Digital Commons Network^™

Creation Of Tatde Rlnps For The Excision Of Integrated Hiv-1 Proviral Dna, Mahmudul Hasan

Theses & Dissertations

The persistence of integrated human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) proviral DNA despite combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the principal challenge to eliminating HIV-1 infection. This is made ever more complex based on the high viral mutation rates, diversity and resistance profiles. Taken together, these factors present principal obstacles towards any means to eliminate the virus from its infective human host. To address these factors, we have developed and validated a TatDE rLNP RNA delivery system. The system utilizes Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR) guide RNAs (gRNAs) to target multiple exons of an integrated proviral HIV-1 (tat_{1-2 …}

A Qualitative Multiple Case Study Of Rural Spousal Caregivers’ Experience With Health Promotion, Tamara L. Braley

Theses & Dissertations

Rural spousal caregivers caring for a person living with moderate to severe dementia at home are at risk of serious health consequences because they are unable to attend to their own personal health needs. Insufficient evidence exits that informs how contextual components of the rural spousal caregiving situation prevent caregivers from practicing personal health promotion and wellness while caregiving during the later stages of dementia. The aims of this qualitative, descriptive, multiple case study were to: 1) describe transition points in the rural spousal caregiver’s role across the dementia disease trajectory, 2) describe the rural spousal caregiver’s experience with personal …

Cystic Duct Morphology And Heister Valves: A Cadaveric Study, Cierra R. Goerish

Theses & Dissertations

Continued occurrence of cholelithiasis, gallstones, commonly results in cholecystectomy, removal of the gallbladder. Having a comprehensive anatomical, histological, and physiological knowledge of the biliary apparatus is imperative in clinical medicine today. Additionally, the functionality of cystic duct (CD) Heister valves (HV) has been speculatory since being reported in 1732. This study summarizes the morphology, orientation, and variability of the gross biliary system and provides data to help justify HV functionality.

Cadaveric dissection was utilized for gross observation and analysis of the biliary system. The angulation of the CD was found primarily as an acute angle; however, obtuse angulation could be …

Investigating Host Cell Transcriptional Heterogeneity And Metabolism In Staphylococcus Aureus Biofilm Infections, Christopher M. Horn

Theses & Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a leading cause of prosthetic joint infection (PJI). These infections are often intractable due to biofilm formation, which are complex bacterial communities that adhere to biotic and abiotic surfaces. Within a biofilm, there is considerable heterogeneity in bacterial metabolism and gene expression that contributes to the establishment an anti-inflammatory milieu at the site of infection, which favors bacterial persistence even in the context of an immunocompetent host. This is due, in part, to the preferential recruitment of granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (G-MDSCs), which are a population of pathologically activated immature leukocytes that develop …

Variations In Source And Pattern Of Arterial Supply To The Trigeminal Ganglion With Clinical Relevance, William S. Srinivasan

Theses & Dissertations

The trigeminal ganglion (TG) is known to receive its arterial supply from branches of the internal carotid artery (ICA), middle meningeal artery (MMA), accessory meningeal artery (AMA), or superior cerebellar artery (SCA). Existing information about the prevalence and patterns of blood supply to the TG is limited despite their high clinical relevance to basicranial surgeries. The objective of this study is to investigate the source and pattern of arterial supply to TG and discuss their clinical relevance. Left and right TG were examined on 75 embalmed human cadavers from an ethically approved anatomical donor program. A literature review was conducted, …

Chest Wall Injury Pain With Movement, Lindsey Cavlovic

Theses & Dissertations

Rib fractures are the most common injury in patients who sustain trauma to the chest wall. These patients often report exacerbated pain severity with deep breathing, coughing, and performing movements of the upper body. Clinical experience in treating these patients shows that patients usually avoid movement due to increased pain severity. Most pain scores from patients with chest wall injuries are assessed while the patient lies comfortably in bed. Although pain is the primary complaint of patients with chest wall injury, the assessment of this pain is likely under-represented, given that these patients remain inactive due to the pain that …

A Critical Assessment Of The Role Of Clpxp-Mediated Proteolysis In The Development And Differentiation Of Chlamydia Trachomatis, Nicholas A. Wood

Theses & Dissertations

Chlamydia trachomatis, an obligate intracellular human pathogen, is the etiological agent of the most commonly reported bacterial sexually transmitted infection and the leading cause of preventable infectious blindness worldwide. In adapting to an intracellular niche, Chlamydia has evolved to eliminate superfluous genes from its chromosome. Despite its highly reduced genome, Chlamydia undergoes a complex developmental cycle in which the bacteria differentiate between two functionally and morphologically distinct forms: the infectious, non-replicative elementary body (EB) and the non-infectious, replicative reticulate body (RB). An EB initiates infection by binding to and inducing uptake into a host cell. Within the cell, the EB …

Complementary Medicine And Its Perceived Effects On Cancer Patients, Madison A. Sundvold

Honors Thesis

This research examines the perceived effects of the top ten complementary medicine types on cancer patients' perceived health outcomes, when used in combination with Western or evidence-based medicine. This thesis analyzes various peer-reviewed articles as a literature review and utilizes a previous honors thesis conducted survey of the general population. It studies the depth of knowledge that people have of complementary medicine types and if they combine the resource with regular Western medicine. The purpose of this study is to examine if complementary medicine used decreases the side effects associated with cancer treatment, such as fatigue, pain, and nausea. After …

Mobile Munchies: An Occupation-Based Transitional Skills Program For Adolescents, Reilly S. Dujmovic

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

This capstone project is focused on program development in the area of life/work skills for adolescents in a special education setting. The specific interest was in transition skills for adolescents, or skills that promote independence in ADLs, IADLs, and leisure, and work activities following formal education. The goal of this project was to develop work programming as an intervention to teach transition skills to adolescents in a special education classroom setting. The programming developed was based on programming the special education classroom has used in the past. Programming was modified to take an occupational therapy lens to reach the goal …

Promoting Social-Emotional Development In Preschool Children Using A Trauma Informed, Sensory Integrative Approach, Sarah M. Mcgoldrick

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

The incidence of sensory processing difficulties and related behaviors is increasing in young children, which supports the need for early intervention and support. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of TBRI® Nurture Group© in improving social emotional and sensory processing skills in preschool aged children while reducing the number of negative behaviors observed. The project was conducted in a four- and five-year-old preschool classroom at the Early Learning Center in Edina, Minnesota. Nurture Group© sessions occurred over the span of ten weeks in small groups of about three to four students. Students worked on identifying calming …

Increasing Communication Of Patient Daily Goals During Interdisciplinary Rounds In An Inpatient Pediatric Cardiac Unit, Sage Bailey

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Introduction: Ineffective communication between interdisciplinary team members in a pediatric inpatient setting results in poor documentation compliance and decreased staff satisfaction of daily goals. The use of a standardized patient daily goal sheet improves effective communication among interdisciplinary team members. The primary aims of this study were to improve RN satisfaction and knowledge regarding interdisciplinary communication, improve verbalization of patient daily goals in daily rounds, increase the number of daily goals verbally discussed and improve the quality of documentation in the electronic medical record (EMR). Methods: Data were collected on a pediatric academic 30-bed cardiac care unit involving 100 nurses. …

Translating A Pediatric Weight Management Intervention Into Medically Underserved Areas, Caitlin Golden

Theses & Dissertations

Despite substantial prevention and treatment efforts, childhood obesity remains a pressing public health concern. Disparities persist in obesity prevalence among children of lower socioeconomic status, racial and ethnic minority groups, and those residing in rural areas. The vast majority of efficacious pediatric weight management interventions (PWMIs) have been based in larger cities and urban areas delivered through inter-disciplinary teams in a hospital or medical center, and the degree to which these or other efficacious PWMIs have been translated to, and are feasible in, typical rural or micropolitan areas is unclear. This dissertation describes a dissemination strategy and a systematic approach …

Telehealth Integration In Primary Care, Ashley Simons

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Telehealth has been proven to be a useful and integral tool in primary care settings. Carlinville Family Health Care Clinic, a rural health clinic, has the current ability to conduct Telehealth visits but is not currently doing so. They have several programs available that are equipped with Telehealth capabilities. The physicians cite lack of education on these programs and lack of a standard streamlined practice for which program to use or how to use it.

According to the physicians in this practice, along with their patients, the use of Telehealth has multiple advantages. Because visits in this clinical are usually …

Primary Care Management Of Breast Cancer Screening, Katelyn Phillips, Lainey Brown

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Breast cancer remains the most prevalent cancer diagnosis and is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. Mammograms have been identified as an effective screening tool that can detect breast cancer in the early stages of the disease, before symptoms develop, and allow the possibility of a cure. The project aimed to identify women in the primary care setting with outstanding mammography orders and implement a more systemic outreach program to improve patient adherence. The intervention was a telephone outreach program in which the students conducting the project contacted patients with unsatisfied mammogram orders …

Distribution Of Astragalus Amnis-Amissi (Fabaceae), A Plant Endemic To East-Central Idaho, Michael Daines

Western North American Naturalist

Astragalus amnis-amissi (Fabaceae), or Lost River milkvetch, is a plant endemic to east-central Idaho for which no published surveys have been completed in the last 18 years. A search for several previously documented populations in canyons of the southern Lemhi Range and the Lost River Range, in Butte and Custer Counties, Idaho, documented the species in 4 canyons. However, it was not relocated in an unnamed canyon in the southern Lemhi Range, indicating potential extirpation of 1 of 2 previously known populations documented on land managed by the USDI Bureau of Land Management. No new populations of A. amnis-amissi were …

2022 Spectrum Policy Initiative Conference Outcomes Report, Braham Stevenson, Jackson Mcneal, Sean Harms, Xelef Botan

Colorado Technology Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Detection Of Sars-Cov-2 Mutations In Vermillion, Sd, Wastewater Utilizing Probe-Based Rt-Qpcr, Matthew J. Schmitz

Honors Thesis

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from the subgenus Sarbecovirus, has presented numerous public health challenges for communities across the globe. As demonstrated by the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) and the recent Omicron variants, the virus can mutate and pose new risks for communities, such as reinfection, increased transmissibility, and variable mortality. As such, accurately monitoring the spread of specific variants has become a priority for public health agencies. However, clinical testing faces various limitations, and the increased use of at-home test kits inhibits surveillance. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) can monitor infection rates of entire …

The Exacerbating Role Of Technological And Connectivity Challenges On Older Detroiters’ Health In A Pandemic, Nicholas Schroeck, Carrie Leach

Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental, & Innovation Law

The COVID-19 pandemic hit communities of color hard. The City of Detroit was particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 due to racial, socioeconomic, and environmental health factors. To analyze the exacerbating role of technology and connectivity challenges on older Detroiters' health in a pandemic, we first examined Detroit’s demographics. This analysis involved looking at the continued evolution of the City's population toward older adults, as well as the impact of COVID-19 and the healthcare services on Detroit’s elder population. Next, we examined Detroit’s internet access challenges, including the presence of digital exclusion among older adults in Detroit, the impact of COVID-19 on …

The Brain On Death Row: Reconciling Neuroscience & Categorical Exemptions From Execution, Alexa Johnson-Gomez

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

Soft Law 2.0: An Agile And Effective Governance Approach For Artificial Intelligence, Gary E. Marchant, Carlos Ignacio Gutierrez

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

The Health Care Industry Is Ready For A Revolution: Its Privacy Laws Are Not, Erin Rutherford

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

Volume 24, Issue 2 Masthead, Front Matter, Table Of Contents

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

To Hear Or Not To Hear: How “Best Interest” Determinations Can Help In The Cochlear Implant Debate, Tessa Wright

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

Targeting The Cxcr1/2 Axis In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Caitlin Molczyk

Theses & Dissertations

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is notoriously challenging to diagnose and treat. This tumor has an aggressive phenotype and benign clinical features until severe disease dissemination, which makes it too late to eradicate. Although it is only the 10th most common cancer in the United States, it is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The treatment options are complicated further due to tumor heterogeneity, meaning not all tumor cells are in the same state phenotypically or epigenetically. They also express cytokines, chemokines, and receptors differently. Here we explore the usage of CXCR1 and CXCR2 and their ligands in PDAC tumor …

Midweed: A Comparison Between Marijuana Laws, Regulations, And Social Attitudes In Cannabis-Legal Vs. Cannabis-Illegal Midwest States, Abagail Lim

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Professional Projects

This professional project is a series of three journalistic articles. Each article focuses on laws, regulations and social attitudes surrounding marijuana in the United States. These topics are explored primarily through the lenses of two Midwest states (Illinois & Nebraska), which have highly contrasting laws and regulations regarding marijuana. The state of Illinois legalized medical marijuana in January 2014 and recreational marijuana in January 2020, while in Nebraska, both medical and recreational use still remains illegal, though possession of up to one ounce has been decriminalized.

The purpose of choosing these two states is to show how stark a contrast …

Framework For Applicability Of Fidic Red Book (1999) For Contracts Governed By Law No. 182 Of The Year 2018 For Regulating Contracts Concluded By Public Entities, Fredy Ayad

Theses and Dissertations

An administrative contract is a type of contract that the administrative body enters in order to achieve a public interest. In Egypt, administrative contracts are governed by Law No. 182 of the year 2018 for Regulating Contracts concluded by Public Entities, which has been promulgated in October 2018. This Law includes several mandatory rules, which will govern over any conditions in the construction contract.

The FIDIC Red Book 1999 is widely used in Egypt and the Middle East in private sector and is currently also being utilized by governmental bodies. However, some contractors are not aware of the major deviations …

Do Plants Have The Cognitive Complexity For Sentience?, Ricard V. Solé

Animal Sentience

Are plants sentient? Like other aspects of the cognitive potential of plants, this is a controversial issue, often driven by analogies and seldom supported on solid theoretical grounds. Sentience is understood in cognitive sciences as the capacity to feel. I suggest that because of plants’ evolved adaptations to morphological plasticity, sessile nature and ecological constraints, they are unlikely to have the requisite cognitive complexity for sentience.

Blockchain Security: Double-Spending Attack And Prevention, William Henry Scott Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis shows that distributed consensus systems based on proof of work are vulnerable to hashrate-based double-spending attacks due to abuse of majority rule. Through building a private fork of Litecoin and executing a double-spending attack this thesis examines the mechanics and principles behind the attack. This thesis also conducts a survey of preventative measures used to deter double-spending attacks, concluding that a decentralized peer-to-peer network using proof of work is best protected by the addition of an observer system whether internal or external.

Perception Of Alumni Of The Department Of Agriculture At Stephen F. Austin State University, Sherifat Rufai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

University alumni surveys have served various purposes since they were introduced in the 1930s in the United States. The Department of Agriculture at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) aimed to evaluate alumni perceptions between the Fall of 2010 and the Spring of 2022 to provide an opportunity to examine the relationship between degree fields and occupations and the agriculture curriculum, salaries, and demographic data for college graduates. This study's web-based survey was designed to include closed-ended and open-ended questions to collect individual opinions using Qualtrics Survey Software. The survey materials were made available on the alumni's social media accounts. …

Flattening Hierarchical Structures To Empower Women Trainee Leaders On Social Media Teams, Marah N. Kays, Deborah D. Rupert, Olivia Negris, Beatrix Thompson, Marla L. Clayman, Lisa Mordell, Tricia Pendergrast, Eve Bloomgarden, Rakhee K. Bhayani, Shikha Jain

Student Publications

We share our experience empowering women trainees and leadership through a flattened hierarchical social media team structure with supporting evidence from measurable outcomes.