Digital Commons Network^™

Identifying Novel Therapeutic Targets For Seizures And Brain Cancers, Jared Ching

Peninsula Medical School Theses

Epilepsy describes a range of conditions characterised by unprovoked recurring seizures that are due to multiple factors including the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. A subgroup of patients with epilepsy may not respond to systemic treatment and therefore would become candidates for surgical therapy. A less invasive approach is vagal nerve stimulation, which I demonstrated is safe and effective in 100 patients, in the first UK based large case series. Another group of patients that suffer from intractable epilepsy are those with tumour associated seizures (TAS). In particular, patients diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme can initially present with unexplained seizures or develop seizures …

Vanet Broadcast Protocol: A Multi-Hop Routing Framework For Vehicular Networks In Ns-3, William M. Bjorndahl

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Vehicles are more frequently being built with hardware that supports wireless communica- tion capabilities. Dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) is a standard that enables the hardware on vehicles to communicate with one another directly rather than through external infrastructure such as a cellular tower. With DSRC supporting small-range communications, multi-hop routing is utilized when a packet needs to reach a long-range destination. A vehicular ad-hoc network (VANET) broadcast protocol (VBP) was developed. This thesis introduces VBP, an open-source framework for simulating multi-hop routing on mobile and wireless vehicular networks. VBP is built for the routing layer of the network simulation tool …

Introducing The Ignatian Organizational Culture Framework For Student-Facing Staff At Jesuit Universities, Patrick Furlong

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This study looked at the impact of Ignatian spirituality and Ignatian pedagogy on staff in student-facing units at Jesuit colleges and universities. It also explored how leaders of student-facing departments and divisions operationalize components of Ignatian spirituality and pedagogy to create an Ignatian organizational culture.

Qualitative data were collected through multiple semistructured interviews with nine leaders of student-facing units at Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States. Key findings were organized into four thematic sections. The findings map onto different components that derive from, or are connected to, Ignatian spirituality and pedagogy. The thematic sections are: (a) leadership’s commitment …

Challenging Racism In Catholic Schools Through Intimate School Leadership: Counternarratives Of Black Catholic School Leaders, Michael Santa Maria

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Conversations regarding racial equity are uncomfortable for many Catholic school leaders. This is due to a lack of clarity between Catholic social teaching (CST) and its implementation regarding racial justice among Catholic schools. This necessitates coherent guidance to address systemic racism in Catholic education which responds to the need for greater equity, inclusion, and antiracism in its Catholic schools. The purpose of this study was to work with Black Catholic school leaders to understand how they operationalize antiracism in their leadership practice. To understand this paradigm, this study addressed two research questions: (1) How do Black leaders experience their role …

Perceptions Of Coding Instruction In K-12 Archdiocese Of Los Angeles Catholic Schools, Krikor Koko Kiladjian

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Traditional pedagogy offers students opportunities to enhance various skills and acquire content knowledge; however, additional steps can be taken to enhance student achievement, prepare them for future occupations, and bridge the divide in access to technology. A curriculum that integrates coding instruction affords students the opportunity to augment their collaboration, communication, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills. This is especially crucial for traditionally marginalized populations who have experienced inequitable access to technology. Nevertheless, coding is not integrated in schools in different domains, including Catholic institutions in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (ADLA).

This dissertation used a descriptive and inferential quantitative methodology …

Global Distribution Of The Cold-Water Coral Lophelia Pertusa, R. Tong, Andrew J. Davies, A. Purser, X. Liu, F. Liu

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Lophelia pertusa plays an important role as a major contributor to many cold-water coral reefs, supporting a high diversity of associated benthic and benthopelagic species. Due to the high sensitivity of L. pertusa to human activity, it has been classified as indicator species for Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems. However, the global spatial distribution of L. pertusa is far from well known. In this study, a database of L. pertusa presence data was compiled derived from the large number of L. pertusa occurrence records appearing in recent years. In conjunction with data layers covering a range of environmental drivers, habitat suitability for …

Prediction Of Cardiometabolic Risk In Children, Olubukola Ajala

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Background: Three decades of clinical research have demonstrated that the risks of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACVD: coronary disease and ischaemic stroke), and the closely related type 2 diabetes (T2D) are established and influenced by events during childhood. This is at least partly because childhood obesity usually leads to adult adiposity; so, the currently high prevalence of adult cardiometabolic disease, means that obesity needs to be identified as early as possible, ideally in childhood. Screening for obesity largely relies on anthropometric measurements like body mass index (BMI), however this has many limitations including its inability to distinguish lean from fat mass. …

Contributions Of Source-Constrained Search And Late Monitoring To Recall Accuracy, James Randle

Other Faculty of Health Theses

This thesis aimed to investigate in detail the processes underlying the control of recall accuracy. It is believed that recall accuracy control comprises processes occurring at memory search and post-retrieval. There is a large body of research concerning post-retrieval monitoring processes; however, less is known about how memory search is constrained and what factors affect this process.Chapter 2 developed and tested a new paradigm for measuring the accuracy of constrained search and monitoring processes simultaneously. Participants were able to selectively retrieve one of two lists irrespective of which list was the target list, indicating successful constrained search. A key role …

Becomebecome - A Transdisciplinary Methodology Based On Information About The Observer, Andrea T. R. Traldi

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

ABSTRACT Andrea T. R. Traldi BECOMEBECOME A Transdisciplinary Methodology Based on Information about the Observer The present research dissertation has been developed with the intention to provide practical strategies and discover new intellectual operations which can be used to generate Transdisciplinary insight. For this reason, this thesis creates access to new knowledge at different scales. Firstly, as it pertains to the scale of new knowledge generated by those who attend Becomebecome events. The open-source nature of the Becomebecome methodology makes it possible for participants in Becomebecome workshops, training programmes and residencies to generate new insight about the specific project they …

An Earthly Response To Movement. Moving Images Diffracted Through New Materialism, Emilio Chapela Pérez

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This practice-led research follows my exploration of the Sierra Negra astronomical observatories in Mexico, as well as other sites and temporalities where my practice has drifted: it flows from the heights of two volcanos, across Idaho during a total eclipse of the sun, and into the waters of the Usumacinta River. It proposes an ‘earthly’ (Latour 2016) moving image practice that considers the planet as a source of movement, effects and, affects: a vibrant entity that is not seen as static or mechanical, but one that ‘is moved’ (Serres 1995) because it is agitated by the liveness of matter and …

An Interdisciplinary Study Of An Aesthetic Particularism: The ‘Split Representation In The Art Of Asia And America’, Benjamin Pothier

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

An interdisciplinary study of an aesthetic particularism: the ‘Split representation in the Art of Asia and America’. This thesis consists of an interdisciplinary research on an aesthetic particularism mentioned by anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss as “The split representation in the Art of Asia and America” in his 1944 eponymous essay. Most researchers include in this group the Ainu and Jōmon People from Japan, tribes from the Amur Basin, Haida people from the Northern West Coast, Ancient China (Yangshao and Shang Dynasty), Māori People from New Zealand and Kadiweu people from Brazil. I conducted this inquiry through an online study of academic …

Molecular Control Of The Migratory Phase During Cutaneous Wound Healing, Chloe Elizabeth Bolton

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Superficial cutaneous injuries occur on a huge scale across the globe; while most will resolve without intervention or any lasting damage, many will experience complications that arise through delayed healing or as a consequence of the skins protective barrier being breached. The migration of cutaneous cells across a wound site is a crucial factor in establishing permanent restoration of the skins integrity. This study provides insight into molecular events that facilitate the migratory ability of cutaneous cells during this phase of the healing process. Through subcellular analysis, molecular manipulation and various imaging techniques of in vivo and in vitro wound …

How Can Embodied Practices Inform The Development Of Skilled Performance As A Leader?, Peter John Hamill

Plymouth Business School Theses

Whilst there has been writing in recent years regarding the practice turn in contemporary theory and its connection to leadership, much of this has remained abstract and lacks empirical inquiry. In addition, whilst practice-based theorists write about the embodied nature of practices, in defining their work, the body then often moves to the background. This study is designed to contribute to understanding the way in which embodied practices develop a shift in skilful performance in the domain of leadership practice within organisations, keeping the physical body in the foreground of the inquiry. This inquiry develops three original contributions through an …

Trans Historical: Gender Plurality Before The Modern, Edited By Greta Lafleur, Masha Raskolnikov, And Anna Klosowska., Nat Rivkin

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

Ars Moriendi: An Overview Of Approaches To The Art Of Dying, Grief And Loss For Nurses Working In Mental Health, Meagan G.A. Dickerson, Darren Conlon, Toby Raeburn

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

This historical discussion paper is an overview for nurses working in mental health of medieval and Early Modern texts known as Ars Moriendi literature, which focuses on the art of dying, grief and loss. Primary and secondary historical documents are used to describe Ars Moriendi literature and how historical understandings of death and dying were shaped within a spiritual context. Ars Moriendi concepts are compared with modern Western secularised and medicalised notions to prompt reflection on historical versus modern approaches to dying, grief and loss.

Queer Church Construction: Dialoguing Ecclesiology And Queer Theory, Daniel Ryne Warwick

Master's Theses

What would “The Church” look like if it were constructed by the socially marginalized, specifically queer bodies (modernity’s LGBTQIA+)? The “Catholic theological tradition” has been reticent in its hesitancy of queer theory, reinforcing the rejection of queer faithful and their highly contextual expressions of spirituality. This thesis seeks to build a well-architected theology out from these rejected queer bodies in order to demonstrate the intrinsically disordered’s inherent ordered-ness within the Catholic tradition and experience. Three distinct pillars of ecclesiology are engaged in this manner: spatiality, temporality, and spirituality. The first chapter, “En-sexed Flesh in De-Sexed Space; or, The Case of …

Growth Of Condition-Related Knowledge Among Youth With Spina Bifida: Associations With Neurocognitive Functioning And Self-Management Skills, Olivia Emery Clark

Master's Theses

Spina bifida (SB) is a congenital birth defect that may involve physical, medical, and neuropsychological complications due to central nervous system malformation (Copp et al., 2015). Ambulation problems, bladder and bowel dysfunction, and hydrocephalus require daily medical management tasks, including catheterization, bowel program management, and skin checks to avoid secondary complications. While self-management skills are typically gained during adolescence, executive dysfunction in SB may complicate gains (Dennis et al., 2006; Greenley, 2010). Indeed, evidence in other chronic conditions suggests that adolescent executive dysfunction is linked to poorer medical self-management. Condition-related knowledge has been identified as an important basis of medical …

Three-Dimensional Staging Series Of Anolis Sagrei, Lilian Epperlein

Master's Theses

With the rapid rise of Evo-devo and the concurrent development of new imaging techniques, comparative studies of development have accelerated over the last decade. Squamates, lizards and snakes, lack a traditional experimental model species for developmental investigations, yet are important for understanding fundamental evolutionary questions because of their remarkable diversity. However, several squamate species have growing communities of biologists building new resources for comparative and experimental studies of lizard development. Creation of detailed embryological atlases for these species will help promote their advancement. In the past, scientists have had to rely on destructive methods to take apart biological samples which …

Bisacodyl Limits Chikungunya Virus In Vitro And Is Broadly Antiviral, Natalie June Lomascolo

Master's Theses

Identifying novel antivirals requires significant time and resource investment, and the continuous threat of viruses to human health necessitates commitment to antiviral identification and development. Developing antivirals requires years of research and validation, and recent outbreaks have highlighted the need for preparedness in counteracting pandemics. One way to facilitate development is to repurpose molecules already used clinically. By screening such compounds, we can accelerate antiviral development. Here, we screened compounds from the National Institutes of Health’s Developmental Therapeutic Program for activity against chikungunya virus, an alphavirus that is responsible for a significant outbreak in the Americas in 2013. Using this …

Elucidating The Function Of An Evolutionarily Conserved Col2Α1 Isoform During Vertebrate Development, Charles Lantz H. Ingersoll

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Formation of skeletal structural elements during vertebrate embryogenesis is largely a

conserved evolutionary process that employs numerous conserved genes and pathways. One

critical gene in this process is the highly conserved vertebrate Type II Collagen alpha 1 (col2α1).

It produces multiple splice isoforms that have different functions and expression patterns during

skeletogenesis. Two of the primary isoforms are of great interest; variant 1, the primary

embryonic isoform, and variant 2, a post embryonic isoform. While the more commonly known

post-embryonic isoform has been well studied over the last 30 years, identification of a unique

role for the evolutionarily conserved …

Influences Of Latino Caregivers’ Input And Acculturation On Children’S Bilingual Development: A Speech Sample Analysis, Jordan Sierra Perry

Master's Theses

Interactions with caregivers are important for children’s development. In particular, the language input that young dual language learners (DLLs) receive from their primary caregivers affects their cultural knowledge and their bilingual language outcomes. However, relatively little research has been conducted to investigate the cultural contexts that influence Latino caregivers’ bilingual language use at home, including their acculturation level. Thus, the present study examined the relation between caregivers’ acculturation and their children’s bilingual (Spanish and English) language use, and whether this relation varied as a function of caregivers’ bilingual language use. Parent-report measures of bilingual language use, in addition to video …

Investigating The Role Of Nagc Reveals It To Be A Global Regulator, Natasha Peterson

Master's Theses

Bacterial colonization of host surfaces can result in symbiotic or pathogenic associations.As bacteria becomes more resistant to antibiotics, pathogenic bacterial colonization poses an increasing risk to human health. Symbiotic associations that have beneficial outcomes for both the host and the microbe can serve as models to investigate how bacterial processes affect colonization of host surfaces. The symbiotic relationship between the Gram-negative, bioluminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri and the Hawaiian bobtail squid is one such model (E. V. Stabb & Visick, 2013). The study of this exclusive relationship has developed in a way where in vitro phenotypes can predict the ability of …

Delayed Testosterone Treatment In A Rodent Model Of Repeat Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Attenuates Mechanisms Of Cellular Death In The Vestibular Nucleus, Michael Volyanyuk

Master's Theses

A common complaint after repetitive mild traumatic brain injury (rmTBI) is vestibular dysfunction, which can become persistent and decrease quality of life. Delayed testosterone treatment has been shown to reduce vestibular impairment and improve neuronal survival in the vestibular nucleus following rmTBI; however, the long-term molecular pathways associated with rmTBI and testosterone treatment remain widely unexplored. We utilized a 5-hit closed-head rodent rmTBI model and administered testosterone 35 days after injury (DPI). The vestibular nuclei were removed and prepared for RT-qPCR and western blotting. Gene expression and protein levels were elevated for markers of oxidative stress (NADPH oxidase 4) and …

Design And Synthesis Of Curcumin Analogs For Anticancer Activity And Discovery Of Novel Hit Molecules Targeting Cxcr4., Maryam Sadat Hosseini Zare

Dissertations (2016-Present)

Curcumin as a natural compound is made of various components including protein, carbohydrate, and curcuminoid. Curcuminoid is made of curcumin, desmethoxycurcumin and bis desmethoxycurcumin. Curcumin is used for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory disorders, but it has some therapeutic problems like poor bioavailability, poor efficacy, and chemical instability. To overcome these problems, the objective of this study is (1) synthesis of pyrazole curcumin analogs, (2) synthesis of triazole curcumin analogs, and (3) in-vitro study of the anticancer activity of these curcumin analogs on head & neck, breast, pancreatic and glioblastoma cancer cells. During this part of my Ph.D. project, …

Twitter: More Than Tweets For Undergraduate Student Researchers, Nathan S. Reyna, Christin Pruett, Mike Morrison, Jennifer Fowler, Sumali Pandey, Lori Hensley

Research, Publications & Creative Work

A vital component of a CURE is feeling a sense of community. While our students often present to each other at the end of the semester, we have struggled with having them interact with a wider audience. A few students may present class results at a regional or national meeting; however, feasibility limits this opportunity to only a handful of students. Twitter has been used as a tool to disseminate scientific findings (1, 2). As a result of COVID-19, scientific societies have used Twitter to provide snapshots of research to be presented at their virtual meetings using “Twitter Posters” (Michael …

Biofilms On Plastic Litter: Community Composition And Activity And The Effects On Ecosystem Processes, Raul F. Lazcano

Master's Theses

The rapid increase of plastic production and disposal has resulted in plastic pollution becoming a global problem. In aquatic ecosystems, plastic litter is a substrate for biofilms, but little research has simultaneously assessed the effects of plastic litter on biofilm activity, community composition, and ecosystem processes. Our objectives were to: (1) measure biofilm activity and community composition on plastic litter relative to a natural surface in an urban river and (2) assess the impact of microplastic pollution on ecosystem metabolism and N2 flux in an oligotrophic lake. For objective (1) we incubated three common plastics with distinct physical and chemical …

Dna Methylation Patterns Of Line-1 Elements Specific To Hc21p In Cancer Cells, Dametria Jetters

Master's Theses

Long Interspersed Nuclear Elements (LINEs) are retrotransposons. They function by making a cDNA copy, reverse-transcribing it into DNA and reinserting itself back into the genome; thereby, increasing its copy number. Sequencing of the human genome revealed that LINEs (L1) are underrepresented on the short arm of human chromosome 21 (HC21), but it is enriched in full-length copies. A number of previous studies have investigated the DNA methylation patterns of L1s in cancer cells, but these studies are typically done in euchromatic regions. The heterochromatic short arm of HC21 is primarily composed of heterochromatin. However these regions can be targeted for …

Why Glucagon Matters For Hypoglycemia And Physical Activity In Individuals With Type 1 Diabetes, Sheri R. Colberg

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Sin Of Racism, Ray Almanza

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This project examines the history of racism in relation to the Catholic Church. This history amounts to an indictment of the Roman Catholic Church not only as a neutral party in the historical emergence of white supremacy, but a directly linked cause of racism. First, it describes how racism emerged in its modern manifestation in three major dimensions which include the geopolitical, economic, and social. Then, it centers on two general forms of analysis, a cultural analysis, and a philosophical analysis. Drawing on insights from Liberation Theology, various themes are highlighted as they apply to the discussion of race in …

Enhancing Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Potency: Inflammatory Licensing Via Mechanotransduction, Max A Skibber, Scott D Olson, Karthik S Prabhakara, Brijesh S Gill, Charles S Cox

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) undergo functional maturation upon their migration from bone marrow and introduction to a site of injury. This inflammatory licensing leads to heightened immune regulation via cell-to-cell interaction and the secretion of immunomodulatory molecules, such as anti-inflammatory mediators and antioxidants. Pro-inflammatory cytokines are a recognized catalyst of inflammatory licensing; however, biomechanical forces, such as fluid shear stress, are a second, distinct class of stimuli that incite functional maturation. Here we show mechanotransduction, achieved by exposing MSC to various grades of wall shear stress (WSS) within a scalable conditioning platform, enhances the immunomodulatory potential of MSC independent of …