Digital Commons Network^™

The Menstrual Cycle And Exercise Performance: A Literature Review, Reagan E. Burchill

Honors Thesis

This literature review will examine the current research investigating the relationship between the female menstrual cycle, exercise performance, and exercise instruction. The menstrual cycle is a physiological series of events that includes specific hormones at each stage. These hormones may play a role in how females recover from exercise. This is particularly significant when considering the hormonal fluctuations across the female menstrual cycle, which influence recovery, injury risk, and exercise performance. This could indicate that the suggestions doctors and exercise trainers present to females may not be as beneficial for their health because the research is not specifically tailored to …

Race, Racialization, & Rehabilitation: Intersectional Insights Into The Cuban Revolution’S Campaign To Eliminate Prostitution, Alyssa Garcia

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

No abstract provided.

"I Gotta Lock-In": Metacognition Strategies In A High School Biology Classroom, Darby Ice

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Metacognition is an emerging focus in education and has been shown to enhance student learning outcomes and self-efficacy. This study aimed to investigate both student and teacher perceptions of implementing metacognitive strategies in a high school biology classroom, as well as the impact on students’ self-regulated learning. The researcher collected data through classroom observations, student surveys, teacher interviews, and analysis of student test scores. Using the constant comparative method, qualitative data revealed secondary codes of problem- solving strategies, study methods, perceptions of content mastery, impact of classroom environment, and evidence of metacognition. Quantitative data showed a statistically significant increase in …

Guest Speakers In The Classroom: Student Perceptions Of Expertise, Lauren Angle

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Guest speakers are frequently used at the collegiate level and have clear benefits for students. However, little research has been conducted about the use of guest speakers in a high school social studies setting. The purpose of this study was to understand how participation in an expert guest speaker discussion influenced high school freshmen’s understanding of conflict in the Middle East as well as their perceptions of expertise. Data was collected through student artifacts, surveys, observations, and focus group interviews and analyzed using the constant comparative method as well as descriptive statistics. The major themes of improved knowledge, desired changes, …

Peroxi-Electrocoagulation For Pfas Mitigation: The Impact Of Water Quality And Dissolved Organic Matter On Removal Pathways, Donald R. Ryan, Claire K. Baldus, Shimaa M. Kteeba, Melvin Samuel, Yin Wang, Laodong Wang, Brooke K. Mayer, Patrick J. Mcnamara

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The recent addition of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation per- has increased the need for research on PFAS treatment technologies for water and wastewater. Electrochemical treatment processes have been widely investigated for PFAS removal. Peroxi-electrocoagulation (electrocoagulation paired with hydrogen peroxide (EC:H₂O₂)) was evaluated as a novel water treatment process for PFAS mitigation due to the multimechanistic removal pathways that can proceed during treatment, including chemical degradation via oxidation, and physical separation pathways such as sorption to flocs, flotation layer accumulation, and foam fractionation. This work investigated the impacts of …

Developing Novel Radical Protein Footprinting Methods For Application In Living Systems, Lyle Tobin

Honors Theses

Radical protein footprinting (RPF) is a family of structural biology techniques that generate radicals in situ to label solvent-accessible amino acid residues. Coupled with liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, RPF enables the characterization of protein higher order structure and sites of protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions. While traditionally performed in vitro, recent advancements have extended RPF to ex vivo and in vivo applications, including intact cells, nematodes, and 3D cell cultures. RPF in living systems allows the structural analysis of proteins and protein complexes in their native environment, preserving physiological interactions, dynamic conformational changes, and structural contexts that might otherwise be lost …

Evaluating Algorithmic Bias On Biomarker Classification Of Breast Cancer Pathology Reports, Jordan Tschida, Mayanka Chandrashekar, Alina Peluso, Zachary Fox, Patrycja Krawczuk, Dakota Murdock, Xiao-Cheng Wu, John Gounley, Heidi A. Hanson

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVES: This work evaluated algorithmic bias in biomarkers classification using electronic pathology reports from female breast cancer cases. Bias was assessed across 5 subgroups: cancer registry, race, Hispanic ethnicity, age at diagnosis, and socioeconomic status. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We utilized 594 875 electronic pathology reports from 178 121 tumors diagnosed in Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Seattle, and Utah to train 2 deep-learning algorithms to classify breast cancer patients using their biomarkers test results. We used balanced error rate (BER), demographic parity (DP), equalized odds (EOD), and equal opportunity (EOP) to assess bias. RESULTS: We found differences in predictive …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Teachers' Perceptions Of School Security Measures, Rozetta Michelle Isaac

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study explored the lived experiences of six middle school teachers who provided their perceptions of school safety measures at their work locations. This phenomenological qualitative study aimed to examine whether the participants feel safe while at work. The theoretical framework that guided this study was PET (Punctuated Equilibrium Theory) which focuses on policy change over time. Participants were given a survey questionnaire to answer. The survey questionnaire contained open-ended survey questions. The survey was utilized in lieu of in-person interviews (due to COVID -19 restrictions). Participants were asked open-ended questions about their experiences and perceptions regarding school safety measures. …

Tanner Msw Portfolio, Shannon Tanner

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This is the narrative section of the MSW Portfolio for Shannon Tanner.

For The Marginalized: A Purposeful Path To Social Work, Sarah Christina Stenseth Mathias

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

In For the Marginalized: A Purposeful Path to Social Work, I reflect on the journey that led me from education into social work, grounded in a commitment to advocacy, ethical practice, and systemic change. Using my experiences in a therapeutic day-treatment school setting, I integrated trauma-informed, culturally responsive approaches with evidence-based practice to support marginalized students navigating mental health challenges, systemic barriers, and educational inequities. My portfolio highlights growth across the Five Elements of Advanced Integrated Practice, focusing on self-reflection, social justice advocacy, interdisciplinary collaboration, research-informed practice, and leadership. Throughout this journey, I remained anchored in the belief that …

Who Do You Want To Become?, Taylor Greene

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Msw Portfolio, Katharine Ann Turpen

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio paper showcases my development as a Master of Social Work student, highlighting personal and professional growth across the CSWE competencies and the four dimensions of practice: Knowledge, Skills, Values, and Cognitive & Affective Processes. The portfolio reflects my evolving identity as a social worker and outlines my ongoing commitment to ethical, reflective, and client-centered practice.

Reply To: Is Gauchian Genotyping Of Gba1 Variants Reliable?, Marco Toffoli, Anthony H V Schapira, Fritz J Sedlazeck, Christos Proukakis

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Trust-Related Health Beliefs In Medical Systems Among Black Americans Since Covid-19, Monique Johnson Dixon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

COVID-19 highlighted the longstanding systemic and structural racism that produced poor health outcomes in Black communities. Black minorities in the United States were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with less access to health resources, low vaccine rates, and mistrust of healthcare providers and organizations. This interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) explored trust-related health beliefs with medical systems among Black Americans since COVID-19. The study explored the trust-related health beliefs through the six constructs of the health belief model—perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived barriers, perceived benefits, cues to action, and self-efficacy. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews of six participants who …

Mass Shooting Perceptions, Public Mental Illness Stigma, And Social Media Use: A Regression Analysis, Kayla Cross

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental illness is frequently associated with mass shootings in news media, which can result in negative stigma among individuals diagnosed with mental illness. While mental illness and mass shootings have been explored previously, social media perceptions have not yet been examined in relation to mental illness stigma and mass shootings. The purpose of this study was to examine public mental illness stigma, mass shootings, and perceptions through social media in a correlational study subjected to regression analysis. The theoretical framework for the study was based on Tajfel and Turner et al.’s theory of social identity and intergroup behaviors. The analysis …

Architecture Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Glutamyl-Trna Synthetase Defines A Subfamily Of Dimeric Class Ib Aminoacyl-Trna Synthetases, Michael K. Fenwick, Stephen J. Mayclin, Steve Seibold, Amy E. Derocher, Sandhya Subramanian, Isabelle Q. Phan, David M. Dranow, Donald D. Lorimer, Ariel B. Abramov, James M. Bullard

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Chemistry)

The aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AaRSs) are an ancient family of structurally diverse enzymes that are divided into two major classes. The functionalities of most AaRSs are inextricably linked to their oligomeric states. While GluRSs were previously classified as monomers, the current investigation reveals that the form expressed in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a rotationally pseudosymmetrical homodimer featuring intersubunit tRNA binding sites. Both subunits display a highly bent, “pipe strap” conformation, with the anticodon binding domain directed toward the active site. The tRNA binding sites are similar in shape to those of the monomeric GluRSs, but are formed through an approximately 180-degree rotation …

Intracellular Inclusions Induced By Patient-Derived And Amplified Α-Synuclein Aggregates Are Morphologically Indistinguishable, Rabab Al-Lahham, Mark E Corkins, Mohd Ishtikhar, Prakruti Rabadia, Santiago Ramirez, Victor Banerjee, Mohammad Shahnawaz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Lewy Body Disease (LBD) and Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) are synucleinopathies with distinct prognoses and neuropathologies, however, with overlapping clinical symptoms. Different disease characteristics are proposed to be determined by distinct conformations of alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) aggregates, which can self-propagate and spread between cells via a prion-like mechanism. The goal of this study is to investigate whether α-syn aggregates amplified from brain and CSF samples of LBD and MSA patients using the Seed Amplification Assay (SAA) maintain α-Syn seeding properties similar to those of α-syn aggregates derived from patients' brains. To address this, SAA-amplified and un-amplified α-Syn aggregates from LBD and …

Sustained Growth-Promoting Effects Of Vosoritide In Children With Achondroplasia From An Ongoing Phase 3 Extension Study, Ravi Savarirayan, Melita Irving, William R Wilcox, Carlos A Bacino, Julie E Hoover-Fong, Paul Harmatz, Lynda E Polgreen, Katja Palm, Carlos E Prada, Takuo Kubota, Paul Arundel, Yumiko Kotani, Antonio Leiva-Gea, Michael B Bober, Jacqueline T Hecht, Janet M Legare, Sue Lawrinson, Andrea Low, Ian Sabir, Alice Huntsman-Labed, Jonathan R S Day

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Vosoritide is a C-type natriuretic peptide analog that addresses an underlying pathway causing reduced bone growth in achondroplasia. Understanding the vosoritide treatment effect requires evaluation over an extended duration and comparison with outcomes in untreated children.

Methods: After completing ≥6 months of a baseline observational growth study and 52 weeks in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03197766), participants were eligible to continue treatment in an open-label extension (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03424018) wherein all received 15 μg/kg vosoritide daily. Data from the CLARITY achondroplasia study provided an external untreated control population and reference data.

Findings: The population comprised 119 participants. …

Ligand-Activated Egfr/Mapk Signaling But Not Pi3k, Are Key Resistance Mechanisms To Egfr-Therapy In Colorectal Cancer, Xueping Qu, Habib Hamidi, Radia M Johnson, Ethan S Sokol, Eva Lin, Cathy Eng, Tae Won Kim, Johanna Bendell, Smruthy Sivakumar, Benjamin Kaplan, Felipe De Sousa E Melo, Andrew Mancini, Matthew Wongchenko, Yi Shi, David Shames, Yibing Yan, Fortunato Ciardiello, Carlos Bais

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Understanding mechanisms of resistance to active therapies is crucial for developing more effective treatments. Here, we investigate resistance to anti-EGFR and anti-VEGF plus chemotherapy treatment in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients from the IMblaze370 trial (NCT02788279). While anti-VEGF does not select for secondary mutations, anti-EGFR leads to simultaneous mutations in EGFR and MAPK, but not PI3K pathway genes. Notably, we observe frequent acquired mutations in the EGFR extracellular but not intracellular domain and that patients with higher baseline expression of EGFR-ligands are prone to acquire resistant mutations. This data reveals a ligand-activated EGFR/MAPK-signaling dependency in CRC. We also observe enrichment for …

High-Throughput Echocardiography-Guided Induction Of Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion In Mice, Florian Sicklinger, Niklas Hartmann, Attila Kovacs, Carla Weinheimer, Jess Nigro, Junedh M. Amrute, Kory J. Lavine, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Mouse models of myocardial ischemia with subsequent heart failure are common approaches to examine heart failure pathology and possible treatment strategies. We sought to establish a high-throughput approach for echocardiography-guided induction of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (IR) in mice.

METHODS: After visualization of the left coronary artery with high-resolution ultrasound imaging and echocardiographic definition of the level of coronary occlusion, the left anterior descending artery was temporarily occluded with 2 micromanipulator-controlled needles. Functional and molecular changes were assessed and compared with commonly performed surgical techniques.

RESULTS: Echocardiography-guided induction of myocardial IR enabled standardized induction of myocardial IR injury with subsequent left …

Restoring Context: Interdisciplinary Approaches To Art Conservation And Registration Challenges In Rural Museums, Jade Karas '25

Senior Scholarly and Creative Symposium

A prevalent issue for museums in rural areas is a lack of reliable registration methods. This occurs for a number of reasons whether it be a lack of resources (human, financial, spacial, etc.) or the erosion of knowledge overtime due to cultural reliance on generational knowledge. Additionally, different registrars often develop new methods for inventory without leaving behind instructions, leading subsequent registrars to devise their own methods. These gaps in the registration process frequently result in “registration problems”, objects that don’t get properly inventoried and thus have little to no context for their origins. This thesis aims to fill in …

Preparation, And Characterization Of Gypsum-Levan Composites And Evaluation Of Their Preliminary In Vitro And Antibacterial Characteristics, Jamileh Sultan El Arab

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Orthopedic surgery has to contend with a myriad of issues with bones, injuries such as fractures as well as chronic ailments, like osteoporosis. There is a widespread understanding and execution of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement and calcium phosphate cements (CPCs), however their drawbacks like being non-biodegradable, generating heat, low bioactivity, and other issues reserve the development of better substitutes This study intends to develop and incorporate microbial levan squaring as a β-2,6-linked fructan polysaccharide into gypsum-based formulations of bone cements to make them biodegradable, bioactive and amplify their mechanical properties. The research aims to address the performance drawbacks of traditional …

Reviews, Editors

Marvels & Tales

No abstract provided.

Conservation, Policy And The Role Of Counsel, David J. Halperin

Maine Law Review

The conservation interests in the State of Maine have been roused to a furor by the decision of Maine's highest court in State v. Johnson. The case, in substance, holds that Maine's Wetlands Act is unconstitutional when applied to prohibit the filling of a specific segment of salt water marsh. While both the decision and the underlying statute are of considerable substantive interest, the case deserves particular study for the light it sheds on the role of counsel in helping the legal process accommodate new policy concerns. A note of caution must, of course, be sounded before seeking to generalize …

Constitutional Dilemmas Posed By State Policies Against Marine Pollution - The Maine Example, Daniel Wilkes

Maine Law Review

The physical fact about coastal pollution is that, since many of its harms are irreversible, it must be prevented and not just dealt with as it arises. The legal fact about coastal pollution is that legislation which aims to prevent pollutants must survive attacks under the due process, equal protection, commerce, and privileges and immunities clauses of the federal Constitution if we are not to lose entirely the enjoyment of our coastal waters. As the following discussion of the "Environmental Protection Package" passed by the First Special Session of the 104th Maine Legislature and the earlier Wetlands Act shows, judicial …

A Proposal To Protect Maine From The Oilbergs Of The 70'S, Eugene C. Coughlin Iii

Maine Law Review

The oil industry is moving into Maine with plans to develop new oil ports and to build oil refineries along the coast. Although the Portland harbor is one of the busiest oil ports on the eastern seaboard, the enormous increase in oil transportation over Maine waters, as envisioned by the oil magnates, poses frightening consequences for Maine people. Responding to this threat and to a growing conservation lobby, as well as an aroused public, the 104th Legislature passed measures that hopefully will begin to cope with the problem. Hailed as landmark conservation legislation, the new laws go further than past …

Mesoderm-Specific Transcript Has A Role In The Systemic Regulation Of Obesity, Maria J. Orellana Rosales

Thinking Matters Symposium

Mesoderm specific transcript (Mest) expression in white adipose tissue (WAT) is variable in genetically identical mice. Previous studies have shown a connection between Mest high expression and propensity for fat mass expansion. WAT and liver crosstalk has been well documented with hormone-like peptides signaling and regulating important metabolic pathways. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between these circulating factors and Mest expression in mice after exposure to a high fat diet (HFD). A group of 120 C57B6/J mice, males and females, were exposed to a HFD (Western Diet, 40 kcal% fat) for 4 weeks (8-12 weeks …

Numerical Investigation Of The Resistance And Static Drift Condition Of The Autosub Submarine, Sare Nur Çıplakkaya, Yasemin Arıkan Özden

Seatific Journal

This study involves the force and moment calculations using the 3/4rd scale model and full-scale geometries of the Autosub submarine. Computational fluid dynamics calculations are performed using RANS equations and the k-ω turbulence models. The resistance analyses are conducted for speeds ranging from 0 to 2 m/s. Static drift analyses are conducted between the range of 0 to 10 degrees drift angles at 2 degrees intervals. A mesh independence study is carried out to determine the adequate mesh density. The mesh structure is determined in the analyses for 6 degrees of drift angle and this mesh structure is used for …

Maximum Entropy Production And Constructal Law: Variable Conductance And Branched Flow, Phillip Johnson

Seatific Journal

Within the scope of modern thermodynamics, several new principles have been advanced. Yet a coherent picture has not yet fully emerged beyond classical thermodynamics, in part because of the disparate nature of these principles. This work analyzes two such principles, that of maximum entropy production and also the constructal law. These ideas are compared in two examples scenarios, atmospheric convection and riverbed generation. It is shown that both ideas utilized a flow network with variable conductivity, particularly that of a branched system. Comparison is made to show underlying shared principles.

Development An Experimental Method To Investigate Hydrodynamic Drag, Serkan Türkmen, Mehmet Atlar, Irma Yeginbayeva

Seatific Journal

Newcastle University [UNEW] has enhanced the test section of their existing water channel facility. The new measurement section is utilized to measure pressure drop (and hence frictional drag) across a standard flat test panel (length=0.6 m; width=0.22 m). The panel can be tested as cleanly coated as well as exposed to light biofilm growth. Based on measured pressure gradients, the skin friction coefficients of these surfaces are calculated and compared with other well-established methods (i.e., measuring the boundary layer of similar surfaces using a [LDV] system in UNEW’s Emerson Cavitation Tunnel [ECT], to evaluate the pressure drop methodology. This paper …