Digital Commons Network^™

The Benefits Of Biofouling – Promoting The Growth Of Benthic Organisms To Enhance Ecosystem Services, Kailey Nicole Richard, Kelli Z. Hunsucker, Travis J. Hunsucker, Geoffrey Swain

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

For the marine industry biofouling has a negative reputation. On ship hulls, the accumulation of these unwanted plants and animals can lead to increased drag, fuel consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. Offshore platforms are also subject to biofouling which can result in corrosion and hydrodynamic loading, thus shortening their lifespan. While the harmful impacts of biofouling are commonly reported throughout the literature, biofouling can also benefit both aquatic and human populations. Common biofouling organisms act as natural filtration systems, thus improving water quality. Many of the same flora and fauna serve as a food source, and structures could be designed …

Integrating Building Information Modelling And Extended Reality In The Transportation Infrastructure Industry, Yosra El Maghraby, Shady Salem, Ahmed Alhady, Yasser Khodeir

Civil Engineering

No abstract provided.

Emotionality Stigma Scale: Measurement Development, Reliability, And Validity., Hayley D. Seely

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emotions are biological responses to stimuli that allow individuals to derive meaning, appraise experiences, and prepare to respond. However, individuals perceive emotions differently based on emotion socialization which not only dictates the way emotions are viewed and managed but also has been directly linked with mental health outcomes. Furthermore, research shows emotion socialization is informed by demographic variables such as gender such that the expectations of emotionality differ; where women are taught to express emotions, men are taught to conceal. Given the societal rules regarding emotionality, it is possible that emotionality stigma – the stigma around the experience and expression …

From Surface To Subtext: Portrayals Of Success In Superfund Remediation., Haley Metcalf-Wade

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Superfund sites represent some of the most contaminated and environmentally sensitive areas in the United States. How these sites are portrayed can significantly influence public perception of environmental risks, the effectiveness of remediation efforts, and the overall state of environmental health. Regulatory agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are entrusted with safeguarding public health and the environment. How they communicate about their actions, successes, and challenges directly impacts public trust and perceptions of their accountability. This dissertation examines the manifest and latent metrics used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine success in Superfund remediation by focusing on …

Testing The Feasibility And Acceptability Of A Mindful Self-Compassion Group Workshop Among Individuals With Eating Disorders: A Pilot Study., Brenna Mary Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background. Shame and self-criticism are mechanisms shown to influence eating disorders (EDs). Self-compassion has been theorized to target shame and self-criticism and is a protective factor against EDs. One intervention shown to increase self-compassion and reduce shame and self-criticism is the Mindful Self-Compassion program (MSC). However, MSC has yet to be tested among individuals with an ED diagnosis. The current study investigated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of MSC delivered in a live, online format among individuals with an ED. Methods. Sixty-one participants completed baseline questionnaires measuring ED symptoms, trait self-compassion, self-criticism, and shame. Participants also answered questionnaires at …

Relation Between The Negative Cognitive Triad, Perceived Everyday Discrimination, Depressive Symptoms, And Tnf-A In Adolescents., Ashley Ann Marshall Dondanville

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is based on Beck's cognitive stress-vulnerability model of depression and previous research on (a) the increased risk for severe illnesses associated with TNF-⍺ (i.e., an inflammatory cytokine), (b) the effect of perceived everyday discrimination (PED) on depressive symptoms and TNF-⍺, (c) the association between depressive symptoms and TNF-⍺, (d) and findings that the negative cognitive triad (i.e., negative views of the self, world, and future) serves as a partial mediator between PED and depressive symptoms. The purpose of this study is to integrate Beck’s model and these different research lines by inspecting the associations between the stressor PED …

Bayesian Approaches In Multi-State Markov Models And High Dimensional Time-To-Event Data., Yuchen Han

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of two projects. The first one involves nonparametric methods on Continuous Time Markov Chains (CTMCs). The second one is centered around Bayesian shrinkage models for detecting prognostic and predictive biomarkers in high-dimensional clinical data. Both these projects build on methods from across the frequentist and Bayesian paradigm to offer novel solutions. In the first project, we aim to model the nonlinear effects of continuous variables within multistate framework in a non-parametrically by appealing to the rich mathematical framework of Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Spaces (RKHS). Then we adapted the classical Representer Theorem to penalized (squared norm) log-likelihood which …

Exploring Medicaid Stigma In Kentucky., Malea Hoepf Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Health insurance is only one of many factors involved in becoming and staying healthy, but the importance of having coverage in the U.S. cannot be overstated. Medicaid provides health care coverage for millions of Americans, with enrollment increasing dramatically after the Affordable Care Act allowed states to expand eligibility. While there is a great deal of research on the impacts of Medicaid expansion on newly eligible adults, there is little research on negative attitudes towards people using Medicaid, or on Medicaid stigma. This study used qualitative methods to conceptualize stigma around Medicaid through discussions with individuals using Medicaid and enrollment …

Denoising And Super-Resolution Of In-Vitro 4e Flow Mri In A Stenotic Phantom Model Using Physics-Informed Neural Networks., Shrouk M. Wally

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the use of 4D flow MRI has revolutionized cardiovascular imag- ing by providing comprehensive data on blood flow dynamics over time. However, the limited spatial and temporal resolution of this imaging modality can hinder the accurate assessment of complex hemodynamic phenomena. This thesis explores the application of Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) to enhance the resolution of 4D flow MRI data, thereby improving its clinical utility. PINNs are a class of neural networks that integrate physical laws into their training process. By embedding these physics equations, PINNs can discover the underlying physics of fluid dynamics to produce more …

Infographic: On-Site Provision Of Family Planning Services In Factory Settings In Egypt [In Arabic], Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Reham Abou El-Fadl, Noha El-Khorazaty, Tarek Alam El Din

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

Under the project titled "Offering Family Planning Services in Factory Settings in Egypt: Examining Feasibility, Acceptability, and Cost," this set of infographics describe the intervention conducted in Alexandria, Egypt, aimed at addressing male and female workers' needs for family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) information and services. These infographics provide an overview of the intervention components, the results of the quantitative evaluation, as well as the cost and return on investment analysis.

Burma Refugees’ Migratory And Resettlement Experiences And Health Practices, Eunice E. Kim

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Many refugees from Burma (renamed Myanmar) resettled in the U.S. in recent years; however, they are largely unknown to the American public care system. This dissertation aimed to increase understanding of their unique existence and life trajectory and provide a groundwork to identify an effective way to assist their quest to secure health and well-being in their host communities. Guided by Max Weber's Interpretive Sociology and Ideal Type construct principles, this study investigated the Burma refugee’s particular sociodemographic characteristics, narratives of enduring refugee debilitating conditions across multiple contexts, and life adaptations. The sampled Burma refugees comprised 36 former and current …

Dynamic Prediction Of Disease Progression With Longitudinal Data, Wenhao Li

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Dynamic prediction plays a pivotal role in clinical research, especially when forecasting time-to-event outcomes based on evolving longitudinal data. This process often leverages the integration of longitudinal and time-to-event data through joint modeling, a prevalent technique. Alongside joint modeling, landmark modeling stands as another key approach in the realm of longitudinal studies. These methodologies are instrumental in dynamically predicting clinical events by utilizing predictor variables measured over time, up until the moment predictions are made. Within this framework, Chapter 2 addresses the challenge of comparing joint modeling and landmark modeling for dynamic prediction in longitudinal studies, introducing a novel algorithm …

Functional Contribution Of Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition Program On Krasg12d Targeting Efficacy In Pancreatic Cancer, Ana S. Maldonado

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Functional contribution of epithelial to mesenchymal transition program on KRAS^G12D targeting efficacy in pancreatic cancer

Ana S. Maldonado, BS

Advisory Professor: Raghu Kalluri, M.D., Ph.D.

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a highly aggressive, metastatic, and therapeutically resistant form of pancreatic cancer has been projected to become the second-leading cause of cancer related mortality in the United States. This is driven by its detection difficulty, treatment efficacy, and asymptomatic nature, among other factors. PDAC is driven predominantly by KRAS^G12D mutations, which are responsible for the initial development of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (Pan-IN) lesions, that are further maintained and progressed until …

The Role Of The Circadian Clock In The Paraventricular Nucleus Of The Hypothalamus In Diurnal Energy Balance, Rachel Van Drunen

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Circadian rhythms are internal biological rhythms that drive oscillations in physiology and metabolism. Maintained at the level of individual cells throughout the body, the circadian clock is necessary for driving tissue-specific temporal programs of energy balance. Though loss of the circadian transcription factor, BMAL1, in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus has revealed its importance in driving rhythms in energy intake and metabolism, its transcriptional functions across time and in individual cell types in the PVN are not well understood. In this study, we show that loss of BMAL1 in the PVN not only results in arrhythmicity in processes …

Sympathetic Baroreflex Sensitivity Is Enhanced In Postmenopausal Women, Shane J. Mcginty, Evan L. Matthews, Jody L. Greaney, J. Kevin Shoemaker, Megan M. Wenner

Department of Kinesiology Scholarship and Creative Works

The sympathetic nervous system is critical for regulating blood pressure (BP) via the arterial baroreflex and sympathetic transduction in the peripheral vasculature. These mechanisms interact, and both may be altered with aging and impacted by menopause. Although age-related decreases in sympathetic transduction have been demonstrated in women, it remains unclear whether sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) is impaired in postmenopausal women (POST). We tested the hypothesis that sympathetic BRS would be enhanced in POST compared with premenopausal women (PRE). We examined beat-by-beat BP and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) in 19 PRE (22 ± 2 yr, 22 ± 3 kg/m^{2 …}

Exploring Chronic Stress, Avoidance Coping, And Diurnal Cortisol In Head And Neck Cancer Patients: A Pilot Study Of Best Practices In Diurnal Cortisol Sampling., Brooks R. Harbison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cancer patients are vulnerable to the deleterious effects of chronic stress, especially those prone to avoidance coping. Research in the general population has linked these effects to aberrant diurnal cortisol. However, the current literature on cancer patients has shown inconsistent results in associations between chronic stress, avoidance coping, and diurnal cortisol, possibly due to inconsistent cortisol sampling practices. This pilot study of head and neck cancer patients aimed to address this gap in the literature by implementing best cortisol sampling practices to investigate the links among chronic stress, avoidance coping, and diurnal cortisol slope, average bedtime cortisol, and average wake …

Ot's Role In Community Accessibility At Public Parks And Playgrounds For Parents With Disabilities, Janae Paulo, Amy Lyons-Brown, Stacy Frauwith, Lena Gipson Showalter

Summer 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Public parks and playgrounds play a crucial role in fostering parent-child interaction, social inclusion, and community engagement. However, these essential recreational spaces often remain inaccessible to individuals with disabilities (Lynch et al., 2020). Research underscores the benefits of inclusive playgrounds, yet many are not designed to accommodate adults with disabilities, thus creating barriers for parents with disabilities who wish to engage with their children (Dalpra, 2022; Jacob et al., 2017). Although occupational therapy (OT) practitioners are instrumental in ensuring environmental accessibility within home settings, their involvement in the design of public spaces is limited. Young et al. (2019) advocate for …

Impacts Of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction On The Occupations Of Postpartum Women, Julia Hernandez, Amy Lyons-Brown

Summer 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

This study investigates the impact of pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) on the daily activities of postpartum women. Eleven women participated in an online survey, with four engaging in follow-up interviews via Microsoft Teams. The survey indicated that 91% of respondents experienced at least one symptom of PFD, including urine leakage, difficulty reaching the toilet in time, unexpected passing of wind, decreased vaginal sensation, a bulge at the vaginal opening, pelvic heaviness, and vulvar pain during sex. Despite these prevalent symptoms, 82% had not been offered pelvic floor therapy.

Participants rated their awareness of pelvic floor health topics predominantly as "Less …

Docosahexaenoic Acid And Pregnancy: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of The Association With Improved Maternal And Fetal Health, Kiran Bilgundi, Gollapalle Lakshminarayanashastry Viswanatha, Kowshik Muttur Purushottam, Jeena John

Open Access archive

This study aimed to investigate the effects of prenatal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation on pregnancy outcomes through a systematic review and meta-analysis. We hypothesized that prenatal DHA intake through supplements will improve pregnancy outcomes. Detailed literature search was performed using online databases such as PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar till November 2022, to identify the randomized controlled trials (RCT) with maternal intake of DHA supplementation during the latter half of pregnancy compared to the placebo/control. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, nine RCTs involving 5710 subjects were included. This meta-analysis showed that DHA supplementation (450-800 mg/day) was associated with …

Technical Considerations In Robotic Aberrant Right Subclavian Artery Resection For Dysphagia Lusoria, Luke Meredith, Emily Isch, Mohammed Ali, Michael Nooromid, Olugbenga Okusanya

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

Dysphagia lusoria occurs due to compression of the esophagus as an aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA) crosses the mediastinum. Surgical management includes open, hybrid, and endovascular techniques, with no consensus gold standard. There are few reports of robotic-assisted ARSA resection. We describe the innovative technique and outcomes for two patients who successfully underwent robotic-assisted transthoracic resection of an ARSA after right carotid–subclavian bypass for dysphagia lusoria. Both patients experienced improvement or resolution of their dysphagia and no major complications. In select patients with a noncalcified origin of the ARSA without aneurysmal degeneration, the robotic-assisted approach represents a viable option.

The Influence Of Oxidative Stress On Ion Homeostasis And Glycolysis Activation, With Implications For Neurological Health And Multiple Sclerosis, Xavier Hayes

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease in which the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues, notably the neural cells, and one of the contributing factors to this is oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is the build-up of reactive oxygen species ROS that causes oxidative damage to the cells. Chronic and environmental stressors are explored as significant factors that exacerbate these conditions by disrupting cellular processes and energy metabolism. The paper reviews current literature on MS, examining the interplay between oxidative stress, environmental factors, and genetic predispositions. Additionally, it discusses how these factors contribute to MS, where the immune system …

Enumeration Of Level-K Hypertriangulations, Patrick J. Kaylor

Theses and Dissertations

Triangulations are a classical object in discrete and computational geometry that finds it uses in many other fields, including numerous applications. In this thesis we approach the question of enumerating all hypertriangulations of a point set, the family of tilings introduced by Olarte and Santos in 2022 as induced projections of hypersimplices. Unfortunately, the usual approach to enumeration of trinagulations using flips may not work for hypertriangulations as flip-connectivity is only conjectured for that family even in the two-dimensional case. As a result, we develop a DFS-based algorithm and present its Python implementation that enumerates all hypertriangulations of small point …

Evolving Community Preparedness: Analysis Of United States Pandemic Health Disaster Readiness, Jessy Rugeyo

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown substantial gaps in counties' preparedness and response capacity across the United States. This study analyzes the relationship between county-level pandemic preparedness and confirmed COVID-19 cases using secondary data from the FEMA's National Household Survey (NHS) and county-level COVID-19 data from the CDC. The data show a negative relationship between preparedness levels and COVID-19 positive rates, highlighting the necessity of proactive readiness measures. Individual risk assessment, motivation for preparedness, and socioeconomic variables have a major influence on confirmed cases. Higher levels of education, income, and preparedness are associated with lower positive rates, emphasizing the importance of …

Breaking Barriers: Factors Contributing To Successful Employment Outcomes For Black Males With Mental Health Diagnosis And Undergoing Vocational Rehabilitation, John C. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Black males with mental health diagnoses face substantial barriers to gaining and maintaining employment. Tailored employment support services may help increase employment access, yet utilization remains low among this demographic area. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study is to explore the employment challenges for Black males with mental health diagnoses in the US. This quantitative study will utilize a data mining approach drawing from an ex post facto national rehabilitation services dataset. Archival data will be extracted from the Rehabilitation Service Administration 911 (RSA-911) database. Descriptive statistics will first profile the extracted sample of vocational rehabilitation clients on demographic variables. …

Examining Tele-Mental Health Utilization In North American Indigenous Communities, Elleh A. Driscoll

Theses and Dissertations

Tele-mental health delivery reported by clinicians in Indigenous communities before, during, and after the pandemic has largely remained unexplored across psychology literature. Tele-mental health (TMH) is the utilization of technology tools to communicate and treat clients (Riding-Malon, 2014). TMH (i.e. mental health services accessed via zoom, telephone, etc.) is associated in recent research with effective rates for mental health care treatment comparable to in-person rates for both immediate and long-term outcomes (McCord, 2020; Lin, 2021). The current study examined self-reported mental health clinicians (n=104) serving North American Indigenous clients on a variety of TMH factors during and after the COVID-19 …

Examining Mental Health Professionals' Attitudes Towards Individuals With Rural Accents, Emily Heavner

Theses and Dissertations

Bias against people from rural areas is ingrained in American culture, and stereotypes that people from rural regions are backwards, uneducated, and unintelligent are prevalent (Fulkerson & Thomas, 2016; Hartman et al., 2023; Howley, 2009; Shirley, 2010). Many people from rural areas have accents that mark them as coming from a rural region (Flanigan, 2000). Research suggests that accent is a reminder that the speaker is from a different cultural group than the listener, triggering biases and stereotypes about the speaker (Chakraborty, 2017). Because accent and rural culture are not often discussed as part of multicultural competence, many mental health …

Reimagining Non-Credit Higher Education: The Impact Of Non-Credit Short-Term Accelerated Postsecondary Workforce Training At Santa Fe Community College, Monique Anair

Theses and Dissertations

An estimated five million Americans participate in non-credit college and university classes annually. The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) does not require the reporting of non-credit student postsecondary enrollment, which means there is a lack of data about non-credit higher education. This qualitative case study provides a deeper understanding of 14 student experiences at Santa Fe Community College who participated in non-credit, short-term, accelerated workforce training programs. The findings reveal that students who engage in Santa Fe Community College’s non-credit postsecondary opportunities, are low-wage or unemployed working age adults who value short-term non-credit programs because they lead to higher …

The Experience Of Caregiving Among Males Caring For A Family Member With Alzhimer’S Disease: A Descriptive Phenomenology Study, Randy John-Chapin Huard

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the phenomenon of caregiving among men caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s disease. Historically, most Alzheimer’s disease caregivers were women, and research has generally focused on female caregivers, usually the spouse. However, more men are now assuming the caregiver role. A limited number of studies have focused on male caregivers and revealed multiple inconsistencies in findings. Further, limited studies have specifically included rural male caregivers, who may experience caregiving differently due to the lack of resources and increased disparities that exist in rural populations. The knowledge gained from this research study …

Development Of A Comprehensive Ice-Phobicity Test Stand (Cipts) For Understanding The Fundamentals Of Ice Nucleation And Adhesion, Derrick Charles Seubert

Theses and Dissertations

From the formation of ice on the leading edges of aircraft and their wings, wind turbine blades, and even roadways and powerlines, it is clear that modern infrastructure suffers from ice formation and adhesion. Due to this fact the development of materials and surfaces to mitigate the effects of icing have gained much attention in recent years. While there are many different anti-icing and deicing techniques, the development of intrinsically ice-phobic materials and material surfaces shows the most promise as a passive anti-icing method. In this work an accurate Comprehensive Ice-Phobicity Test Stand (CIPTS) has been created to test two …

Echo: A Graphical User Interface Designed To Simulate, Study, And Mitigate Effects Of Interplanetary Communication Delays In Analog Missions, Dario Gabriel Schor

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the vast distances between Earth and other planets, future human interplanetary missions will experience significant communication delays. The literature suggests that a combination of training, protocols, procedures, and tools is required to mitigate the negative impact that the communication delay has on both stress and performance. This research introduces a tool called ECHO that combines known and novel features designed to make users cognizant of the delay and avoid misunderstandings. ECHO was tested as part of a mixed-methods study over the course of three analog missions at the University of North Dakota's Integrated Lunar/Mars Habitat where a total …