Digital Commons Network^™

Rooting For Resilience: Investigating The Success Of Seagrass Restoration Methods, Olivia K. Stockdale

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Seagrasses generate vital ecosystem services to coastal communities, whilst also protecting marine biodiversity. Despite their significance, seagrass ecosystems face a plethora of threats from both anthropogenic and natural sources, causing a 20 % loss of seagrass area over the last century. To combat this, numerous restoration methods exist for seagrass habitats globally, with varying degrees of success. Through a comprehensive systematic review and subsequent meta-analysis, this study illustrates the varying success rates of different transplant and seed-based restoration methods over differing timescales. Accounting for varying timescales, results showed that restoration method had a significant effect on success rate (χ^{2 …}

Development Of A Climbing Performance Analysis Tool Using Computer Vision, Guy Ludford

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Indoor bouldering, a rapidly growing sport in the UK and globally, has seen a significant rise in participation, paralleled by an increase in the use of fitness apps and wearable trackers. Despite this growth, tracking and recording metrics for indoor climbing remains a challenge. This paper proposes an automated tool utilising computer vision and a gym-wide camera system to collect data on routes climbed and attempts made, without the need for manual logging. This tool aims to provide climbers with detailed performance analysis and support climbing gyms in optimising route setting and member engagement. Initial market research and discussions with …

Influence Of Patch Characteristics On Pollinator Behavior And Seed Production In Centaurea Stoebe, Abigail Hiltke

Theses - ALL

Discontinuous, or patchy, landscapes may affect pollinator foraging behaviors and could potentially lower the fitness of isolated plant communities by limiting and/or altering pollination services. I tested this idea by examining changes in pollinator behavior in patches of spotted knapweed of different size, flower density, and distance from one another. Based on predictions from optimal foraging theory, I identified and measured key pollination promoting behaviors that may change when foragers are exposed to discontinuous landscape. These behaviors were pollinator visitation rates to patches, the number of visits to individual flowers within patches, and the handling time per flower. These factors …

The Ghostly Angel In The Haunted Home: The Haunted House As A Metaphor For A Woman's Body In Crimson Peak, Andrea I. Amado-Fajardo

Theses and Dissertations

Crimson Peak (2015, dir. Guillermo del Toro), often overshadowed by del Toro's more critically acclaimed filmography, deserves to be acknowledged for its central trauma metaphor and its nuanced approach to gender. Far from being merely a horror movie fueled by disturbing sequences such as those found in contemporary supernatural horror films, Crimson Peak slowly unravels how Allerdale Hall parallels the film's female leads as they house and live with ghosts, revenants of a traumatic past. This essay explores the personification of the haunted house as a metaphor for the personified trauma that resides in a woman's body using Crimson Peak …

Toward A Broader Theocentric Environmentalism, Melvin L. Otey

Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum

No abstract provided.

Altruistic Arbitrage And Climate Change Mitigation:Rethinking The Role Of Cap And Trade Policies, Fatjon Kaja, Matthew G. Nagler

Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum

We examine the implications for efficient public goods provision by exploring the relationship of altruism to the endowment effect, focusing our analysis on the problem of climate change mitigation. We argue that the reduction in distortionary valuation (i.e., willingness-to-accept departing from willingness-to-pay) experienced by altruistic market participants implies an ability to mediate ignored trades and extract the gains from trade — an activity we call "altruistic arbitrage" — thereby improving the efficiency of markets. This activity, broadly speaking, restores the Coase Theorem in the context of WTA-WTP disparities. Moreover, it leads to previously unidentified benefits to when markets are employed …

On The Brink: Red Wolves On The Albemarle Peninsula, Jessica Hardee

Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum

No abstract provided.

Population Dynamics In Myxococcus Xanthus Developmental Biofilm, Trosporsha Tasnim Khan

Dissertations - ALL

Myxococcus xanthus, a soil-dwelling bacterium, exhibits complex multicellular behaviors through self-organization into biofilms. M. xanthus cells traverse agar surfaces, forming either predatory biofilm or vegetative swarm that expands outward in the presence of nutrients. Upon nutrient depletion, the swarm reorganizes as cells “stream” inward, coalescing into aggregates that mature into spore-filled fruiting bodies. This starvation-induced biofilm development is a complex process, governed by stringent genetic controls and coordinated population interactions. Despite extensive research into the dynamics of this development, from the onset of starvation to fruiting body maturation, a comprehensive understanding is still missing. This dissertation sheds light on the …

Protocol For A Non-Surgical Model Of Perineural Invasion For Assessing Neural Drivers Of Cancer Aggressiveness In Mice, Tiago H Zaninelli, Telma Saraiva-Santos, Brielle H Patlin, Michael Slade Stratton, David Y Chen, Felipe A Pinho-Ribeiro

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Perineural invasion (PNI) is a significant risk factor for cancer recurrence and metastasis; however, its mechanisms relating to cancer aggressiveness remain poorly understood. Here, we present a protocol for a non-surgical model of PNI in mice using a neurotropic melanoma cell line that migrates from the skin to the sciatic nerve. We describe the steps for cell culture and injection, tumor burden measurements, mouse euthanasia, and tissue dissection. We then detail procedures for sample cross-section and confocal imaging.

Disgusted Judges And Domestic Violence, Jessica Miles

Seton Hall Law Review

No abstract provided.

Peptides And Metalloproteins: Evolution, Catalysis And Material Design, Dona Imanga Upamadi Edirisinghe

Dissertations - ALL

Peptide hydrogels are an important class of biomaterials that have gained significant attention in recent years. The stimuli responsive materials change their properties in response to pH, redox, temperature and enzymes and this property allowed us to design the materials with tunable properties based on their end application. This dissertation reports the de novo design, synthesis and characterization of short chain peptide sequences and optimizations of those in order to develop them into potential candidates in wound care and drug delivery applications. The investigation of these novel peptide sequences will open up new possibilities to tailor the properties through simple …

Engineering Biomaterial Interfaces For Microbial Control, Yikang Xu

Dissertations - ALL

Since its inception as early as ancient Chinese placing bamboo pegs in place of missing teeth over 4,000 years ago, biomaterials have been an indispensable component of medical tools at human’s disposal. While early implants rely solely on the material properties themselves, modern devices have become much more than just materials. Topographic features, coatings, surface energy, and even embedded electronics have all added dimensions to the complexity of biomaterials and medical devices. Interaction between these materials and host cells and tissues, as well as microbes that can cause infections. Although well recognized for its significance, controlling biomaterial associated infections is …

Governing The Paddies: Emotions, Dispossession, And Gendered Struggles For Resource Access In Rice Farming In Tolima, Colombia, Akemi Inamoto

Dissertations - ALL

Colombia produces nearly one million tons of irrigated rice annually, almost exclusively for domestic consumption, with 72% of this production driven by smallholder farmers. In the department of Tolima, rice farming plays a significant role in both the local political economy and the agrarian landscape. This dissertation engages with feminist political ecology, critical agrarian studies, and debates on agrarian transformation to examine the everyday manifestations of dispossession that shape the lives of smallholder farmers and farmworkers in rural Tolima. I focus on how gender and class dynamics structure access to resources and opportunities, with special attention to the experiences and …

Elementary Science Instruction: A Document Analysis Of Teacher Messaging Across Two Sets Of Curriculum Materials, Jessica Mary Whisher-Hehl

Dissertations - ALL

Elementary teachers are tasked with teaching multiple subjects within an instructional day. One mechanism to support this task is through strong curriculum materials, which lay out a course of instruction aligned with instructional standards. This is helpful when teachers are trying to teach to a new set of standards, such as the Next Generation Science Standards, which require a significant shift in instructional strategies. In cases such as this, educative features embedded in the curriculum materials can assist teachers in making the required shifts in instruction. However, sometimes the instructional time required by curriculum materials, especially in elementary science, is …

Effects Of Negative Poisson’S Ratio On The Mechanics Of Auxetic Carbon Fiber Composites Under Tensile, Buckling And Low Velocity Impact, Wenhua Lin

Dissertations - ALL

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) matrix composites exhibited superior properties, such as high specific stiffness and specific strength, excellent fatigue and corrosion resistance, and low coefficient of thermal expansion, have been popular across various industries including aerospace, marine, automotive, energy, civil infrastructure, and high-end sports over the past decades. However, one significant drawback of CFRP composites is the susceptibility to low velocity impact damage which, for aircraft, can be results of tool drop, runway debris, and bird strike during takeoff and landing. These impact events could lead to external and internal damages of a CFRP composite structure in various damage …

Protocol For Monitoring Clonal Hematopoiesis In Transgenic Mouse Models Using Multispectral Imaging, Priyanka Khanna, Lauren B Ostermann, Shayaun Khazaei, Ran Zhao, Michael Andreeff, Rasoul Pourebrahim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Clonal hematopoiesis involves the clonal expansion of hematopoietic cells, potentially progressing into hematological malignancies. Here, we present a protocol for the development and characterization of two mouse models designed to simulate clonal hematopoiesis and acute myeloid leukemia. We describe steps for model generation, monitoring clonal expansion, harvesting, fixation, and staining of bone marrow and spleen tissues. We specifically focus on the visualization and analysis of p53 mutant clonal expansions, providing a comprehensive protocol for studying these phenomena in mouse models. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Pourebrahim et al.

Specifically Targeting Muc16 For Fluorescence-Guided Surgery Of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Kathryn M. Muilenburg

Theses & Dissertations

Pancreatic cancer is a lethal disease with a low 5-year survival rate and a high rate of resection recurrence. However, surgery remains the only treatment with curative potential for pancreatic cancer. Many factors such as high desmoplasia, a lack of intraoperative imaging, and micrometastatic disease contribute to the high rate of incomplete resections in pancreatic cancer. Fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) is a potential intraoperative tool for application in surgical resection. FGS works through passive or active targeting of a free dye or dye-containing moiety (e.g. antibody, peptide, and nanoparticles) to specifically fluoresce the tumor compared to the surrounding normal, fibrotic, and …

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 …

Quantitative Approaches To Dissect Bivalent Antibody Binding And Detect Viruses From Aerosolized Samples, Ananya Benegal

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Influenza A virus (IAV) poses substantial epidemiological burdens around the world, with an estimated annual global mortality rate in the hundreds of thousands. Its rapid rate of mutation gives it a propensity for causing seasonal epidemics and occasional pandemics. As an airborne virus, IAV is most commonly transmitted through droplets and aerosols. Antibodies play a crucial role in the immune defense against IAV infection. By understanding the mechanisms of antibody-mediated defense and the transmission dynamics of IAV, we can better inform strategies for prevention, vaccination, and treatment, ultimately mitigating its impact on public health. The work encompassed in this dissertation …

Bone-Ivd Crosstalk And The Role Of Rage Signaling In An Ivd Injury Model, Remy Walk

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Low back pain (LBP) is the number one musculoskeletal cause of disability with a lifetime prevalence of up to 85%. The causes of LBP are multifactorial with potential contributions from factors such as tissue injury and degeneration as well as social economic and psychological factors. Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is associated with 26-40% of LBP cases and in a 2015 meta-analysis, it was estimated that a total 403 million people suffer from symptomatic IVD degeneration. IVD degeneration is characterized by loss of hydration in the nucleus pulposus (NP), damage accumulation in the annulus fibrosus (AF) and calcification of the cartilaginous …

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 …

Spatial Insight Of Kidney Sex-Dimorphism And Tumor Evolution, Chia-Kuei Mo

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

The landscape of spatial biology research has transformed drastically in recent years allowing a comprehensive understanding of cellular organization and molecular mechanisms in various biological context. This thesis presents three complementary studies that advance our understanding of spatial organization in normal tissue biology and tumor evolution, utilizing cutting-edge spatial multi-omics approaches. The first study presents a comprehensive investigation of kidney sexual dimorphism across the lifespan, integrating six distinct technological platforms: single-nucleus transcriptomics, epigenomics, Visium spatial transcriptomics, Xenium single-cell resolution spatial transcriptomics, conventional immunofluorescence imaging, and co-detection by indexing (CODEX) multiplexed protein imaging. This multi-modal approach reveals that proximal tubules exhibit …

Re-Indigenizing And Collaboratively Tending Urban Greenspaces, Divinity Nnenne Adewale

University Honors Theses

This work details the active process of land tending with the intention of re-Indigenization in the Pacific Northwest at several Portland sites; The Native American Student Community Center, PSU Oak Savanna, and the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Land tending is an intuitive process, one rooted in love and respect for life of all forms as well as becoming the perpetual student; land tending is not a skill to be mastered, only practiced. Unlike environmental management, tending cannot be done separate from the earth, in a classroom or otherwise. Connections are what tending is built on top of: the foundation; effort …

Bio-Preparedness In A Global Context: Multi-Site International Study Investigating Global Health Security Challenges In Egypt, Oman, And The United States, Rima M. Al Balushi

Theses & Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed myriad vulnerabilities globally within public health systems, from inadequate bio-risk management in laboratories to overwhelming utilization of hospital resources and disparities in vaccine access and uptake. The Global Health Security Index (GHSI), which critically evaluates health security domains including health systems and risk environments, reports serious weaknesses in global health security. This dissertation aims to investigate critical aspects of global health security domains by examining factors impacting biosafety and biosecurity capacities in laboratories in Egypt, healthcare resource utilization in hospitals in Oman relating to acute respiratory infections (ARI), and COVID-19 vaccine uptake in the United States. …

State Of Utah Plaintiff/ Appellee V. Alan Dudley Hamberlin Defendant/ Appellant : Brief Of Appellee, Utah Court Of Appeals

Utah Court of Appeals Briefs (2020 –)

Appeal from a conviction for wanton destruction of wildlife, a third degree felony, in the Sixth Judicial District, Kane County, the Honorable Mandy Larsen presiding

Freyja Johnson, Rachel Phillips Ainscough, Counsel for Appellant

NATALIE M. EDMUNDSON, SEAN D. REYES, JEFFREY N. STOTT, Counsel for Appellee

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Mediated Weight Loss And Diabetes Mellitus Benefits: A Narrative Review, Alan D. Kaye, Nathan Lien, Christopher Vuong, Matthew H. Schmitt, Yusra Soorya, Bushirat A. Abubakar, Luke Muiznieks, Noah Embry, Harish Siddaiah, Adam M. Kaye, Sahar Shekoohi, Giustino Varrassi

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are chronic diseases with increasing prevalence, underscoring the urgent need for effective treatment and management strategies. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have emerged as an essential class of drugs for managing both obesity and T2DM, offering additional benefits for cardiovascular and kidney health. GLP-1 RAs work by targeting GLP-1 receptors, mimicking the effects of the natural hormone GLP-1 to regulate blood glucose levels, promote weight loss, and provide potential benefits for cardiovascular health. This narrative review evaluates the mechanisms of action, clinical efficacy, and broader roles of GLP-1 RAs in promoting weight …

Revisiting Territorial Sovereignty: Origins, Legitimacy, And Modern Implications, Henan Hu

San Diego International Law Journal

The conventional linkage between territory and sovereignty in international law requires reevaluation, with territorial rights shifting from states to nations. Drawing on Anthony Smith’s theory of historical continuity between pre-modern ethnic communities and modern nations, this article argues that legitimate claims to territory are grounded in the historical consolidation of social, economic, and political ties by ethnic groups to specific lands. It traces the evolution of territorial rights from loosely defined ethnic living areas and fluid state boundaries to the modern conception of national territories under effective control. By distinguishing sovereignty as a construct of the state and territory as …

Beyond Bindis, Bhajis, Bangles And Bhangra: Promoting Multiculturalism In Primary Schools In Predominantly White British Places, Suparna Bagchi

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

Twenty-first-century education as a powerful means of knowledge will possibly be shaped by the emphasis it places on having classrooms that are race-conscious and multicultural. The present article is based on a doctoral study that explores an under-researched area: experiences and understanding of multiculturalism in mainstream primary schools situated in the predominantly White places of Southwest England. The study was underpinned by a sociocultural theoretical framework; data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the adult participants, students’ classroom activities, and documentary analysis of school displays. The article focuses on the data generated from the students’ classroom activities. Findings show differences …

Impact Of Global Environmental Changes On The Range Contraction Of Eurasian Moose Since The Late Pleistocene, Magdalena Niedziałkowska, Marcin Górny, Joanna Gornia, Danijela Popović, Mateusz Baca, Urszula Ratajczak-Skrzatek, Oleksandr Kovalchuk, Maciej Sykut, Małgorzata Suska-Malawska, Paweł Mackiewicz, Emilia Hofman-Kamińska, Rafał Kowalczyk, Maxim Czarniauski, Kamilla Pawłowska, Daniel Makowiecki, Larisa Tataurova, Alexey Bondarev, Andrey Shpansky, Albert V. Protopopov, Aleksandr Dmitrievich Sorokin, Urmas Saarma, Pavel Kosintsev, Ulrich Schmölcke, Jarosław Wilczyński, Grzegorz Lipecki, Adam Nadachowski, Gennady G. Boeskorov, Gennady F. Baryshnikov, Roberto Zorzin, Nadezhda Vorobiova

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Climatic oscillations are considered primary factors influencing the distribution of various life forms on Earth. Large species adapted to cold climates are particularly vulnerable to extinction due to climate changes. In our study, we investigated whether temperature increase since the Late Pleistocene and the contraction of environmental niche during the Holocene were the main factors contributing to the decreasing range of moose (Alces alces) in Europe. We also examined whether there were significant differences in environmental conditions between areas inhabited by moose in Europe and Asia, that could support the division of moose into western and eastern forms, as suggested …