Digital Commons Network^™

Caspase-11 And Nlrp3 Exacerbate Systemic Klebsiella Infection Through Reducing Mitochondrial Ros Production, Yuqi Zhou, Zhuodong Chai, Ankit Pandeya, Ling Yang, Yan Zhang, Guoying Zhang, Congqing Wu, Zhenyu Li, Yinan Wei

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Introduction: Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative bacterium and the third most commonly isolated microorganism in blood cultures from septic patients. Despite extensive research, the mechanisms underlying K. pneumoniae-induced sepsis and its pathogenesis remain unclear. Acute respiratory failure is a leading cause of mortality in systemic K. pneumoniae infections, highlighting the need to better understand the host immune response and bacterial clearance mechanisms. Method: To investigate the impact of K. pneumoniae infection on organ function and immune response, we utilized a systemic infection model through intraperitoneal injection in mice. Bacterial loads in key organs were quantified, and lung injury was assessed. …

Artificial Intelligence-Powered Robotic Technology For Transforming Palliative Care, Adebo Thomas, Asiku Denis, Wamusi Robert, Simon Peter Kabiito, Zaward Morish, Aziku Samuel, Malik Sallam, Ioannis Adamopoulos

Mesopotamian Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

Palliative care seeks to improve the quality of life of patients with life-threatening illnesses by addressing their physical, emotional, and psychological needs. However, global challenges such as workforce shortages, limited access to specialized care, and inconsistent care quality demand innovative solutions. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI)-powered robotics offer transformative potential to overcome these barriers and strengthen palliative care delivery. This study explores how AI-driven robotic technologies support palliative care through applications in symptom monitoring, clinical decision-making, emotional companionship, and personalized care planning. It reviews cutting-edge robotic systems, including assistive, companion, diagnostic, nursing, procedural, service, and rehabilitation robots. Enabled by machine …

Effects Of Essential Oils Alone Or In Combination With Monensin In An In Vitro Model Of Ruminal Acidosis, Jorge L. Bonilla Urbina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of essential oils and/or monensin on the concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFA), ammonia, and pH in a ruminal acidosis in vitro model. Red Angus steers (n = 4; BW = 435 ± 9 kg) with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were allocated in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Treatments were 1) Fed no essential oils (RB) or monensin sodium (MON:CON); 2) Fed RB at a rate of 14 g daily with no Mon (RB+); 3) Fed no RB and fed Mon at 400 mg daily (MON+); 4) Fed …

Hillslope Degradation: Coarse Sands May Move Faster But Fines Dominate Flux, Robert Chance

Theses and Dissertations

Hillslopes are one of the most pervasive landforms on Earth yet the details of the processes that drive their evolution are not completely understood. Excluding boulders, the majority of mass and volume in soil-mantled hillslopes is composed of sand-sized and finer grains. Understanding the transport rates and governing transport mechanisms of these grains is therefore key to advancing our knowledge of hillslope evolution.This research investigates sand-sized sediment transport through field experiments at 20 sites tracking surface sediment motion and 11 sites measuring depth-dependent transport. These empirical results are compared against outputs from a novel grain-based hillslope diffusion simulation (GBHDS), which …

An Exploratory Investigation Of The Impact Of Psychological Intimate Partner Violence On College Women: A Qualitative Study, Dana Juel Conzemius-Schindler

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have found psychological intimate partner violence (P-IPV; defined as emotional and verbal abuse utilized to degrade, demean, create fear, control, or isolate; Tolman, 1989; Sullivan et al., 2012) is detrimental to mental health functioning, including increased sexual risk behaviors, depressive and anxious symptomology, and relationship dissatisfaction (Hellemans et al., 2015; Overstreet et al., 2015). Despite this, little is known regarding the academic and psychological lived experiences of survivors of P-IPV. Therefore, the current study sought to qualitatively explore the lived experiences of female-identified students exposed to psychological intimate partner violence while in college. Through a Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR; …

Understanding Urban Cultural Festivals As Social Infrastructure, Bernadette Quinn

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

This paper is concerned with the role that urban cultural festivals play in enhancing the quality and vitality of social life. It acknowledges that their reputation has become tarnished in recent years and that festivals now frequently feature in debates because they are charged with inciting tensions, exclusions and contestations. However, of note here is that cities tend to narrowly conceive of festivals as temporarily bounded moments of commodifiable spectacle. The fact that festivals function, on an ongoing manner, as embedded, sustained practices capable of supporting urban social living in numerous ordinary ways is rarely acknowledged, much less prioritised. This …

Effects Of Cross-Sex Hormone Therapy (Csht) On Aortic Reactivity And Metabolic Parameters In Gonadectomized Male And Female Rats, Rifat Ara Islam

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

With the rising awareness, the number of individuals identifying themselves as transgender in the US is increasing over the years. Cross-sex hormone therapy (CSHT) may alter cardiometabolic parameters leading to the increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in transgender population. However, the underlying mechanisms of impaired cardiovascular functions in transgender female (male to female, MtF) or transgender male (female to male, FtM) individuals are not well documented. This study was undertaken to examine the effects of 17β-estradiol (E2)- and testosterone propionate (Tes)-treatment on key cardiometabolic parameters and aortic reactivity in castrated (CAS) male and ovariectomized (OVX) female Sprague Dawley (SD) …

Knocking On Resistance’S Door: Investigating The Spread And Drivers Of Kdr Mutations In Northern California Culex Tarsalis, Esther Blankenship-Cutshall

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Vector-borne diseases are an increasingly relevant threat to public health as climate change alters the ecology of vector populations in relation to humans. One key to combating vector-borne disease is using pyrethroid insecticides against mosquito populations. However, wild mosquito populations have exhibited resistance to those key pyrethroids. One resistance mechanism under investigation is the altering of the voltage-gated sodium channel, which is associated with the genetic mutations known as kdr. The prevalence and history of kdr mutations has been investigated in some populations of Culex pipiens, however, it is unknown in northern California Culex tarsalis populations. This study aims to …

The Perceptions Of Principals And Faith Leaders Regarding The Transmission Of Presentation Charism In Australian Presentation Schools, Gemma Louise Thomson

Theses

This purpose of this research was to explore the perceptions of Principals and Faith Leaders regarding the transmission of Presentation charism in Australian Presentation schools. In particular, the study investigated how Principals and Faith Leaders perceive the nature of Presentation charism, as well as how it is evidenced in their leadership approaches in Catholic schools in the Presentation tradition. Furthermore, the study explored the perceptions of Principals, Faith Leaders and Presentation Sisters of what is required to formally and informally transmit the Presentation charism in Australian Presentation schools. The study’s review of literature identified four areas of literature that formed …

The Changing Nature Of Outdoor Play Spaces In West Australian Primary Schools: An Exploratory Case Study. Exploring Play Opportunities, Design And Utilisation Of An Intentionally Designed Nature Play Space (Idnps)., Catherine Fitzhardinge

Theses

The development, wellbeing and learning of children is of global importance; opportunities that promote healthy childhood development have long lasting social and economic impacts. Play is the primary occupation through which children develop; nature play provides opportunities for physical, cognitive, social and emotional skill development. West Australian (WA) schools are installing intentionally designed nature play spaces (IDNPS) to support outdoor play opportunities and connection to nature. However, there is little contextual evidence regarding how these spaces are designed and utilised to support child development, wellbeing and learning.

This exploratory, mixed methods case study examined how children aged 4-7 years old …

Consumer Buying Behaviour Towards Organic Food In Sri Lanka: Imports From Australia, Nalaka Kaushayla Mohotti

Theses

The Australian organic agriculture industry is thriving, with 9.9% of its agricultural land certified organic and production concentrated in fruit, vegetables, meat, and dairy, collectively valued at over AUD 2 billion. At the same time, South Asia, including Sri Lanka, is experiencing significant growth in organic agriculture markets. In 1994, Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) was discovered among Sri Lankan paddy farmers. Research in 2012 linked it to hard water, pesticides, and heavy metals, triggering a pesticide ban and the ‘A Pesticides Free Nation’ program. This study analyses consumer buying behaviour for organic food in Sri Lanka, focusing …

Slaying The Windigo: Fear And Faith In The Anthropocene, Daniel J. Irwin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis examines the changing affect of fear in the environment and how it is influencing writing in the Anthropocene. Chapter one lays the groundwork for the present moment of ecocriticism, examining how the relationship with the environment has changed throughout the history of ecocritical writing. The second chapter examines how fear has been an intrinsic element of environmental storytelling, starting with the romantic ideas of the sublime. With the recognition of the impact that humanity has had on Earth over the past several centuries, and the accelerating acceptance of the idea of the Anthropocene since the turn of the …

Social Connection And Disability: A Longitudinal Experimental Study Of Intervention Effectiveness And Moderators, Krys Standley

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Background: Social disconnection is an epidemic-level problem that is exacerbated for people with disabilities. There is a pressing need for theory-based research to illuminate the factors that contribute to effective interventions for improving social connection in this population.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were 1) to test the hypothesis that the Peer Collective, a six-week, online, group-based intervention centered on social support topics, would result in increased levels of social connection among community-dwelling adults with any types of disabilities and 2) to examine potential moderating effects in this hypothesized relationship.

Method: A longitudinal intervention study design with random assignment …

Organizational And Structural Factors In Building The Therapeutic Alliance In A Work Rehabilitation Program With Injured Immigrant Workers In Quebec, Daniel Côté, Maude Arsenault, Jessica Dubé

Études primaires

Abstract

The therapeutic alliance is central to occupational rehabilitation, particularly for immigrant workers who face unique challenges of migration and of social and occupational integration. This study explores the development and maintenance of this alliance between immigrant workers with compensated work injuries and their care providers during work rehabilitation. Using ethnography, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups, the qualitative case study involved 7 injured immigrant workers and their interdisciplinary clinical team. The study identified several factors that weakened the alliance, including administrative complexity, conflicting views on pain and disability, cultural stereotypes, and interorganizational communication issues. Many of these challenges were systemic …

Born To Be Kind: The Evolutionary Significance Of Prosocial Behaviors In Humans, Yijia Xu

Modern Psychological Studies

Humans prefer kind romantic partners. Worldwide surveys have identified kindness as the defining feature of an ideal long-term partner, often explained as a signal for evolutionary fitness, demonstrating the ability to provide resources and ensure survival. Instead, we propose an alternative explanation: human preference for prosociality stems from an innate desire to be treated well. To test this, we asked participants whether they preferred kindness directed towards them or kindness exhibited more generally. Results indicate that participants were significantly more attracted to people who were kind to them personally than to people who were broadly kind to others. Interestingly, participants …

Monopoly, Emilie Vu-Nguyen

Intertidal

No abstract provided.

Consumer Willingness To Buy And Willingness To Pay A Premium For Climate Smart Food Products, Jacob David Brewer

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This study investigated consumer willingness to buy (WTB) and willingness to pay a premium (WTPP) for Climate Smart (CS) food products. Focusing on soil health improvement practices such as biochar utilization, data from two surveys were analyzed. One survey was implemented and sought responses from consumer households in six midwestern states, and the other survey was distributed to institutional (universities, K-12 schools, corporations, etc.) and intermediary (restaurants, grocery stores, distribution centers, etc.) buyers. Consumer WTB and WTPP was examined through two independent ordered probit models, and the buyer survey data was utilized in descriptive analysis. Findings suggested that younger consumers, …

Giant Cane (Arundinaria Gigantea) And The Swainson’S Warbler (Limnothlypis Swainsonii): Implementing Innovative Monitoring Techniques For Species Of Conservation Concern, Gabriela Carroll

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

In the U.S., following colonization and agricultural expansion, giant cane (Arundinaria gigantea) has been reduced to approximately 2% of its original extent, potentially causing shifts in the abundance and distribution of over 70 associated animal species. Among those species is the Swainson’s Warbler (Limnothlypis swainsonii), which has been known to occupy canebrakes during the breeding season. Though there is little known about the historical range of the Swainson’s Warbler and its current population status, some have hypothesized that its population may have declined due to the reduction of its suitable breeding habitat. As this species is …

Best Management Practices: Sambucus Canadensis Propagation Techniques, Hannah Berendzen

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

American elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis) is a fruit-bearing shrub native to North America, traditionally utilized for medicinal and culinary purposes. In recent years, its popularity has surged due to emerging research supporting its immune-boosting properties. Despite its growing demand, standardized best management practices for elderberry cultivation, particularly propagation techniques, remain lacking. This study aims to clarify propagation recommendations by examining the influence cutting size and stem diameter on rooting success. A field study was conducted from February to May 2024, in which one-node and two-node dormant hardwood elderberry cuttings of varying stem diameters were planted in small …

A Witch's Tale: Shadow Of Her Past, Parker Finley

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The following thesis includes a critical introduction and an excerpt from the authors own novel. The introduction analyzes and explored the correlation between characterization and world building in fantasy or supernatural fiction, arguing that character driven narratives are essential for writing stories that balance the fantastical with the real human experience to engage readers at an emotional level. The author accomplishes this by utlizing theorists such as E M Forster, Lubomir Dolezel, Milan Kundera, James Wood, David Corebett, and Stephen King to examine how elaborate settings should not overshadow character complexity. Through understanding their theories, the authors own writing process, …

Tailwater Trout Population Dynamics, Connor Dylan Cunningham

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Dams have been constructed throughout the world and provide several resources for humans (e.g., flood control, hydropower). These structures heavily alter the upstream and downstream environment. One consequence of these alterations is the creation of “tailwaters”, which can create cold-water habitat via hypolimnetic releases. In the southeast United States these tailwater environments are often managed for the recreational use of nonnative salmonids. The unnatural flow regimes of tailwaters affect the biotic and abiotic conditions and ultimately the dynamic rate functions (i.e., recruitment, growth, mortality) of the fish inhabiting them. As such, the goal of this research is to provide fisheries …

The Effect Of Hypochlorous Acid On Cultured Osteoblast And Escherichia Coli, Cristina Flaquer Fusté

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl), a naturally occurring compound in neutrophils, has been used as an antimicrobial in wound treatment. Osteoblasts, bone-forming cells, within the bone tissue play a large role in bone fracture healing. Orthopedic infections are challenging to treat and highly morbid, including surgical site infection of arthroplasty procedures or infection in the setting of compound fractures. HOCl is being considered as a surgical antiseptic to decrease infections in orthopedic surgical procedures. This study therefore seeks to determine the effects of HOCl on osteoblasts and E. coli. Cultured osteoblasts were incubated with varying concentrations of HOCl to examine osteoblast …

Use Of Fecal Inoculum From Easy And Hard Keeper Horses To Determine In-Vitro Digestibility Of Feedstuffs Used In Equine Diets, Leah Bills

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Digestibility studies provide vital information for formulating ideal diets based on an animal’s ability to digest and absorb the available nutrients from the feed provided. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference in the nutrient digestion of horses between those that have a difficult time maintaining a healthy body weight (body condition score at or below 5, hard keeper) and those that easily maintain a healthy body weight (body condition score of >5, easy keeper). Six mature geldings averaging 534.1 ± 47.1 kg were used in this study. During the experimental period horses were …

Activity, Movement, And Reproductive Patterns Of The Northern Giant Musk Turtle (Staurotypus Triporcatus) In Belize, Larissa Sage Saarel

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The Northern Giant Musk Turtle (Staurotypus triporcatus), a near-threatened species native to southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and western Honduras, faces multiple environmental challenges, yet its activity patterns, movement patterns, and reproductive biology remain poorly understood. This thesis investigates both seasonal activity and reproductive cycles of female S. triporcatus in Belize. To assess diel and seasonal activity, I tracked 12 female turtles and collected data using activity loggers. I also collected movement data through radio-telemetry and acoustic tracking methods. Results indicated that the species is primarily nocturnal, with increased activity during the wet season, particularly during flooding events. Turtles …

2025-2026, Benjamin N. Cardozo School Of Law

Student Handbooks

No abstract provided.

The Continuing, Resistance Popularity Of Critical Race Theory- Informed Pedagogy, Kaavonia Hinton, Karen Chandler

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

The article focuses on the ongoing commitment of educators to incorporate critical race theory (CRT)–informed pedagogy in English classrooms despite legislative efforts to suppress it. Topics include the historical and political context of anti-CRT policies, the personal and professional responses of educators to these restrictions, and student-centered strategies used to navigate and resist such limitations in meaningful and legally cautious ways.

Eulerian Smoke Simulation With Multiple Fields, Diyang Zhang

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Fluid simulation is a cornerstone of computer graphics, enabling the realistic depiction of dynamic phenomena such as smoke, fire, and other gaseous behaviours. This thesis focuses on advancing Eulerian smoke simulation techniques, with a particular emphasis on grid-based simulations that capture intricate vortical structures and fine visual details.

We propose several detail-preserving frameworks that incorporate various scalar and vector fields within the simulation pipeline, including velocity, impulse, and Lamb vectors, along with their decompositions and transformed representations. By mathematically analyzing the properties of impulse, we derive its scalar fields decomposition (ImpSFD), which introduces an alternative numerical interpretation, and Vortex-Particles in …

Floating Signifiers: Ai, Semiotics, And The Crisis Of Meaning In Music, Kehinde Aruwajoye

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

This thesis examines how AI-generated music disrupts traditional meaning-making processes in musical expression. Through semiotic analysis (Saussure, Peirce) and cultural theory (Hall), I demonstrate how AI produces technically proficient but culturally hollow compositions, what I term "floating signifiers." Case studies reveal AI's inability to replicate the lived experiences that give music its depth, despite accurate stylistic reproductions. The work identifies three fundamental losses: contextual grounding, authentic hybridity, and historical consciousness. I propose ethical frameworks for human-AI collaboration that preserve music's essential humanity while leveraging algorithmic capabilities. Ultimately, this research shifts the debate from technical possibility "Can AI compose?" to cultural …

“They're Like Slash”: Multimodality And Embodied Agency In Students' Critical Engagements With Texts, María José Aragón, Meghan Corella, Nora W. Lang

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Despite recent calls to more fully incorporate multimodal perspectives into literacies research, there is still limited scholarship examining how students critically engage in reading activities by drawing on embodied practices. Racially and linguistically minoritized students are particularly disadvantaged by dominant logocentric and developmentalist approaches, which privilege oral and written discourse and often position these students as less capable of performing complex literacy practices. Drawing from three independent ethnographic studies, our multimodal interactional analysis examines how students of a range of ages and raciolinguistic backgrounds use embodied actions and other semiotic resources to agentively navigate text, task, and ideological constraints in …

Reelin Regulation Of Striatal Physiology And Cocaine Reward, Kasey Lynn Brida

All ETDs from UAB

Drugs of abuse activate defined neuronal populations in brain reward structures such as the nucleus accumbens (NAc), which are thought to promote the enduring synaptic, circuit, and behavioral consequences of drug exposure. While the molecular and cellular effects arising from experience with drugs like cocaine are increasingly well understood, the mechanisms that sculpt NAc neuron participation are largely unknown. Here, we leveraged unbiased single-nucleus transcriptional profiling to identify expression of the secreted glycoprotein Reelin (encoded by the Reln gene) as a marker of cocaine-activated neurons within the rat NAc. Multiplexed in situ detection confirmed selective expression of the immediate early …