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A Study Of Aquatic Sedimentation In Chattanooga, Tennessee, Using Gis And Remote Sensing Technology Integrated With Hydrodynamic And Watershed Models, Connor Firat

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Suspended sediments can have benefits and drawbacks on aquatic ecosystems depending on the concentrations. The need to quantitatively monitor water bodies and watersheds is key to reduce excessive suspended concentrations. This study aims to integrate remote sensing technology with numerical watershed and hydrodynamic models and apply them on the Tennessee River and the surrounding tributaries to better assess the fate and transport of suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) there. The obtained results indicate that using Google Earth Engine (GEE), Landsat satellite can be used to estimate historical turbidity in the Tennessee River. Using field measurements and laboratory analyses the obtained satellite …

The Effects Of Stressful Life Experiences And Maladaptive Daydreaming On Selective Attention Among Young Adults, Claudia Colpo

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Adverse childhood (ACEs) and adult (AAEs) experiences have been connected to negative psychological and physical consequences. ACEs have been associated with maladaptive daydreaming (MD) and impairments in selective attention (SA). Less is known about AAEs on selective attention and MD in adults. This study aimed to address gaps in the literature using a sample of 177 adults aged 18 and 30 who were assessed for ACEs, AAEs, and MD. Participants’ SA was assessed through an emotional Stroop test. ACEs and AAEs were both positively associated with MD, as well as with increased reaction times in the Emotional Stroop. There was …

High Fat Diet & Social Isolation: Interactive Effects On Pain, Cognition, & Neuroinflammation, Ian M. Campuzano

Research Psychology Theses

Prior research has established a role for both social isolation and exposure to high fat Western diets in altering a range of behaviors from reduced memory performance to increased depression-like behaviors. The present study scrutinizes the interplay among these variables during the peri-adolescent developmental phase, utilizing Long-Evans rats as the experimental model. Our overarching hypothesis is that rats exposed to either social isolation, a high-fat diet, or both will result in heightened pain sensitivity, diminished cognitive flexibility, and increased neuroinflammatory responses within brain regions implicated in sociability, cognition, memory, and pain processing. Behavioral flexibility will be assessed using a maze-based …

Patterns Of The Use And Perception Of Cannabis Among College Students In Tennessee, Jayla Ruffus-Milner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cannabis has been historically difficult to research due to its federal scheduling. However, as legalization of cannabis medically, recreationally, or both in states across the country has increased, so has the need to address the research gaps that persist. The purpose of this study was to explore the patterns of cannabis use and perceptions of college students in Tennessee, which encompass a demographic of mainly young adults who are typically associated with high usage patterns. The study uses quantitative data collected from an online survey sent to a university in East Tennessee to evaluate associations between students’ age, gender, race/ethnicity, …

University Of Central Florida Undergraduate Catalog, 2024 - 2025, University Of Central Florida

UCF Catalogs

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Fish Assemblages And Flow Regimes Upstream And Downstream Of Falcon Reservoir, Christopher J. Austin

Theses and Dissertations

The lower Rio Grande is regulated by Falcon and Amistad dams. Native fish species rely on the natural flow regime for habitat and spawning. I analyzed streamflow discharge and fish assemblages above and below Falcon Reservoir to assess potential impacts of dam impoundment. Fish collections were conducted by seine, and river discharge data was provided by the International Boundaries and Water Commission. I found significant differences in fish assemblages above vs below Falcon Reservoir, and the flow regime was significantly more altered downstream of Falcon Reservoir. I also identified two Species of Greatest Concern for Texas above Falcon Reservoir (Notropis …

Chemical Investigation Of The Ethanol Extract Of Tillandsia Usneoides (Spanish Moss), Jakir Hossain

Theses and Dissertations

Tillandsia usneoides in epiphytic bromeliads takes up water through absorptive trichomes on the shoot surface under extreme environmental conditions. Although previous studies revealed the way by which T. usneoides absorbs water and prevents water loss, its water transport remains unclear. Uses of T. usneoides L. have been documented going back to pre-Columbian and late archaic societies. Between the 1800s and 1900s. T. usneoides was utilized in fruit packing and polish, among other industrial goods. In terms of medicine, tillandsia is well-known for treating leucorrhea, rheumatism, ulcers, hemorrhoids, and as an anti-diabetic, emetic, analgesic, purgative, antispasmodic, and diuretic. The chemical composition …

Label-Free Laser-Induced Graphene-Based Electrochemical Biosensor Modified With Graphene-Conductive Polymer Ink Coating For Detection Of Alpha-Fetoprotein And 17Β – Estradiol, Ridma Tabassum

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, a novel electrochemical biosensor was proposed based on inducing graphene formation on polyimide substrate via laser engraving. Graphene polyaniline (G-PANI) conductive ink was synthesized by planetary mixing and applied to the working zone of the developed sensor to effectively enhance the electrical signals. The laser-induced graphene (LIG) sensor was used to detect alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and 17β-Estradiol in the phosphate buffer saline (PBS) buffer and human serum. The electrochemical performance of the biosensor in determining these biomarkers was investigated by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and chronoamperometry (CA). In a buffer environment, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and 17β-Estradiol detection range were …

Moral Disengagement And The Tendency To Engage In Academic Dishonesty In Prelicensure Nursing Students, Sarah Guimaraes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite decades of research, academic dishonesty remains a significant concern in nursing education. The connection of academic dishonesty to dishonest clinical practice presents a moral imperative for nurse researchers to find new facets of understanding these phenomena. Literature regarding moral disengagement in health care is minimal and is even less prevalent in the context of nursing education. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of moral disengagement on prelicensure nursing students’ tendencies to engage in academic dishonesty in their last or next to last semester of a nursing program. A correlational design via survey method was used. …

Standardizing Attention Process Training-Iii For A Multisite Clinical Trial Of Neuromodulation, Jessica D. Richardson, Honey Isabel Hubbard, Sarah Grace Dalton, Sloan Davidson, Tiana Maple, Tyler B. Smith, Mo Chen, Rebecca Hiltner, Thomas Jones, Andrew R. Mayer, Orrin Myers, Cassandra Nelson, Sarah Pirio-Richardson, Cidney Robertson-Benta, Scott R. Sponheim, Joel Upston, Lindsay Worth, Nicholas Davenport, Davin K. Quinn

Speech Pathology and Audiology Faculty Research and Publications

Introduction

The Control Network Neuromodulation to Enhance Cognitive Training in Complex Traumatic Brain Injury (CONNECT-TBI) study is an ongoing randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled multisite clinical trial to determine the enhancing effects of noninvasive neuromodulation when paired with cognitive training in military participants (Veterans and active duty) with mild TBI. Attention Process Training-III (APT-III) was selected for its strong evidence base, manualized procedures, and computerized program. However, many aspects of APT-III that make it ideal for personalization make it less ideal for reliable implementation across participants, clinicians/technicians, and sites. The purpose of this feature article is to highlight APT-III procedures that require …

Ecological Drivers Of Size And Predictors Of Potential Competition In Soricidae, Wesley B. Holland

Theses

The family Soricidae, encompassing shrews, represents a diverse group of small (head-body length 30-178 mm) omnivorous or carnivorous mammals distinguished by unique morphological and physiological traits. Ecologically, shrews are dominant small predators, significantly impacting invertebrate populations. Their foraging strategies are diverse, with species adapted to fossorial, psammophilic, scansorial, semiaquatic, semifossorial, and terrestrial guilds. High metabolic rates necessitate nearly constant food intake, influencing their prey selection and feeding behaviors. Physiologically, shrews exhibit adaptations for thermoregulation, with Soricinae generally having higher mass-specific metabolic rates compared to Crocidurinae, who can enter torpor to conserve energy. These metabolic differences are crucial for their ecological …

Evaluation Of The Potential Protective Role Of Galangin Associated With Gold Nanoparticles In The Histological And Functional Structure Of Testes Of Adult Male Albino Mice Administrated With Carbon Tetrachloride, Bassem Sultan Abeed, Hanady Salim Al-Shmgani

Baghdad Science Journal

Galangin (Gal) is a natural flavonoid sourced from the roots of the plant Albina Kalanga. It possesses a variety of pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory. The current study aims to enhance the efficacy of galangin through the use of gold nanoparticles as a drug delivery system against CCl4-induced toxicity in the testicular tissue of male albino mice. Forty-two albino mice were divided into seven groups (6 mice/group), treatment with carbon tetrachloride solution for two weeks by intraperitoneal injection, (1 ml/kg) once a week for all groups except the control group, after which a group was injected with …

In Silico Comparison Of Main Proteinase Inhibitors For Different Coronaviruses, Tahani W. Jihad, Hyffaa Y. Hussien, Mohammed A. M. Ali Qaba, Ghassan Q. Ismail

Baghdad Science Journal

Abstract Coronaviruses are enclosed positive stranded RNA viruses with spike protein protrusions that permit the virus to penetrate and affect host cells. The emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), as mortal human CoV illnesses, has sparked considerable interest in the medical community. The fast and global outbreak of a novel human coronavirus generated by a novel progeny of coronavirus 2 (CoV-2) has promoted an urgent need to identify an effective target for COVID-19 treatment. The main proteinase MPro has been prominented as an appealing therapeutic target for coronaviruses, which is responsible …

Mathematical Modeling Of Tumors Growth: Competition Based On Gompertz Model In Two Dimensions, Aya Khamis Jabbar, Hayder M. Al-Saedi

Baghdad Science Journal

This article studies the competition between cancer cells within the human body depending on Gompertz’s growth. This model depends on two types of cancer cells, which grow to a certain extent, termed the carrying capacity. The carrying capacity is taken into account and defined as the number of cancer cells in which a certain density of cells eventually reaches stability. When this happens, the growth rate fluctuates, either it goes a little above or a little below the carrying capacity. This paper will cover the mathematical modeling aspects of Gompertz growth and a means to determine how competition creates growth …

Social Support In The Time Of Social Media: Predicting Gen Zers’ Preferences For In-Person And Virtual Support, Carla Mastroianni

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Increased usage of social networking sites (SNS) among young people, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, is well documented. Both positive and negative associations with SNS usage have been found. However, findings lack causal links and describe frequency of usage, applications used, and generalized descriptions of usage type (e.g., to connect with others versus consume content). There is considerable movement toward understanding SNS usage type and trends by subgroup—a precursor to better understanding which groups are using SNS for what purposes, particularly those more likely to experience negative outcomes associated with SNS. This study utilized a cross-sectional design to …

Hydroxyapatite Of Cow Bone Used As Filler To Enhance Compressive Strength Characteristics In Composite Restoration, Syamsiah Syam, Nur F. Arifin, Risnayanti Anas

Journal of Dentomaxillofacial Science

Objective: The goal of the current study is to ascertain whether hydroxyapatite from cow bones could potentially be used as a filler to improve the compressive strength characteristics of composite fillings. Material and Methods: The composite filling material used in the test group was self-processed and comprised filler derived from hydroxyapatite of cow bones, which were synthesized via an alkaline hydrothermal method.  A composite material manufactured at a factory with silica filler served as the control group. Each group was formed into 16 slabs, each measuring 2 mm thick and 6 mm in diameter. The slabs were polymerized using light …

The Relationship Between Number Of Remaining Natural Teeth And Nutrient Intake Using The 24-Hour Recall Method On The Female Population Aged Around 50-69 Years, Suhartini, Dwi Prijatmoko, Zahreni Hamzah, Sari Setyaningsih, Happy Harmono, Berlian Prihatiningrum, Yuliana M. Da

Journal of Dentomaxillofacial Science

Background. According to the 2018 Riskesdas, the prevalence of tooth loss increased, from 23,6% at the age of 45-54 years and increased to 30,6% at the age of over 65 years. This shows that as people get older, their ability to chew food decreases, which will affect their nutritional status and quality of life. Objective. Analyzing the relationship between the number of teeth still available and the intake of nutrients, namely, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats and minerals in pre-elderly and elderly people. Method. An analytic experimental study was conducted on 60 people respondents aged 50-69 years with different number …

Gray Seal (Halichoerus Grypus) Diet And Microplastic Ingestion On Great Point, Nantucket, Shannon R. Brown

Graduate Masters Theses

Due to their semi-aquatic lifestyle, pinnipeds are an ideal sentinel group used to study anthropogenic threats to the marine environment. Microplastics, primarily transported to the ocean through river discharge or weathering of larger plastics, are a threat to both pinnipeds and humans. Bioaccumulation of microplastics within the marine food web has been observed, with pinnipeds indirectly ingesting microplastics through their prey. As generalists, gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) are a pinniped species that can provide information on microplastic exposure to many lower trophic level organisms. This thesis explores the relationship between the diet and microplastic ingestion of gray seals on Great …

Nano Curcumin As A Photosensitizer For Photodynamic Therapy Treatment Of Oral Lesions, Sudip Pokhrel

Graduate Masters Theses

The capability of curcumin and its analogs to inhibit various processes involved in cancer development and progression has been extensively studied. Curcumin is also a photoactive compound, which can be activated with blue light to initiate photochemistry. Motivated by this and its inherent anti-cancer properties, we examined the practicality of using a commercially available nano-cumin formulation as a photosensitizer for the photodynamic therapy (PDT) treatment of oral cancers. Despite the significant limitation of curcumin in only absorbing blue light, which lies outside the optical window and suffers from poor penetration depths, we meticulously investigated its potential. Our systematic examination using …

Advancing Methods For Studying The Neuroscience Of Sex Variability And Diversity, Vic Shao-Chih Chiang

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Sex variability and diversity are pervasive across taxa and genera. Society is heavily structured around sex/gender conceptualizations, and neuroscience research actively shapes these constructs. This dissertation adopts frameworks that challenge ideologies perpetuating sex/gender injustices and developed neuroscience-related methodologies that could advance the conceptualisations of sex. First, I studied B6D2F1 mice which exhibit sexual behaviour months after castration. This challenged the dogma that sexual behaviour is dependent on gonadal steroid hormones. I enhanced the behavioural analysis of these mice using deep learning techniques. Second, applying similar deep learning methods, I refined the behavioural analysis of Astatotilapia burtoni cichlids, which exhibit sexual …

Agronomic Practices To Enhance Weed Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Some agronomic practices, such as crop choice and sequence and improving crop competition and pasture competition, can improve crop environment and growth, and the crop's ability to compete with weeds.

Rethinking Jazz Education In The Digital Age, Matthew Ryan York

Dissertations

Many resources for jazz educators and students are readily available online for free. With consistent video content and online platform growth across the globe, jazz educators are called upon to engage within this digital discourse. Additionally, they must find new ways of adopting these resources and administer them within their curriculum. How can educators effectively utilize online video resources within their curriculum without altering the existing course offerings to match those of their music education degree counterparts? Almost ten years ago research showed that “streaming from Netflix and YouTube accounted for 50 percent of all North America fixed network data” …

Transcriptomics Analysis Reveals Potential Regulatory Role Of Nsmase2 (Smpd3) In Nervous System Development And Function Of Middle-Aged Mouse Brains, Zhihui Zhu, Timothy S. Mcclintock, Erhard Bieberich

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Neutral sphingomyelinase-2 (nSMase2), gene name sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase-3 (Smpd3), is a key regulatory enzyme responsible for generating the sphingolipid cer- amide. The function of nSMase2 in the brain is still controversial. To better under- stand the functional roles of nSMase2 in the aging mouse brain, we applied RNA-seq analysis, which identified a total of 1462 differentially abundant mRNAs between +/fro and fro/fro, of which 891 were increased and 571 were decreased in nSMase2-deficient mouse brains. The most strongly enriched GO and KEGG annota- tion terms among transcripts increased in fro/fro mice included synaptogenesis, syn- apse development, synaptic signaling, axon development, and …

Cigarette Smoke-Induced Epithelial-To-Mesenchymal Transition: Insights Into Cellular Mechanisms And Signaling Pathways, Sarah Mohammed Alqithami, Amrita Machwe, David K. Orren

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

This review delves into the molecular complexities underpinning the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) induced by cigarette smoke (CS) in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs). The complex interplay of pathways, including those related to WNT//β-catenin, TGF-β/SMAD, hypoxia, oxidative stress, PI3K/Akt, and NF-κB, plays a central role in mediating this transition. While these findings significantly broaden our understanding of CS-induced EMT, the research reviewed herein leans heavily on 2D cell cultures, highlighting a research gap. Furthermore, the review identifies a stark omission of genetic and epigenetic factors in recent studies. Despite these shortcomings, the findings furnish a consolidated foundation not only for the …

The Role Of 5-Ht6 Receptor Activation In Learning Consolidation, Jasmine Alyssa Robinson

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The focus on serotonergic dysfunction as a contributor to cognitive deficits in disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, Alzheimer's disease, and schizophrenia drives researchers to investigate the functional impact of specific serotonin receptor types on executive functioning. By discerning the potential enhancement or impairment effects, this endeavor seeks to unravel the complex interplay between serotonin receptors and cognitive abilities. Specifically, within the three domains of learning, acquisition, consolidation, and retrieval, we find serotonergic modulation to be pivotal. Recent studies have highlighted the 5-HT6 receptor as a novel target for cognitive enhancement. However, the majority of the research investigates the effects …

The Link Between Classroom Diversity And Academic Advancements, Mary Kuik

Masters Projects

Racially diverse classrooms are not being taught in racially diverse ways, adding to an ever-growing academic gap for students of color. Various studies have pointed to several root causes to this issue, including a lack of representation, bias, inequitable discipline, poor curriculum, and socioeconomic disparity. Due to these causes, students of color are projected to be less successful in state testing and school overall, less likely to obtain a higher education, more likely to be disciplined, more likely to feel a detachment to historical content in the classroom, and more likely to feel a social disconnect from their peers. All …

The Functional Role Of The Dynorphin-Kappa Opioid Receptor System In Cocaine-Dependent Male Rats, Jessica Lord

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Activation of the dynorphin-kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system produces a negative emotional state during drug withdrawal, thereby motivating continued cocaine-seeking behaviors. However, it is not clear whether dynorphin plays a functional role in the onset of compulsive cocaine-taking. Here, escalation of cocaine self-administration was significantly attenuated by pretreatment of a long-acting KOR antagonist, norbinaltorphimine (NBI), in long access (LgA; 6-hours) male rats, whereas there was no effect of NBI on short access (ShA; 1-hour) rats on a fixed or progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement. Additionally, optical density of prodynorphin was increased in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core and shell, bed …

The Role Of Cardiac Mitochondria In Arrhythmias And Sudden Unexpected Death In Epilepsy In Models Of Dravet Syndrome, Jessa L. Aldridge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dravet Syndrome (DS) is a pediatric epilepsy disorder. Individuals with DS are at increased risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). One mechanism implicated in the pathology of SUDEP is cardiac arrhythmias. A central element involved in cardiac regulation is mitochondria. In the heart, mitochondria maintain cardiomyocyte energy (ATP) generation and ion homeostasis but also produce harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS) byproducts. We hypothesized that deficits in cardiac mitochondria could underlie arrhythmias and SUDEP in two independent mouse models of DS. Mitochondria produce ATP through the mitochondrial respiratory chain, also called electron transport chain, comprised of a series of …

Insulin Resistance In Women Correlates With Chromatin Histone Lysine Acetylation, Inflammatory Signaling, And Accelerated Aging, Christina Vidal, Jackelyn Alva-Ornelas, Nancy Zhuo Chen, Parijat Senapati, Jerneja Tomsic, Vanessa Myriam Robles, Cristal Resto, Nancy Sanchez, Angelica Sanchez, Terry Hyslop, Nour Emwas, Dana Aljaber, Nick Bachelder, Ernest Martinez, David Ann, Veronica Jones, Robert Winn, Lucio Miele, Augusto Ochoa, Eric Dietze, Rama Natarajan, Dustin Schones, Victoria Seewaldt

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Epigenetic changes link medical, social, and environmental factors with cardiovascular and kidney disease and, more recently, with cancer. The mechanistic link between metabolic health and epigenetic changes is only starting to be investigated. In our in vitro and in vivo studies, we performed a broad analysis of the link between hyperinsulinemia and chromatin acetylation; our top "hit" was chromatin opening at H3K9ac.

METHODS: Building on our published preclinical studies, here, we performed a detailed analysis of the link between insulin resistance, chromatin acetylation, and inflammation using an initial test set of 28 women and validation sets of 245, 22, …

The Effect Of Injectable Platelet-Rich Fibrin In Combination With Autogenous Bone Grafts On Bone Healing In An Ovariectomized Osteoporotic Rat Model With Critical-Sized Defects, Mustafa C. Durmuşlar, Elif A. Gülşen, Kemal A. Bayburt, Umut Ballı, Mert Ocak, Ayşegül Fırat, Elham B. Zırh, Hakan H. Çelik

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To assess the impact of autogenous graft materials, including autogenous bone graft (ABG) and injectable platelet-rich fibrin (I-PRF) clots, on bone defect regeneration in ovariectomized osteoporotic rats. Methods: Wistar rats (6-8 weeks old) were ovariectomized, and surgery began after 8 weeks. A 5-mm defect was created bilaterally in the parietal bones of 16 rats, which were divided into 4 groups. Group A (blank) had untreated defects; group B had defects filled with 0.1 ml of I-PRF, group C had defects filled with 0.1 ml of ABG, and group D had defects filled with a combination of 0.1 ml each …