Digital Commons Network^™

Connection Between Migraine Physiology And Modifiable Lifestyle Factors And Behaviors: A Literature Review, Sophia A. Kogan

University Honors Theses

Migraine headache is a physiologically complex disorder that presents as an intense headache with other symptoms. Globally, more than one billion people suffer from migraine, and it is the second leading cause of disability worldwide. At present, migraines are targeted with many pharmaceutical interventions; however, there are no well-studied ways to combat migraines through lifestyle modifications alone. One of the molecules involved in migraine physiology is the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), which causes vasodilation and the sensation of pain. The focus of this thesis is to find connections between CGRP physiology and modifiable factors that individuals have the power and …

The Little Magazine In The Digital Era: A Startup Guide, Dan Chilton

University Honors Theses

The primary goal of this project is to outline steps for success in the development of the little magazine (aka, the literary magazine) in today's digitally dominated world. Through literary analysis, interviews with established editors from various fields, houses, and magazines, and a consideration of my own time working with multiple publications, I've set out to offer a startup guide for those interested in delving into the impactful world of literary forums, herein referred to as little magazines.

The Benefits Of Using Comics In The Classroom, Caedin Brown

University Honors Theses

With more research being done on the use and effects of comics in classes, teachers and the general public are becoming more accepting of them as a teaching tool. A study in the use of comics in classrooms has found positive correlations between comics and learning in academic environments and very few possibilities of negative connotations. Comics are being proven to show an increase of motivation in students along with better retention of knowledge, especially in the field of language learning. Comic activities in language learning environments that have been developed by Stephen Cary have shown an increase of engagement, …

Education In The Ai Era: Challenges And Opportunities, German Harvey Alferez

Achieve

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a game-changer in various industries, and education is no exception. AI-powered tools have the potential to personalize learning, provide quick feedback, and automate administrative tasks. However, there are challenges associated with the integration of AI in education, including AI's potential biases, lack of human interaction, digital literacy, and ethical concerns. The implications of AI in education are complex and multifaceted. Therefore, it is crucial to understand both the opportunities and challenges of this technology to ensure that it is used effectively to enhance the learning experience for students.

Identification Of Spring And Fall Spawned Eggs And The Genetic Distinction Of Gulf Sturgeon In The Choctawhatchee River, Alabama-Florida, Nicholas Lamey

Master's Theses

The Gulf Sturgeon (GS; Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) is a threatened subspecies of Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) which inhabits the Gulf Coast of the United States. Prior studies of Eurasian sturgeon species and Atlantic Sturgeon have revealed the existence of a dual spawning strategy (i.e. spring and fall). The presence of a fall spawn has also been proposed for GS, but only with the support of circumstantial evidence. This study used molecular techniques to investigate seasonality of GS spawning and the possibility that this has produced unique genetic groups in the Choctawhatchee River. Mitochondrial DNA from suspected …

A Minor Place: A Short Story Collection, Nathaniel Pyle

Master's Theses

In this collection, characters often face interior struggles such as past lives, abusive upbringings, dead partners, and relationship struggles. A Minor Place concerns loneliness and existentialism set with a melancholy, southern gothic setting. Characters toil with their psychological state within a shared and collective universe of the unknown. The characters found within A Minor Place deal with sensitive issues such as loss, isolation, and overcoming their difficulties. A Minor Place implements narratives to showcase a "minor” tonality and coloration and style to accompany this titular minor place.

Legitimacy In Conflict Contexts: Shifting Rebel Engagement In Sierra Leone And The Presence Of Private Contractors, Anne Lauder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The growth of non-state actors has significantly changed the nature of conflict. Rebel groups increasingly challenge state rule while private military and security companies (PMSCs) increasingly enter conflict spaces on behalf of a variety of actors, including states seeking to suppress insurgencies. This case study of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) during Sierra Leone’s civil war between 1991-2002 contributes to emerging work on rebel behavior by examining how rebel’s legitimacy-seeking behavior might evolve when PMSCs enter a conflict context. I explore the ways that PMSCs can shift perceived incentive structures surrounding insurgents’ interpretations of and engagements with legitimacy during conflict, …

Birth Weight Moderates The Association Between Obesity And Mortality Rate, Gregory Pavela, Nengjun Yi, Luis Mestre, Pengcheng Xun, David B Allison

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Purpose: The strength of the association between obesity and mortality rate (MR) varies by body mass index (BMI) and sociodemographic groups. We test the hypothesis that the association between obesity and MR varies, in part, due to the moderating effect of parental BMI and birth weight.

Methods: Data come from the 1958 National Child Development Study, an ongoing longitudinal dataset initiated in 1958 with baseline measures of birth weight from 18,059 infants born in Great Britain over 1 week. We tested whether the association between BMI and MR was moderated by parental BMI and birth weight using generalized additive proportional …

Physical And Digital Models For Timber Design And Analysis Courses, Paulina Robles, Gabrielle Rose Favro, Anahid Behrouzi, Abby Lentz

Architectural Engineering

Among structural engineering education research, there is a limited number of studies on interactive learning tools and activities specifically for the timber design classroom to assist students in visualizing material behavior, vertical and lateral load paths, and construction sequence. Timber design courses within the undergraduate program in the Architectural Engineering department at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), place an emphasis on seismic and wind design. Therefore, the proposed learning tools and activities are intended to pair with an introduction to concepts in the American Wood Council’s National Design Specifications (NDS) and Special Design Provisions for …

June 2023 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Shigatoxin Producing Escherichia Coli In Camel Meat Marketed In Behaira Governorate, Egypt., Yasmine Ibrahim, Khalid Sallam, Hanan Zaher, Mohamed Elgazar

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

Objective: To detect incidence of Shigatoxin producing Escherichia coli in the examined camel meat samples.Samples:123 samples Procedure: All samples were collected from retailed camel carcasses distributed at Albeheira governorate, Egypt. Each sample was packaged into a sterile plastic bag, marked and transferred in an insulated icebox to the research laboratory of Food Hygiene and Control Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, wherein the microbiological examination was done.Results: Biochemical characteristics suggestive for E. coli colonies (128/156 isolates) were identified as indole +ve, methyl red reaction +ve, Voges Proskauer –ve result, and citrate –ve results. The biochemical tests for the presumptive …

A Descriptive Study Of The Female Kestrel In Northeast Of Libya, Alia Alia Al-Mabroukslaiman1, Tarek Alteif, Salem Amaizik, Fares Aboushnaf

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

This study aims to provide a preliminary description of some external phenotypical characteristics and some characteristics of the parts of the digestive tract of the kestrel bird, which inhabits the Green Mountain region in northeastern Libya, in order to create a database for all researchers and those interested in wildlife, especially in the African environment, which is believed to be the original home of the bird. The study was on 4 adult females of kestrels. The data includes body length, wingspan length and width, and the length and circumference of some parts of the body. The data also includes body …

The Effect Of Season And Ovarian Storage Time On Oocytes Recovery And Quality In Dromedary Camel, Mohamed Salah Masoud

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

The objective: The current study aimed to investigate the impact of season (breeding and out of breeding season), and ovaries storage time on oocyte quality and IVM rates.Design: Randomized controlled experimental studyAnimal: Camel ovaries were collected from El-Bassatin abattoir located in Cairo, Egypt during the period from October 2016 to July 2018.Result: To investigate the impact of seasonal variation on oocyte recovery and quality, ovaries were collected in breeding season and out of breeding season and oocytes were collected via aspiration and its quality were evaluated under microscope (1-4 grading system). Higher percentage (P˂0.05) of grade 1&2 oocytes was recovered …

Ticketing Poverty: An Analysis Of The Discriminatory Impacts Of Public Intoxication By-Laws On People Experiencing Homelessness In Montreal, Emily Knox, Jeanne Mayrand-Thibert, Michelle Pucci

Dalhousie Journal of Legal Studies

Municipalities like Montreal penalize what they consider public disturbances through by-law infraction citations, or “tickets,” that are issued to people experiencing visible homelessness at a disproportionate rate. This is a pattern we observed over the course of two years during our time at a legal clinic providing legal information to people in precarious housing situations. In this article, we propose that Montreal’s by-laws prohibiting public drinking and public intoxication adversely impact unhoused people and are discriminatory under the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, a quasi-constitutional human rights instrument unique to Quebec. Drawing from research by criminologists and …

Jennifer Hassan, Oral History Interview, 2023, You Li

Collective Memory of Women Journalists in COVID-19

Jennifer Hassan is a London-based breaking news reporter for the foreign desk at the Washington Post. Before joining the Post in 2016, she worked as a social media editor at MailOnline.

Hassan, a London-based staff reporter for the Washington Post, probably contracted the coronavirus from a trip to Thailand before the U.K. announced its first case. She recalled her personal experiences of surviving COVID early on when no test was available. Once recovered, Hassan chased the 24/7 news cycle coordinating with the international team across the U.S., South Korea, and the U.K., and published over 900 articles during COVID. She …

The Open Access Journals Toolkit, Alex Mendonça, Andrea Chiarelli, Andy Byers, Andy Nobes, Chris Hartgerink, Clarissa França Dias Carneiro, Elle Malcolmson, Ivonne Lijano, Katie Foxall, Lucia Loffreda, Rebecca Wojturska, Solange Santos, Susan Murray, Tom Olijhoek, Wendy Patterson

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

Contents: Getting Started 5 • Scope, aims and focus 5 • Choosing a title for your journal 6 • Types of content accepted 7 • Kick-off and ongoing funding 11 • Disciplinary considerations 16 • Journal setup checklist and timeline 18 • Running a journal 20 • Article selection criteria 20 • Publication frequency and journal issues 23 • Attracting authors 25 • Peer review and quality assurance 27 • The costs of running an online open access journal 31 • Running a journal in a local or regional language 34 • Flipping a journal to open access 36 • …

Transforming Natural Religion: An Essay On Religious Liberty And The Constitution, Steven J. Heyman

BYU Law Review

Recent Supreme Court decisions such as Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, and Fulton v. City of Philadelphia raise the fundamental question of what place religion and religious liberty should hold within a liberal constitutional order that is based on a commitment to the freedom, equality, and well-being of all persons. To explore this question, it is natural to begin with an inquiry into what founding–era Americans thought when they incorporated the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause into the constitutional order that they were creating. Contrary to the views taken by many judges and scholars, …

Walls Or Bridges: Law’S Role In Conflicts Over Religion And Equal Treatment, Martha Minow

BYU Law Review

Presented as the Bruce C. Hafen Lecture, Brigham Young University Law School January 18, 2023

“[D]o you see religion as a club or do you see religion as a path? Do you see it as a wall that separates you or do you see it as a bridge that connects you to God and other people?

— Keith Ellison1

Dexmedetomidine Alters The Inflammatory Profile Of Rat Microglia In Vitro, Michael C Scott, Candice M Haase, Scott D Olson, Charles S Cox

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Microglia are a primary mediator of the neuroinflammatory response to neurologic injury, such as that in traumatic brain injury. Their response includes changes to their cytokine expression, metabolic profile, and immunophenotype. Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is an α

METHODS: Primary microglia were isolated from Sprague-Dawley rats and cultured. Microglia were activated using multiple mediators: lipopolysaccharide (LPS), polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C), and traumatic brain injury damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMP) from a rat that sustained a prior controlled cortical impact injury. After activation, cultures were treated with DEX. At the 24-h interval, the cell supernatant and cells were collected for the following studies: …

Vmed 589: Anesthesiology & Small Animal Surgery: Faculty-Led Inquiry Into Reflective Scholarly Teaching (First) Project, Beth Galles

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

A Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree requires a strong background in basic and clinical sciences. Clinical sciences are typically presented as laboratory-heavy courses, ideally with experiential learning components. Veterinary surgery and anesthesia are a high-stakes disciplines that requires a foundation of didactic instruction followed by repeated hands-on practice. VMED 589 Anesthesiology and Small Animal Surgery is the first course in anesthesia that students encounter in their four-year curriculum and the second course in surgery. It is designed to deliver the basic principles of anesthesia, followed by repetitive practice to ensure the safety of the veterinary patient. Anesthetic risk assessment, induction, …

Microbiome Diversity In African American, European American, And Egyptian Colorectal Cancer Patients, Amr Elkholy, Nagavardhini Avuthu, Mohammed Abdalla, Michael Behring, Prachi Bajpai, Hyung-Gyoon Kim, Doaa Header, Reham Ah. Elwafa, Hesham Saed, Mansoor Saleh

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Purpose: Although there is an established role for microbiome dysbiosis in the pathobiology of colorectal cancer (CRC), CRC patients of various race/ethnicities demonstrate distinct clinical behaviors. Thus, we investigated microbiome dysbiosis in Egyptian, African American (AA), and European American (EA) CRC patients.

Patients and methods: CRCs and their corresponding normal tissues from Egyptian (n = 17) patients of the Alexandria University Hospital, Egypt, and tissues from AA (n = 18) and EA (n = 19) patients at the University of Alabama at Birmingham were collected. DNA was isolated from frozen tissues, and the microbiome composition was analyzed by 16S rRNA …

Risk Factors For Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia Coli Infections, United States, Ellyn P. Marder, Zhaohui Cui, Beau B. Bruce, Latonia Clay Richardson, Michelle M. Boyle, Paul R. Cieslak, Nicole Comstock, Sarah Lathrop, Katie Garman, Suzanne Mcguire, Danyel Olson, Duc J. Vugia, Siri Wilson, Patricia M. Griffin, Carlota Medus

Pathology Research and Scholarship

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) causes acute diarrheal illness. To determine risk factors for non-O157 STEC infection, we enrolled 939 patients and 2,464 healthy controls in a case-control study conducted in 10 US sites. The highest population-attributable fractions for domestically acquired infections were for eating lettuce (39%), tomatoes (21%), or at a fast-food restaurant (23%). Exposures with 10%-19% population attributable fractions included eating at a table service restaurant, eating watermelon, eating chicken, pork, beef, or iceberg lettuce prepared in a restaurant, eating exotic fruit, taking acid-reducing medication, and living or working on or visiting a farm. Significant exposures with high …

Why Punish Pharma For Making Medicine? Preserving Patent Protections And Cutting Consumer Costs, Alex Wharton

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

The push to lower pharmaceutical drug prices has taken a stronger foothold in legislative and executive actions in recent years. With average prices rising continuously over the past decade, many consumers struggle to pay for the medications they need-—insulin being the most often cited example. Accordingly, a variety of solutions have been suggested. Some solutions support reducing barriers for generic drugs to provide competition to the big brands, others push for greater regulation of manufacturers’ ability to price their drugs, and some proposals seek greater transparency to promote price negotiations, especially when compared to prices abroad. Most concerningly, however, one …

Predicting Hiv Vaccine-Mediated Protection Level To Identify Immune Correlates Using Positive Unlabeled Learning, Shiwei Xu

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

The development of a vaccine for Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) is a crucial step in preventing the global spread of AIDS. To ensure the progress and effectiveness of this vaccine, it is essential to establish efficient biotechnology platforms and data mining methods. These methods would help identify immune characteristics that distinguish individuals with varying levels of vaccine-induced protection and determine the underlying factors that contribute to protection against HIV acquisition. While previous studies have focused on identifying immune markers associated with infection outcomes among vaccinated patients, it is important to acknowledge the limitations of traditional case-control analytical protocols …

Composite Solid Rocket Motor Case Optimization With Matlab Genetic Algorithm, Aleksandr Breit

Master's Theses

This study utilizes MATLAB genetic algorithm (GA) to perform optimization on a solid rocket motor (SRM) chamber structure. The (SRM) structure is modelled as a cylindrical composite laminate where unidirectional fiber orientations are the primary design variable in the optimization problem formulation. Additional design variables such as chamber length, diameter, and internal pressure are altered along with the ply angles to minimize the safety margin towards a near-zero value and encourage efficient layup design. Classical lamination theory with Tsai-Wu failure criterion are used to calculate ply-level safety margins. A thickness minimization scheme is employed to reduce the ply count from …

Hydric Physiology Of Lizards, Savannah Weaver

Master's Theses

Chapter 1: Animals can respond to extreme climate by behaviorally avoiding it, or by physiologically coping with it. We understand behavioral thermoregulation and physiological thermal tolerances, but water balance has largely been neglected. Climate change includes both global warming and changes in precipitation regimes, so improving our understanding of organismal water balance is increasingly urgent. We assessed the hydric physiology of endangered Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizards (Gambelia sila) by measuring cutaneous evaporative water loss (CEWL), plasma osmolality, body mass, and body condition throughout their active season. On average, G. sila had low CEWL that is likely desert-adaptive, and high …

Effects Of Intertidal Position On The Response To Oxygen And Desiccation Stress In The Common Acorn Barnacle, Balanus Glandula, Megan M. Dotterweich

Master's Theses

Sessile invertebrates in the rocky intertidal experience intermittent periods of air exposure due to tidal flux, presenting risks of temperature extremes, hypoxia, nutrient limitation, and most dangerously, desiccation. Microscale variation in severity and frequency of these risks is widely dependent on vertical position within the intertidal zone. Common acorn barnacles (Balanus glandula) have a wide vertical distribution in the intertidal, creating large differences in microhabitat between the highest and lowest individuals in the population. This study set out to explore whether tidal position dependent differences exist in the response to oxygen and desiccation stress in B. glandula. …

Development Of Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Knock Out Protocol For Drug Substance Assay Development, Julia C. Hanna

Master's Theses

Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (WAS) is a rare X-linked primary immunodeficiency affecting approximately 1 in 100,000 live XY births in North America and is caused by a mutation to the WAS gene which is expressed across hematopoietic lineages. The WAS protein (WASp) plays a role in regulating actin polymerization. On a cellular level, there are a variety of effects of a lack of WASp or expression of a dysfunctional WASp protein for patients including issues with migration, adhesion, chemotactic response, phagocytosis, activation, and proliferation across different cell types in addition to reduced platelet size and output. This can lead to several systematic …

Constraint-Driven Open-World Scene Generation, Hunter Borlik

Master's Theses

We introduce an alternative method for open-world scene generation. In this thesis, Graph-based Wave Function Collapse (GWFC) is integrated with Space Colonization Algorithm (SCA) and used to place objects in an unstructured 3D environment. This combined algorithm, Space Colonization Graph-based Wave Function Collapse (SC-GWFC), leverages the constraint-based capabilities of GWFC and the ability of SCA to populate arbitrary 3D volumes. We demonstrate that objects of variable scale can be successfully used with SC-GWFC. Since this algorithm is run in an interactive environment, we demonstrate iterative modifications to a partially complete scene and incorporate PCG into a scene editing process. As …

​ Soilborne Pathogens Of Strawberry In The Central Coast Region Of California: ​ Survey And Cover Cropping With Wheat For Management Of Macrophomina Phaseolina, Mary Steele

Master's Theses

Surveys of the four major soilborne pathogens of strawberry (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae, Macrophomina phaseolina, Phytophthora spp., and Verticillium dahliae) to determine their relative prevalence were conducted in Watsonville-Salinas, CA in 2021 and in Santa Maria, CA in 2022. All four major pathogens were detected at relatively similar prevalence in Watsonville-Salinas, between 22% and 31% of sampled fields. In Santa Maria, M. phaseolina was far more prevalent at 52% of sampled fields, the other three falling between 14% and 17%. Additionally replicated greenhouse and field trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of wheat as …