• made entirely from debris

This lumber can be used to rebuild homes, bridges, shelters, municipal buildings, and critical infrastructure.

Tdc Disclosure #5 — Structural Block Manufacturing System (Sanitized Block‑2.0 Integration) Caldwell Structural Block Manufacturing System (Sbms‑1.0) A Mobile + Industrial Open‑Hardware Gyroid‑Lattice Structural Block Production System Using Disaster Debris As Feedstock, Michael Victor Caldwell Mr.

Defensive Publications Series

The Caldwell Structural Block Manufacturing System (SBMS‑1.0) is a mobile + industrial open‑hardware architecture designed to convert disaster debris — including concrete, brick, stone, drywall, wood fibers, silt, clay, and mixed aggregates — into high‑strength gyroid‑lattice structural blocks using the inventor’s Sanitized Block‑2.0 system.

SBMS‑1.0 produces structural blocks that are:

• stronger than concrete blocks

• lighter

• mold‑resistant

• fire‑resistant

• flood‑resistant

• thermally stable

• extremely low‑cost

• made entirely from debris

These blocks can be used to rebuild homes, schools, municipal buildings, and critical infrastructure.

Tdc Disclosure #4 — On‑Site Water Purification System (Phoenix‑Water Integration) Caldwell On‑Site Water Purification System (Owps‑1.0) A Mobile + Industrial Open‑Hardware Multi‑Stage Pfas, Pathogen, And Microplastic Reduction Engine For Floodwater, Sewage‑Contaminated Water, And Disaster‑Zone Hydrology, Michael Victor Caldwell Mr.

Defensive Publications Series

The Caldwell On‑Site Water Purification System (OWPS‑1.0) is a mobile + industrial open‑hardware architecture designed to convert floodwater, sewage‑contaminated water, storm runoff, and mixed disaster‑zone hydrology into clean, safe, PFAS‑free water suitable for:

• construction

• equipment washing

• dust control

• agricultural irrigation

• soil stabilization

• industrial cleaning

• emergency non‑potable use

OWPS‑1.0 integrates multiple Caldwell inventions:

• Phoenix‑Water Engine‑2.0 — multi‑stage atmospheric + cavitation purification

• Sentinel‑AV‑1 — PFAS/microplastic destruction

• VMR Titan‑2.0 — pathogen reduction

• GCI‑v3.1.2 — pre‑sorting and conditioning

• SPVTS‑1.1 — intake and sanitation

OWPS‑1.0 is designed for rapid deployment, off‑grid operation, and integration with Mobile Processing Units (MPU‑1.0) and State Reclamation Centers (CRC‑1.0).

Mapping Media Literacy Assessment: A Systematic Review To Connect The Dots, Lara Azar, Casey Frechette, Hafsa Zia, Joy Amulya

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The goal of this study was to address persistent challenges in assessing media literacy by reviewing assessments developed between 2011 and 2020. We combined landscape analysis, research synthesis, and grounded theory to select assessments, identify key attributes, iteratively code, analyze, and create an integrated synthesis of approaches to media literacy assessments. The analysis classified media literacy constructs by learning dimension (knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors) and participation mode (consumption, engagement, creation). The results showed that while most assessments focused on consumption-oriented constructs, engagement- and creation-oriented constructs were also included. Assessments primarily served three research purposes: evaluating media literacy levels in populations, …

How To Incorporate Media Literacy Into General Education Curricula, Dennis O. Frohlich, David Magolis

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Media literacy scholars have long championed the inclusion of media literacy courses in all levels of education, from K-12 to collegiate levels. Universities’ general education curricula are one possible site for inclusion of a media literacy course. However, with each discipline vying for a spot in a university’s general education system, a course in media literacy can easily be overlooked or excluded. In this paper, we detail our efforts to successfully incorporate several media literacy courses into our university’s general education curriculum. This is a process we went through twice under two different general education systems. This paper will detail …