Digital Commons Network^™

Improving Data Visualization Skills: A Curriculum Design, Daniel A. Asamoah

Management Information Systems Faculty Publications

It is unclear whether the data visualization skills possessed by data-centric practitioners reflect recent advances in computing systems and visual design principles, and their role in generating relevant and insightful output to support decision-making. In this study, the author presents a curriculum designed for teaching basic and advanced concepts in data visualization. The author used the survey method to examine whether respondents perceived the pedagogic approach to have enhanced their data visualization competence. The findings indicate preference for a hands- on pedagogic approach to learning data visualization as compared to an entirely theory-based approach. Furthermore, different components of the pedagogic …

Small Heat Shock Protein 22 Improves Cognition And Learning In The Tauopathic Brain, Santiago Rodriguez Ospina, Danielle M. Blazier, Marangelie Criado-Marrero, Lauren A. Gould, Niad T. Gebru, David Beaulieu-Abdelahad, Xinming Wang, Elizabeth Remily-Wood, Dale Chaput, Stanley Stevens Jr., Vladimir N. Uversky, Paula C. Bickford, Chad Anthony Dickey, Laura J. Blair

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

The microtubule-associated protein tau pathologically accumulates and aggregates in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other tauopathies, leading to cognitive dysfunction and neuronal loss. Molecular chaperones, like small heat-shock proteins (sHsps), can help deter the accumulation of misfolded proteins, such as tau. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the overexpression of wild-type Hsp22 (wtHsp22) and its phosphomimetic (S24,57D) Hsp22 mutant (mtHsp22) could slow tau accumulation and preserve memory in a murine model of tauopathy, rTg4510. Our results show that Hsp22 protected against deficits in synaptic plasticity and cognition in the tauopathic brain. However, we did not detect a significant change in tau …

Ibuprofen Favors Binding Of Amyloid-Β Peptide To Its Depot, Serum Albumin, Ekaterina A. Litus, Alexei S. Kazakov, Eugenia I. Deryusheva, Ekaterina L. Nemashkalova, Marina P. Shevelyova, Andrey V. Machulin, Aliya A. Nazipova, Maria E. Permyakova, Vladimir N. Uversky, Sergei E. Permyakov

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

The deposition of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) in the brain is a critical event in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This Aβ deposition could be prevented by directed enhancement of Aβ binding to its natural depot, human serum albumin (HSA). Previously, we revealed that specific endogenous ligands of HSA improve its affinity to monomeric Aβ. We show here that an exogenous HSA ligand, ibuprofen (IBU), exerts the analogous effect. Plasmon resonance spectroscopy data evidence that a therapeutic IBU level increases HSA affinity to monomeric Aβ40/Aβ42 by a factor of 3–5. Using thioflavin T fluorescence assay and transmission electron microcopy, we …

Sars-Cov-2 Intermittent Virulence As A Result Of Natural Selection, Alberto Rubio-Casillas, Elrashdy M. Redwan, Vladimir N. Uversky

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

For the first time in history, we have witnessed the origin and development of a pandemic. To handle the accelerated accumulation of viral mutations and to comprehend the virus’ evolutionary adaptation in humans, an unparalleled program of genetic sequencing and monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 variants has been undertaken. Several scientists have theorized that, with the Omicron surge producing a more contagious but less severe disease, the end of COVID-19 is near. However, by analyzing the behavior shown by this virus for 2 years, we have noted that pandemic viruses do not always show decreased virulence. Instead, it appears there is an …

Early Taurine Administration As A Means For Halting The Cytokine Storm Progression In Covid-19 Patients, Alberto Rubio-Casillas, Ramesh C. Gupta, Elrashdy M. Redwan, Vladimir N. Uversky, Raied A. Badierah

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Around the world, more than 6.2 million individuals have died as a result of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). According to a recent survey conducted among immunologists, epidemiologists, and virologists, this disease is expected to become endemic. This implies that the disease could have a continuous presence and/or normal frequency in the population. Pharmacological interventions to prevent infection, as well as to treat the patients at an early phase of illness to avoid hospitalization are essential additions to the vaccines. Taurine is known to inhibit the generation of all inflammatory mediators linked to the cytokine storm. It can also protect against …

Nanoparticles For Coronavirus Control, Maryam Kianpour, Mohsen Akbarian, Vladimir N. Uversky

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

More than 2 years have passed since the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak began, and many challenges that existed at the beginning of this pandemic have been solved. Some countries have been able to overcome this global challenge by relying on vaccines against the virus, and vaccination has begun in many countries. Many of the proposed vaccines have nanoparticles as carriers, and there are different nano-based diagnostic approaches for rapid detection of the virus. In this review article, we briefly examine the biology of SARS-CoV-2, including the structure of the virus and what makes it pathogenic, as well as describe biotechnological methods of …

Entry Nr. 014 Domingos Alvares, Aaron Spencer Fogleman, Robert Hanserd

500 African Voices

No abstract provided.

Entry Nr. 328 Alejandro Congo, Aaron Spencer Fogleman, Robert Hanserd

500 African Voices

No abstract provided.

Sars-Cov-2: A Master Of Immune Evasion, Alberto Rubio-Casillas, Elrashdy M. Redwan, Vladimir N. Uversky

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Viruses and their hosts have coevolved for a long time. This coevolution places both the pathogen and the human immune system under selective pressure; on the one hand, the immune system has evolved to combat viruses and virally infected cells, while viruses have developed sophisticated mechanisms to escape recognition and destruction by the immune system. SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that is causing the current COVID-19 pandemic, has shown a remarkable ability to escape antibody neutralization, putting vaccine efficacy at risk. One of the virus’s immune evasion strategies is mitochondrial sabotage: by causing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial physiology is impaired, …

Hepatitis C Virus Infection And Intrinsic Disorder In The Signaling Pathways Induced By Toll-Like Receptors, Elrashdy M. Redwan, Abdullah A. Aljadawi, Vladimir N. Uversky

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

In this study, we examined the interplay between protein intrinsic disorder, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and signaling pathways induced by Toll-like receptors (TLRs). To this end, 10 HCV proteins, 10 human TLRs, and 41 proteins from the TLR-induced downstream pathways were considered from the prevalence of intrinsic disorder. Mapping of the intrinsic disorder to the HCV-TLR interactome and to the TLR-based pathways of human innate immune response to the HCV infection demonstrates that substantial levels of intrinsic disorder are characteristic for proteins involved in the regulation and execution of these innate immunity pathways and in HCV-TLR interaction. Disordered regions, …

The Peacock Dress: The Language Of British Imperialism In India, 1899-1905, Rebecca Onken

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

This essay aims to discuss the actualization of the imperialist language through the Peacock Dress of Lady Mary Curzon, the new viceroy’s wife in the British colonial India. As the essay argues, the Peacock Dress holds within it a history of appropriation, not appreciation. It highlights the unique colonizing language of the British rule, the racist cloaked as ‘civilizing’ sentiments of the West, the subjugation of the Indian textile industry, and the manifold ways that the British turned their Indian subjects into a colonial Other.

A Bad Time To Name Your Pet: Pet Names In The Age Of Witches, Evan Velez

Emerging Writers

In early America, there were many strange superstitions about witches. Colonists looked for all sorts of forms of witchcraft “evidence”. According to The Penguin Book of Witches, the nature of pet names may have served as an unconscious form of evidence (Howe 239). While the author thought of this suggestion as a form of social logic, this essay investigates it as a phenomenon of language. Pet names had a key role in influencing negative feelings towards animals labeled as “familiars.” This affected colonists’ perceptions of an animal, and resulted in the familiar eventually becoming a hated “pet.”

Collectivistic Independence In Children's Picture Books, Andrea Badger

Children's Book Writing and Illustrating (MFA) Theses

In an individualist society, the usefulness of collectivist ideas can often be overlooked. This is potentially because individualism and collectivism have been incorrectly framed as oppositional. This thesis examines themes of individualism and collectivism in children's’ picture books by using the psychological concepts of individualism, collectivism, idiocentrism and allocentrism. Picture books examined include: The Lorax and Horton Hears a Who!, by Dr. Seuss, Swimmy, by Leo Lionni, What Do People Do All Day?, by Richard Scarry, and Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister. This thesis studies how individualism and collectivism interact with each other within a story, and proposes …

The Face Of A Skull Shifting: A Poetry Comic, Leo Munoz

Theses & ETDs

No abstract provided.

Me And My Ve 2022: Human Factors Applications Using Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality, And Virtual Environments, Randall Spain, Shannon K. T. Bailey, Benjamin Goldberg, Robert Sall, Kendall Carmody, Cherrise Ficke, Allison Bayro, Heejin Jeong, Jihoon Kim, W. Hong Yeo, Rosemarie Figueroa-Jacinto, Zachary Pugh, Chris Mayhorn, Aaron Gluck, Sarah Beadle, Amanda Bond

Aeronautics Student Publications

This abstract is a companion piece to the ninth iteration of the “Me and My VE'' interactive session. The purpose of this alternative format session is to allow human factors researchers to demonstrate how they use virtual reality, mixed reality, and virtual environments to support end-user research. The session begins with each presenter providing a brief introduction of their virtual reality, mixed reality, or virtual environment application. After this introduction, attendees engage with the presenters and their virtual environments in an interactive demonstration period. This year’s demonstrations include applications ranging from designing virtual environments for accessibility to using virtual and …

"Adapt Or Die": How Young Millennials Are Surviving The Threat Of Ontological Insecurity, Nathalie Marx

Scripps Senior Theses

Postmodernity has been dictated by a thirst for advancement, efficiency, and discovery. It has also created unimaginable risk: threats of nuclear war, frightening climate events, unreliable economic systems. This thesis investigates the tension between external risks, threat of future instability, and individual action and resistance. Through an analysis of twelve in-depth interviews with young millennials, I suggest that through perceived “zones of security,” individuals develop cognitive schemata to calculate the probability of their own, and others’, ontological continuity. This paper contributes to the scarce collection of sociological literature that represents the modern, intersecting crises which might contribute to a culture …

Understanding Caribou Population Cycles, Jack R. St. John

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

The complex population dynamics of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) were studied to determine the patterns of their population cycles and the processes driving them. It is well established, via previous archaeological research and Indigenous knowledge, that large migrating caribou herds found in and around the tundra at northern latitudes experience population boom and busts roughly every several decades. However, the processes driving the dynamics of these cycles are relatively unknown, which makes managing caribou herds for recreational and subsistence harvests difficult. It has been hypothesized that a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors shape these cycles, with density-dependence, predation, …

Relating Habitat Use To Survival Of Oncorhynchus In Rock Creek And The Clark Fork River, Brett D. Traxler

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Westslope Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi (WCT) is a native trout species of conservation concern in Montana. Both migratory and resident life histories can be found in cutthroat from the same natal stream. Habitat degradation and hybridization with rainbow trout O. mykiss (RBT) have resulted in few genetically pure, migratory WCT populations persisting in large river systems. These WCT conservation populations are occurring more and more as isolated, resident populations in headwater streams. Rock Creek in Western MT has retained a unique population of migratory, non-hybridized WCT, and is of special conservation and ecological interest. As we work to protect …

Adult Female Grizzly Bear (Ursus Arctos Horribillis) Abundance And Distribution In Montana Fish, Wildlife, And Parks Region 2, Emily E. Ruta

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) are currently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Their status makes it crucial to understand the population status and trends of grizzly bears in Western Montana. The question we aimed to answer was: How many adult female grizzlies were there in Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) Region 2 during 2021? To answer this, we conducted an estimate of adult female grizzly bears in Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 2 in 2021 using photos and confirmed reports. Our study focused on females because they are readily identifiable and are an important indicator …

Preschoolers’ Electrodermal Activity And Story Comprehension During Print And Digital Shared Reading, Gabrielle Strouse, Steven R. Chesnut, Lisa Newland, Daniel Mourlam, Danielle Hertel, Brandon Nutting

School of Education Faculty Publications

Digital picture books are increasingly available for shared reading but reports on how children engage with them differ depending on the type of measurement used. The purpose of this study was to compare pre-readers’ engagement during print and digital shared reading and test whether engagement mediated the relation between children’s preference, familiarity with the stories, and media experience and their comprehension of the story. Using a within-subjects design with order and book title randomly assigned, we captured electrodermal activity from 83 children aged 3 to 5 years during shared print and digital reading with a researcher. We also asked children …

Hb 1150: Freedom To Farm Act, Wyatt Bazrod, Sarah Page

Georgia State University Law Review

The Act protects agricultural facilities, agricultural operations, and forest landowners from nuisance lawsuits after two years of operation. If a facility converts to a confined animal feeding operation, the two-year time period restarts.

Reflections On Teaching Constitutional Law In The Midst Of A Constitutional Crisis, Sean Kammer

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Merits Of Merit: Book Review, Neil Fulton

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Resisting The Mafia’S Oppression Through Children’S Literature, Giordana Poggiolo-Kaftan

Italian Languages and Literature

Attraverso l’analisi di quattro libri per l’infanzia ed adolescenza sulla mafia ed antimafia, questo articolo mette in risalto sia le funzioni narrative di tali racconti che quelle più propriamente sociali e culturali. Per l’analisi delle funzioni narrative, l’articolo si serve delle teorie strutturali di Vladimir Propp – soprattutto quelle relative alla persona drammatica dell’eroe e del “cattivo” – come delle teorie della narrazione del trauma. Queste ultime sono particolarmente favorevoli all’interpretazione degli orrori e tragedie causate dalla mafia nelle vite dei protagonisti. È proprio attraverso l’analisi delle funzioni narrative e letterarie che i racconti assumono il valore di testimonianze di …

Characterization Of The Blood Oxygen Level Dependent Hemodynamic Response Function In Human Subcortical Regions With High Spatiotemporal Resolution, Jung Hwan Kim, Amanda J Taylor, Marc Himmelbach, Gisela E Hagberg, Klaus Scheffler, David Ress

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Subcortical brain regions are absolutely essential for normal human function. These phylogenetically early brain regions play critical roles in human behaviors such as the orientation of attention, arousal, and the modulation of sensory signals to cerebral cortex. Despite the critical health importance of subcortical brain regions, there has been a dearth of research on their neurovascular responses. Blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional MRI (fMRI) experiments can help fill this gap in our understanding. The BOLD hemodynamic response function (HRF) evoked by brief (<4 >s) neural activation is crucial for the interpretation of fMRI results because linear analysis between neural …

Comparing Physiological Responses To Hot And Cold Stress In A Cnidarian–Algal Holobiont, Exaiptasia Diaphana, Nicole Capozzi, Eyananda Ahmed, Ezra Curtis, Olivia Grandbois, Dominique Kelly, Kadin Kristjansson, Natalie Morgan, Louis Schlecker, Rachel M. Wright

Other Student Projects

Coral bleaching—the breakdown of the cnidarian–algal symbiosis—is a major cause of reef decline. The sea anemone Exaiptasia diaphana, commonly known as Aiptasia, is used as a model to study cnidarian-algal symbiosis in laboratory settings. Aiptasia can live with or without symbionts, which allows scientists to study the host combined and separate from the influence of the symbionts. Scientists are able to trigger the breakdown of the symbiosis using heat or cold stress. Cold stress is more commonly used to render aposymbiotic Aiptasia because it seems to be less harmful to the host than bleaching under heat stress. Is cold …

Differential Gene Expression In Cord Blood Of Infants Diagnosed With Cerebral Palsy: A Pilot Analysis Of The Beam Cohort, Maria L V Dizon, Raye-Ann O Deregnier, Steven J Weiner, Michael W Varner, Dwight J Rouse, Maged M Costantine, Ronald J Wapner, John M Thorp, Sean C Blackwell, Nina K Ayala, Antonio F Saad, Steve N Caritis, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute Of Child Health And Human Development Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The Beneficial Effects of Antenatal Magnesium clinical trial was conducted between 1997 and 2007, and demonstrated a significant reduction in cerebral palsy (CP) in preterm infants who were exposed to peripartum magnesium sulfate (MgSO4). However, the mechanism by which MgSO4 confers neuroprotection remains incompletely understood. Cord blood samples from this study were interrogated during an era when next-generation sequencing was not widely accessible and few gene expression differences or biomarkers were identified between treatment groups. Our goal was to use bulk RNA deep sequencing to identify differentially expressed genes comparing the following four groups: newborns who ultimately developed CP treated …

Methodologies To Unlock The Molecular Expression And Cellular Structure Of Ocular Lens Epithelial Cells, Justin Parreno, Grace Emin, Michael P Vu, Jackson T Clark, Sandeep Aryal, Shaili D Patel, Catherine Cheng

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The transparent ocular lens in the anterior chamber of the eye is responsible for fine focusing of light onto the retina. The lens is entirely cellular with bulk of the tissue composed of fiber cells, and the anterior hemisphere of the lens is covered by a monolayer of epithelial cells. Lens epithelial cells are important for maintaining fiber cell homeostasis and for continual growth of the lens tissue throughout life. Cataracts, defined as any opacity in the lens, remain the leading cause of blindness in the world. Following cataract surgery, lens epithelial cells can undergo a process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition …

Uncomfortable Truths About Sovereignty And Wealth, Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Roger Williams University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Ahcc® Supplementation To Support Immune Function To Clear Persistent Human Papillomavirus Infections, Judith A Smith, Anjali A Gaikwad, Lata Mathew, Barbara Rech, Jonathan P Faro, Joseph A Lucci, Yu Bai, Randall J Olsen, Teresa T Byrd

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy, safety, and durability of the use of AHCC supplementation for 6 months to support the host immune system to clear high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. The AHCC supplement is a proprietary, standardized extract of cultured lentinula edodes mycelia (AHCC

STUDY DESIGN: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (CTN: NCT02405533) in 50 women over 30 years of age with confirmed persistent high-risk HPV infections for greater than 2 years. Patients were randomized to placebo once daily for 12 months (N = 25) or AHCC 3-g supplementation by mouth once daily on empty stomach for 6 …