Digital Commons Network^™

Changes In Reef Fish Assemblage And Coral Reef Community In A Newly Established Marine Protected Area, Skye Neal

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Coral reef ecosystems are vital to sustaining marine biodiversity and provide invaluable resources to coastal communities. However, coral reefs across the globe are exposed to harmful local and global anthropogenic pressures that can lead to the mortality of key reef-building corals, consequently disrupting ecosystem functioning. Preserving biodiversity of coral reef systems continues to be a challenging topic in conservation. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a globally recognised spatial management tool, designed to protect marine species and habitats from anthropogenic induced stressors. Here, using a long-term dataset collected over the last ten years from the unique coral reef system of Banco …

Quantifying Interpretation Reproducibility In Vision Transformer Models With Tavac., Yue Zhao, Dylan Agyemang, Yang Liu, J Matthew Mahoney, Sheng Li

Faculty Research 2024

Deep learning algorithms can extract meaningful diagnostic features from biomedical images, promising improved patient care in digital pathology. Vision Transformer (ViT) models capture long-range spatial relationships and offer robust prediction power and better interpretability for image classification tasks than convolutional neural network models. However, limited annotated biomedical imaging datasets can cause ViT models to overfit, leading to false predictions due to random noise. To address this, we introduce Training Attention and Validation Attention Consistency (TAVAC), a metric for evaluating ViT model overfitting and quantifying interpretation reproducibility. By comparing high-attention regions between training and testing, we tested TAVAC on four public …

Toward Effective Interfaith Relations Between Christianity And Indigenous African Religious Tradition In The Obolo Context In Nigeria – A Decolonial Theological Approach, Jerome Etenduk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the need for effective interfaith relations between Christianity and the Indigenous African Religious Tradition (IART) in a post-colonial Obolo context in Nigeria. It explores a history of complex religious crises in Obolo and identifies that Eurocentric/colonial theological imagination constitutes a significant reason for the problematic interfaith relations in Obolo. The dominant Eurocentric/colonial theology is founded on the theoretical framework that assumes that Europe (and America) is the hubris of knowledge. It negates and discounts the knowledge systems of other people. To know, they must learn from Europe and America. In this way, European missionaries to Obolo …

Advancing Healthcare Through The Integration Of Digital Twins Technology: Personalized Medicine’S Next Frontier, Sharmin Attaran, Mohsen Attaran

Marketing Department Faculty Journal Articles

The use of Digital Twin technology has been expanding rapidly, and projections indicate that it will continue to proliferate across various applications, use cases, and industries, including healthcare. In recent years, the healthcare sector has seen an acceleration in digital transformation. This fast-paced change offers both opportunities and risks, especially with emerging technologies like digital twins, which are relatively untested and still in the early stages of adoption in medical care. This paper aims to conduct a literature review to explore how digital twins facilitate intelligent automation in healthcare. It defines the concept, traces the technology’s evolution and development, reviews …

…And So It Ends In A Tie, Crystal Hou

Theses

…and so it ends in a tie is a 2D frame-by-frame animated short film produced during the course of my 3rd year as a Master of Fine Arts student in the School of Film & Animation at Rochester Institute of Technology. The film explores themes of homosexuality, female sexuality, and the history of Japanese rope bondage through the fictionalized story of a fateful encounter between a rope-wielding martial artist and a mysterious woman who captures her attention. This paper serves as a documentation of the filmmaking process, a discussion of the ideologies and goals behind its creation, and a retrospective …

I Hear A New World, Katie Christ

Theses

“I Hear a New World” is a documentary short film that reflects on the relevance and persistence of nostalgia and tradition during a time of rapid technological advancement and societal change. The film highlights the memories and musings of 8 college students, who were all Class of 2020 high school seniors and whose senior traditions were inevitably brought entirely online due to the Covid-19 global pandemic to varied degrees of success. In rambling, thoughtful delivery, the Gen Z interviewees provide insight into their pre-pandemic internet obsession that led to their teenage reclusivity and how this perspective changed greatly following the …

Comparative Analysis Of Earth-Bermed And Conventional; Single-Family, Residential Homes In The Hudson Valley Region, Beacon, New York, Michael G. Patchen

Theses

This thesis is a comparative analysis of the environmental sustainability between two similar square-foot, single-family residential homes constructed as a bermed shelter and the conventional wood frame in the Hudson Valley Region, Beacon, New York. The research will focus on the two designs' embodied carbon, cost, and energy use. To quantify the environmental impact of these two construction methods, an in-depth understanding of the diverse host climate is necessary. Climate data and the results from the experiments are collected by performing life cycle, cost, and energy analysis, providing insights into the environmental implications of residential construction methods. The methodology will …

Knighthood In The Wilderness: Ecocritical Readings Of Nature And Chivalry In The World Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight, Dajana Memko

Theses and Dissertations

Many interpretations of the Green Knight portray him as a personification of nature or as nature’s embodiment. Ecocriticism, however, challenges a more anthropocentric approach, calling into question deeply ingrained ideals of chivalry and human dominion over nature. The Green Knight is a hybrid creature whose striking features mark his otherness; yet, through his familiarity, he challenges the knight of Camelot and asks them to consider their chivalric identities as well as the nature of their Trojan ancestry and legacy. Among them, Gawain is forced to confront his identity as he ventures into the wilderness of Wirral, and his interactions with …

Effects On Maternal And Pregnancy Outcomes Of First-Trimester Malaria Infection Among Nulliparous Women From Kenya, Zambia, And The Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Sequoia I. Leuba, Daniel Westreich, Carl L. Bose, Andrew F. Olshan, Steve M. Taylor, Antoinette Tshefu, Adrien Lokangaka, Waldemar A. Carlo, Elwyn Chomba, Musaku Mwenechanya, Edward A. Liechty, Sherri L. Bucher, Osayame A. Ekhaguere, Fabian Esamai, Paul Nyongesa, Saleem Jessani, Sarah Saleem, Robert L. Goldenberg, Janet L. Moore, Tracy L. Nolen, Jennifer Hemingway-Foday, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Marion Koso-Thomas, Richard Derman, Matthew Hoffman, Steven R. Meshnick, Melissa Bauserman

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Few studies have assessed the impact of first-trimester malaria infection during pregnancy. We estimated this impact on adverse maternal and pregnancy outcomes.

METHODS: In a convenience sample of women from the ASPIRIN (Aspirin Supplementation for Pregnancy Indicated risk Reduction In Nulliparas) trial in Kenya, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we tested for first-trimester Plasmodium falciparum infection using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. We estimated site-specific effects on pregnancy outcomes using parametric g-computation.

RESULTS: Compared to uninfected women, we observed the adjusted site-specific prevalence differences (PDs) among women with first-trimester malaria of the following pregnancy outcomes: preterm birth …

Unintended Consequences: The Impact Of Apple Airtags On Vulnerable Populations, Camryn Bonetti

Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental, & Innovation Law

The rapid advancements in Global Positioning Systems (GPS), like those employed in Apple AirTags, have prompted a critical need for stringent privacy restrictions in tracking technologies. This article delves into the potential ramifications of such innovations, specifically addressing their impact on the issues of domestic violence, human trafficking, and theft. As women are disproportionately at risk, and have historically been underserved by protective legislation, the awareness of a need for comprehensive public policies and heightened awareness to protect vulnerable individuals is lacking. This article poses an in-depth exploration of these concerns and proposes solutions to be thoroughly examined, offering a …

The Cumulative Effect Of Ellagic Acid And Carnosic Acid Attenuates Oxidative Events During Diabetic Wound Healing: In Different Applications And On Different Days, Eli̇f Naz Gürsoy, Kanuni̇ Barbaros Balabanli, Fatma Nur Tuğcu Demi̇röz, Şule Coşkun Cevher

Turkish Journal of Biology

Background/aim: The hyperglycemic environment in diabetes disrupts normal wound-healing processes, leading to chronic wounds. This study investigated whether the combination of the phenolic compounds Ellagic acid and Carnosic acid shows synergistic effects on diabetic wound healing and oxidative parameters in diabetic rats.Materials and methods: In this study, diabetic rats were divided into control, untreated, Carbopol 974P treated, topical treatment, and oral gavage treatment. Ellagic acid and Carnosic acid combination were applied topically and oral gavage to the full-thickness excisional wounds of all animals except the control group. We investigated oxidative events by malondialdehyde, glutathione, nitric oxide, protein carbonyl, collagen spectrophotometrically, …

Cannabinoid Receptor Ligands Modulate Fibrosis And Inflammation In Idiopathicpulmonary Fibrosis: A Preliminary Study, Sevi̇l Köse, Seli̇n Önen, Merve Gi̇zer, Esi̇n Boduroğlu, Uğur Gönüllü, Petek Korkusuz

Turkish Journal of Biology

Background/aim: There is no specific pharmacological treatment regimen for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Therefore, new anti-inflammatory therapeutic strategies are needed. Cannabinoids (CBs) that are known for their inflammation-modulating and anti-fibrotic effects may be potential medication candidates for the treatment of IPF. Our aim is to evaluate the inflammation-modulating and anti-fibrotic effects of CB receptor (CBR) agonists and antagonists in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated human lung healthy fibroblast, epithelial cells, IPF fibroblast cells and monocytes.Materials and methods: We detected CBRs in the human lung healthy (LL24) and IPF fibroblast cells (LL29), epithelial cells (A549) and monocytes (THP-1) by flow cytometry (FC). We …

Development Of An Immunodiagnostic Assay For The Detection Of Sugarcane Mosaic Virus, Hafiz Muhammad Khalid, Najam Us Sahar Sadaf Zaidi, Naeem Rashid, Muhammad Tahir

Turkish Journal of Biology

Background/Aim: Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV; genus Potyvirus and family Potyviridae), poses a significant threat to global sugarcane cultivars, including those in Pakistan. The aim of this study was to develop a rapid and effective diagnostic tool for detection of SCMV, enabling timely implementation of control measures to mitigate potential yield losses.Materials and Methods: The study focused on the in silico analysis; physicochemical properties, immunogenicity and subcellular localization of the SCMV coat protein (CP). The SCMV coat protein (CP) gene was synthesized, cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant fusion coat protein (rFCP-SCMV) was purified and used to generate polyclonal …

Combinational Therapy Of All-Trans Retinoic Acid (Atra) And Sphingomyelin Induces Apoptosis And Cell Cycle Arrest In B16f10 Melanoma Cancer Cell, Zeynep İşlek Köklü, Eli̇f Li̇dya Şanverdi̇, Başak Karadağ, Mehmet Hi̇kmet Üçişik, Ezgi̇ Taşkan, Fi̇kretti̇n Şahi̇n

Turkish Journal of Biology

Background: Melanoma arises from the uncontrolled multiplication of melanocytes, posing an escalating global health concern. Despite early detection and surgical removal being crucial, metastatic melanoma poses treatment challenges, with limited options like chemotherapy and immunotherapy. All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), a natural metabolite of vitamin A, has shown promise in melanoma treatment by inducing differentiation, apoptosis, growth arrest, and immune modulation. However, ATRA treatment alone can lead to resistance and relapse. Sphingomyelin (SM) also plays a role in inhibiting melanoma progression by apoptotic cell death.Objective: This study investigated combinational anticancer effects of ATRA and SM on in vitro B16F10 melanoma cells.Method: …

Colliding Doctrines: How Sffa V. Harvard Impacts Public University Officials' Legal Protections, Christo Fosse

University of Cincinnati Law Review

No abstract provided.

Defining The Chondrocyte “Mechanome”: How Mechanosensitive Ion Channels Trpv4 And Piezo1 Drive Changes In Gene Expression To Affect Cell Behavior And Cartilage Health, Daniel Raymond Palmer

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Chondrocytes, the only native cell population of cartilage, utilize mechanosensitive transmembrane ion channels to sense mechanical forces. Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) is activated by physiologic levels of load (resulting in ~10% tissue deformation) while PIEZO1 is activated by supraphysiologic levels of load (resulting in >50% tissue deformation). TRPV4 activation promotes the expression of a limited number of chondrogenic genes and the production of vital cartilaginous matrix proteins, while PIEZO1 activation drives cell death and senescence, cytoskeletal weakening, and production of catabolic mediators, which contribute to the development of osteoarthritis (OA). However, the path connecting activation of these channels …

The Encoding Of Decision Variables In Orbitofrontal Cortex (Ofc) Is Longitudinally Stable And Varies By Cortical Layer, Manning Zhang

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Economic choices entail computing the values of different options and then making choice by comparing values. Work in primates and rodents has shown that these mental processes rely on the OFC. Neurophysiology studies identified in OFC distinct groups of neurons encoding the value of individual options, the binary choice outcome, and the chosen value. These variables capture both the input and the output of the decision process, suggesting a decision circuit existing in OFC. A primary challenge for the field is to assess the structure and mechanisms governing this circuit. A first fundamental question is whether the circuit is stable …

Development Of Computational Imaging Pipelines To Advance Quantitative Co-Clinical Imaging And Pathology, Kaushik Dutta

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Deep learning driven computational methods have profoundly impacted medical imaging by advancing feature extraction, and by establishing a critical foundation for downstream image analysis and interpretation. Co-clinical trials are an emerging area of investigation in which a clinical trial is coupled with a corresponding preclinical study to inform the corresponding clinical trial to enhance translational accuracy and therapeutic development. Within this framework, quantitative imaging and pathology plays a fundamental role in both clinical and preclinical arms of co-clinical trials. Quantitative imaging enables enabling identification and validation of imaging biomarkers which are leveraged to predict therapeutic response, characterize disease phenotypes, and …

Rna Structural-Dynamical Hierarchy: Sars-Cov, Sars-Cov-2, And Delta/Omicron Variant S2m Monomers, Kissing Complexes, And Extended Duplexes, Adam Kensinger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The power and promise of ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules are only beginning to be realized in living organisms and pharmaceutical intervention. Specifically, defining the chemical physics of RNA’s heterogenous structural ensemble and dynamics, which has experienced expansive growth over the last few years, is central to a complete understanding, yet continues to be a significant challenge. A 41-nucleotide hairpin called the stem-loop II motif (s2m), present in the viral genomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), SARS-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), and the Delta and Omicron variants responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, is a potential antiviral target due to its high sequence conservation …

Fda Approves Neffy®- First Nasal Spray For Anaphylaxis, Abigail Carter, Penlope Mazivanhanga, Haylee Whyde, Rileigh Rahrig, Ashley Jacob, Anna Spalvieri, Joshua Honaker, Samantha Mccord, Andrew Roecker

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Between 1.6 and 5.1% of the United States population have experienced anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction.1 Anaphylaxis occurs when someone is exposed to an allergen, most commonly foods, medications, and insect venom. Epinephrine is the first-line agent for anaphylaxis treatment, and it is critical to administer this medication immediately after the onset of anaphylactic symptoms to prevent worsening that could lead to death. Epinephrine, more commonly known as EpiPen® or Auvi-Q®, has historically only been available as an intramuscular (IM) injection. Many people are afraid, anxious, or uneducated on how to properly give someone an IM injection, causing anaphylaxis treatment …

Organ-On-A-Chip Platforms For Drug Development, Cellular Toxicity Assessment, And Disease Modelling, Muhammad Maaz Khurram, Göktürk Ci̇nel, Özlem Yeşi̇l Çeli̇ktaş, Erdal Bedi̇r

Turkish Journal of Biology

Organ-on-a-chips (OoCs) or microphysiological platforms are biomimetic systems engineered to mimic organ structures onto microfluidic devices for biomedical research. These microdevices can mimic biological environments that enable cell-cell interactions at a small scale by mimicking 3D in vivo microenvironments outside the body. Thus far, numerous single and multiple OoCs that recapitulate organs have been developed, and they have emerged as forerunners for drug efficacy and cytotoxicity testing. This review explores OoC platforms to portray their versatility in investigating drug safety, efficacy, and toxicity. We also reflect upon the potential of OoCs to effectively demonstrate disease models for probable novel therapeutics, …

Mechanistic Insights Into Cardiac Regeneration And Protection Through Meis Inhibition, Aynura Mammadova, Gali̇p Servet Aslan, Li Mo, Qifang Wu, Sebastian Clauss, Fati̇h Kocabaş

Turkish Journal of Biology

MEIS1, a member of the TALE-type homeobox gene family, has emerged as a pivotal regulator of cardiomyocyte cell cycle arrest and represents a promising therapeutic target. Our study reveals that inhibition of MEIS1 using two novel small molecules, MEISi-1 and MEISi-2, significantly enhances neonatal cardiomyocyte proliferation and cytokinesis. Specifically, MEISi-1 and MEISi-2 increased the proportion of proliferating cardiomyocytes (Ph3+TnnT cells) upto 4.5 fold and the percentage of cytokinetic cardiomyocytes (AuroraB+TnnT cells) by 2 fold, compared to untreated controls. MEIS1 inhibition resulted in a notable downregulation of MEIS1 target genes and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, demonstrating its effect on key regulatory pathways. …

Chelidonic Acid Abrogates Oxidative Stress And Memory Dysfunction In Experimental Aging Rats, Feri̇de Ni̇hal Si̇nan, Emel Serdaroğlu Kaşikçi, Burcu Çevreli̇

Turkish Journal of Biology

Background/aim: In an aging model established in male Wistar albino rats via the administration of D-galactose (D-gal), the aim of this study was to examine the effects of chelidonic acid on cognitive functioning and the levels of glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), Total antioxidant status (TAS), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).Materials and methods: Thirty-two Wistar albino (three month old) male rats (n = 8) were used. Group 1: Control (C), Group 2: Chelidonic acid (CA) (2 mg/kg oral gavage), Group 3: D-galactose (D-gal) (150 mg/kg, s.c.), Group 4: D-gal (150 mg/kg) + CA (2 mg/kg) (DC). Following an overnight fast, the …

Design And Investigation Of Small Molecule Drugs For Potential Treatment Of Cns Disorders, Flaviviral Infections, And Cancers, Viktoriya Mashinson

Theses & Dissertations

Chapter 1 discusses the development of antagonists against the dopamine 4 receptor (D4R) that is expressed in the motor, associative, and limbic subdivisions of the basal ganglia network and is involved in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Levodopa is the firstline drug for the management of PD symptoms but its long-term use often leads to development of levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). D4R antagonists have been shown to decrease the abnormal involuntary movement scores in mouse models of LID. Chapter 1 outlines the development and optimization of selective D4R antagonists for potential treatment of LID. During the investigation of our D4R antagonists we discovered …

Characterizing The Francisella Tularensis Universal Stress Protein, Benjamin Girardo

Theses & Dissertations

Francisella tularensis is an extremely virulent pathogen responsible for the zoonotic disease tularemia. F. tularensis employs various defense mechanisms to survive and persist under diverse environmental and host-induced stress conditions. Despite its significance, the full spectrum of stress factors that enable F. tularensis persistence remain inadequately understood. In many bacterial species, universal stress proteins (Usp) play a crucial role in managing adverse conditions. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of Usp in F. tularensis as a means of clarifying the stress response mechanisms of this pathogen. The F. tularensis Usp is encoded by a single, highly …

Ccr5-Ligand Decorated Rilpivirine Lipid-Based Nanoparticles For Sustained Antiretroviral Responses, Milankumar Patel

Theses & Dissertations

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the standard remedy to improve the health-related quality of life of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, limited access to the viral reservoir has significantly hindered its effectiveness in fully eradicating HIV. Therefore, to improve HIV therapy, here we propose a C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5)-targeted theranostic lipid Based Nanoparticles (LBNPs) to noninvasively track and specifically deliver the antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to the viral reservoir. A multi-modular radioactive nanoprobe was synthesized and co-encapsulated with rilpivirine (RPV, an ARV) into the LBNP to achieve a theranostic LBNP that can be tracked by positron emission …

Neurophysiological Indicators Of Neurodevelopmental Outcomes: Examining Discrimination And Habituation Among Children Born Preterm, Erin Stephanie Misato Matsuba

Dissertations - ALL

Children born preterm are at an elevated likelihood for autism (ELA) and intellectual disabilities (ID). Event-related Potentials (ERPs), such as the P1 and the Mismatch Negativity (MMN), can be used to measure underlying neurophysiology, which may aid in the identification of these important neurodevelopmental and cognitive outcomes. Specifically, enhanced P1 and MMN discrimination, measured via the difference between two alternating sounds, is associated with autism while reduced neurophysiological habituation is associated with a lower IQ. The present study sought to examine whether early auditory discrimination and habituation could differentially predict autistic traits and cognitive abilities, respectively, as well as assess …

Regional Differences In Three-Dimensional Fiber Organization, Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype, And Contractility In The Pregnant Mouse Cervix, Christopher J Hansen, Christine M O'Brien, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The orientation and function of smooth muscle in the cervix may contribute to the important biomechanical properties that change during pregnancy. Thus, this study examined the three-dimensional structure, smooth muscle phenotype, and mechanical and contractile functions of the upper and lower cervix of nongravid (not pregnant) and gravid (pregnant) mice. In gravid cervix, we uncovered region-specific changes in the structure and organization of fiber tracts. We also detected a greater proportion of contractile smooth muscle cells (SMCs), but an equal proportion of synthetic SMCs, in the upper versus lower cervix. Furthermore, we revealed that the lower cervix had infrequent spontaneous …

Epidemiology Of Older Patients Presenting To Irish Emergency Departments: A Subgroup Analysis Of The Egers Dataset, Sean Croughan, Arina Kruis Dr, Kelly Ann Catherine Janssens Dr, Pro Mukerjee Dr, Denys Shchetkovskyy Dr, Áine Mitchell Dr, Mehmet Akif Karamercan Dr, Zerrin Defne Dundar Dr, Anna Slagman Dr, Effie Polyzogopoulou Dr, Sandor Somodi Dr, Andrea Fabbri Dr, Lars Peter Bjornsen Dr, Wilma Beetge, Said Laribi, Rebecca Ann Sealy, Visnja Nesek Adam, Comfort Adedokun Dr, Lucy Gibbons, Pamela O’Brien, Jessica Lynch Dr, Laura Kenny, Conor Deasy Dr, John Ryan Dr, David Menzies Dr, John Cronin Dr, Vijay Narayanan Dr, Nurali Noorani Dr, Waslet Bakhshi Dr, Ahmed Al Rasheed Ahmed Dr, Rosa Mcnamara Dr

Journal of Geriatric Emergency Medicine

Introduction

Within Emergency Medicine, older adults represent a distinct population with unique needs and challenges. There is a scarcity of epidemiologic data on the requirements of Ireland’s older population for, and their utilisation of, emergency care networks. We sought to assess this deficit utilising data from the recently published European Geriatric Emergency Departments Registry Study (EGERS) dataset.

Methodology

A prospective, cohort study of older adult patients (≥65) presenting to Irish Emergency Departments over a 7-day period. The dataset was originally collected as part of the EGERS study. The Irish subpopulation was extracted, analysed in further detail, and compared to the …

Transgenerational Legislative Awareness Issues In Children's Food, Yi Seul Kim

Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum

No abstract provided.