Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing Happiness: An Evaluation Of The Latin American Paradox In The United States, Daniel J. Maisch

Honors Projects

Abstract: This research project investigates an array of pecuniary and non-pecuniary factors and their effect on happiness trends within the United States’ Latino population. Happiness Economics is a new field of economic study coined in the 1970s by Richard Easterlin. This new field of study laid the foundation for further research and, ultimately, led to the discovery of the Latin American Paradox. The Latin American Paradox identifies high levels of happiness amongst Latinos within Latin America and the United States, with low levels of economic prosperity. This study uses Mental Health data from IPUMS Health Survey to investigate the different …

Self-Supervised Joint Image Reconstruction And Coil Sensitivity Calibration In Parallel Mri Without Ground Truth, Yuyang Hu

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Oleyl Conjugated Histidine-Arginine Cell-Penetrating Peptides As Promising Agents For Sirna Delivery, Muhammad Imran Sajid, Dindyal Mandal, Naglaa Salem El-Sayed, Sandeep Lohan, Jonathan Moreno, Rakesh Kumar Tiwari

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Recent approvals of siRNA-based products motivated the scientific community to explore siRNA as a treatment option for several intractable ailments, especially cancer. The success of approved siRNA therapy requires a suitable and safer drug delivery agent. Herein, we report a series of oleyl conjugated histidine–arginine peptides as a promising nonviral siRNA delivery tool. The conjugated peptides were found to bind with the siRNA at N/P ratio ≥ 2 and demonstrated complete protection for the siRNA from early enzymatic degradation at N/P ratio ≥ 20. Oleyl-conjugated peptide -siRNA complexes were found to be noncytotoxic in breast cancer cells (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) …

Ayla Llc V. Alya Skin Pty. Ltd., 2021 Wl 38233624 (9th Cir. Aug. 27, 2021), Liya Levin

DePaul Journal of Art, Technology & Intellectual Property Law

No abstract provided.

Ascj 2022 Annual Conference Paper, Gary Kowaluk

Title III Professional Development Reports

Financed by Title III funds, I attended the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (AJCS) 2022 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Conference took place from Wednesday, March 16th through Saturday, March 19th. It was a large conference, attended by over 1500 people, covering an entire floor of the Las Vegas Rio Hotel. Of note, the guest speaker was Father Boyle of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles who spoke on reforming members of criminal gangs. I attended sessions from Wednesday through Friday, presenting at 11:00 AM on Wednesday to about 100 attendees.

In my presentation, I argued that the wave …

Final Master's Portfolio, Michael Cullen

Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects

This portfolio represents the best of the author's work in the MA program in English (individualized track) at Bowling Green State University. Included are an analysis of two Ray Bradbury short stories via eco-criticism and poststructuralism; a creative writing course unit on dystopian fiction; an analysis of several Black films through critical race theory; and an original short story.

Trout Responses To Stocking Rates And River Discharge Within A Southeastern U.S. Hydropeaking Tailwater, Jonathan J. Spurgeon, Joseph Kaiser, Christy Graham, Steve Lochmann

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Freshwater fish populations often exist in systems characterized by novel ecological processes resulting from human alteration. Salmonid populations embedded within coldwater sections of warmwater rivers are spatially constrained by habitat availability. Tailwater fish contend with fluctuating river discharges and density-dependent processes associated with fish stocking and exploitation. Salmonid populations sustained through stocking versus natural reproduction may respond differently to changes in hydrologic patterns (e.g., hydropeaking) as well as declines in fish abundance. We assessed differences between stocked (Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss) and naturalized (Brown Trout Salmo trutta) trout populations in Greers Ferry tailwater, Arkansas, regarding (1) spatial and …

Summit 2021/2022: University Of Alaska Southeast's Collection Of Exceptional Works, Shaelene Grace Moler, Sabrina Croft, Olive Brend, Autumn Daigle, Francesca Johnson, Elise Tomlinson, Braden File, Rhayne Loggins, Jurny Hinz, Jessy Goodman, Randy J. Brannan Jr., Krystal Gray, Carolyn Fenno, Keefer Brown, Elizebeth Tallmadge, Skaydu.Û Jules

Summit

A Note from the Writing Specialist: For me, Summit represents pride. I’m so proud of the Writing Center tutors, who took such ownership of this project and created a remarkable collection of student work. I’m proud of the undergraduate students who submitted the work they’d put so much effort and time into. Proud that they have a place designed especially for them to showcase their writing when not many academic publications honor undergraduate work. I know how proud these students’ professors must be to see a piece of writing go from an outline to an award-winning essay. And, I am …

Uas Academic Catalog 2022/2023, N/A N/A

UAS Academic Catalogs (2011-present)

No abstract provided.

Benthic Carbon Demand And Community Structure Across The Pacific Arctic Continental Shelves, Brittany Robinson Charrier

Marine Biology

High latitude continental shelves are experiencing rapid environmental change. The Pacific Arctic, which includes the northern Bering and southern Chukchi Sea continental shelves, is undergoing warming temperatures, reductions in sea ice, and changes to the marine ecosystem. Fieldwork was conducted across the northern Bering and southern Chukchi Sea continental shelves in June 2017 and June 2018 on the R/V Sikuliaq. The overall objective of this dissertation was to characterize benthic community structure, function, and carbon demand in the Pacific Arctic to serve as baselines for assessing impacts of environmental change. Spatial patterns of macrofauna and meiofauna were characterized, including abundances, …

Affirmative Counseling With Lgbqqia Individuals: A Training And Resource Manual For Mental Health Counselors, Tena Prestidge

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This article is a review of literature related to issues associated with working with LGBQQIA clients. Although not an exhaustive review, the literature provides evidence of the need for additional training to improve the confidence and competence of counselors working with this population. Further, information is provided on what makes a counselor competent to work with LGBQQIA clients and evidence-based practices that have been shown to be effective in working with them. Following this review, a training and education manual is presented to help fill the need of additional training related to working with this population.

Vascular Derived Endothelin Receptor A Controls Endothelin-Induced Retinal Ganglion Cell Death., Olivia J Marola, Gareth R Howell, Richard T Libby

Faculty Research 2022

Endothelin (EDN, also known as ET) signaling has been suggested to be an important mediator of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death in glaucoma. Antagonism of EDN receptors (EDNRA and EDNRB, also known as ET-A and ET-B) prevented RGC death in mouse models of chronic ocular hypertension, and intravitreal injection of EDN ligand was sufficient to drive RGC death. However, it remains unclear which cell types EDN ligands directly affect to elicit RGC death. Multiple cell types in the retina and optic nerve express EDNRA and EDNRB and thus could respond to EDN ligands in the context of glaucoma. Here, we …

The Impact Of An Innovative Simulation On Prelicensure Nursing Student Empathy Levels, Annie Harrison

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Empathy is the ability to see oneself in the situation of another and to take actions on behalf of that individual based on that perception. However, empathy has been shown to decrease in nursing education and continues to do so in nursing practice. Importantly, aspects of empathy have been shown to be teachable. This scholarly practice project examined whether an innovative simulation would increase empathy in prelicensure nursing students. This study, guided by self-determination theory (SDT) and designed according to the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) change model, used a mixed-methods design. The instrument for quantitative data collection was the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire …

Subgroup-Specific Dose Finding For Phase I-Ii Trials Using Bayesian Clustering, Alexandra Curtis, Brian Smith, Andrew G. Chapple

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

In most models and algorithms for dose-finding clinical trials, it is assumed that the trial participants are homogeneous—the optimal dose is the same for all those who qualify for the trial. However, if there are heterogeneous populations who may benefit from the same treatment, it is inefficient to conduct dose-finding separately for each group, and assuming homogeneity across all subpopulations may lead to identification of the incorrect dose for some (or all) subgroups. To accommodate heterogeneity in dose-finding trials when both efficacy and toxicity outcomes must be used to identify the optimal dose (as in immunotherapeutic oncology treatments), we utilize …

Integrin-Mediated Adhesion Promotes Centrosome Separation In Early Mitosis, Siamak A Kamranvar, Deepesh Kumar Gupta, Anishia Wasberg, Liangwen Liu, Joan Roig, Staffan Johansson

Open Access Publications

Integrin-mediated adhesion to the extracellular matrix is a key regulator of the cell cycle, as demonstrated for the passage of the G1/S checkpoint and the completion of cytokinetic abscission. Here, integrin-dependent regulation of the cell cycle in G2 and early M phases was investigated. The progression through the G2 and M phases was monitored by live-cell imaging and immunofluorescence staining in adherent and non-adherent fibroblast cells. Non-adherent cells, as well as adherent cells lacking FAK activity due to suppressed expression or pharmacological inhibition, exhibited a prolonged G2 phase and severely defect centrosome separation, resulting in delayed progress through the early …

Public Health Policy On The Covid-19 Pandemic And Its Impact On The Behavior Patterns Of Families, Fakir Al Gharaibeh, Laura Gibson

Journal of International Women's Studies

This study examined the public health measures adopted by the Jordanian government that contributed to stemming the spread of the pandemic and the impact of these measures on the behavior patterns of families. Content analysis was used with 117 news briefs, and interviews were conducted with 20 families identified through snowball sampling. Ecological systems theory and a public health model are used to frame our understanding of the results. We found themes from interviews that included a shift to online education, use of social media, changes in consumer behavior, and social initiatives.

The Greater Middle East Covid-19 Crisis Management: Challenges And Opportunities, Muhamad S. Olimat

Journal of International Women's Studies

The outbreak of the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis in early 2020 took the whole world by surprise. The world witnessed its horrific spread in Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Brazil in utter disbelief and helplessness. The Greater Middle East (GME) region too faced the pandemic-induced misfortune in no small measure. Governments and non-governmental organizations scrambled to articulate a response equivalent to the challenges. While the crisis clearly posed an unprecedented set of challenges in human history, it did provide some opportunities as well. If nothing else, the crisis brought home the importance of pandemic-preparedness, biosecurity, health security, food …

Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated With Streptococcal Infections: Shifting The Paradigm On Post-Infectious Treatment And The Neuropsychiatric Impacts Of Infections, Nicholas Hill

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Three Minute Thesis

Analysis Of Vertebrae Pathologies Of Grave A650 Chryssi Island, Crete, Greece, Abbey E. Bartmess, Susan Kirkpatrick Smith

Symposium of Student Scholars

This study of multiple, co-mingled adult individuals located in grave A650 on Chryssi Island, Crete, Greece, examines the prevalence of several pathologies of the vertebrae. This grave was built into a collapsed Late Minoan period house (1400-1100 B.C.E.). Grave A650, which likely dates to the 5th – 7th century C.E., shows evidence of being used over a long period of time and may have served as an ossuary. The pathologies of approximately 30 recovered vertebrae, both complete and incomplete, show signs of degenerative joint disease, spondylolisthesis, and body expansion. Researching this data aims to accomplish a comprehensive understanding of what …

Spr-5; Met-2 Maternal Reprogramming Cooperates With The Dream Complex To Regulate Developmental Cell Fates, Jazmin Dozier, Sandra Nguyen, Brandon Carpenter

Symposium of Student Scholars

Histone methylation is a post-transcriptional modification to the N-terminal tails of histone core proteins that regulates DNA accessibility, and consequently, gene expression. Like DNA, histone methylation can be inherited between generations, and is highly regulated during embryonic development. At fertilization, histone methylation must undergo maternal reprogramming to reset the epigenetic landscape in the new zygote. During maternal reprogramming of histone methylation in the nematode, C. elegans, H3K4me (a modification associated with active transcription) is removed by the H3K4 demethylase, SPR-5, and H3K9me (a modification associated with transcriptional repression) is subsequently added by the histone methyltransferase, MET-2. Recently, it was …

Effect Of Diet On Window Collision Rate Among Bird Species, Amberlee Cook, Courtney Linkous, Sarah Guindre-Parker, Adam Betuel

Symposium of Student Scholars

Every year, over 500 million birds collide fatally with man-made structures, with window collisions playing a significant role in causing these deaths. Our research analyzes how a species’ diet can affect their rates of collision with windows. To explore this question, we analyzed the most common food sources of 87 species of birds from window collision data in metro Atlanta. Our results showed that 77% of species from window collisions (or 67 species) were primarily insectivorous. This reliance on insects as a food source could lead to a lifestyle that tends to bring these bird species in closer proximity to …

Impact Of Fluctuating Insect Availability Levels On Parental Care Behavior In Insectivorous Birds, Cole Bourque

Symposium of Student Scholars

Abstract Populations of aerially insectivorous birds are declining throughout North America. Urbanization may be indirectly contributing to this decline through its varying effects on populations of insects, an important food source in most insectivores' diet, especially those undergoing breeding efforts. How increasing urban sprawl and subsequent fluctuations in insect populations could impact various species at higher trophic levels is an important area of current study for future conservation endeavors. Certain habitats, with increased insect abundance, could facilitate higher provisioning rates and allow breeding parents to more effectively nourish their young. In addition, brooding and guarding behaviors in breeding birds may …

Ant-Lanta: Ant Diversity As A Proxy For Ecosystem Health, Sofia Cuenca Rojas, John Paul Hellenbrand, Clint Penick

Symposium of Student Scholars

Ants are found across a wide range of habitat types and play a crucial role in supporting ecosystem health. Because of this ubiquity, ants are considered an indicator species – one whose diversity in an ecosystem can be used as a proxy for ecosystem health. Our study examines the presence of ants across an urban gradient in Atlanta to understand how urbanization may be affecting our local community inhabitants. A total of 48 Sites were organized into three groups: Urban Managed Land, Urban Park, and Urban Forest. Sites were grouped based on ground cover percentages. We used bait samples to …

Characterizing The Microbial Assemblages Of Perimyotis Subflavus In Traditional And Non-Traditional Hibernacula And Screening Community Members For Antagonism With Pseudogymnoascus Destructans, Jordyn Upton

Symposium of Student Scholars

Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) is a fungal pathogen that has been circulating in North American bats since its initial discovery in 2006. Pd is the causative agent of white-nose syndrome (WNS), a disease leading to as much as a 90% decrease in some eastern United States bat populations. To date, there is no effective probiotic for WNS, probiotics inoculums have shown success in the management of chytridiomycosis in amphibians. Host microbiomes have come under investigation in other disease systems for their perceived connection with pathogen colonization and disease severity across taxa. To this end, our research will focus on characterizing the …

Fabrication Of Microfluidic Devices To Study Confined Collective Migration Of Breast Cancer Cells, Linh Luong

Symposium of Student Scholars

Cells in our body mostly exist in confined environments. They are surrounded by neighboring cells, tissues, and the extracellular matrix. The changes in these surrounding environments influence cell behaviors. Therefore, studying cell mechanics plays a significant role to understand how cancer cells migrate and what primary factors that control cancer metastasis. Many studies have been developed to study how cancer cells migrate in the body. However, these experiments in vivo are complicated and incredibly challenging. Another approach is to perform experiments in vitro instead. However, to obtain relevant results, a specific experimental apparatus must be designed to confine cells. Glass …

Construction And Design Of Giant Unilamellar Vesicles, Blayne Jarrett, Kory Frierson, Srushti Savadi

Symposium of Student Scholars

Abstract

Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUV’s) consist of a phospholipid membrane bilayer and an aqueous space in between the membrane. Vesicles play a fundamental role in many fields of science; this is because you can incorporate different chemical compounds and proteins into the aqueous space of the vesicle. Thus, allowing for easier transport with less risk of negative exposure from harmful substances (MOSCHO et al., 1996). GUV’s are a simple model membrane that helps us study the divergent functions of more complex biological membranes (Protein Reconstitution Inside Giant Unilamellar Vesicles, 2022). In order to predict the outcome of actual interactions between …

Substance Use Disorders, Cognitive Dysfunction, And Neurodivergence In Emerging Adulthood, David Posada, Jordyn Hebert

Symposium of Student Scholars

Substance Use Disorders, Cognitive Dysfunction, and Neurodivergence in Emerging Adulthood

Posada, D., Herbert, J., Weingast, L., Holliday, E.

Cognitive functioning in college students with substance use disorders (SUD) has been widely researched, however, discussions have largely concentrated on executive functions (EF) such as working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. Literature on the relationship between cognitive dysfunction and SUD has largely underreported the influence of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders (ADD/ADHD) and other neurodivergent characteristics. The current review explores the state of the literature on the relationship between neurodivergence, cognitive dysfunction, and SUD in emerging adulthood. More specifically, it speculates whether college students …

Synthesis And Characterization Of A Novel Reaction-Based Azaborine Fluorescent Probe Capable Of Selectively Detect Carbon Monoxide Based On Palladium-Mediated Carbonylation Chemistry, Samuel Moore, Carl Jacky Saint-Louis

Symposium of Student Scholars

Azaborines are fascinating compounds because they possess valuable properties such as photochemical stability, have high molar absorption coefficient and high fluorescent quantum yields, as well as large Stokes shifts and tunable absorption/emission spectra. Here, we designed, synthesized, and will examine a novel reaction-based azaborine fluorescent probe capable of selectively detect carbon monoxide (CO) based on palladium-mediated carbonylation chemistry. This novel azaborine fluorescent probe will exhibit high selectivity for CO and display a robust turn-on fluorescent response in the presence of CO in aqueous buffer solution.

Design And Computational Validation Of A Shear Stress Bioreactor For Conditioning Vascular Tissue To Time-Varying Multidirectional Fluid Shear Stress, Rajeshwari Raja, Philippe Sucosky, Jason Shar

Symposium of Student Scholars

Design and Computational Validation of a Shear Stress Bioreactor for Conditioning Vascular Tissue to Time-Varying Multidirectional Fluid Shear Stress

Author: Rajeshwari Raja Mentor: Dr. Jason A. Shar Department of Mechanical Engineering Kennesaw State University 1100 South Marietta Pkwy SE, 30060

Altered biological environments and conditions, such as microgravity and pregnancy, can impact vascular blood flow and, in turn, generate fluid wall shear stress (WSS; frictional force generated on the tissue surface due to blood flow) abnormalities. These abnormalities are known to affect cardiovascular tissue biology and can be replicated experimentally using a cone-and-plate shear stress bioreactor. This device exposes tissue …

Does Precipitation Shape Bird Collision Risk In Metro-Atlanta?, Halimah Budeir, Courtney Linkous

Symposium of Student Scholars

Does precipitation shape bird collision risk in metro-Atlanta?

Authors: Halimah Budeir, Courtney Linkous, Adam Betuel, Sarah Guindre-Parker

Institutions: Kennesaw State University (AC, CL, SGP) and Georgia Audubon (AB)

Abstract:

One of the leading causes of avian mortality in North America is window and building collisions. Prior research indicates that the factors linked to higher collision rates are the presence of low-rise buildings, buildings with large windows, the presence of nearby vegetation, and bird migration patterns. Over the course of six years, The Audubon Society’s “Project Safe Flight Georgia” surveyed several routes around the metro Atlanta area. Researchers and volunteers recorded …