A Pan-Amazonian Dataset Integrating 20 Years Of Respiratory, Cardiovascular, Zoonotic And Vector-Borne Disease Cases And Landscape Changes, Julia Rodrigues Barreto, Florencia Sangermano, Ana Filipa Palmeirim, Farah Carrasco-Rueda, Benoit De Thoisy, Adrian González-Chaves, Maria Eugenia Grillet, Victoria Morpurgo-Dest, Catalina Zuluaga Rodríguez, Nerida Nadia H. Valero, Paula R. Prist

Geography

As anthropogenic pressures continue to impact the environment, human health is expected to be subsequently affected. This dataset provides a comprehensive view of the trends and burden of infectious diseases, along with environmental metrics, across the Amazon biome between 2000 and 2019. The dataset includes health indicators for respiratory, cardiovascular, and major zoonotic and vector-borne diseases (Chagas disease, hantavirus, cutaneous leishmaniasis, visceral Leishmaniasis, rickettsial diseases, and malaria), compiled as annual case counts at the municipal level. The innovation of this dataset lies in its unprecedented assembly of data for this transboundary biome—much of it requiring ground-level collection beyond available in …

Enhancing Diagnostic Precision Through Neutrosophic Degrees: A Hypothetical Framework For Managing Medical Uncertainty, A.A. Salama, Abdelnasser Mohamed, Huda E. Khalid, Ahmed Essa, Doaa E. Mossa

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Early Detection Of Epidemics Using Generalized Additive Models And Hidden Markov Models: A Neutrosophic Statistical Approach With Real-Time Health Data, Ammar Kuti Nasser

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

A Class Of Benzofuranoindoline-Bearing Heptacyclic Fungal Ripps With Anticancer Activities, Qiuyue Nie, Fanglong Zhao, Xuerong Yu, Mithun C Madhusudhanan, Caleb Chang, Siting Li, Sandipan Roy Chowdhury, Bryce Kille, Andy Xu, Rory Sharkey, Chunxiao Sun, Hongzhi Zeng, Shuai Liu, Dishu Zhou, Xin Yu, Kevin Yang, Sandra A C Figueiredo, Maria Zotova, Zichen Hu, Alan Y Du, Dongyin Guan, Rui Tang, Todd Treangen, Jin Wang, Pedro N Leão, Yang Gao, Junjie Chen, Peng Liu, Hans Renata, Xue Gao

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a promising source of new pharmaceuticals, yet the therapeutic potential of fungal RiPPs remains largely underexplored. Here, we report asperigimycins as a distinct class of fungal RiPPs, featuring a unique heptacyclic scaffold consisting of a benzofuranoindoline core and three additional macrocycles, primarily assembled by six distinct fungi-specific DUF3328 oxidases. Inspired by the enhancement of anticancer activity through the N-terminal pyroglutamate in naturally occurring asperigimycins C and D, we chemically modify the inactive asperigimycin B with a series of lipid substitutions at its N-terminus. A derivative with a C-11 linear fatty …

The Role Of C-X-C Chemokine Receptor Type 5 (Cxcr5) On Sex-Dependent Neurobehavioral Changes In The Sub Clinically Sensitized Individuals With Repeated Allergen Exposure, Dilini Vimarshani Ekanayake Ekanayake Mudiyanselage

Theses and Dissertations

Food allergen consumption has been suspected to influence mood and behavior in individuals who are sensitized but tolerant to the food. Using a mouse model of subclinical cow’s milk allergy (CMA), we previously showed that C57BL/6J mice sensitized to β-lactoglobulin (BLG, Bos d 5) exhibited elevated BLG-specific IgE levels even without observable allergic reactions, suggest developing immune responses towards the allergen. We also observed elevated cytokine and chemokine levels, astrogliosis and cortical demyelination along with behavioral changes such as anxiety-like and depression-like behavior after consuming a whey-containing diet for two weeks. Furthermore, we demonstrated the possible immune cell infiltration and …

Metabolomic Signatures Of Prediabetes In Mexican Americans: The Role Of Genetics And Macronutrients, Shinhye Chung, Charles Evans, Charles F Burant, Han Chen, Bing Yu, David Aguilar, Eric L Brown, Craig L Hanis, Goo Jun

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Prediabetes is one of the main health concerns in public health, and various etiological factors contribute to its onset. This study aimed to evaluate genetic associations and gene‐macronutrient interaction with prediabetes‐related metabolites to understand how genetic variation and dietary intake contribute to dysglycemia. We analyzed a total of 482 self‐identified Mexican American participants recruited from Starr County, Texas in 2018‐2019. Untargeted metabolomic profiling was performed using LC‐MS. Nutrient densities of six macronutrients were derived from a 106‐item food frequency questionnaire. Genetic associations for each metabolite were tested using Generalized linear Mixed Model Association Tests (GMMAT). Gene‐macronutrient interactions on prediabetes‐associated metabolites …

Clinical And Genomic Characterization Of Serratia Bloodstream Infections, Roberta Monardo, Lawrence P Park, Felicia Ruffin, Phillip Cox, An Q Dinh, Rachel E Korn, Parisa Farahani, Marco Ripa, Antonella Castagna, Blake M Hanson, Vance G Fowler, Joshua T Thaden, Stacey A Maskarinec

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Previously considered a rare opportunistic pathogen, Serratia is now an emerging cause of bacteremia. We compared the risk factors and outcomes of patients with Serratia bacteremia relative to other Enterobacterales in a cohort of hospitalized patients.

Methods: Patients were prospectively enrolled from 2002-2021 at Duke University. Characteristics and outcomes were compared among bacteremic patients due to Serratia and other Enterobacterales. Regression models were used to determine features associated with outcomes. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed to characterize the phylogenetic diversity of Serratia isolates associated with device infections.

Results: Of 2676 patients, 173 (6.5%) had Serratia bacteremia. Among patients …

Functional Analysis Of Ftsa-Mediated Recruitment Of Ftsk In Escherichia Coli, Abbigale Perkins

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Bacterial cytokinesis requires precise coordination between cytoplasmic and periplasmic components of the divisome to ensure that membrane constriction and chromosome segregation occur in synchrony. The actin-like protein FtsA plays a central role in this process by tethering FtsZ to the membrane and recruiting downstream division proteins. Despite its essential function, the mechanisms by which FtsA coordinates divisome activation and the recruitment of late-acting proteins remain incompletely defined. To address this, the role of FtsA in activating septal synthesis and recruiting the DNA translocase FtsK was examined using mutational analysis in Escherichia coli.

The FtsA^{M96E R153D} variant, which has …

Combine Ebis: A Novel Collaborative Method For Building Interventions From Existing Evidence-Based Interventions, Justin Knox, Kara Portier, Christopher Magana, Maggie Denning, Christopher M Ferraris, Emily Dove-Medows, Cho-Hee Shrader, Ohemaa Poku, Phil Kreniske, Robert Remien, Efrat Aharonovich, Jennifer C Elliott, Denis Nash, Kathryn Lancaster, Till Baernighausen, Kayo Fujimoto, Adam Carrico, John A Schneider, Alida Bouris, D Scott Batey, Sheree R Schwartz, Jose Bauermeister, Patrick S Sullivan, Joseph G Rosen, Gina Wingood, Milton Wainberg, Deborah Hasin, Elvin Geng, Patrick A Wilson, Stefan D Baral

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Combining evidence-based interventions (EBIs) is a discrete process from adapting EBIs, and specific guidance for how to combine EBIs could be helpful amidst the proliferation of frameworks that combine and stage EBIs and calls for services to be combined or bundled. To address this gap, we developed and applied the COllaborative Method for Building INterventions from Existing Evidence-Based Interventions (COMBINE-EBIs) approach, a five-step process for combining EBIs.

Methods: The five steps of COMBINE-EBIs are: (1) Identify and Select EBIs, (2) Develop a Shared Conceptual Model, (3) Evaluate the Conceptual Model, (4) Create a Single Combined Protocol, and (5) Refine …

Public Health Trade-Offs During A Pandemic: Mobility Decline And Hypertension Risk In India, Arpita Khanna, Tomoki Fujii

Research Collection School Of Economics

The Covid pandemic dramatically altered patterns of daily life, particularly through widespread declines in mobility due to lockdowns and social distancing measures. While the economic and epidemiological effects of these restrictions have been widely studied, their broader health implications remain underexplored. This paper investigates the relationship between mobility decline during the Covid pandemic and hypertension outcomes in India. Leveraging district-level variation in mobility from Google Community Mobility Reports and health data from the 2019–2021 Indian Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), we find that a 1 percentage point reduction in mobility over the 30 days prior to interview is associated with …

Per- And Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances Fate Across California Wastewater Treatment Plants: A Meta-Analysis Of Formation, Distribution, And Persistence, Elizabeth Reineke

Master's Theses

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent contaminants that move through municipal and industrial wastewater systems with limited attenuation. As a result, they are increasingly detected in drinking water supplies. Despite growing regulatory concern, a systems-level understanding of PFAS behavior across multiple treatment facilities and watershed settings remains incomplete. This study compiled influent, effluent, and biosolids datasets from more than one hundred California wastewater treatment plants to evaluate PFAS occurrence, transformation, and partitioning across diverse treatment configurations. Analytical steps included calculating removal efficiencies, assessing precursor-to-product oxidation, evaluating co-contaminant correlations, and grouping facilities by process design to quantify configuration-specific fate patterns. …

Echoes Of Isolation: A Phenomenological Study On The Impact Of School Closures On Incarcerated Students’ Academic Achievement, Arthur F. Kimball

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on traditionally marginalized male students, mainly Latino and African American, who were incarcerated in three juvenile detention facilities in Riverside County. The study explored the challenges these youth faced in accessing educational support during the pandemic, assessed the academic effects of remote learning, and identified culturally responsive strategies to improve their educational outcomes and help with their reintegration into society. A qualitative phenomenological approach was used to explore the lived experiences of incarcerated youth, emphasizing the barriers they faced and the resilience they showed during remote learning. Data were gathered through …

A Phenomenographical Study Of Rural Teacher Retention Before, During, And After The Covid-10 Global Pandemic, Stacey Lb Collins

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This phenomenographical study investigated rural teachers’ perceptions regarding their decisions to remain teaching in rural areas, with attention to experiences before, during, and after the COVID-19 global pandemic. The research was guided by two questions: (1) What experiences do rural teachers perceive impact their decision to remain teaching in rural school systems before, during, and after the COVID-19 global pandemic? and (2) How do rural teachers perceive the role of school administrators in retaining teachers in rural systems, before, during, and after the COVID-19 global pandemic? Participants were teachers who served in rural districts prior to, during, and after …

Acceptability Of Corticosteroid Use In The Treatment Of Infant Bronchiolitis: Utilizing The Theoretical Framework Of Acceptability To Design Research Instruments, Caroline R. Smetanka

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Bronchiolitis is the leading cause of hospitalization among infants under six months, yet treatment remains largely supportive due to clinical guidelines that discourage pharmacologic intervention. Recent research suggests that bronchiolitis is not a uniform condition, and a subgroup of infants (those classified within “Profile A”) may benefit from targeted corticosteroid therapy. However, these treatments remain outside current clinical guidelines, and their successful adoption depends on stakeholder acceptability. This Capstone project developed and refined four data collection instruments- two questionnaires and two interview guides- designed to assess how healthcare providers and caregivers perceive the acceptability of corticosteroid treatment for Profile A …

Mi Cuerpo, Mi Salud: A Brief Sexual Health Pilot Intervention For The Promotion Of Latina Sti Testing, Ariana Cervantes-Borges

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Disparate rates of sexually transmitted infection (STI) contraction among Latinas and emerging adults highlight glaring public health issues that warrant brief and digital STI testing interventions to promote service acquisition. Latinas may experience a greater negative impact of STIs compared to men, indicating a need to target this population group. Prior studies have noted STI testing intentions and acquisition in Latina populations to be largely impacted by four components: education, stigma, social support, and self-efficacy. Given recent funding cuts for STI research, a brief and digital intervention may circumvent costs associated with traditional intervention implementation. The current study aimed to …

Exploring Intersectional Risks Of Substance Use Disorder, Mental Health, Hiv/Aids, And Hepatitis C Among Hispanic Adults On The Tx-Mx Border: A Mixed-Methods Study, Md Mohsin

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore intersectional risks of substance use disorders, mental health, HIV/AIDS, and HCV among Mexican-origin Hispanic adults on the Texas-Mexico border. Methods: The study employed an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach, which involved collecting and analyzing qualitative data first, followed by quantitative data collection. Selected purposively, 15 in-depth interviews were conducted among the target population. Using convenient sampling, 106 cross-sectional surveys were conducted. Qualitative interview data were analyzed manually using thematic analysis. Quantitative data analyses included univariate descriptive analysis, bivariate, and multivariable penalized logistic regression, negative binomial, and zero-inflated negative binomial regression. Results: The …

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy As A Transdiagnostic Approach To Improve Quality Of Life Among Adults Living With A Physical Chronic Health Condition, Marissa L. Donahue

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The research contained in this dissertation presents rationale and empirical support for the application of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) as a transdiagnostic approach in improving quality of life for adults living with chronic health conditions (CHCs). The first study consists of a systematic review that aims to examine (1) the current state of evidence of ACT for adults living with a CHC, (2) how outcomes are being characterized within this population, (3) the methodological quality of the included trials, as well as (4) summarizing the health conditions in which ACT has been evaluated for. The second study examines the …

The Impact Of Transmission Thresholds Across Multiple Scales On The Spread Of Chronic Wasting Disease In Wisconsin, Jen Mcclure

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Wildlife diseases can be difficult to control once they are established. This is especially true when they spread through contact with infectious material left in the environment. One such disease is chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal illness affecting deer and related species in North America and other regions. CWD is caused by prions, misfolded proteins that can remain infectious for years after shedding by infected hosts.

Recent research shows that CWD infection does not always follow from the gradual accumulation of prions through small contact events. Rather, an individual may need to encounter a certain prion dose all at …

Ecological Elemental Homeostasis And Stoichiometric Shifts: Biotic Responses To Ionic And Viral Stress, Samuel Anthony Tooru Dias

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic activities are reshaping the elemental composition of freshwater ecosystems, often creating stoichiometric imbalances that influence the growth, physiology and interactions of aquatic organisms. Ecological stoichiometric theory (EST) provides a framework for examining these changes by linking organismal elemental regulation to broader ecosystem processes. While traditionally focused on elements, such as carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), emerging stressors highlight the need to expand this framework to be more elementally inclusive for the examination of novel interactions. My dissertation integrates abiotic (salinization) and biotic stressors (viral infection) into an EST framework to evaluate how these factors alter elemental regulation …

Advancing Trypanosoma Cruzi N-Myristoyltransferase As A Drug Target For Chagas Disease Through In Silico Discovery And Biochemical Evaluation, Diana Citlali González García

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Chagas disease remains one of the most persistent and neglected parasitic infections in the Americas, advancing silently through the intracellular replication of Trypanosoma cruzi amastigotes and the invasive spread of trypomastigotes. The survival of the parasite is critically reliant on protein N-myristoylation, a lipid modification catalyzed by N-myristoyltransferase (NMT). This dissertation aims to advance beyond prior studies by systematically investigating NMT inhibition across multiple biological levels, spanning from the characterization of the purified enzyme, through cellular infection models, to the global proteomic remodeling induced within the parasite, thereby evaluating TcNMT as a potential therapeutic vulnerability in T.cruzi.Recombinant TcNMT was expressed, …

Expression And Purification Of Prohibitin Proteins And Investigation Of Their Interaction With Mycobacterium Tuberculosis’S Virulence Factors, Zeina Rhaim

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Prohibitin (PHB) is a highly conserved mitochondrial protein involved in cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, mitochondrial integrity, macrophage activation, cytokine production and many other critical cell functions. The prohibitin complex, formed by Prohibitin-1 (PHB1) and Prohibitin-2 (PHB2), functions as a mitochondrial membrane-associated receptor. Cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and renal conditions were found to be linked to an irregular PHB expression. Emerging evidence has also highlighted a significant role for PHB in tuberculosis (TB), particularly through its interactions with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) virulence determinants. The molecular mechanisms by which PHB influences TB pathogenesis remain poorly understood. Our preliminary studies showed that PHB1 was …

Human Alveolar Macrophage Function Is Impaired In Tuberculosis Contacts With Diabetes, Léanie Kleynhans, Carine Kunsevi-Kilola, Happy Tshivhula, Tariq Webber, Alana Keyser, Nicole Prins, Candice I. Snyders, Ayanda Shabangu, Virginie Rozot, Blanca I. Restrepo

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are at increased risk of developing active TB, tend to present with more severe disease and experience adverse treatment outcomes compared to individuals without T2D co-morbidity. However, the underlying mechanisms responsible for increased susceptibility of patients with T2D to TB remain poorly understood.

Methods: We performed bronchoscopies and collected bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) from TB contacts with and without T2D in South Africa and obtained paired human alveolar macrophages (HAMs) and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) for transcriptomic, epigenetic and functional assays.

Findings: Following …

Artificial Intelligence Biomarker Detects High-Risk Childhood Asthma Subgroup For Respiratory Infections And Exacerbations, Young J Juhn, Chung-Il Wi, Euijung Ryu, Katherine S King, Sunghwan Sohn, Elham Sagheb, Greg Jenkins, David Watson, Miguel A Park, Sergio E Chiarella, Hirohito Kita, Mir Ali, W Charles Huskins, Elizabeth H Ristagno, Imad Absah, Charles Grose, Kathy Ihrke, Elizabeth A Krusemark, Thanai Pongdee, Björn Nordlund, Carla M Davis, Robert J Pignolo, Hongfang Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Asthma is associated with an increased risk of acute respiratory infections (ARI). Little is known about whether natural language processing (NLP)-powered digital biomarkers can identify a high-risk asthma subgroup for ARI during early childhood.

Objective: We assessed whether a digital biomarker could identify a high-risk subgroup of childhood asthma for ARI.

Methods: We applied validated NLP algorithms for Predetermined Asthma Criteria (NLP-PAC) and Asthma Predictive Index (NLP-API) to electronic health records of the 1997-2016 Mayo Clinic Birth Cohort. We categorized the cohort into 4 subgroups: both criteria positive (NLP-PAC+/NLP-API+), PAC positive only (NLP-PAC+), API positive only (NLP-API+), and both …

Representation Of Neuro-Oncology In American Neurology Departments: An Analysis Of Grand Rounds And Perspectives From Faculty And Residents, Elizabeth C Neil, Aubree Bruhnding, Zubair A Ahmed, Priya U Kumthekar, Nicholas A Blondin, Christian Grommes, Chirag B Patel, Sigmund Hsu, Feng Wang, Hongyu Miao, Noah L Rosen, Rashmi B Halker Singh, Mark J Burish, Zachary A Corbin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Neuro-oncology education in American neurology departments is highly variable, with no clear guidelines on appropriate practices. To better understand its current state, we focus on the perspective of departmental Grand Rounds (GR), views of adult neurology residency program directors (ANRPD), neuro-oncologists, and residents.

Methods: First, we obtained GR series from academic years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 via an online search and direct emails to neurology residency programs. Second, two online surveys were dispensed to ANRPD and neuro-oncologists. Third, a cohort of neurology residents completed surveys with pre/post-didactic tests.

Results: Neuro-oncology consisted of 7% (28/ 411) GR in 2017-2018 and 6% …

Fusobacterium Sphaericum Sp Nov, Isolated From A Human Colon Tumor Adheres To Colonic Epithelial Cells And Induces Il-8 Secretion, Martha A Zepeda-Rivera, Yannick Eisele, Alexander Baryiames, Hanrui Wu, Claudia Mengoni, Gianmarco Piccinno, Elsa F Mcmahon, Kaitlyn D Lacourse, Dakota S Jones, Hans Hauner, Samuel S Minot, Nicola Segata, Floyd E Dewhirst, Christopher D Johnston, Susan Bullman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cancerous tissue is a largely unexplored microbial niche that provides a unique environment for the colonization and growth of specific bacterial communities, and with it, the opportunity to identify novel bacterial species. Here, we report distinct features of a novel Fusobacterium species, F. sphaericum sp. nov. (Fs), isolated from primary colon adenocarcinoma tissue. We acquire the complete closed genome and associated methylome of this organism and phylogenetically confirm its classification into the Fusobacterium genus, with F. perfoetens as its closest neighbor. Fs is phenotypically and genetically distinct, with morphological analysis revealing its coccoid shape, that while similar to …

Peripheral Blood Gene Expression Profiling And Prognostic Significance For The Course Of Interstitial Lung Disease In Patients With Systemic Sclerosis, Shervin Assassi, Christopher P Denton, Matthias Zwick, Ramona Schmid, Carina Ittrich, Tobias Litzenburger, Sudha Visvanathan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: We used data from the placebo arm of the Safety and Efficacy of Nintedanib in Systemic Sclerosis (SENSCIS) trial to determine the prognostic/predictive significance of peripheral blood cell (PBC) transcript modules for the course of forced vital capacity (FVC) in patients with systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) with and without mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) treatment.

Methods: Patients had SSc-ILD with first non-Raynaud symptom within 7 years. MMF treatment was permitted if taken at a stable dose for ≥6 months. PBC RNA samples were taken at baseline. Global RNA sequencing was performed, followed by a modular analysis using 62 curated …

Deepening Our Understanding Of Resilience: How Evaluation Can Contribute, Michael Quinn Patton

The Foundation Review

Resilience is the capacity to experience a significant shock and adapt as needed to survive and move forward. The current age is one of constant system shocks economically, environmentally, and politically. Resilience becomes essential for navigating these and other risks.

Individuals, organizations, communities, and ecosystems manifest different degrees and types of resilience requiring appropriately matched evaluation responses. In considering new directions for philanthropic evaluation, this article offers for the first time an overarching framework of four different responses to system shocks and disruptions. This leads to four different evaluation criteria: continuity, adaptation, innovation, and capitulation.

In addition to the long-term …

The Influence Of Tert-Butylhydroquinone (Tbhq) On Acod1/Irg1-Driven Inflammatory Pathways, Alyssa M. Whisel

All Dissertations

The demand for processed foods has led to increased use of synthetic phenolic antioxidants (SPAs), notably tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), to inhibit lipid oxidation and prolong shelf life. While TBHQ is deemed safe at regulated levels, concerns arise from studies indicating potential adverse effects such as oxidative stress, genotoxicity, and impaired immune function. To investigate TBHQ's immunomodulatory effects, RAW 264.7 murine macrophages were pre-treated with TBHQ and subsequently stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C, PIC) to simulate bacterial or viral challenges. Results demonstrated that TBHQ at high non-cytotoxic doses reduced nitric oxide and IL-10 production while promoting phagocytosis and …

Purifying Circular Rna Therapeutics, Karen Guillen-Cuevas

All Dissertations

Circular RNA (circRNA) has emerged as a promising therapeutic modality due to its enhanced stability and resistance to exonuclease degradation compared with linear mRNA. However, its stability and functionality depend strongly on achieving high purity, and current methods such as size-exclusion chromatography suffer from peak overlap, low yields, and poor scalability. This dissertation addresses these limitations by developing ultrafiltration-based strategies to purify circRNA directly from in vitro transcription (IVT) and self-splicing (circularization) reactions. First, the feasibility of ultrafiltration was demonstrated using polyethersulfone membranes, where sieving coefficients and critical flux values of circRNA, precursor RNA, and nicked RNA were measured to …

Selected For Death: A Bioarchaeological Study Of The Biocultural Profiles Of Human Sacrifices At El Pollo, Moche Valley, Peru, Rachel Witt

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Research

Human sacrifice is a form of ritual violence used by empires to generate images of coercion and demonstrate the immutable power of those staging the event. Although lethal wounds provide physical evidence of sacrifice, a lifetime of experiences are inscribed on the sacrificed body. This chapter presents the results of a bioarchaeological analysis of human sacrifices from the site of El Pollo (AD 1300-1550) outside the Chimú capital city Chan Chan in the Moche valley, Huanchaco, on the north coast of Perú. The goal of this paper is to reconstruct the life histories of El Pollo sacrificial victims using biocultural …