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Can Dance Be Used As An Organic Tool Of National Reproduction In The Basque Homeland And Across The Diasporas?, Irmak Demiroz Jan 2025

Can Dance Be Used As An Organic Tool Of National Reproduction In The Basque Homeland And Across The Diasporas?, Irmak Demiroz

Theses & ETDs

No abstract provided.

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Aphrodisiac Flesh : (Produce)Ing The Female Nude, Pénélope Donetti Jan 2025

Aphrodisiac Flesh : (Produce)Ing The Female Nude, Pénélope Donetti

Theses & ETDs

This essay examines the symbolic relationship between food, the female body, and societal perceptions of women shaped by the male gaze, connecting these themes to my own artwork. Drawing inspiration from religious and historical narratives, my work critiques the alienation and commodification of women through symbolic and cultural representations. Through the analysis of artist Sarah Lucas and art historian Linda Nochlin, I explore how food is tied to femininity and desire, reflecting societal expectations of women as both providers and objects of consumption. Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex provides a theoretical foundation for understanding the alienation of women when …

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Do Whitespotted Eagle Rays Demonstrate Prey Preference?, Hannah El Halabi Sanchez Jan 2025

Do Whitespotted Eagle Rays Demonstrate Prey Preference?, Hannah El Halabi Sanchez

Theses & ETDs

Understanding foraging behavior in marine predators is essential for conservation efforts and understanding ecological roles. This study investigates whether whitespotted eagle rays (Aetobatus narinari) exhibit prey preference in a controlled environment. Whitespotted eagle rays were offered eight different prey types across 16 trials over four weeks. In person and video analysis were used to record and analyze behaviors and metrics. There was no significant evidence of prey preference. However, a pattern of prey avoidance was observed, suggesting that certain prey types, such as fighting conchs, are consumed less. This is shown by low consumption rate, the high consumption time, and …

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Faith, Fatherlands, And Fascism: A Warning, Sara Engels Jan 2025

Faith, Fatherlands, And Fascism: A Warning, Sara Engels

Theses & ETDs

Utilizing the definitions, characteristics, and enabling conditions provided by four experts of fascism who have collectively contributed over 150 years of scholarship to the field, this study assesses environmental conditions prior to elections, espoused party ideologies, policies enacted (and attempted) once in power, and the rhetoric employed by the leaders of movements in Hungary and the U.S., which have both been labelled as fascist, to determine whether such a description is fitting. Extensive analysis of speeches and policies in the two countries makes it clear that Hungary has developed a fascist government and state, albeit one that is not fully …

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Depression Simulator: A Virtual Reality Experience To Raise Awareness About The Effects Of Depression, Wes Farmer Jan 2025

Depression Simulator: A Virtual Reality Experience To Raise Awareness About The Effects Of Depression, Wes Farmer

Theses & ETDs

Depression is a challenge faced by many people in the modern world, and for those suffering from depression, it can direct the course of their lives. To spread awareness about how depression affects people, a virtual reality game called “Depression Simulator” was created. This game serves to create an abstract representation of the challenges faced by someone with depression, creating visual and interactive tasks to both engage the player and to better help them understand how depression affects people. The player starts by finding themselves in a wide open, greyscale field, with there being little to no color despite the …

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Observing Activity With Multi-Sensory And Single Sensory Enrichment As Means Of Improving Animal Welfare For An American Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis), Melody Fulmer Jan 2025

Observing Activity With Multi-Sensory And Single Sensory Enrichment As Means Of Improving Animal Welfare For An American Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis), Melody Fulmer

Theses & ETDs

American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) are large reptiles living in marshy areas and are mostly active at night. Though being active at night is a natural behavior for them, alligators in human care will tend to adjust to their keepers schedule when getting fed and offered enrichment during the day. The goal for this project was to find an enrichment for an alligator in human care and help encourage her to become more active at night as a means to increase her wellbeing in human care. I tested the hypothesis that she will find multi-sensory enrichment more engaging over single sensory …

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Assessing The Current State Of New College Of Florida’S Coastal Waterfront Along With Potential Remedies To Protect A Vulnerable Piece Of Shoreline., C. Luke Heierding Jan 2025

Assessing The Current State Of New College Of Florida’S Coastal Waterfront Along With Potential Remedies To Protect A Vulnerable Piece Of Shoreline., C. Luke Heierding

Theses & ETDs

Coastal waterfronts allow access to a prime natural resource for the communities they’re surrounded by. However, coastal waterfronts alike are in danger, especially in Florida. With stronger and more destructive storms along with invading non-native species, waterfronts are at risk. The study area is the New College of Florida’s waterfront in Sarasota, FL. In this study, I map out the distribution and location of banyan trees (Ficus benghalensis) in order to examine the extent of their spread. I also map the topography of the area as a detailed topographic map is useful for future planning and assessing flooding risks. I …

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Microplastic Ingestion In Pipefish In The Sarasota Bay, Gray Henry Jan 2025

Microplastic Ingestion In Pipefish In The Sarasota Bay, Gray Henry

Theses & ETDs

Microplastics are ubiquitous in the environment today. Their spread has been an uncontrollable side effect of the vast amounts of plastic waste leaked into the environment annually. Microplastics can have devastating impacts on ecosystems and the organisms that inhabit them. Marine life can ingest these microplastics either intentionally through the accidental misidentification of a prey item or passively through their presence in or around prey items. However, there have been no studies on microplastics in syngnathids, a focal species, within Florida waters. In this thesis I investigate the passive ingestion of microplastics in Syngnathus scovelli from the Sarasota Bay and …

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A Behavioral Analysis On The Orca (Orcinus Orca) Attacks In The Mediterranean Sea, Alexis Hollick Jan 2025

A Behavioral Analysis On The Orca (Orcinus Orca) Attacks In The Mediterranean Sea, Alexis Hollick

Theses & ETDs

The GLADIS pod of orcas inhabits the Strait of Gibraltar where the waters of the northern Atlantic ocean and the Mediterranean sea intersect. This pod has initiated hundreds of attacks towards vessels in the Strait since May of 2020. Attacks consist of circling boats, ramming hulls, dismantling rudders, and other destructive activities. This review will examine four major hypotheses in an attempt to evaluate the cause behind these attacks. Play is assessed through five key criteria: the behavior does not result in food acquisition or physical reward, differs from functional activities like hunting or grooming, is repeated but not perfected, …

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How Fish Decorate: Color Preference In Heterandria Formosa, Alexis Holliday Jan 2025

How Fish Decorate: Color Preference In Heterandria Formosa, Alexis Holliday

Theses & ETDs

Environmental enrichment is the intentional addition of stimuli to an animal’s environment to provide necessary stimulation for optimal psychological and physiological well-being. This has been studied across taxa, but there is significantly less research on enrichment in fish. The current experiment looked into differences in how the least killifish (Heterandria formosa) interact with enrichment based on color. Preferences between colors can aid in determining potential care standards. This experiment utilized four colors of yarn mops, green, brown, white, and pink, to represent common colors in home aquaria. A preference between these colors was determined based on how many fish were …

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Probing Alopecia Areata: Jak-Stat Dysregulation And Immuno-Epigenetic, Neuroendocrine, Pharmacological, And Biopsychosocial Complexities In Autoimmune Pathogenesis, Isaiah Johnson Jan 2025

Probing Alopecia Areata: Jak-Stat Dysregulation And Immuno-Epigenetic, Neuroendocrine, Pharmacological, And Biopsychosocial Complexities In Autoimmune Pathogenesis, Isaiah Johnson

Theses & ETDs

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disorder in which hair is lost abruptly because the immune system damages hair follicles. In this thesis, I will first review the epidemiology and biology of the disorder and will then discuss the therapeutic potential of JAK-STAT pathway inhibition for AA and the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of JAK inhibitors, in particular Ruxolitinib. The Janus kinase/signal transducer/activator of transcription JAK-STAT pathway is a major driver of immune and inflammatory response, and its dysregulation contributes to AA. Ruxolitinib, by preventing JAK’s activity, reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines, allowing restoration of immune privilege in hair follicles and regenerating hair. …

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Mangroves: Background, Range Expansion And Policy, Cecilia Lash Jan 2025

Mangroves: Background, Range Expansion And Policy, Cecilia Lash

Theses & ETDs

Mangroves are found on every continent except for Antarctica. This particular flora is multifaceted in a few ways. For one, these trees are both individual plants while also forming their own ecosystems. They are unique in the fact that mangrove forests are the only blue carbon forest in the world. While experiencing harm due to factors such as sea level rise and severe storms, mangroves are expanding outside of their usual range as temperatures rise due to climate change. This phenomenon is occurring in multiple countries, such as the U.S., Australia, and China. Mangroves provide various ecosystem services including critical …

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Deep-Sea Biology: Bringing The Deep Darkness To The Light, Andrew Koenig Jan 2025

Deep-Sea Biology: Bringing The Deep Darkness To The Light, Andrew Koenig

Theses & ETDs

The deep sea is the largest ecosystem on Earth. The deep-seafloor covers about 60% of the Earth’s solid surface. The size alone is enough to emphasize its importance to the ocean and the entire Earth. This thesis aims to explore and showcase the deep sea and all it has to offer from the physical environment, the animals that survive there, and the processes in which they thrive. Though this is covering many topics related to deep-sea biology, it is not entirely comprehensive, as that is out of the realistic scope of this thesis. The reader is encouraged to use this …

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Humanities In The Biology Classroom: Cultivating Their Connection To Spanish-Speaking Students, Betzy Lopez Jan 2025

Humanities In The Biology Classroom: Cultivating Their Connection To Spanish-Speaking Students, Betzy Lopez

Theses & ETDs

With the increase in the Hispanic population, there has also been an increase in Hispanic students enrolled in school. Within this population of enrolled Hispanic students, some are considered English Language Learners (ELLs). Hispanic and ELL students in high school in Manatee County, Florida, United States, have low results in their science assessments, including the Biology 1 End of Course exams required to take to graduate high school in Florida. To help students engage and connect during their biology courses, this thesis provides four lesson plans with grading rubrics about infectious diseases and the immune system. In these lesson plans, …

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Epilepsy Causes, Diagnosis, And Treatment, With A Special Focus On Lgi1-Related Conditions And Possible Use Of Ketogenic Diet As An Adjuvant Therapy, Adriana Mateo-Lopez Jan 2025

Epilepsy Causes, Diagnosis, And Treatment, With A Special Focus On Lgi1-Related Conditions And Possible Use Of Ketogenic Diet As An Adjuvant Therapy, Adriana Mateo-Lopez

Theses & ETDs

Epilepsy is a condition with excessive neuronal firing in the brain leading to seizures. While various genetic mutations and treatment approaches are relevant to epilepsy, particular attention is given to how dysfunction of the gene Leucine-rich gliomainactivated protein 1 affects neural communication and promotes epileptic activity. Pharmacological approaches to treatments are analyzed. The ketogenic diet, a high-fat, low-carbohydrate dietary intervention, is also explored for its potential therapeutic role. Although further investigation is necessary, current insights suggest the ketogenic diet may significantly reduce seizure frequency, offering a promising direction for future treatment strategies, especially in patients who do not respond well …

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Anxious Flesh, Divine Machines The Body As A Canvas For Technology, Hanh Nguyen Jan 2025

Anxious Flesh, Divine Machines The Body As A Canvas For Technology, Hanh Nguyen

Theses & ETDs

What remains of humans when we merge with machines? What is lost—and what is gained? I will examine the intersection between human and modern technology through a series of figurative paintings, prints and collages. Inspired by the critiques of Byung-Chul Han and the fiction of J.G. Ballard, the themes of alienation, hyper-connectivity, and the erosion of human agency are at the core of my works, I look at how technology has reprogrammed us, our bodies, or actions, our feelings and how this paradigm shift has influenced my artworks. Visually, I am interested in distorted depictions of human bodies; I draw …

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Blue Ink: A Literary Arts Journal 2025 - 2026, Department Of Languages, Literature, And Philosophy, Tennessee State University Jan 2025

Blue Ink: A Literary Arts Journal 2025 - 2026, Department Of Languages, Literature, And Philosophy, Tennessee State University

Blue Ink Student Literary Journal

No abstract provided.

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Research Update - January 2025, Office Of Research Jan 2025

Research Update - January 2025, Office Of Research

Research Update

No abstract provided.

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Full Issue Jan 2025

Full Issue

Quidditas

No abstract provided.

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Centering Maternal Breastfeeding In The Old English Metrical Charm 6, Kierra E. Burns Jan 2025

Centering Maternal Breastfeeding In The Old English Metrical Charm 6, Kierra E. Burns

Quidditas

This article examines female authority and self-determination in relation to maternal lactation during early medieval England. While breastfeeding has always been essential to infant survival, its cultural significance extends beyond nourishment alone, reflecting broader social values and assumptions about gender and motherhood. Within this context, early English texts reveal that lactating mothers were regarded as natural authorities in the processes of childbearing and nourishing their infants. Through analysis of historical and literary evidence, this article argues that maternal breastfeeding was viewed in inherently positive and empowering terms with maternal self-determination and authority at the heart of that positivity. The article …

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Risk Appraisal: An Investigation Of Personality Traits And Prior Injury On Thrill And Adventure Seeking Behavior In A High-Risk Modern Circus Performance Art Task, Rachael German Jan 2025

Risk Appraisal: An Investigation Of Personality Traits And Prior Injury On Thrill And Adventure Seeking Behavior In A High-Risk Modern Circus Performance Art Task, Rachael German

Wayne State University Dissertations

Introduction. Individuals make decisions every day that involve some assessment of risk.. Relevant psychological factors that require a deeper investigation include sensation seeking (SS), personality traits, anxiety, and self-efficacy (SE). The theoretical framework for the study is the biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat (BPSCT). Much of risk appraisal research has been done in a lab or on a computer, while this study presented a relevant, novel, and innovative physical task that incorporated risk in an ecologically valid setting. Purpose. The purpose of this research study was to examine participants' willingness to participate in a high-risk modern circus performance art …

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Hdr Brachytherapy Treatment For Basal Cell Carcinoma​, Makayla L. Kester Jan 2025

Hdr Brachytherapy Treatment For Basal Cell Carcinoma​, Makayla L. Kester

Student Research Poster Presentations 2025

This research explains basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common form of skin cancer, and the role radiation therapy can play in treating patients with the disease. General information about BCC, common locations of occurrence, diagnosis methods, treatment options, side effects, and expected outcomes are discussed. BCC most often appears on sun-exposed areas such as the face, ears, and neck. For patients who are not good surgical candidates or when surgery could result in disfigurement, radiation therapy offers an effective, non-invasive alternative. One advanced technique is high-dose-rate (HDR) surface brachytherapy, which uses detailed imaging and customized applicators to deliver targeted …

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Molecular Consequences Of Pcos-Linked Aromatase Variants: Structural Modeling And Inhibitor Docking​, Kiran S. Sajnani, Bharath Kumar Reddy Burri, Yuktha Milukuri, Preya Patel, Marqus Colón, Emily Schmitt Lavin Ph.D., Arthur Sikora Ph.D. Jan 2025

Molecular Consequences Of Pcos-Linked Aromatase Variants: Structural Modeling And Inhibitor Docking​, Kiran S. Sajnani, Bharath Kumar Reddy Burri, Yuktha Milukuri, Preya Patel, Marqus Colón, Emily Schmitt Lavin Ph.D., Arthur Sikora Ph.D.

Protein Modeling Reports

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects approximately 10% of women of reproductive age and involves hormonal imbalances partly driven by disrupted estrogen synthesis. Aromatase (CYP19A1) catalyzes the conversion of testosterone and androstenedione into estrogen, making it essential for maintaining estrogen–androgen balance. The structural consequences of disease-associated aromatase mutations remain poorly understood. We investigated the Val161Asp substitution, a PCOS-linked variant in which a nonpolar valine is replaced by a negatively charged aspartate within a hydrophobic helical region of aromatase. Using the wild-type structure from PDB ID 3EQM, we generated a 3D-printed model highlighting the mutation and identified key catalytic features, including the …

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Modeling The Binding Of Salinosporamide A (Mzb) To The Human 20s Proteasome For Potential Cancer Treatment, Jayden J. Ross, Giezel Medina, Audrey Anand, Jayant Ari, Emily Schmitt, Arthur Sikora Jan 2025

Modeling The Binding Of Salinosporamide A (Mzb) To The Human 20s Proteasome For Potential Cancer Treatment, Jayden J. Ross, Giezel Medina, Audrey Anand, Jayant Ari, Emily Schmitt, Arthur Sikora

Protein Modeling Reports

This project aims to model and observe the binding of the drug Marizomib (MZB) and compare its binding affinity to that of other similar drugs to the proteosome using the available PDB ID 9HMN and bioinformatics tools. MZB is an anti-cancer drug that was derived from the marine bacterium, Salinosporamide A. Its function is to inhibit the human 20S proteasome from breaking down misfolded and excess proteins, which eventually causes the cell to trigger apoptosis. Additionally, MZB has a unique ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and utilize three catalytically active amino acid sites. The existing PDB ID (9HMN) of …

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Modeling The Disruption Of Binding Of Three Ige Antibodies With Six Mutated Interaction Sites On The Arah2 Allergen, Hansi Parmar, Aashi Chhabra, Jyothi Vivekananda, Amaan Khan, Arthur Sikora, Emily Schmitt Lavin Jan 2025

Modeling The Disruption Of Binding Of Three Ige Antibodies With Six Mutated Interaction Sites On The Arah2 Allergen, Hansi Parmar, Aashi Chhabra, Jyothi Vivekananda, Amaan Khan, Arthur Sikora, Emily Schmitt Lavin

Protein Modeling Reports

Peanut allergy is a life-threatening food allergy that affects millions of children and adults across the world. This issue presents serious public health concerns and heavy interest from the scientific community to find viable treatments that minimize immunological side effects. To better understand and explain the peanut allergy response, the literature was examined, and a 3D model was printed based on two protein database files. Arachis hypogaea 2 (Arah2) is the dominant peanut allergen protein. When Arah2 binds IgE antibodies, a strong allergic response is triggered. This reaction makes treating allergy patients with Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) difficult due to adverse …

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The Power Of Pets: Navigating Infancy, Early Development, And Eventual Loss/ Exploring The Mutual Human-Animal Bond Through Children’S Board And Picture Books With Critical Anthropomorphism, Mary Teresa Woodcock Jan 2025

The Power Of Pets: Navigating Infancy, Early Development, And Eventual Loss/ Exploring The Mutual Human-Animal Bond Through Children’S Board And Picture Books With Critical Anthropomorphism, Mary Teresa Woodcock

Children's Book Writing and Illustrating (MFA) Theses

Pets are powerful elements of picture books. Alongside our animal companions, we navigate infancy, early childhood and adulthood, and better understand our relationships and life itself. Critical anthropomorphism allows us to represent our relationship to our animal companions ethically in the written and illustrated text. This paper acknowledges an array of primary and scholarly texts about animals and their roles in human experience as a foundation for my three book projects “A Colorful Night for Cat,” “Grandma, Sam, and Me,” and “Tired Old Socks.” I work to portray animal companions authentically, showing how both humans and animal companions benefit from …

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A Metadata Analysis Of Unionid Mussels Of The Greenup Pool Of The Ohio River Using Occupancy Modeling And Species Area Curves, Tyler Mitchell Annarino Jan 2025

A Metadata Analysis Of Unionid Mussels Of The Greenup Pool Of The Ohio River Using Occupancy Modeling And Species Area Curves, Tyler Mitchell Annarino

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Although North America contains the largest diversity of freshwater mussels in the world, only ~24% of species in the United States and Canada have stable populations. This group provides unique hurdles for surveying, and current unionid survey protocols include neither longitudinal studies nor randomization of sites. This project conducts a metadata analysis of freshwater mussels in the Greenup Pool of the Ohio River (GPOR) to answer three questions: 1. Does a combination of longitudinal scope, randomization of sites, and historic methodology of surveying result in useful occupancy/detection models (ODMs) of unionids in large streams at the family level? 2. Does …

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Modeling Oct3-Mediated Buprenorphine Transport As A Mechanism For Salivary Accumulation And Oral Toxicity, Veda Pesala, Laasya Vemparala, Mehtab Singh, Sydni Gunpath, Emily Schmitt Lavin, Arthur Sikora Jan 2025

Modeling Oct3-Mediated Buprenorphine Transport As A Mechanism For Salivary Accumulation And Oral Toxicity, Veda Pesala, Laasya Vemparala, Mehtab Singh, Sydni Gunpath, Emily Schmitt Lavin, Arthur Sikora

Protein Modeling Reports

In this study we prepared a 3D printed model to better understand OCT3-mediated buprenorphine transport. Buprenorphine is a high affinity partial agonist at the mu-opioid receptor (μ-OR) and main component of Suboxone. It has a unique pharmacological profile that makes it effective for treating both pain and opioid use disorder (OUD) but has been linked to oral health issues such as dry mouth and tooth decay. The exceptionally tight binding of suboxone to μ-OR allows for sustained receptor occupancy and reduced opioid misuse potential by patients. Activation of μ-ORs can inhibit the release of acetylcholine. This neurotransmitter found in many …

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The Impact Of Gender On Literacy Engagement, Perception, And Academic Practice In Grades 3–12, Dennis John Wickes Jr. Jan 2025

The Impact Of Gender On Literacy Engagement, Perception, And Academic Practice In Grades 3–12, Dennis John Wickes Jr.

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Gender disparities in literacy persist across the globe, shaping academic and career opportunities in profound ways. Despite advances in educational research and interventions, boys continue to trail their female counterparts in literacy from an early age, and this gap persists. The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in students’ self-perception, academic practice in literacy-based tasks, and enjoyment of these activities. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed. Participants included students in Grades 3–12 from international sites in the United States, the Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, recruited through convenience and purposive sampling based on site access and …

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Brain-Targeting Polymeric Micelles For Intranasal Delivery Of Rapamycin In Alzheimer’S Disease Treatment, Vrashabh V. Sugandhi Jan 2025

Brain-Targeting Polymeric Micelles For Intranasal Delivery Of Rapamycin In Alzheimer’S Disease Treatment, Vrashabh V. Sugandhi

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a long-term neurological disorder associated with neuroinflammation and amyloid-beta (Aβ) aggregation, which leads to a decline in cognitive and behavioral changes. Rapamycin (Rapa) is an immunosuppressive drug effective in preventing organ rejection after a kidney transplant. In the last few years, orally delivered Rapa has emerged as a potential candidate for improving cognitive function in patients with AD. However, it is evident that long-term oral treatment of Rapa causes systemic toxicity, and although controversial, it may even trigger the aggregation of Aβ deposition. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of intranasally delivered brain-targeting polymeric micelles carrying …

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