Digital Commons Network^™

Prescience, Mustafa Yasar Ii

LMU Theses and Dissertations

In a society where one percent of the population can see into the future, a stubborn man who drinks alcohol to suppress his psychic powers is compelled to use his foresight when his brother disappears.

Attic Salt, 2022, Loyola Marymount University, The Honors Program

Attic Salt

No abstract provided.

A Rib Construct For Severe Spinal Deformity: Clinical, Biomechanical, Animal Studies, And Commercialization, Daniel James Bonthius

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Current treatments for early-onset spinal deformity (EOSD) have high complication rates and limited effectiveness. The rib construct (RC) is a novel technique for correcting early-onset spinal deformity. A series of hooks are used on the proximal superior ribs for proximal fixation to contour the thorax, with traditional fixation distally. Methods: The performance of the rib construct was evaluated in ex vivo biomechanical testing, an in vivo animal model, and a clinical study. An R-FIX (Rib-FIXation) System was developed based on these studies for optimization of the technique. Results: Ex vivo biomechanical testing showed that porcine spines instrumented with the …

Understanding The Role Of Brain Insulin Levels And Signaling In Post Stroke Cognitive Impairment, Crystal Smith

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Stroke is the leading cause of long term disability and has the potential to impact a person’s activities of daily life on a physical and cognitive level. Insulin resistance has been linked to increased risk of stroke recurrence, death, and poor outcome following stroke. Insulin resistance leads to decreased insulin transport into the brain. Insulin was thought to be primarily important for peripheral bodily function, however brain insulin has proven to improve memory and cognition as well as having neuroprotective properties. Brain insulin levels and increasing insulin in the brain has not been examined as a therapeutic model for improving …

Characteristics And Function Of Pvt Synaptic Inputs To Nac Cell Populations Following Opioid Use, Lisa Green

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

The posterior paraventricular thalamus (pPVT) plays a crucial role in reward-seeking behaviors due to its connectivity with brain structures which are important for reward processing, such as the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh). Previous studies have shown that PVT neurons form functional synapses with dopamine 1 receptor- (D1) and dopamine 2 receptor-expressing (D2) medium spiny neurons, as well as parvalbumin (PV) interneurons within NAc; however, how pPVT connections to downstream NAc (pPVT-NAc) neurons contribute to reward-seeking is unclear. While we have recently shown that pPVT-NAc can act to inhibit reward-seeking when it is inappropriate, it is unknown how pPVT downstream targets …

The Role Od Daf-12/ Nhr In Regulating C. Elegans Environment Sensing Through Osm-9/Trpv, Mary Ross

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

No abstract provided.

Visualizing 81: An Immersive Media And Community-Centered Approach To Revisit And Revisualize Syracuse's 15th Ward, Amanda Paule

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

No abstract provided.

The Challenges Of Climate Reporting In The 21st Century, G. Shetty

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

No abstract provided.

Does Hippotherapy Improve Gross Motor Function In Children With Cerebral Palsy?, Victoria I. Bockius

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not “Does hippotherapy improve gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy?”.

STUDY DESIGN: A systematic review of three randomized controlled trials (RCTs), with one being a randomized crossover trial. All three were published between 2015 and 2018.

DATA SOURCES: Three RCTs published in peer-reviewed journals were chosen from PubMed. The studies were selected based on their relevance to the clinical question.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The outcome measured was improvement in gross motor function. Either hip adductor spasticity using Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) or the Gross Motor Function …

Piecing It Together: Analysis And Treatment Of A Painted Silk Flag, Katya Zinsli

Art Conservation Master's Projects

Painted flags and banners lie at the intersection of painting and textile conservation. The 37^th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment’s battle flag from the Civil War presented challenges and advantages of bridging the two disciplines by providing an opportunity for study and experimentation for a graduate student from the Patricia H. and Richard E. Garman Art Conservation Department at SUNY Buffalo State College. This study was conducted to better understand the materials and degradation products present in a painted Civil War flag, which then informed the subsequent treatment of said flag. By characterizing the materials, the severe damage in …

Contextualizing And Reconstructing A Model Birch Bark Canoe, Jen Mikes

Art Conservation Master's Projects

To perform a well-informed conservation treatment on an object, it is crucial to understand its context, history, and significance. When an object presents with little provenance or context, it can be difficult to determine the course that its treatment should follow. In this project, a structurally unstable birch bark canoe model of unknown origin was examined, researched, and treated. The treatment campaign was customized for the object based on literature research, owner consultation, and materials experimentation. The canoe model was structurally stabilized with adhesive and adhesive reactivated Japanese tissue, it was locally humidified and reshaped with Gore-Tex sandwiches, and was …

Un-Portalable! An Animated Exploration In Boundaries And Relational Design, Ira Klages

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Un-Portalable! is an animated multimedia short film about two friends who become fused together after using a faulty teleporter. They attempt to conceal their deformity while simultaneously navigating a social situation with one of their friends. The main focus in the film is the concept that boundaries tend to become clearer as they begin to break. This conceptual focus merges into the visual theory of the film in which highly expressive character design and hybrid media utilization are driven by relational and narrative design choices. This film serves as a condensed pilot and proof of concept for a larger prospective …

The Universal Story: Coming-Of-Age In Contemporary Animation, Christina Christie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Cycles is a 3D animated short film about a father who struggles to keep up with his daughter as she races through life. Whereas most coming-of-age films focus solely on the journey of the adolescent, Cycles subverts the expectations of the genre by exploring the impact growing up has on both the parent and child in tandem. As a film, Cycles relies on the careful and deliberate use of tropes, informed character and environment design, and established cinematic devices to support the story's theme of accepting change. Though my personal experience inspired this film, it evolved into a contemporary and …

Evaluating Novel Combinations Of Polyamine Targeting Therapeutics In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Sai Preethi Nakkina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Pancreatic cancer overall has a poor five-year survival rate of less than 8%. Well-tolerated regimens and immune cell infiltration to promote anti-cancer treatments are major challenges. Studies described herein leveraged testing different combinations/doses of polyamine targeting inhibitors to further understand the impact of targeting key polyamine pathway mediators in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Placebo controls were compared to groups treated with difluoromethylornithine (DFMO, a polyamine biosynthesis inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase), different polyamine transport inhibitors, and compound combinations in strategies for polyamine blockage therapy (PBT). Informatic analyses showed that the dysregulation of key polyamine pathway mediators are associated with poor patient …

Mathematical Model For Giraffe Population Dynamics, Huntir Bass

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Since the 1980s the overall giraffe population has dropped at least 40% causing some researchers to label this rapid decline as the "Silent Extinction." Due to this plummet, understanding the behaviors of the giraffe population is absolutely necessary before they are on the brink of extinction. Through the usage of mathematical modeling methodologies, a general model is created to illustrate the relationship between juvenile and adult female giraffes through numerous interaction parameters. Variations on specific variables generate different simulations, which allows more biological accuracy. With each variation having an established coexistence equilibrium between the juvenile and adult female populations, the …

Gawain, Women, And The Hunts: How The Body Influences Human-Animal Relationships In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight, Meghan Gavis

The Criterion

In the narrative poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, women and animals appear, on the surface, to function in a quintessential medieval sense — as physical objects to bolster Sir Gawain’s chivalric image. However, the dynamics between women, animals, and Gawain in this text challenge the human hierarchy presented by other medieval standards. By reading the ritualized hunts as devolving in honorable attention to the animal body and mapping their language onto the Lady’s temptations in Gawain’s bedroom, a feminine reclamation of the body appears. Though Gawain undercuts the Lady and Morgan by reducing them to physical presences, …

“His Own Was Ampler:” Dickinson And Whitman’S Sunset Poetry, Devyn Forcina

The Criterion

Although they are utterly dissimilar poets, Dickinson and Whitman made sunsets frequent subjects of their work. Dickinsonian sunset poetry attempts to imitate the natural phenomena and evokes tension and competition. A kind of closure is forced upon her unwilling speaker, who struggles against the inevitable ending of the day. In contrast, Whitmanian sunset poetry sings and celebrates the finale of the setting sun and delights in the cyclical nature of time. While Dickinson acknowledges the temporary quality of a single sunset, Whitman rejoices in their immortal occurrence. Both poets preserve the imagery of sunsets as photographers would, while imbuing them …

Animal Behavior Education And Anthropomorphism, Uldana Goatley

Theses & ETDs

This study aimed to address the effectiveness anthropomorphic language had on retention rates of animal behavior information. The intention of this research was to assess the anthropomorphic methods used in public zoos and aquariums to educate the public. Using a between-groups design, a total of 55 participants were randomly sorted into two groups. Both groups were instructed to read a short passage about the behavior of the American Horseshoe Crab and then answer questions to two separate surveys assessing retention and confidence respectively. Group A’s passage was written with subtle anthropomorphic language throughout while Group B’s passage was written plainly …

Strategies To Retain Seasoned Federal Acquisition Employees, Patricia Dianne Wells

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Failure to retain seasoned acquisition employees negatively impacts an organization’s performance and outcomes. Managers need retention strategies to retain seasoned employees, as failure to retain seasoned employees results in capability gaps, decreased productivity, and increased expenses associated with recruiting and training new hires and transfers. Grounded in the social exchange theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies midlevel managers use to retain seasoned acquisition employees. The primary participants consisted of six midlevel federal acquisition managers of a federal agency who used strategies to retain seasoned acquisition employees. The secondary participants were five employees from …

Watermarks Of Portland State University’S 1490 Codex, Duane Wiegardt

Extra-Textual Elements

This paper and its accompanying research endeavored to locate, catalog, and identify as fully as possible the watermarks observed throughout Portland State University’s (PSU) 1490 bound codex containing the Fasciculus temporum omnes antiquorum cronicas complectens (FT) and Malleus Maleficarum (MM).

Dozens of watermarks of several categories have been located and cataloged. A listing of the marks found on each leaf of the FT and MM has been constructed for continued use by future researchers. Study of the watermarks also sheds light on the codex’s binding.

Frsc 480-002: Forensic Microscopy & Lab, David Fisher

Chemistry, Environmental and Forensic Science Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Wholistic Healing: The Physician Perspective Of The Tibetan Medical Philosophy, Emma J. Brooks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Western medicine, anatomy is divided into multiple disciplines with specialists focused on their specialization, thereby limiting the whole system medical approach within the diagnosis, practice, and treatment of illness. The purpose of this qualitative study with an emergent design was to explore how physicians of Tibetan medicine viewed treating the whole person through the lens of Sowa Rigpa. Inquiry and analytical thinking were viewed through the lens of Otto and Knight’s principles of wholistic healing, Wilber’s integral model, and the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty. Phase I consisted of key informant interviews with four participants that were recent graduates of Tibetan …

Impact Of Islamic Financial Principles On Mitigating The Covid-19 Financial Crisis In Pakistan, Mohammed Monzur Murshid

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a global financial crisis. Governments and central banks around the world took unprecedented measures to mitigate the effect of the pandemic-triggered financial crisis and maintain the stability of the financial system. The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative study was to examine the capability of the Islamic financial system to mitigate the effect of the pandemic-induced financial crisis on the economy of Pakistan in 2020. The International Monetary Fund enhanced dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (IMF-DSGE) model provided the framework for this study. Data collection included conventional financial sector parameters, Islamic financial sector parameters, and country-level macroeconomic data …

Subito 2022, Portland State University. School Of Music & Theater

Subito: Student Voices from Portland State University School of Music & Theater

Issue 5, Spring 2022

Women in electronic music, PSU's Queer Opera returns, faculty spotlight with School of Music & Theater director Bonnie Miksch, a Portland arts community survey and more.

Impact Of Climate Change On The Mekong River Valley, Benjamin Hunter Wang

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

No abstract provided.

Frankenstien's My Roommate: Integrating Black Joy Into The Children's Fantasy Genre, Dakota Chambers

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

No abstract provided.

Scoring For The Screen, Emily Graham

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

No abstract provided.

The Toll We Let It Take, Kathryn Hageman

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

No abstract provided.

The Sound Of Univers: Applications Of Typography As A Visual Mode Of Auditory Expression, Sarah L. Prosser

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

No abstract provided.

Latin American Activism: An Exploration Into The Voices Fighting Gender Inequity Through Art, Brady S. Iles

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

No abstract provided.