Digital Commons Network^™

Abnormal Morphology And Synaptogenic Signaling In Astrocytes Following Prenatal Opioid Exposure, Ethan B. Niebergall, Daron Weekley, Anna Mazur, Nathan A. Olszewski, Kayla M. Deschepper, N. Radant, Aishwarya S. Vijay

Biomedical Sciences

In recent decades, there has been a dramatic rise in the rates of children being born after in utero exposure to drugs of abuse, particularly opioids. Opioids have been shown to have detrimental effects on neurons and glia in the central nervous system (CNS), but the impact of prenatal opioid exposure (POE) on still-developing synaptic circuitry is largely unknown. Astrocytes exert a powerful influence on synaptic development, secreting factors to either promote or inhibit synapse formation and neuronal maturation in the developing CNS. Here, we investigated the effects of the partial µ-opioid receptor agonist buprenorphine on astrocyte synaptogenic signaling and …

Two New Species Of Inocybe (Inocybaceae: Agaricomycetes) From Turkey Based On Morphological Characteristics And Phylogenetic Evidence, Oğuzhan Kaygusuz, Ditte Bandini, Henning Knudsen, Meike Piepenbring

Turkish Journal of Botany

During a survey of agarics in the Mediterranean region of southwestern Turkey, some noteworthy mushrooms were collected. Among the specimens, two represent new species of Inocybe which are proposed and illustrated in this study as Inocybe pseudogeophylla and I. succinea. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on a nuc rDNA ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS) and partial 28S rDNA (LSU) dataset reveal that these species belong to the Inocybe geophylla group. The sequences of the new species form two independent lineages and differ from the known species of Inocybe by a unique combination of morphological characteristics. Detailed macro- and micromorphological features, colour photographs, habitat and …

Mv140 Mucosal Vaccine Induces Targeted Immune Response For Enhanced Clearance Of Uropathogenic E. Coli In Experimental Urinary Tract Infection, Paula Saz-Leal, Marianne Morris Ligon, Carmen María Diez-Rivero, Diego García-Ayuso, Soumitra Mohanty, Marcos Viñuela, Irene Real-Arévalo, Laura Conejero, Annelie Brauner, José Luis Subiza, Indira Uppugunduri Mysorekar

2020-Current year OA Pubs

MV140 is an inactivated whole-cell bacterial mucosal vaccine with proven clinical efficacy against recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs). These infections are primarily caused by uropathogenic

Passive Acoustic Detection For Consistent And Safe Sonobiopsy, Chih-Yen Chien

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Focused ultrasound (FUS) has emerged as a promising noninvasive technique for noninvasive and transient opening of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). FUS-induced BBB opening enables "two-way trafficking" between the brain and bloodstream to benefit the development of effective therapeutic approaches and advance the diagnosis of brain diseases. This technology not only enables targeted drug delivery to the brain for the treatment of various neurological disorders but also can enhance the release of brain-specific biomarkers from the FUS-targeted brain location into the blood circulation for noninvasive and localized molecular diagnosis of brain diseases, a technique called sonobiopsy. However, the lack of precise …

Mv140 Mucosal Vaccine Induces Targeted Immune Response For Enhanced Clearance Of Uropathogenic E Coli In Experimental Urinary Tract Infection, Paula Saz-Leal, Marianne Morris Ligon, Carmen María Diez-Rivero, Diego García-Ayuso, Soumitra Mohanty, Marcos Viñuela, Irene Real-Arévalo, Laura Conejero, Annelie Brauner, José Luis Subiza, Indira Uppugunduri Mysorekar

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

MV140 is an inactivated whole-cell bacterial mucosal vaccine with proven clinical efficacy against recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs). These infections are primarily caused by uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) strains, which are unique in their virulence factors and remarkably diverse. MV140 contains a non-UPEC strain, suggesting that it may induce an immune response against different UPEC-induced UTIs in patients. To verify this, we experimentally evaluated the cellular and humoral responses to UTI89, a prototypical UPEC strain, in mice vaccinated with MV140, as well as the degree of protection achieved in a UPEC UTI89 model of acute cystitis. The results show that …

Structural Dynamics Of The Human Brain In Vivo From Tagged Mri And Mr Elastography, Jordan De Niro Escarcega

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

The underlying mechanics surrounding vulnerability of human brains in response to impact is critical to our ability to diagnose and treat traumatic brain injury (TBI), but our understanding of brain mechanical behavior is incomplete. Tagged MRI (tMRI) and magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) are two imaging techniques that are used to visualize and quantify deformation fields in human brains in vivo. The objective of this thesis is to gain a better understanding of brain vulnerability, by quantitively analyzing deformation fields extracted from in vivo human imaging studies. This was achieved through the following aims: (1) Extract mode shapes and natural frequencies …

Between A Rock And A Hardened Place: Prioritizing Climate Resiliency For Vulnerable Biodiversity, Jaclyn Lopez

Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum

No abstract provided.

Menhaden: Indicators Of A Hopeful Future, Sutton Lynch

Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum

No abstract provided.

The Purposes Of The Act, Stuart L. Pimm

Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Social Anxiety In Extended Reality Environments, Abdul Hadi Debs

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Recent advancements in Passthrough technology and Transformer based Large Lan- guage Models present a unique opportunity to delve into the intricate dynamics of hu- man social behavior. This study investigates the effects of human-controlled avatars and AI-controlled avatars on individuals with social anxiety within a Passthrough environment. A total of N=19 participants engaged in interactions with a human- controlled avatar via a head mounted display, followed by an AI representation, both within the Passthrough setting. Conversations were structured to elicit moments of stress or challenge in participants’ lives. Parameters such as heart rate, sincerity, stress levels, feelings of social pressure, …

C-Terminal Binding Protein 2 Is A Novel Tumor Suppressor Targeting The Myc-Irf4 Axis In Multiple Myeloma, Coty Hing Yau Cheung, Chi Keung Cheng, Kam Tong Leung, Chi Zhang, Chi Yan Ho, Xi Luo, Angel Yuet Fong Kam, Tian Xia, Thomas Shek Kong Wan, Herbert Augustus Pitts, Natalie Pui Ha Chan, Joyce Sin Cheung, Raymond Siu Ming Wong, Xiao-Bing Zhang, Margaret Heung Ling Ng

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Multiple myeloma (MM) cells are addicted to MYC and its direct transactivation targets IRF4 for proliferation and survival. MYC and IRF4 are still considered "undruggable," as most small-molecule inhibitors suffer from low potency, suboptimal pharmacokinetic properties, and undesirable off-target effects. Indirect inhibition of MYC/IRF4 emerges as a therapeutic vulnerability in MM. Here, we uncovered an unappreciated tumor-suppressive role of C-terminal binding protein 2 (CTBP2) in MM via strong inhibition of the MYC-IRF4 axis. In contrast to epithelial cancers, CTBP2 is frequently downregulated in MM, in association with shortened survival, hyperproliferative features, and adverse clinical outcomes. Restoration of CTBP2 exhibited potent …

An Analysis Of Attending Industry Events As An Independent Game Developer: My Experience At The 2024 Game Developers Conference, Ben Laube

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The game development industry, known for its rapid evolution and competitive nature, presents significant challenges and opportunities for both novice and veteran developers. This paper provides a personal account and reflection on attending the 2024 Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, aiming to demonstrate the substantial impact such events can have on independent developers. Through detailed descriptions of attended sessions and networking opportunities, including “GDC Pitch: Day 2,” “Getting Hired With a Personal Touch,” “Learn From Our Mistakes,” “Speed Networking,” and the “GDC Expo” this paper explores the value of industry events in terms of knowledge gained, connections made, …

Targeted In Vivo Gene Transfer To B Lymphocytes Using Adenoviral Vectors, Paul Boucher

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, engineered cells have been successfully developed for a variety of therapies including cancer and genetic disorders using cells such as T lymphocytes and hematopoietic stem cells. A novel approach that has been enabled by the advent of CRISPR/Cas gene editors is the engineering of B lymphocytes. B lymphocytes are the antibody producing cells of the adaptive immune system and are pivotal in control of pathogens through the binding of membrane bound antibody, or the B cell receptor, to cognate antigen. In conjunction with appropriate co-stimulatory signals, this binding results in activation of the cells and eventual secretion …

The Role Of Piezo1 Ion Channel-Mediated Mechanotransduction In Regulating Collagen Synthesis During Fibrosis: An In Vitro Study, Neda Rashidi

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Fibrosis, a pathological condition affecting various organs and contributing significantly to mortality, accounts for up to 45% of deaths in industrialized nations. Understanding the mechanobiological signaling pathways in tissues offers a promising avenue for gaining fresh insights into strategies for controlling or reversing fibrosis-related tissue remodeling. Recent research and clinical studies have focused on the use of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells (ASCs) to treat various forms of tissue fibrosis as well as their role in pathologic conditions. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of how ASCs behave in fibrotic environments, particularly in terms of their response to mechanical cues through …

Stimulation Of Peripheral Nerves In M. Mulatta For Somatosensory Psychophysics And Vns Applications, Tyler Schlichenmeyer

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Cuff-style peripheral nerve interfaces (PNIs) communicate with the central nervous system and offer interesting advantages when compared with other neural interfaces, including brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) and non-cuff PNI designs. PNI development must consider design factors such as volume of neural activity being driven or recorded, specificity of stimulus activation, and longevity of the device. This dissertation provides an analytical framework for PNI experiments, showcasing two experiments where PNIs were implanted in highly trained macaque monkeys. We applied foundational psychophysical procedures and other behavioral paradigms to examine the relationship between the input electrical stimulus delivered by a cuff electrode and the …

Viral Meningitis And Encephalitis Update, Boris Garber, Jonathan Glauser

Faculty Scholarship

Purpose of Review: This review describes advances in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of non-bacterial meningitis and encephalitis, with a focus on emerging viral causes of central nervous system (CNS) infection. Recent Findings: The Infectious Diseases Society of America recently published new guidelines for the management of encephalitis. Multiple articles have been published detailing emerging etiologies in human CNS infections, including analyses of neurological complications in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, several novel viral detection methods have been described, which may improve the detection of the specific etiologies of CNS infections (Hongyan et al. Front Neurol 14, [1]). Summary: Meningitis …

Astrocytes Remember Inflammation, Michael R Williamson, Benjamin Deneen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Astrocytes respond to all forms of central nervous system maladies. In a recent issue of Nature, Lee et al. demonstrate that astrocytes encode inflammatory stimuli as epigenetic memory, which strengthens responses to subsequent stimuli and exacerbates pathology in disease models.

Antitrust's Outlier: Consumer Welfare And Wage Restraints In Professional Sports, Andrew Buttaro

Denver Sports & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Hidden Hands That Shaped The Marketplace Of Ideas: Television's Early Transformation From Medium To Genre, Jon M. Garon

Denver Sports & Entertainment Law Journal

In a few decades from the beginning of national radio broadcasts to the Post-War cultural explosion, artists, politicians, lawyers, and spies forged the Golden Age of Television. Conflicting pressures of media censorship, modernist design, American hegemony, expressionist art, anti-communist legislation, and TV ownership limitations clashed and reshaped the cultural identity of the American viewer. These forces competed for dominance, shaping the content, empowering new producers, and setting new standards for artist and viewer alike.

Studies on the broadcast industry marketplace assessed the efficiency of broadcast licensing but failed to identify either the influences or goals of the emerging television market. …

From Repatriation To Cooperation: Gustaf Nordenskiold's Mesa Verde Collection, David M. Barnes

Denver Sports & Entertainment Law Journal

Though Swedish explorer and scientist Gustaf Nordenskiöld was far from the first individual to excavate at what is now Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, reports and rumors that a foreigner was shipping antiquities and human remains excavated at Mesa Verde out of the country sent some American citizens into an uproar. The controversy led to Nordenskiöld's arrest and the seizure of his 1400-plus pound Mesa Verde collection, but charges were dropped when it was later discovered that he broke no laws at the time by digging on American public land. More than 100 years have passed since Nordenskiöld shipped …

Contributors

Exile

No abstract provided.

Exile Vol. Lxx, Alexandra E. Andres, Emma Baum, Kate Blue, Juan Chaides Hurtado, Rita Costa, Nine Downing, Lauren Ehlers, Mia Fischel, Anna Gooch, Caden Hazelton, Malina Infante, Anna Northington Jones, Khoa, Georgia Reese Knox, Elizabeth Koeppen, Fiona Kogan, Eliana Lazzaro, Eli Lishak, Sofia Monteleone, Amaya Willems

Exile

No abstract provided.

The Turf War: Gender Discrimination And The Creation Of A Hostile Work Environment Through Synthetic Turf, Nicole Price

Denver Sports & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Perishable Gifts, Andreea Boboc

Valparaiso Fiction Review

No abstract provided.

Rethinking Culpability And Wrongdoing (In The Criminal Law—And Everyday Life), T. Markus Funk

University of Cincinnati Law Review

Determining an offender’s “culpability” is fundamental to justice systems worldwide. However, this crucial concept, built on a blending of moral responsibility with legal guilt, remains significantly diluted. For instance, the U.S. Model Penal Code uses an offender’s moral culpability merely to “grade” offenses and determine sentences. This prevailing perpetrator-centric approach, mirrored in U.S. state and federal laws and academic discourse, affects individual cases and has far-reaching societal implications.

Viewed this way, “harm” narrowly refers to the concrete damage (or the “injury”), such as physical pain and damage or loss of property, the perpetrator caused. “Culpability,” on the other hand, is …

Chronic Inequities: Environmental & Structural Racism During Covid-19 And Hurricane Laura Disaster Recovery, Tomeka M. Robinson, Sabrina Singh

Critical Disaster Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the realities of systemic health inequities within the United States. While the virus has severely impacted the entire country, people of color bear the brunt of this pandemic, from surges of COVID-19 cases in their communities to spikes in unemployment rates. Simultaneously, citizens are dealing with the impacts of natural disasters such as hurricanes along the Gulf Coast. The common denominator concerning these two stressors is that they can be exacerbated by institutional racism. This can be seen in the case of a small city in Southwest Louisiana, namely, Lake Charles, which has become a …

Best Practices And Resources In Reading Comprehension For Multilingual Learners, Pamella Moura

Michigan Reading Journal

This article investigates different interventions that can support multilingual learners with their reading comprehension needs. It aims to provide kindergarten through 5^th grade teachers with evidence-based practices that may support reading comprehension outcomes for multilingual learners. These practices employ different practical strategies teachers can implement in their daily reading and writing routines to support multilingual and monolingual students with reading difficulties which may support their reading comprehension skills. This article emphasizes the needs of strategy development in reading comprehension so multilingual learners can employ these practices independently, over time. Strategies include explicit instruction of predictions, summaries and questioning, developing …

Full Issue: Volume 56, No. 3

Michigan Reading Journal

No abstract provided.

Pour Une Diffusion Éthique Des Connaissances De La Médecine Traditionnelle: L’Intersection De La Culture Yoruba Et Des Besoins Médicaux, Isabel Sala

CISLA Senior Integrative Projects

No abstract provided.

Impacts Of El Niño On The Florida Reef: A Case Study Of The 2016 El Niño Event, Evvie Yendra

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Coral reefs are vital ecosystems to coastal communities and the world’s oceans. They support other organisms, protect shorelines, and benefit coastal economies through fishing and recreation. Today, coral reefs face many threats, including ocean acidification, bleaching due to increased ocean temperatures, and disease. These threats are typically heightened during El Niño events across the globe. With a focus on the Florida Reef, these data encompass three key regions (Southeastern Florida, The Florida Keys, and Dry Tortugas) over the years 2014, 2016 (an El Niño event), and 2018. As 2024 is interpreted to be an El Niño year, this study predicts …