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An Evaluation Of Hospital-Based Health Technology Assessment Processes In The United States., Scott Skinner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study explored the practices of hospital-based health technology assessment (HTA) in the U.S., as experienced by healthcare technology management (HTM) professionals. HTA can play an important role in helping to evaluate health technologies at both the macro (e.g., policy) level as well as at the micro (e.g., institutional) level of the public health ecosystem (C. S. Goodman, 2004). HTA seeks to broadly evaluate the effects, properties, and other impacts of various health technologies (C. S. Goodman, 2004). Common goals of HTA are to evaluate the safety, effectiveness, and cost-benefit of health technologies. A primarily phenomenological approach was used …

“The Urgent Necessity For More Original Creative Works By Transgender And Gender Expansive Artists" Is Not The Title Of My Thesis., Alicia Fireel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a mix of personal reflection, academic research, and an examination of The Girl Crazy Queer and Other Fairy Tales, a play I wrote and performed in October of 2023, co-produced by The University of Louisville’s Department of Theatre Arts and Pandora Productions, a Louisville-based theatre company dedicated to Queer theatre. This thesis and the play mirror each other; both contemplate Queer experiences, Queer histories, Queer trauma, and Queer stories. In the thesis I accomplish this through examining four subjects: myself, my play, the connection between modes of storytelling and aspects of transgender Queerness, and the perils that …

An Investigation Into Structural Plasticity In Peripheral Taste Neurons Associated With Taste Cell Turnover., Zachary Whiddon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The continual replacement of taste cells creates interesting questions regarding how the innervating neurons are impacted during this process. Here we ask how innervation within taste buds is affected when taste cell entry is inhibited and reestablished. Inhibition of sonic hedgehog signaling (Shh) is thought to inhibit taste cell turnover. Consistently, fewer new cells were added to individual taste buds after treatment with a Shh-inhibitor compared to vehicle treatment, and taste bud volume decreased after 16 days of treatment. We next examined how taste nerve fiber extension into the gustatory epithelium is affected by preventing taste cell turnover. Ten days …

The Forest For The Trees: How A Local Arboretum Shapes Rhetoric And Discourse Surrounding Environmentalism., Cooper Day

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Environmental communication has been situated as a crisis discipline; however, scholars have recently explored how to shift to include care within the discipline. To be sure, this does not mean the crisis element should be abandoned, but, instead coupled with care so that environmental messages are positive and forward looking. This project contributes to this shift by looking at how green spaces are constructed to deliver messages of environmental care. More specifically, I analyze how Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, located about 30 miles South of Louisville, KY, has been constructed and works to promote environmental care in a variety …

Tumor Targeting Gold Nanoparticles For Delivery Of Rna And Dna Oligonucleotide Therapies For Glioblastoma., Nicholas Allen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Glioblastoma (GBM) brain tumors are highly aggressive gliomas due to genetic and cellular heterogeneity. Current GBM treatment consists of surgical resection of the tumor combined with radio- or chemo-therapies. While these treatments have increased the life expectancy for GBM patients up to 20 months, they have had little effect on the 5-year survival rate. The complex cellular and genetic composition of the tumor makes current treatments less effective long term. One approach to developing more effective GBM treatments is to customize nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems that can directly target the aberrant gene expression patterns within a particular GBM tumor. Delivery …

The Effect Of Algal Wastewater Treatment Systems On Microbial Communities, Alexis Leach

University Honors Program Senior Projects

In collaboration with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and Gross-Wen Technologies, I examined the microbial communities in experimental tertiary wastewater treatment systems employing algal phytoremediation. Three algal phytoremediation systems were examined: two vertical conveyor belt systems, known as the 10-foot belt system and the series 4 system, and a third system lacking a converter belt in which planktonic algae grew in a control pond. I used EcoPlates to measure carbon substrate utilization by microorganisms in each system. EcoPlates contain thirty-one different carbon substrates, with a dye that indicates microbial use of each substrate. I conducted a Principal …

Seeking Second Skins, Alisa Scott

University Honors Program Senior Projects

Seeking Second Skins, a mini magazine serving as a slight counter to mainstream fashion reporting. This creative project unpacks clothing’s role in impression management, the modern fashion industry’s role in hypercommercialism and more.

The project will open with images and this conversational note, titled A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR, explaining my process and main ideas:

Hello,

I’m an NEIU senior and University Honors Program member pursuing a bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies. On November 24, 2020, I donated nine large bags of clothes, shoes and bags. This experience made me wonder how and why people collect material things— clothing specifically. …

Buried Treasure: What Gold Mining In Guyana Means For Indigenous Peoples, Traditional Knowledge, And Sustainability, Adoette Vaughan

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

Guyana’s Indigenous population, known as Amerindians, suffer greatly due to their lack of land rights and mining that infiltrates their remote territory in the country’s interior. Gold is the most lucrative export for Guyana, accounting for 10% of its GDP. However, the economic benefits and environmental and social costs associated with the industry have not been distributed evenly. Substantial environmental and social harms due to mining plague Amerindian communities. Mining activity fells vast stretches of forest, disrupts water channels and drives erosion through dredging. Mercury, used for gold amalgamation, seeps into river channels, poisoning fish and those who rely on …

Women And Religion In The Mongol Empire, Karlie Barnett

History Undergraduate Honors Theses

Aspects of the Mongol Empire have been well studied in academia, but these analyses, like much of our recording and analysis of world history overall, have largely excluded women. This thesis seeks to contribute to the effort to restore women to Mongol history, focusing on how the relationship between Mongol women and religion impacted the development of the Mongol Empire and Eurasian religions during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. With a focus on elite women due to the nature of the sources, I draw upon historical chronicles, traveler accounts, artwork, and contributions from scholars in this field to assert that …

Influence Of Jesuit Linguistic Manipulation On Guaraní Gender Norms In Colonial Paraguay, Anna Rumpz

History Undergraduate Honors Theses

Language was just one of the ways that colonizers and natives had to interact in unfamiliar ways post-Columbus. Histories of colonization often emphasize the physically brutal aspects, such as disease, slavery, or warfare, but colonization is a holistically violent process that adversely impacts societies on multiple levels. In particular, this thesis focuses on the link between culture and language, with respect to Jesuit Spanish-Guaraní lexicons, as a framework to understand changes to gender roles and sexuality within the Jesuit missions of the early seventeenth century.

Fairy Tales In Relation To Monster Theory: Stories Defining The Transformation Of Culture, Elsie Pak

Student Research

Fairy tales are stories that are defined and shaped by the cultures they are told within, lending them naturally fluid forms as the societal boundaries of each generation and change and expand. This research paper explores certain fairy tales under the lens of Monster Theory and the Seven Theses proposed by Jeffery Jerome Cohen from his introductory essay “Monster Culture (Seven Theses).” Through careful analysis and dissection, this paper offers a deeper look into the nature and construction of monsters and reveals the purpose monstrosity serves in society other than just to frighten. By delving into the insights proposed by …

Shallow Geothermal Energy Systems In The Northeastern United States: System Distancing And Policy Considerations, Aeowyn Kendall

Master's Theses and Capstones

Climate change is an existential threat to human society, and mitigating some of the worst impacts will require electrifying the energy sector and reaching net zero emissions by mid-century (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2018). Geothermal energy, specifically ground-source heat pumps, can help to meet winter heating demand in the Northeastern United States. This technology, as well as the various mechanisms that would aid its expansion, are still underdeveloped but have vast potential. A central factor to consider in energy transition work is how energy decisions are made by people within the context of both social and physical system constraints …

Improving The Sustainability Of The Channeled Whelk (Busycotypus Canaliculatus) Fishery: An Investigation Into Alternative Baits, Feeding Behavior, And Circadian Rhythms, Mary Munley

Master's Theses and Capstones

The channeled whelk (Busycotypus canaliculatus) is a large predatory marine gastropod that supports an important commercial fishery along the eastern coast of the United States. Channeled whelk fisheries are state regulated, with each state enforcing slightly different regulations. In Massachusetts, the fishery is regulated by the Massachusetts’s Division of Marine Fisheries (MA DMF). Massachusetts’ channeled whelk landings peaked in 2012 at 3.6 million lbs., valued at $6.2 million. Since 2012, landings have decreased, 766,975 lbs. were landed in 2021 worth $3.1 million. Catch per unit effort (CPUE; lbs per trap haul) has also steadily decreased, indicating the resource is likely …

Effects Of Tag Type And Environment On Migratory Success Of Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus Nerka) Smolts Through A Counting Fence, Tyler Parent

Master's Theses and Capstones

Understanding behavior and quantifying survival is vital to the conservation of anadromous fishes. Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) are one of the most economically and culturally important fish in the world, but some populations are declining, particularly in the Fraser River watershed in British Columbia, Canada. Within the Fraser River basin, Chilko Lake is one of the most prolific Sockeye Salmon populations, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has operated a counting fence at the mouth of the river for several decades to enumerate outmigrating smolts. Previous studies identified the clear water landscapes immediately downstream of the fence as high-risk, with …

Public Trust Guiding Principles And Action Plan, California Coastal Commission

State & Federal Reports and Publications

The goal of this document is to describe how the public trust doctrine relates to the Coastal Commission’s and local governments’ work on sea level rise planning under the Coastal Act. Section 1 presents a series of principles that guide the Commission’s and local governments’ work on this subject, and Section 2 sets forth next steps and research priorities for the Commission.

Elucidating Mechanisms Involved In Host Microbial-Tumor Interactions, Vidhi Chandra

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cancer is a rising cause of mortality worldwide. Microbiota is the collection of micro-organisms that live inside our bodies and can impact the host health and disease by interacting with the immune and metabolic systems. The relationship between the microbiota and cancer is complex. Gut and intratumoral microbiota can affect cancer development and progression by influencing patient outcomes and therapy responsiveness in several cancer types. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer surrounded by a highly immuno-suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) which limits efficacy of most available therapies. The tumoral niche provides a privileged microenvironment for microbial colonization that can …

Unique Transcriptional Profiles Underlie Osteosarcomagenesis Driven By Different P53 Mutants, Dhruv Chachad

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Missense mutations in the DNA binding domain of the Trp53 gene are characterized as structural (p53R172H) or contact (p53R245W) mutations based on their effect on the conformation of the protein. These mutations show gain-of-function activities such as increased metastatic incidence as compared to p53 loss, often mediated by their interaction with a repertoire of transcription factors. These interactions are largely context specific. In order to understand the mechanisms by which these mutations drive osteosarcoma progression, we created a mouse model, wherein either the p53 structural mutant p53R172H, or the contact mutant, p53R245W, are expressed specifically in …

Anti-Vaccination: Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy And Its Consequences For Modern Public Health Policy, Joshua Bird

Senior Honors Theses

Modern vaccination is arguably the most significant medical achievement in human history. Through widespread vaccination, populations are no longer susceptible to diseases that plagued humanity for most of its existence (measles, rubella, smallpox). While vaccinations have largely shown themselves as safe and efficacious under most circumstances, small but considerable portions of the worldwide population reject vaccination for various social, religious, and political reasons. Research indicates that vaccine hesitancy spans all socioeconomic boundaries, affecting patients and their physicians. To explore the underlying themes of vaccine hesitancy and their relationship to loss aversion and omission bias, a study of various factors underlying …

Dionaea Muscipula, Venus Flytrap: A Case Study In Adapting To Environmental Imperfection, Kat O'Melia

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Issue 36

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Water Woes: How Our Careless Relationship With Water Is Draining The Supply, Sydney Rosensaft

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

There Could Be Light Here, Audrey Bowers

Graduate Thesis Collection

Poems about healing and hurting. The journey begins with a 14-year-old who is struggling with suicidal thoughts and ends with a 25-year-old learning how to live with bipolar 1 disorder. The poems focus on finding light in the darkness, one poem at a time.

Memento Mori: Philosophy For The Actor, Edwin C. Green

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores a philosophy whose goal is to fuel and protect the spirit of the working professional actor. This philosophy greatly inspired my one person show performance and will serve me in my future. Included in this paper will be my artistic philosophy, my resume, headshot, website, photos, and my one person show script, developed in the spring of 2022, titled“Memento Mori”.

A Comparison Of Regional Food Systems And Food Security In Rural Mississippi And Italy, Reinhard Matthew Knerr

Honors Theses

Food insecurity has strong links to worsened overall health outcomes, specifically, increased prevalence of chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity. Food insecurity in developed nations is primarily characterized by reduced access to nutritionally dense foods. This problem is especially prevalent in the Mississippi (MS) Delta region, where greater than two in five people are food insecure and community health outcomes are among the worst in the nation. Recent literature has placed emphasis on solutions to urban food insecurity, but urban resolutions cannot be fully extrapolated to rural food systems, where insecurity is characterized by a multifactorial lack …

Oncolytic Virus Immunotherapy: Development And Potential For Cancer Treatment, Olivia Guinness

Honors Scholar Theses

The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2023, 1,958,310 new cancer cases and 609,820 cancer deaths will occur in the United States [16]. A promising therapeutic option that has been supported by recent clinical trials is the use of oncolytic viruses to treat malignant tumors. The mechanism of action of existing treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery, differs from that of oncolytic virus therapy because oncolytic viruses are able to affect cancer cells with specificity, minimizing side effects. When infecting a normal, non-cancerous cell, oncolytic viruses do not replicate, leaving healthy cells unaffected. In tumor cells, oncolytic viruses will …

The Influence Of Myoblast Implantation On Arteriogenesis In Mice With Diet-Induced Obesity, Rayana Gutierrez

Biomedical Engineering

Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) is characterized by atherosclerosis, which is the buildup of plaque, consisting largely of cholesterol, in the arterial walls. This plaque accumulation eventually blocks blood flow to the limbs, causing symptoms such as intermittent claudication and tissue death in cases of critical limb ischemia. The body compensates for the reduced perfusion by enlarging pre-existing bypass arteries, known as collaterals, in a process called arteriogenesis. However, in many cases, collateral networks constructed through arteriogenesis fail to enlarge sufficiently or function effectively in patients. Therefore, the development of a therapeutic intervention specifically targeting this process would offer a …

The Bridge Newsletter Spring 2023, Missouri University Of Science And Technology

The Bridge Newsletter

-Virtual reality in architectural engineering
-Steel Bridge team wins fifth consecutive competition
-S&T Volleyball star ‘jumps’ at research opportunity
-Benavides legacy continues

Inhibition Of Gap Junction Formation Prior To Implantation Of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Cells Improves Function In The Ischemic Myocardium, Santipongse Chatchavalvanich, Robert A. Boomsma, Jack M. Tietema, David Geenen

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) are reported to induce beneficial effects in the heart following ischemia, but a loss of these cells within hours of implantation could significantly diminish their long-term effect. We hypothesized that early coupling between BM-MSC and ischemic cardiomyocytes through gap junctions (GJ) may play an important role in stem cell survival and retention in the acute phase of myocardial ischemia. To determine the effect of GJ inhibition on murine BM-MSC in vivo, we induced ischemia in mice using 90 min left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) occlusion followed by BM-MSC implantation and reperfusion. The inhibition …

A Consumer's Guide To Greenwashing, Katie Fowler

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Over the past 37 years since the term greenwashing was coined, there have been sparse attempts to regulate this deceptive environmental marketing. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) created its Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims, also known as the Green Guides, in 1992. The Guides have been revised on three separate occasions – 1996, 1998, and 2012 – in an attempt to remain relevant with the proliferation of environmental marketing claims and trends. However, the Guides were created as interpretive rules that do not give the FTC the authority to enforce the regulations unless they can prove that …

Veils And Natural Forms, Avery Silliman

Honors College

I am using veils as a symbol of divine appointments held by the unknown and intertwined by God's grace. God reveals Himself and His glory in different ways that are received best during that time, and for that specific person. The ways that God reveals Himself illustrates God's intentionality within veils, and how His revealed presence shapes His relationship with those who encounter Him.