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Using Sustained Silent Reading In The Secondary English Language Arts Classroom To Increase Reading Engagement, Hannah S. Burwell

Dissertations

Reading scores have dropped precipitously over the past twenty years, and English Language Arts (ELA) teachers are looking for in-school academic interventions to mitigate this decline. This descriptive case study explored classroom experiences and student engagement with reading in a choice-based Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) program in a high school. The study examines student experiences through Expectancy-Value Theory (EVT). EVT suggests that a student’s engagement with reading will increase when they find the task valuable and believe success is achievable. The study explores how providing students with the independence to select their reading materials influences their experience in class and …

Book Talk: Hon. Diane Kiesel Dives Deep Into Law, Celebrity, And Scandal, Jennifer Bancamper

NYLS Community News

No abstract provided.

Reduced Vns Settings Paradoxically Decreases Seizure Burden In A Patient Following Resolution Of Sleep Disordered Breathing, Austin Sponaugle, Rebecca Stainman, Christopher M. Carosella

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) can be a highly effective treatment option for patients with drug resistant epilepsy. Notably, VNS has demonstrated side effects including a unique form of sleep disordered breathing known as vagus nerve stimulator associated sleep disordered breathing (VaS). However, the ways in which VaS interacts with seizure frequency is unknown. We report a case of a 28-year-old woman who presented to our department with complaints of worsening sleep quality 3 years following VNS implantation. Upon polysomnographic (PSG) evaluation, it was discovered that she suffered from VaS. The patient’s VNS output current was then down titrated during a …

Axl Promotes Inflammatory Breast Cancer Progression By Regulating Immunosuppressive Macrophage Polarization, Lan T H Phi, Yating Cheng, Yohei Funakoshi, Francois Bertucci, Pascal Finetti, Steven J Van Laere, Fang Zou, James P Long, Suguru Ogata, Savitri Krishnamurthy, James M Reuben, Jason M Foulks, Steven L Warner, Jennifer M Rosenbluth, Anil K Sood, Debu Tripathy, Naoto T Ueno, Xiaoping Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are key promoters of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), the most aggressive form of breast cancer. The receptor tyrosine kinase AXL is highly expressed in various cancer types, including IBC, but its role in TAMs remains unexplored.

Methods: We examined the effects of AXL inhibitor TP-0903 on tumor growth and tumor microenvironment (TME) component M2 macrophages (CD206+) in IBC and triple-negative breast cancer mouse models using flow cytometry and immunohistochemical staining. Additionally, we knocked out AXL expression in human THP-1 monocytes and evaluated the effect of AXL signaling on immunosuppressive M2 macrophage polarization and IBC cell growth …

Functional Diversification Of Rice Ago1 Proteins, Rachel Elie Jouni

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Global demand for food is outpacing gains from conventional plant breeding. Scientists have turned to molecular crop breeding techniques to increase crop output and mitigate global hunger; however, a common setback in this process is the pleiotropic effects of target genes. We need to develop strategies to specifically modulate desired traits without incurring undesired penalties. Natural evolution frequently balances such tradeoffs through extensive regulation, which we can leverage to produce more specific results. Reproductive development is an important target of breeding efforts due to its direct effect on yield. Rice, a major staple food crop for half the world’s population, …

Understanding Loss Of Beta-Cell Identity And Progression Of Diabetes In Polygenic Mouse Models Of T2dm, Sumitkumar Patel

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is caused by the complex interaction of multiple genes and environmental factors. T2DM is characterized by hyperglycemia, insulin resistance in peripheral tissues and impaired insulin secretion by the pancreas. While the decline in insulin production and secretion was previously attributed to apoptosis of insulin-producing β-cells, recent studies indicate that β cell apoptosis rates are relatively low in diabetes. In this dissertation, I investigated β-cell failure in diabetes using KK and KKAy mouse models of polygenic T2DM, which spontaneously develop hyperglycemia, glucose intolerance, glucosuria, impaired insulin secretion and insulin resistance. I found that β-cell failure in KK …

The Role Of Polo-Like Kinase In Polarizing Germline Determinants In The C. Elegans Zygote, Amelia J. Kim

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Asymmetric cell divisions are essential processes across diverse organisms that give rise to two daughter cells with different cell fates, allowing to the generation of cell diversity. During these divisions, the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity is required to control the segregation of cell fate determinants along a polarity axis. Moreover, cell polarity must be coordinated with the cell cycle to ensure the precise spatiotemporal distribution of cell determinants.

In the C. elegans one-cell embryo, PAR proteins establish anterior-posterior polarity that directs the asymmetric segregation of cytoplasmic cell fate regulators. Following symmetry breaking, anterior PAR proteins (PAR-3, PAR-6, PKC-3) …

Effects Of Angptl3 Deficiency On The Regulation Of Hepatic Lipoprotein Production And Lipid Metabolism, Kendall Helene Burks

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. A major treatment goal is to lower plasma lipids, especially low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), the cardinal risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). Patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) experience early-onset CAD due to extremely high LDL. Underdiagnosis and undertreatment of FH are exacerbated by limited therapeutic options. However, one strategy has successfully lowered LDL in FH patients: Inhibition of the hepatically secreted protein Angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3). Despite promising clinical data, the mechanism by which ANGPTL3 inhibition lowers LDL has not been fully described. Although ANGPTL3 has been shown to modulate …

Afflicted Epistemology: Knowledge, Illness, And New Media After “Truth”, Annika Nilsson

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how people living with complex, medically underdetermined chronic illnesses make sense of their experiences through self-experimentation mediated by online forums and self-help groups in a cultural context characterized by significant controversy surrounding the status of science, expertise, and conventionally authoritative knowledge-producing institutions. Using virtual and conventional ethnography and critical media studies methods, it finds that the fragmentary and decentralized nature of the U.S. healthcare system intensified the interpretive challenges associated with complex chronic illnesses: information was extremely abundant, but deciphering its accuracy, reliability, and relevance proved difficult. In this context, participants relied on experiential knowledge to filter, …

Marine Viruses: Biogeochemical Implications And Potential Applications, Faiza A Fattouh, Sahar W.M. Hassan

Blue Economy

Viruses are the most plentiful microorganisms in the ecosystem and exhibit excessive diversity in relations to infection cycle, host specificity and size. Since the discovery of great viral distribution in marine ecosystems, the ecological significance of viruses to marine environment has become gradually evident. Lytic viruses trigger lysis of the host cell to give the new progeny and thus readdress nutrients from higher to lower trophic levels. Consequently, marine viruses exhibit direct or indirect influence on the capacity of carbon sequestration, exchange of gases in the ocean and biogeochemical cycles in addition to affecting microbial population dynamics. Marine viruses are …

Mapping And Examining Recreation In Indian Creek, Bears Ears National Monument, Elisabeth Currit, Neil Hansen, Brigham Daniels, Alex Long, Katy Merritt, Mary Proteau, Sam Spackman

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Recreation is growing in desert areas of the western United States, and mapping the expansion of these activities is vital to management and conservation efforts. Desert ecosystems provide many critical ecosystem services, including carbon storage, and the growing popularity of outdoor recreation in Western US desert regions poses a threat to these ecosystems. Unregulated recreational activities can harm desert plant and soil health, including the functioning of biological soil crusts. This research project focuses on mapping several types of popular recreational activities in order to monitor and evaluate the impact of these activities within the Indian Creek areas of Bears …

The Impact Of Fellowship Training On Peer-Reviewed Publication Productivity In Academic Anesthesiologists As Evaluated By The H-Index, Acsa M. Zavala, Jagtar Singh Heir, Juan P. Cata, Lei Feng, Jose M. Soliz

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Background: The effect of anesthesiology fellowships on scholarly contributions has been minimally studied. In this study we analyzed differences in h-index between fellowship-trained and non–fellowship-trained anesthesiologists, as well as by type of fellowship, academic rank, and years in practice.

Methods: All anesthesiologists on staff between September 1, 2021, and August 31, 2022, were included in this study. The variables collected were fellowship training status, h-index, total number of publications, years in practice, academic rank, and years at the institution. For analysis, the anesthesiologists were divided into 2 groups: those with fellowship training and those without.

Results: Among 78 anesthesiologists, 40 …

A Methodology To Quantify The Shielding Efficiency Of Novel Radiation Shielding Materials, Jenny R. Whiteley, Tyler Heggenes, J.R. Dennison

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Radiation shielding is a common method used to protect spacecraft from the radiation prevalent in the space environment. A current research area of interest is Z-graded shielding, which is radiation shielding composed of various materials layered together based off of the properties associated with the material's atomic number, Z. This approach has the potential to produce new shielding materials that would be lighter and more compact than traditional shielding materials. Utah State University's Material Physics Group developed an experimental setup and analysis methodology to quantify how effectively novel shielding materials blocked beta and gamma radiation. The materials' effectiveness, termed shielding …

Sustainable Agricultural Development In Nigeria: A Question Of Biotechnology, Environmental Conservation, Or Indigenous Knowledge?, Emmanuel O. Oritsejafor

Journal of African Policy Studies

Nigeria, like most developing countries, depends on agriculture primarily for subsistence and export revenues. However, Nigeria is confronted with food security challenges. Several factors have contributed to this problem, such as demographic trends, crude farming methods, deforestation, the oil boom and public policies that are not consistent with the socio-economic and political realities of the state.

Given these challenges, this inquiry will examine the socio-economic and environmental implications of recent recommendations by development agencies such as the United Nations Development Agency (UNDP), which has prescribed the use of biotechnology to address Africa's food security problems. This recommendation appears to be …

Experimental Workflow: Assessing Lead (Pb) Cytotoxicity In Vaginal Epithelial Cells, Alex Grimm, Sagan Wilkinson

Utah Space Grant Consortium

The vaginal epithelium is a highly absorptive mucosal barrier that plays a vital role in defending against pathogens and maintaining reproductive health. However, its permeability also raises concern about the bioaccumulation of potentially harmful elements (PHEs), particularly in relation to products designed for intimate use. Recent studies have identified the presence of heavy metals, including lead (Pb), in a wide range of cosmetic and hygiene products such as tampons. Lead is a well-known toxic element that interferes with essential cellular functions, mimicking biologically important metals like zinc, calcium, and iron.

This study investigates the absorption of lead by an immortalized …

Potential Of Genetic Modification In Brine Shrimp For Biotechnological Applications, Hannah Jones, Lane Law

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Brine shrimp (Artemia salina) are hardy organisms capable of surviving extreme environmental conditions, making them an ideal candidate for genetic modification in biotechnological research. This study investigates the potential of genetically modifying brine shrimp to unlock new possibilities in biotechnology. By integrating foreign genes into their genome, we explore how genetic engineering can enhance their adaptability, stress tolerance, and overall viability, providing opportunities for novel applications in fields such as environmental monitoring, bioengineering, and sustainable aquaculture. Our findings highlight the promise of brine shrimp as a versatile and sustainable platform for genetic modification, opening doors to innovative approaches in biotechnology …

From Forest Floor To Future Food: Cultivating And Engineering Lion's Mane Mushrooms, Chris Morris, Lane Law

Utah Space Grant Consortium

We intend to create a vegan meat alternative by genetically modifying Hericium erinaceus (Lion's Mane mushroom) to express the soy leghemoglobin gene. This gene, commonly used in plant-based meats, contributes both color and umami flavor reminiscent of animal-derived hemoglobin. Our approach involves extracting and sequencing Lion's Mane DNA, identifying viable genomic insertion sites, and applying CRISPR-Cas9 to insert the leghemoglobin gene. Concurrently, we are optimizing lab-based cultivation methods to ensure reliable growth and propagation of both wild-type and genetically modified strains. This project integrates fungal biotechnology, genetic engineering, and sustainable food innovation.

Enhanced 3d Image Reconstruction Using Scattered Light Tomography, Tyler O'Loughlin, Vern Hart

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Coherent diffraction imaging (CDI) is a powerful technique for reconstructing phase shifts occurring in biological samples by capturing the interference between scattered light. These diffraction patterns contain spectral information, where shorter wavelengths (higher spatial frequencies) yield images with enhanced spatial resolution, improving detail and accuracy. However, higher spatial frequencies are located further from the central axis, rendering them fainter and more challenging to measure. To address this, our group developed a gyroscopic CDI system featuring a rotating platform driven by a stepper motor. This platform positions the sample between a broadband light source and a beam profiler, which are mounted …

Cracking The Code For Pcb Cleanup: Pcr Optimization Meets Synthetic Biology, Leptzy Romero, Lane Law

Utah Space Grant Consortium

This study focuses on the construction of a plasmid harboring biphenyl (BPH) genes, with the aim of enabling potential degradation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Optimization experiments were conducted to enhance PCR amplification and assembly efficiency. PCR conditions were refined using a primer concentration gradient and by varying magnesium chloride levels through adjustments in reaction buffer volume, resulting in improved specificity and yield. Six BPH gene fragments were successfully litigated into the pSHDY vector using Gibson Assembly, alongside a GA+ positive control. The resulting construct represents a foundational step toward engineering organisms capable of PCB biodegradation.

Vocs In Heat-Stressed Poplar-Mycorrhizae Systems, Luis Valdez, Peter Doust, Kastin Ricord

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Plants release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as gases into the atmosphere, including small molecules like alcohols, ketones, and terpenes, as well as products of the lipoxygenase (LOX) and the mevalonate (MVP) metabolic pathways.

A Simple Sonication Method For Generating Monodispersed Nanoparticles Of Hydrophobic Antioxidants, Kyle Jackson, David Britt, Yu Huang

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Various hydrophobic antioxidants remain unexplored for the treatment of space radiation and oxidative stress due to their inability to enter the cell without a drug delivery vehicle as their surface properties cause them to suffer from a poor solubility. In this paper you will find a recent breakthrough of a new method to create neat antioxidant nanoparticles free of any surfactant whatsoever vastly improving inherent solubility. These nanoparticles are synthesized monodispersed with a low polydispersity. This is even more suitable for astronauts then other generation methods, as the cocktail is without any solvent or surfactant which can have unknown effects …

Biosignature Analysis In Saline Environments Using The Microfluidic Organic Analyzers For Biosignatures (Moab), Andrew Pack, Parker Jenkins, Jungkyu (Jay) Kim

Utah Space Grant Consortium

This study examines amino acid stability in high-salinity environments to enhance biosignature detection technologies. Using both absorption spectroscopy and capillary electrophoreses (CE), we investigated the survivability of valine and serine in laboratory-created brines simulating those found on celestial bodies throughout the solar system. Our findings reveal a protective effect of brines on amino acids, with reduced degradation rates compared to control samples containing no salts. During the 12-day observation period, both polar and non-polar amino acids showed enhanced stability in high-salinity environments, though non-polar amino acids exhibited more pronounced benefits from this protective effect. Valine concentrations in saline conditions decreased …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Novel Derivatives Of Imides 1,2,4-Triazole Polymers Via Microwave And Study Biological Activities, Bahaa Fadhil Hamzah

Al-Mustaqbal Journal of Pharmaceutical and Medical Sciences

New derivatives of imides 1,2,4-triazole polymers as pharmaceutical compounds were prepared from the synthesis of amic acid compounds (1A-E) by reacted of benzocaine with different cyclic anhydrides. Then cyclic imide compounds (2A-E), which prepared from converted amic acid compounds by using acetic anhydrate (CH₃CO)₂O and anhydrous sodium acetate CH₃COONa as a water drawer agent. Compounds (2A-E) were react with nucleophilic addition of hydrazine hydrate to ester cyclic imide compound to produce acid hydrazide cyclic imide compounds. Thereafter, cyclization of compounds (4A-E) and (5A-E) were prepared from react of acid hydrazide cyclic imide compounds with …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of A Nurse-Led Family-Focused Program On The Physical Health Domain Of Children With Congenital Heart Defects, Maha Abdul Hussein Mutasher Al-Barki, Wameedh Hamid Shaker Alzubeidi

Al-Mustaqbal Journal of Pharmaceutical and Medical Sciences

Background: Assessing the effectiveness of a nurse-led family-focused program on the physical health domain of children with congenital heart defects (CHDs) is a critical area of research. CHDs are among the most common congenital anomalies, affecting nearly 1 in 100 live births. physical activity plays an important role in overall health and recovery congenital heart disease. Quality of life educational include specific directions to increase level of physical activity, such as walking daily or exercising regularly. Objectives: This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a nurse-led family-focused program in improving the physical health outcomes of children with CHDs. Methods …

Evaluation Of Rbc Indices And Significance Of Mentzer Index For Differentiation Between Iron Deficiency Anemia And Beta Thalassemia Trait, Raghda Hameed Jasim, Rasha Hussain Aouda

Al-Mustaqbal Journal of Pharmaceutical and Medical Sciences

Background: Anemia is a global public health problem affecting developed and adversely affecting developing countries. About 1.62 billion peoples are affected worldwide, currently pregnant women are the most vulnerable population corresponding to 24.8%. Objective: To evaluate RBC indices and significance of Mentzer index for differentiation between Iron deficiency anemia and Beta thalassemia trait. Patients and methods: Cross sectional study was conducted in Babylon Maternity and Pediatrics Teaching Hospital for a period of 4 months. Data was collected prospectively after approval of the research proposal was gained, the study involved 114 patients that were referred to the Babylon Maternity and Pediatrics …

The Technological Dimension Of Africa's Crsis Of Development: An Agenda For The 21st Century, Osita Agbu

Journal of African Policy Studies

This article critically examined the ways that technological underdevelopment had contributed to the deepening crises of Africa's technological backwardness. Adopting a holistic and historical approach, it tried to show how technological underdevelopment and the dearth of technologically driven approaches to addressing developmental questions had adversely affected the continent.

The article opines that beyond the technological is the fundamental understanding that the problem which Africa is facing is not just a technical one, but involves also a polical dimension which must not be ignored. It sought to explicate the question of whose technology for what, and in whose interest? It maintained …

National Population Policy And Fertility Decline In Senegal, Keita Ohashi

Journal of African Policy Studies

This study reviews the relationship between population policy and fertility decline in Senegal. In 1988, Senegal officially announced a national population policy, the first such population policy declaration among Francophone sub-Saharan African countries. Shortly thereafter, in the early 1990s, Senegal's total fertility rate did in fact start to decline. The establishment of the national population policy, however, did not directly influence the current fertility decline. Rather, effective population policies in the areas of education, reproductive health, and family planning services together are likely to determine the pace of overall fertility decline in Senegal. In this study, current fertility trends are …

Patterns And Determinants Of Fertility In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 1974-1998, Asfaw Yitna

Journal of African Policy Studies

Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, reported a surprisingly low TFR level of 1.8 births per woman in the year 1994. Such a low level has never been experienced by any other large African city. In this paper, we attempt to confirm the adjusted level fertility of 2.1 births per woman and thus the fertility decline reported by the Central Statistical Authority (CSA), and to explore the important demographics, socio-economic and proximate determinants of fertility decline of Addis Ababa from 1974 to 1998.

We use data from fertility surveys of 1990 and 1995, conducted in Addis Ababa by CSA, …

Contributor Bios, Studio1 Literary Club

Studio One

No abstract provided.

Treatment Wastewater Of Oil Refinery By Fe2o3 Nps Produce By The Novel Alishewanella Jeotgali Strain Haq8., Hawraa Qays Al-Assdy, Wijdan Hussein Al-Tamimi, Asia Fadhile Almansoory

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Metal oxide nanoparticles like iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) exhibit strong reactivity and photolytic features in wastewater treatment and serve as an effective adsorbent for water purification due to its substantial surface area and affinity for different functionalized groups. Iron oxide nanoparticles) IONPs) are currently applied to treat oil-contaminated water. Fe₂O₃NPs were produced using an extracellular approach utilizing the Alishewanella jeotgali strain HAQ8. IONPs were characterized using UV-vis, FT-IR, XRD, AFM, SEM-EDX, and Zeta potential. λ max for the synthesized nanoparticles observed at (358) nm. The bands at 485 cm⁻¹ in the FT-IR spectrum confirmed the formation of …