Digital Commons Network^™

Functional Diversification Of Rice Ago1 Proteins, Rachel Elie Jouni

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Global demand for food is outpacing gains from conventional plant breeding. Scientists have turned to molecular crop breeding techniques to increase crop output and mitigate global hunger; however, a common setback in this process is the pleiotropic effects of target genes. We need to develop strategies to specifically modulate desired traits without incurring undesired penalties. Natural evolution frequently balances such tradeoffs through extensive regulation, which we can leverage to produce more specific results. Reproductive development is an important target of breeding efforts due to its direct effect on yield. Rice, a major staple food crop for half the world’s population, …

Characterizing Piezo1 Mechanotransduction In Articular Chondrocytes, Jaquelin Marlen Garcia Castorena

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common degenerative joint disease, affecting more than 350 million people worldwide. Along with inflammation and pain, a hallmark of OA is the degradation of articular cartilage (AC), an avascular and aneural tissue that coats and facilitates the bending of diarthrodial joints. AC withstands millions of cyclic mechanical loads annually, and chondrocytes, the only resident cells in the tissue, sense these loads through mechanically gated ion channels, including Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4 (TRPV4), PIEZO1 and PIEZO2. PIEZO1 is a highly expressed calcium ion channel in chondrocytes that can be activated through mechanical loading or chemically …

Understanding Loss Of Beta-Cell Identity And Progression Of Diabetes In Polygenic Mouse Models Of T2dm, Sumitkumar Patel

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is caused by the complex interaction of multiple genes and environmental factors. T2DM is characterized by hyperglycemia, insulin resistance in peripheral tissues and impaired insulin secretion by the pancreas. While the decline in insulin production and secretion was previously attributed to apoptosis of insulin-producing β-cells, recent studies indicate that β cell apoptosis rates are relatively low in diabetes. In this dissertation, I investigated β-cell failure in diabetes using KK and KKAy mouse models of polygenic T2DM, which spontaneously develop hyperglycemia, glucose intolerance, glucosuria, impaired insulin secretion and insulin resistance. I found that β-cell failure in KK …

Real-Time System Availability For Cyber-Physical Systems, Jinwen Wang

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Cyber-physical systems (CPSs), such as autonomous vehicles, are increasingly being deployed. The sensing, control, and actuation loop in CPSs must complete within strict timing constraints. Missing a real-time deadline can lead to catastrophic consequences, as CPSs continuously interact with the physical world. This highlights the importance of real-time system availability (i.e., timely execution) in CPS tasks, going beyond traditional security goals that primarily focus on confidentiality and integrity. From a security perspective, two factors affect real-time system availability. First, attackers with access to hardware resources in CPSs may disrupt the execution timing of real-time tasks. Second, the deployment of security …

Effects Of Angptl3 Deficiency On The Regulation Of Hepatic Lipoprotein Production And Lipid Metabolism, Kendall Helene Burks

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. A major treatment goal is to lower plasma lipids, especially low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), the cardinal risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). Patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) experience early-onset CAD due to extremely high LDL. Underdiagnosis and undertreatment of FH are exacerbated by limited therapeutic options. However, one strategy has successfully lowered LDL in FH patients: Inhibition of the hepatically secreted protein Angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3). Despite promising clinical data, the mechanism by which ANGPTL3 inhibition lowers LDL has not been fully described. Although ANGPTL3 has been shown to modulate …

Targeting Nonsense-Mediated Rna Decay In Splicing Factor Mutant Myeloid Malignancies, Claudia Cabrera

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 50% of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) (which frequently progresses to secondary acute myeloid leukemia [AML]), 60% of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) and 20% of de novo AML harbor heterozygous somatic mutations in spliceosome genes. We and others have shown that mutations in spliceosome genes U2AF1, SF3B1, SRSF2 and ZRSR2 cause alterations in RNA splicing, leading to production of numerous aberrant RNAs. Interestingly, spliceosome mutant cells are more sensitive to genetic alterations or drugs that further perturb RNA splicing, compared to wild-type cells. The sensitivity of spliceosome mutant cells to further perturbations in RNA splicing raises the possibility that …

Investigating The Roles Of Sox10 And Etv4 In Melanocyte And Melanoma Development, Catherine Marie Newsom-Stewart

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The neural crest is a transient, multipotent cell population unique to vertebrates that gives rise to diverse lineages, including craniofacial cartilage, peripheral neurons, glia, and pigment-producing melanocytes. Proper specification and differentiation of neural crest derivatives are orchestrated by tightly regulated gene regulatory networks, and disruption of these developmental programs can lead to congenital disorders and malignancies. Melanocytes, derived from the neural crest, are best known for their role in skin pigmentation but also contribute to homeostasis and specialized functions in the eye, ear, and heart. These cells produce melanin to protect tissues from ultraviolet radiation and oxidative damage, and they …

Chinese Students, Jim Crow Schools: Navigating Education In A Black-And-White Society, Amanda Young

Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses

Previous research on the history of education in the Jim Crow South has largely focused on the effects of legal segregation on Black communities. However, there existed another group: the Chinese. In the seemingly bifurcated system, their intermediate status was particularly discernible in the school. After Lum v. Rice (1927) stipulated that Chinese people, as members of the “colored” race, should be excluded from white schools, Chinese families sought other forms of education, including private tutors and church-sponsored mission schools. Still, they remained steadfast in their commitment to accessing white public education. The Chinese reproduced, acquiesced to, and in some …

Communication And The Environment, Maudie Kunst, Nieske Witlox

Communication Research Trends

Part 1 and 2 combined:

1 - Communication and The Environment
by Maudie Kunst and Nieske Witlox
University of Amsterdam

2 - Supplement: Book Notes

Your Accent Sounds Tough: Exploring Shifting Indexicalities Of Appalachians Through The Lens Of Citizen Sociolinguistics, Sarah Ramsey

Honors Theses

This study investigates how Appalachian English is perceived in online discourse, focusing on the intersections of dialect, identity, and ideology. In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s 2024 devastation across Southern Appalachia, YouTube became a site of unexpected metalinguistic and cultural commentary. A citizen sociolinguistics framework is used to examine how outsiders engage with perceived Appalachian English, especially through discussions of class, gender, and accents.

Findings show that Appalachian identity is more favorably received when speakers minimize regional dialect features and align with urban, mainstream ideals. In contrast, speakers who are strongly marked as Appalachian, especially the rural and working class, …

The Power In Patient Education: A Collaborative Approach To Cancer Care, Eric Singhi, Aurora Lucas

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

A viewpoint on patient education

The Atlantic, Angelica Olivo, Abbey Reich, Anna Scheppmann, Sofia Miliotto, Azalea Hofmann-Strate

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Lowell’s letters to Sedgwick portray two people with extremely different tastes and views on poetry, and even what exactly they considered poetry to be. Lowell’s letters to Sedgwick are infused with her voice, and charisma, and her strong belief in her work—especially that of free verse, modern and imagist forms of poetry. Whereas Sedgwick despite also having a passion for poetry had a favor for a more traditional sense. Lowell often commented that her poems would probably not be published with quips at Sedgwick's choice of poems he chose to take and how he chose to describe them. However, they …

Handwritten Digit Recognition Using Machine Learning, Dipok Deb

Data Science and Data Mining

Handwritten Digit Recognition (HDR) remains a fundamental benchmark in pattern recognition and machine learning due to its practical applications and inherent classification challenges posed by diverse handwriting styles. This study investigates and compares two classical statistical classifiers—Gaussian Naive Bayes (GNB) and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA)—to recognize the digits from the MNIST dataset. Both models assume underlying normality in feature distributions and offer computational efficiency, making them suitable for high-dimensional input such as image pixels. Using 60,000 training and 10,000 test samples, we evaluate model performance through accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and confusion matrices. The results reveal that while GNB …

Clustering Dataset Using K-Mean Clustering, Dipok Deb

Data Science and Data Mining

Clustering is a fundamental technique in unsupervised machine learning, widely applied in various domains such as pattern recognition, data segmentation, and anomaly detection. This study evaluates the performance of the K-Means clustering algorithm on multiple benchmark datasets, including low-dimensional, high-dimensional, and imbalanced datasets. The clustering results are assessed using four key evaluation metrics: Mean Squared Error (MSE), Adjusted Rand Index (ARI), Normalized Mutual Information (NMI), and Silhouette Score. Experimental results demonstrate that K-Means performs effectively on datasets with well-separated clusters, particularly in high-dimensional spaces, where it achieves near-perfect clustering accuracy. However, its performance deteriorates in datasets with overlapping clusters and …

The Implementation Of Mindfulness-Based Practice For Nurse Leaders, Janelle L. Cooney

DNP and Student Works

Frontline nursing leadership is one of the most demanding positions in the clinical setting. A leader’s negative physical, psychological, emotional, and behavioral issues can directly impact staff and patient satisfaction, quality and safety metrics, and staff retention. The utilization of a mindfulness-based activity has been shown to be successful in a leader’s ability to cope with day-to-day professional stressors.

Challenges And Opportunities Of Agricultural Research In The Sudan, Allam Ahmed

Journal of African Policy Studies

National research institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are under increasing governmental pressure to make direct and visible contributions to national research and development strategies. Although Sudan is a predominately agricultural economy, crop productivity is extremely low and does not exceed thirty percent of the level attained in research farms. The aim of this paper is to develop a framework for analyzing problems and identifying opportunities to strengthen African research institutions' role in development-oriented research. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate the implementation capacity constraints, which exist in formal agricultural research, and the impact this has on …

Favorite Seek K-6 Experiments, Morgan Madsen, Robyn M. Hyde

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Although women make up 51% of the U.S. population and underrepresented minorities comprise 32.8%, they are significantly underrepresented in the STEM workforce, accounting for only 35% and 26.6%, respectively (Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 2021). This SEEK project was designed to help close that equity gap by increasing access to hands-on STEM education for children, with a particular focus on engaging girls and students from underrepresented minority groups.* Westminster University, with its strong history of community engagement, proposed to continue engaging in community work with the goal of also establishing a new partnership with Guadalupe …

Determining The Effectiveness Of An Educational Intervention On Self-Management Behaviors Of Adults With Type 2 Diabetes At A Rural Clinic: A Quality Improvement Project, Stacy L. Harvey

Dissertations

Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 (T2DM) has the highest mortality deaths, and these are projected to increase over the years. Living with diabetes can be very stressful to manage because of the complexity and required multidisciplinary approach required for effective health maintenance and lifestyle management. Diabetes self-management education programs are essential for improved glucose control and the goal is to help patients improve their lifestyle choices through knowledge of the disease for effective self-management behaviors in the essential areas of diet, exercise, glucose monitoring, medication and cooperation with the diabetes team.

What Model For Language Planning In Education And Development?, Raymond Mopoho

Journal of African Policy Studies

The implementation of language policies by African countries after independence was very similar to what prevailed in the colonial era in that its centerpiece was the promotion of European languages, to the exclusion of native languages. The official rationale for such policies was political and economic in nature: In a multiethnic context, imposing a foreign language would promote national unity and foster the acquisition of the technical know-how necessary for development. Such a policy was characterized by several weaknesses. In its implementation, for many years, the school system seemed content with being a graduate generating machine, with little attention being …

Fertility Decline In Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa: 1980-2010, Pierre Ngom, Soukeynatou Fall

Journal of African Policy Studies

This paper examines fertility levels (1990-2000) and trends (1980-2000) in francophone sub-Saharan Africa, and suggests likely prospects for further decline during the 2000-2010 period. Data are from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), the World Fertility Surveys (WFS), and the World Bank. Fertility levels are still high in francophone sub-Saharan Africa, but vary widely from a total fertility rate (TFR) of 4.6 children per woman in Cameroon (1998) to 7.2 in Niger (1998). Overall, fertility has been declining in francophone sub-Saharan Africa, although the pace has been much slower than the one prevailing in English-speaking countries. Age at marriage, but …

Two Fawns, Siena Maciej

Studio One

In 1978, Patricia and Leonard Percello endowed this prize to honor Patricia’s parents, Louis and Mary Wagner-Berger, and to support college students who are interested in writing short stories and novels. It is designed to encourage and reward excellence in creative writing at the College of Saint Benedict. The Wagner-Berger Prize for fiction is the first scholarship of its kind at the College of Saint Benedict. It is a scholarship awarded annually to the CSB student who submits the most original, previously unpublished short story. All submissions are judged by a committee of English & Creative Writing Department members, and …

We Are Not Birds, Vicki Roberts

Studio One

No abstract provided.

2019-At A Refugee Center In Tijuana, A Man Prepares His Plea For Asylum, Thomas Nelson

Studio One

No abstract provided.

The Wizard Of Words, Lindaann Loschiavo

Studio One

No abstract provided.

Contributor Bios, Studio1 Literary Club

Studio One

No abstract provided.

Studio One Volume 49, Studio1 Literary Club

Studio One

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Mauritania's "Human Rights Deficit" On The Political Process: A Case Against "To Forgive And Forget", Boubacar N'Diaye

Journal of African Policy Studies

No abstract provided.

A Perennial Kind Of Service: Flannery O’Connor, Protégé And Mentor, Brent S. House

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

Flannery O’Connor stands among the great authors of the second half of the twentieth century, with a canon of literary work—two novels and a National Book Award-winning collection of stories, along with essays, speeches, letters, and journals—that belies her limited years. If her life had been longer, she would have completed a greater body of work, but she also might have affected the development of creative writing pedagogy in the United States. O’Connor, after all, was one of the most successful of the early graduates of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the first and most prestigious graduate program for creative writers. …

Repugnancy Test (Policy) And The Impact Of Colonially Imposed Laws On The Growth Of Nigeria’S Native Justice Systems, Nonso Okeresfoezeke

Journal of African Policy Studies

No abstract provided.

Inferior Wall Stemi In A Young Patient- A Sequela Of Phentermine And Smoking, Nismat Javed, Vikram Itare, Emamuzo Obaro Otobo, Yordano Montesano, Preeti Jadhav, Nassim Krim

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Amphetamine use is associated with increasing rates of cardiovascular risks, such as pulmonary hypertension, arrhythmias, and atherosclerosis. A 47-year-old woman experienced an inferior MI after taking the weight loss drug phentermine. She presented with chest pain, shortness of breath, and vomiting. Initial examination showed low blood pressure and slow heart rate. Subsequent tests revealed elevated cardiac enzyme levels and ST elevations on EKG. A coronary angiogram showed a blockage in the right coronary artery. She underwent a successful procedure to open the artery. The case highlights the heightened cardiovascular risks associated with amphetamine use, even in individuals without existing heart …