Digital Commons Network^™

Measuring Restoration Success: From Satellite-Based Wetland Monitoring To Field-Assessed Microtopography Effects On Biological Communities, Matthew Karl Potvin

Master’s Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Conditioned Love, Kasey Pelletier

Master’s Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Life In The Narrative, Ryan Juliano

Master’s Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

The Low Application And Enrollment Rates Of African Americans Applying To Medical School, Kirsten Pittman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was that the application and enrollment rates for African Americans pursuing a medical education/degree are lower than those of other ethnicities in the United States. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate the perspectives of admissions committee members regarding the low application and enrollment of African American students in medical school and to investigate their recommendations for improvement. Using critical race theory as the conceptual framework, semistructured interviews were conducted with seven experienced medical school admissions professionals. Qualitative content analysis was used, employing deductive and inductive coding. Seven themes emerged: (a) …

Traversing The Terrain Of Antiblackness: Analyzing Education Legislation, Course Curriculum, And K-12 Classroom Practices, Kimberly Dionne Owens-Pearson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

In this article, I use Discursive Violence Analysis to analyze the education legislation of years past to compare antiblackness ideals to current events of censorship, banning books, and omission of Black cultural identities. This research is focused on Black students within classrooms today as it relates to education and state curricula mandates. My research centers on inequities in laws that perpetuate antiblackness in discursive ways, with an emphasis specifically in TN as it relates to the current legislation of Prohibited Concepts. I illuminate the current legislation of prohibited concepts as it is a direct attack on the historical truths of …

Integrating Artificial Intelligence In Orthopedic Care: Advancements In Bone Care And Future Directions, Rahul Kumar, Kyle Sporn, Joshua Ong, Ethan Waisberg, Phani Paladugu, Swapna Vaja, Tamer Hage, Tejas C. Sekhar, Amar S. Vadhera, Alex Ngo, Nasif Zaman, Alireza Tavakkoli, Mouayad Masalkhi

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the field of orthopedic bioengineering by increasing diagnostic accuracy and surgical precision and improving patient outcomes. This review highlights using AI for orthopedics in preoperative planning, intraoperative robotics, smart implants, and bone regeneration. AI-powered imaging, automated 3D anatomical modeling, and robotic-assisted surgery have dramatically changed orthopedic practices. AI has improved surgical planning by enhancing complex image interpretation and providing augmented reality guidance to create highly accurate surgical strategies. Intraoperatively, robotic-assisted surgeries enhance accuracy and reduce human error while minimizing invasiveness. AI-powered smart implant sensors allow for in vivo monitoring, early complication detection, and individualized rehabilitation. …

System And Method For The Activation Of Active Ion Transporters Without The Consumption Of Adenosine Triphosphate (Atp) Molecules For The Treatment Of Kidney Ischemia, Wei Chen, Ruisheng Liu

USF Patents

A system and method to control the Na/K pumps for the treatment of ischemia of the kidney by providing an energy generating synchronization modulation electric field that is effective in synchronizing the Na/K pumps down to individual steps throughout the pumping cycle and in synthesizing one ATP for each pumping cycle. The generated ATP molecule compensates the ATP consumed in extrusion of 3 Na ions and pumping 2 K ions, resulting in a net-consumption of ATP for the Na/K pumps controlled by the system and method of the present invention that is significantly reduced, theoretically to zero, thereby providing an …

Antarctic Macroalgal-Associated Amphipod Assemblages Exhibit Long-Term Resistance To Ocean Acidification, Hannah E. Oswalt, Julie Schram, Margaret Amsler, Charles D. Amsler, James B. Mcclintock

Faculty, Staff, and Students

The pH of the world’s oceans has decreased since the Industrial Revolution due to the oceanic uptake of increased atmospheric CO2 in a process called ocean acidification. Low pH has been linked to negative impacts on the calcification, growth, and survival of calcifying invertebrates. Along the Western Antarctic Peninsula, dominant brown macroalgae often shelter large numbers of diverse invertebrate mesograzers, many of which are calcified. Mesograzer assemblages in this region are often composed of large numbers of amphipods which have key roles in Antarctic macroalgal communities. Understanding the impacts of acidification on amphipods is vital for understanding how these communities …

The Effects Of Crossfit And Pharmacology On Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms And Self-Efficacy Levels, Priscilla Kay Fleming

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nearly half of individuals diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) who are provided with an SSRI or SNRI medication do not experience a clinically meaningful reduction of symptoms or a full remission of symptoms. A gap in the literature existed for comparisons of treatment approaches and their outcomes for GAD symptoms and self-efficacy levels. Research questions for this study were: Is there a difference in GAD symptoms between the CrossFit participants and pharmacology participants at the point of three months treatment regimen?, and Is there a difference in self-efficacy levels between the CrossFit participants and pharmacology participants at the point …

Physiologically Based And Population Pharmacokinetic Modeling Of Midazolam In Children With Obesity Using Real-World Data, Sean Mccann, Victória E. Helfer, Stephen J. Balevic, William J. Muller, John N. Van Den Anker, Amira Al-Uzri, Marisa L. Meyer, Sarah G. Anderson, Sitora Turdalieva, Andrea N. Edginton, Daniel Gonzalez, Best Pharmaceuticals For Children Act Pediatric Trials Network Steering Committee

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

Children represent a highly complex and variable population for treatment, including interindividual differences in drug dose-exposure. Midazolam has been used as a sedative for hospitalized children on- and off-label; however, factors affecting interindividual variability (IIV) in observed clearance for this population are not fully understood and can result in extreme under- or overexposure. Obesity has been described as a significant influence on midazolam in adolescents, which could potentially alter drug exposure. The goal of this study was to use two modeling strategies to evaluate dose-exposure of midazolam in children with and without obesity. Population pharmacokinetic modeling assessed whether measures of …

Use Of Margins Around Small Brain Metastasis Improves Specificity Of Evaluation Methods For Stereotactic Radiosurgery Treatment Plans, Purity Kemunto Bundi

LSU Master's Theses

Purpose: To reduce the high false positive rates (FPRs ≥ 46%) from the evaluation of Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatment plans for small brain metastases. Specifically, we modified two evaluation indices, Treated Volume Ratio (TVR) and Gradient Index (GI), which exhibited FPRs exceeding 84%. A false positive result incorrectly indicates that an acceptable plan, as determined by a medical physicist and a radiation oncologist, is inacceptable.

Methods: This study utilized training and validation datasets from Gamma Knife treatment plans from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center (MBPCC). Data included doses, …

Biochar Suppresses Growth, Pupation And Eclosion Success Of A Specialist (Manduca Sexta) And A Generalist (Spodoptera Frugiperda) Insect Herbivore, Nischal Wagle, Soumya Unnikrishnan, Satinderpal Kaur, Engil Pereira, Rupesh Kariyat

Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Biochar is a charcoal-like substance made by the pyrolysis of organic material from agricultural and forestry waste. While biochar is well documented for altering soil physicochemical conditions, few studies have investigated its possible effects on the management of arthropod pests. Tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) and fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda, FAW) are specialist and generalist insect herbivores respectively, that can cause significant defoliation in natural and agricultural ecosystems. In this study, we examined whether walnut shell biochar can affect growth and development of these herbivores. Specifically, we investigated how biochar influences parameters such as mass gain, length of pupation, pupal mass, …

Macroeconomics Textbook For Kingsborough Students, Dorina Tila

Open Educational Resources

Textbook customized for Kingsborough students. It was published in May 2025. You can access it through pressbook as well.

https://pressbooks.cuny.edu/macroeconomicsbronxkcc/

Chronic Inflammation: The Link Between A High Added Sugar Diet And Disease, Anna Collins

Senior Honors Theses

The modern diet includes many processed foods that contain added sugars, resulting in a significant increase in daily glucose and fructose consumption. Considering this, there is an increased effort to uncover the effects of excess sugar intake on the body’s health and metabolism. Strong evidence supports the connection between a high added sugar diet and the presence of chronic, low-grade inflammation due to cellular distress and metabolic dysfunction. Prolonged inflammatory responses are linked to tissue damage and the development of various metabolic diseases that are prevalent in modern society, such as obesity, fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 …

Perceptions Of Bullying In A Public Charter School, Ana I. Perea

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

ABSTRACT

Bullying is perceived in different ways according to the experience or training of individuals. In my practice, adults often misidentify disputes or incidents as bullying due to a lack of evidence or varying perceptions. This problem must be a theme of reflection for all stakeholders in traditional or charter schools. My study aimed to understand how teachers and parents perceive bullying in terms of social implications, cultural factors, and professional training. In my research, I provided insight into how the stakeholders in a public charter school perceive this phenomenon. The participants highlighted their perceptions and topics of communication, exclusion, …

Normobaric And Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy In Pediatric Dog Bite Nasal Tip Avulsion/Replantation, Paul G. Harch, Adam Shalek, Jen Karen Erbil, Brett J. King, Abigail E. Chaffin

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

A 4-year-old healthy girl sustained a composite dog bite avulsion of the tip of her nose that was intraoperatively replanted without vascular reanastomosis 2 hours and 45 minutes after the avulsion. The replanted tip initially appeared viable, but became dusky at 16 hours and cyanotic at 32 hours postreplantation. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy commenced at 40 hours postreplantation, and intermittent normobaric oxygen was added at night after the fourth hyperbaric oxygen treatment. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was dosed according to tissue response/appearance and signs of patient oxidative stress with progressive improvement in viability. The patient received 30 hyperbaric oxygen treatments in 26 …

Exploring The Relationship Between Diet And Mental Health, Emory Layne

Honors Theses

Dietary patterns in Western societies have shifted over the past century due to the rise of food manufacturing and technological advancements. Ultra-processed foods now account for approximately half of the daily energy intake in high-income countries. Similarly, the national mental health crisis emerged in the 21st century and worsened after the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes in diet have impacted the gut microbiome, which interacts with the brain through the bidirectional gut-brain axis. Research suggests the concept of the gut-brain axis is a principal indicator of diet’s impact on mental health. However, this area of research is still emerging and requires …

Reconfiguration-Driven Assembly Of Inorganic Nanomembranes, Divya Jyoti Prakash

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

This thesis focuses on the guided self-assembly of metastable nanomembranes (NMs) that are either amorphous or polycrystalline. Guided self-assembly of NMs is a robust and scalable method to obtain a variety of three-dimensional structures such as helices, rolled-up tubes, and networks of interconnected channels. These 3D structures have important applications as on-chip actuators, sensors, inductors, transformers, waveguides, and antennas. Furthermore, a large amount of strain and strain gradient can be imparted in NMs by bending them to a nanoscale and microscale radius of curvature, making guided self-assembly on NMs a viable route to extreme strain engineering of amorphous and polycrystalline …

The Role Of Somatization In Predicting Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Racial And Ethnic Minorities: Examining The Mediating Effects Of Perceived Injustice And Symptom Catastrophizing, Kimi Han Hashimoto

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

There is a pressing need to address the significant health disparities of underrepresented groups such as racial and ethnic minorities (Mills et al., 2020). As of 2019, individuals identifying as a racial or ethnic minority make up 40% of the U.S population as of 2019, yet they fare significantly worse across many health-related measures (Hill et al., 2022). Given these disparities in healthcare and health outcomes, racial and ethnic minorities represent an important group to investigate somatization and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Cognitive appraisals, such as perceived injustice and symptom catastrophizing, may mediate this relationship, influencing how somatization translates …

Faculty And Administrator Perceptions Of The Implementation Of The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program In Relation To Roger’S Theory Of Diffusion Of Innovation, Kyle Roddey

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the perceptions of both teachers and school administrators of the implementation of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program in High Schools in the northeastern United States. Using a qualitative design, data was collected through an anonymous survey of teachers who presently teach International Baccalaureate Diploma Program courses. Additional data was collected through conducting semi-structured interviews of acting principals of schools that offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Results of this data collection was reviewed through the lens of Roger’s Theory of Diffusion of Innovation. Qualitative results indicated that both teachers and administrators alike viewed teacher leadership and teacher …

Critical Editing Studies: A Textual-Intertextual Approach To Editing, Rhetoric, And Cultures Of Sensitivity, Amanda Keren-Happuch Yaa Emefa Anka

Masters Theses

This study explores how editing influences public discourse and perception by analyzing two major editing controversies, one involving the written word and the other, image. The method of analysis I employ is close textual-intertextual analysis in which I rely on the original source, that is, the written word and image in question, and supplement the analysis with secondary sources, such as media articles, scholarly works, and public reactions. The first case study focuses on the issue of bowdlerization as regards Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl and the second artifact focuses on digital editing as it relates to …

Minimal Anti-Cancer Effects Of Mushroom-Derived Compounds Hispidin And Chaga Extract On Ewing Sarcoma Cells, Jordan Cosgrove, Fiona Coulbourne, Iris Reyna, Giselle Serna-Flores, Terry Jo Shackleford

Cell and Molecular Methods

Ewing sarcoma is a rare and aggressive cancer of adolescents and young adults driven by the EWSR1–FLI1 gene fusion. Standard treatments include chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation, though survival rates remain low. Natural compounds such as hispidin, derived from fungi, and Chaga mushroom extract have shown potential anti-cancer effects by disrupting cell cycle progression and promoting apoptosis in other cancer models. In this study, we tested the effects of hispidin and Chaga extract on Ewing sarcoma cells to evaluate their ability to suppress cell growth and identify potential therapeutic benefits.

The Effects Of Panobinostat On Cellular Signaling Pathways And How It Relates To Antitumor Activities In Ewing Sarcoma Cancer Cells, Crystal Valenzuela, Andrew Martini, Hannah Navarro, Mario Flores, Terry Jo Shackleford

Cell and Molecular Methods

Ewing sarcoma is a rare and aggressive cancer that primarily affects the bones and surrounding soft tissues, most commonly in children and young adults. Although the exact etiology remains unclear, a well-documented cause involves a chromosomal translocation resulting in the fusion of the EWSR1 and FLI1 genes. This fusion produces abnormal proteins that disrupt normal gene expression, cell signaling, and RNA processing, contributing to tumorigenesis. Prognosis varies significantly depending on the extent of metastasis, with 5-year survival rates ranging from 82% in localized cases to 39% in metastatic cases. Standard treatments include chemotherapy typically involving vincristine, doxorubicin, etoposide, and cyclophosphamide—surgical …

The Effects Of Hispidin And Eribulin Mesylate On Cell Proliferation Of Ewing Sarcoma Cell Lines, Elena Mares, Angelina Juarrita, Sierra Munoz, Terry Jo Shackleford

Cell and Molecular Methods

Ewing sarcoma is a type of cancer that targets the cells within bones and soft tissue and is most prevalent in younger populations. It is important to look at this specific cancer because there is no cure yet, and the risks increase, even after a patient has completed their treatment. We hypothesize that if we treat Ewing sarcoma cell lines with natural compounds, specifically Hispidin and Eribulin Mesylate, then the cell lines will decrease in cell viability and there will be an increase in apoptosis of the cancerous cell lines. We performed a series of experiments, which included IC50 analysis, …

Common Challenges Faced By Early-Career Researchers In Latin American And Small U.S. Universities, Daniela Cejas, Fatima Rodriguez Acosta, Juan Rivera-Correa

Publications and Research

Early-career researchers from Spanish-speaking Latin American countries and small U.S. universities are underrepresented in international scientific databases. They have geographical importance, infectious disease endemicity, and exceptional researchers in microbiology, but these factors do not translate to representation in high-impact scientific publications. Many reasons could be involved, including financial burdens such as the inability to pay article processing charges. Additional teaching, institutional, and service responsibilities also highly influence their research productivity. Despite this, they are expected to publish high-impact articles, and their career development highly depends on it. There is an opportunity for global peer collaboration to tackle this inequity and …

Probing Binding And Allosteric Mechanisms Of The Kras Interactions With Monobodies And Affimer Proteins : Ensemble-Based Mutational Profiling And Thermodynamic Analysis Of Binding Energetics And Allostery Reveal Diversity Of Functional Hotspots And Cryptic Pockets Linked By Conserved Communication Network, Mohammed Alshahrani, Vedant Parikh, Brandon Foley, Guang Hu, Gennady M. Verkhivker

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

KRAS, a historically "undruggable" oncogenic driver, has eluded targeted therapies due to its lack of accessible binding pockets in its active state. This study investigates the conformational dynamics, binding mechanisms, and allosteric communication networks of KRAS in complexes with monobodies (12D1, 12D5) and affimer proteins (K6, K3, K69) to characterize the binding and allosteric mechanisms and hotspots of KRAS binding. Through molecular dynamics simulations, mutational scanning, binding free energy analysis and network-based analyses, we identified conserved allosteric hotspots that serve as critical nodes for long-range communication in KRAS. Key residues in β-strand 4 (F78, L80, F82), α-helix 3 (I93, H95, …

Climate Constrains The Enhancement Of Co2 Fertilization On Forest Gross Primary Productivity, Xinyuan Wei, Daniel J. Hayes, Christopher R. Schwalm, Joshua B. Fisher, Deborah N. Huntzinger, Lei Ma, Rodrigo Vargas, Nathaniel A. Brunsell

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Forest gross primary production (GPP) is influenced by the interplay between climate conditions and atmospheric CO₂ levels, which interact in complex ways, generating both compensating and amplifying effects. In this study, eddy covariance flux measurements from 50 forest ecosystems were integrated with simulations from 14 terrestrial biosphere models to investigate how climate conditions and atmospheric CO₂ concentrations regulate forest GPP. This approach bridges site-level observations with biome-scale model estimates to develop a global understanding. Our findings suggest that in boreal and cold temperate regions, temperature primarily constrains the enhancement of the CO₂ fertilization on forest GPP; however, …

Dnmt3a Regulates Murine Megakaryocyte-Biased Hematopoietic Stem Cell Fate Decisions, Sarah M Waldvogel, Virginia Camacho, Dandan Fan, Anna G Guzman, Alejandra Garcia-Martell, Elmira Khabusheva, Jacey Rodriguez Pridgen, Josephine De La Fuente, Rachel Rau, Ashlyn G Laidman, Maria N Barrachina, Estelle Carminita, Justin A Courson, Michael R Williamson, Joanne I Hsu, Chun-Wei Chen, Jaime Reyes, Subhashree Pradhan, Rolando E Rumbaut, Alan R Burns, Benjamin Deneen, Jianzhong Su, Kellie R Machlus, Margaret A Goodell

Center on Aging Staff Publications

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are defined by their capacity to regenerate all main components of peripheral blood, but individual HSCs exhibit a range of preferences for generating downstream cell types. Their propensities are thought to be epigenetically encoded, but few differential regulatory mechanisms have been identified. In this work, we explored the role of DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) in the megakaryocyte-biased HSC population, which is thought to reside at the top of the hematopoietic hierarchy. We demonstrate that heterozygous loss of DNMT3A (Dnmt3a+/-) in these megakaryocyte-biased HSCs has distinct consequences compared with the rest of the HSC pool. These megakaryocyte-biased …

Avoiding Recidivism Of Recently Released Offenders In North Carolina, Josue Genaro Galvez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a problem with recidivism in the North Carolina prison system and the United States. This study fills the gap in the literature by focusing on what life experiences contribute to behaviors in recently released offenders not to reoffend in North Carolina. Edmund Husserl's (1913) Transcendental Phenomenology used several angles of perception and a thematic analysis of the participant’s lived experiences. This study employed a purposive sampling method by targeting 17 participants who may have represented characteristics of the intended population. Researchers do not know what kept these released offenders from avoiding prison. This phenomenological design focused on the …

Law School News: Destined For Law: From Legal Dream To Valedictorian 05-13-2025, Jane Govednik

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.