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Effects Of Environmental And Anthropogenic Gradients On Fish Beta Diversity In Central Appalachian Streams, Alanna Kaylee Lowther Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Understanding the environmental and spatial drivers of community composition is essential for conserving freshwater biodiversity. We examined how environmental gradients, land cover, and spatial structure influence fish beta diversity in wadeable streams across West Virginia, USA. We quantified total beta diversity and partitioned it into species replacement and richness difference components and used local contributions to beta diversity (LCBD) to identify compositionally unique sites. Community–environment relationships were evaluated with distance-based redundancy analysis (dbRDA), and a beta regression GLMM was used to test how elevation, slope, land cover, and stream order (factor) predicted LCBD while accounting for spatial structure (dbMEMs) and …

Watershed-Level Survey Of Antimicrobial Resistance From Onsite Wastewater Systems, Trey Franklin Clark

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has quickly become one of the largest global health and development threats. Research related to environmental modes of transmission of AMR has accelerated in recent years, and the US Environmental Protection Agency is particularly interested in this emerging contaminant. Knowledge of how onsite (decentralized) wastewater treatment systems contribute to this issue is lacking, so this research serves to analyze and quantify the environmental dissemination of AMR and fecal contamination from these sources at a watershed level while using statistical analysis to assess relationships between physiochemical, spatial, and sampling parameters. This research surveyed four watersheds …

Development Of Novel Carbohydrate-Based Nanoparticles For Precision Drug Delivery, Krystal Ann Hughes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nanoparticle-based drug delivery has made tremendous advancements in the last decade. However, several critical factors, including precision drug delivery at the site of interest, long-term storage stability, and controlling release profiles of drugs in the systemic circulation, need to be addressed for successful clinical translation of nanomedicine. This dissertation presents novel carbohydrate-based nanoparticles that achieve precise intracellular delivery and therapeutic release at the disease site. We present the formulation and optimization of polymeric and polymer-lipid hybrid nanoparticles that enable precision intracellular delivery and passive accumulation of therapeutics in the bone marrow. Intracellular delivery is highly impactful and sought after. One …

Copula-Based Bayesian Model For Detecting Differential Gene Expression, Prasansha Liyanaarachchi, N. Rao Chaganty

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Deoxyribonucleic acid, more commonly known as DNA, is a fundamental genetic material in all living organisms, containing thousands of genes, but only a subset exhibit differential expression and play a crucial role in diseases. Microarray technology has revolutionized the study of gene expression, with two primary types available for expression analysis: spotted cDNA arrays and oligonucleotide arrays. This research focuses on the statistical analysis of data from spotted cDNA microarrays. Numerous models have been developed to identify differentially expressed genes based on the red and green fluorescence intensities measured using these arrays. We propose a novel approach using a Gaussian …

On Parentage, Genetics, And Surrogacy, Jessica Tueller

Georgia Law Review

Bans in some jurisdictions, combined with relative affordability in others, have turned surrogacy into an increasingly cross-border phenomenon. Meanwhile, the complex and varied approaches to legal parentage and surrogacy that exist in domestic jurisdictions, along with a lack of international oversight, have at times left children of surrogacy parentless or stateless. The decision of the Hague Conference on Private International Law to begin regulating legal parentage in international surrogacy arrangements is thus an important and welcome development. However, the Hague Conference is considering imposing new genetic requirements that could result in violations of the rights to equality and non-discrimination of …

The New Game Theory, Cortelyou C. Kenney

Georgia Law Review

Game theory and the legal system it models are deeply indebted to the idea of efficiency and efficient outcomes. A great many scholars use game theory to rationalize approaches based on efficiency not only to commercial transactions but also to the legal system writ large, including the tort law system and the criminal justice system.

Efficiency and efficient outcomes have a storied history dating back to Vilfredo Pareto, Ronald Coase, and even before that to Adam Smith. But the person who truly popularized the idea of efficiency was John Nash, who won the Nobel Prize for his work on noncooperative …

Suffolk University Academic Catalog, College Of Arts And Sciences And School Of Management, 2025-2026, Suffolk University

College of Arts and Sciences and Sawyer Business School Academic Catalogs

This catalog contains information for the day, evening, and graduate programs.

Conservation Benefits Of A Large Marine Protected Area Network That Spans Multiple Ecosystems, Joshua G. Smith, Cori Lopazanski, Christopher M. Free, Julien Brun, Clarissa Anderson, Mark H. Carr, Joachim Claudet, Jenifer E. Dugan, Jacob G. Eurich, Tessa B. Francis, David A. Gill, Scott L. Hamilton, Kristin Kaschner, David Mouillot, Peter T. Raimondi, Richard M. Starr, Shelby L. Ziegler, Daniel Malone, For Full Author List, See Comments Below

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are widely implemented tools for long-term ocean conservation and resource management. Assessments of MPA performance have largely focused on specific ecosystems individually and have rarely evaluated performance across multiple ecosystems either in an individual MPA or across an MPA network. We evaluated the conservation performance of 59 MPAs in California's large MPA network, which encompasses 4 primary ecosystems (surf zone, kelp forest, shallow reef, deep reef) and 4 bioregions, and identified MPA attributes that best explain performance. Using a meta-analytic framework, we evaluated the ability of MPAs to conserve fish biomass, richness, and diversity. At the …

Examining Equity And Graduation Rates At Two Institutions Using A Course Deficit Model And The Collaborative Learning Through Active Sense-Making In Physics Curriculum, Cassandra A. Paul, David J. Webb

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

We have previously described the reformed introductory physics course, collaborative learning through active sense-making in physics (CLASP), for bioscience students at a large public research one university (Original University) and presented evidence that the course was more successful and more equitable than the course it replaced by several measures. Now we compare the original success of CLASP with an implementation at a second institution. We find that the original results hold at another institution despite some changes to the original curriculum and a somewhat different student population. We find that students who take CLASP are (1) less likely to drop, …

Physiological Effects Of Research Handling On The Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga Angustirostris), Lauren A. Cooley, Allyson G. Hindle, Cassondra L. Williams, Paul J. Ponganis, Shawn M. Hannah, Holger Klinck, Markus Horning, Daniel P. Costa, Rachel R. Holser, Daniel E. Crocker, Birgitte I. Mcdonald

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Wildlife researchers must balance the need to safely capture and handle their study animals to sample tissues, collect morphological measurements, and attach dataloggers while ensuring their results are not confounded by stress artifacts caused by handling. To determine the physiological effects of research activities including chemical immobilization, transport, instrumentation with biologgers, and overnight holding on a model marine mammal species, we collected hormone, blood chemistry, hematology, and heart rate data from 19 juvenile northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) throughout a translocation experiment. Across our six sampling timepoints, cortisol and aldosterone data revealed a moderate hormonal stress response to handling accompanied …

At The Bottom Of The Barrel: Rum’S Influence On Those Who Made It, Camryn Counsil

The Gettysburg Historical Journal

This paper examines the British Empire’s increasing rum production across their colonies in the West Indies during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Governmental officials, advertisers, and other influential citizens sought to establish rum as the beverage of choice among British society because of its economic, political, and social sensibilities. This growing enthusiasm established negative consequences, affecting the standards of living and social dynamics within communities of enslaved laborers on Caribbean plantations.

Pain For Pain: The Benefits And Challenges Of Bdsm Participation For People With Chronic Pain–An Exploratory Study, Reni Forer, Bryce Westlake

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Research is beginning to find that many BDSM (bondage/discipline, domination/submission, sadism/masochism) practitioners experience benefits beyond sexual pleasure. Additionally, given the relationship between pain and pleasure common in BDSM, there may be certain unanticipated benefits for practitioners reporting chronic pain (PRCP). We conducted an online survey of an international convenience sample of BDSM practitioners (N = 525). Participants were asked about self-perceived benefits and challenges related to participating in BDSM with CP. Using chi-square, independent sample t-test, logistic regression, and linear-by-linear association, responses were combined with demographics, participation timelines, co-participants, motivations, and frequency of activities to identify differences between PRCP and …

Evaluation Of A Community-Based Socialization Program For Independently Living Older Adults, Patricia A. Shane, Anne T. Ferguson, Erin L. Woodhead

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Social isolation among older adults is a major public health concern because of the adverse impact it has on health and well-being. Reducing social isolation can improve health and decrease the use of costly healthcare services. However, there is little consensus on the critical ingredients of programming to reduce social isolation. Bay Area Older Adults® (BAO) is a nonprofit organization whose community-based Healthy Living Program (HLP) focuses on building and nourishing older adults’ social networks through transitions such as retirement, divorce and loss of loved ones. The current study was a program evaluation of the HLP using a survey to …

Exploration Of The Effects Of Tai Chi Practice On Lower Limb Corticomuscular Coherence During Balance-Demanding Virtual Reality Conditions In Older Adults, Yang Hu, Elizabeth T. Hsiao-Wecksler, Manuel E. Hernandez

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Tai Chi practice has been widely adopted to improve balance and prevent falls in older adults. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the benefits of Tai Chi are difficult to evaluate during traditional balance assessments. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of Tai Chi and healthy aging on corticomuscular coherence (CMC) while standing in virtual balance-demanding environments. We recorded neural, muscular, and behavioral data in an immersive virtual reality environment while implementing sensory and mechanical perturbations to introduce high postural threats. Through the acquisition of electroencephalography and electromyography signals, we examined β and γ CMC changes in …

Temporal Patterns Of The Introduced Sponge Hymeniacidon Perlevis (Montagu, 1814) In The Elkhorn Slough, California, Usa, Jackson T. Hoeke, Kerstin Wasson, Amanda S. Kahn

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Hymeniacidon perlevis is a cosmopolitan sponge with a seasonal life cycle. We investigated seasonal and interannual dynamics of H. perlevis in Elkhorn Slough estuary, where it is an introduced species, and explored correlations between sponge cover and environmental conditions. We used sponge cover to estimate the potential effects of H. perlevis on its environment, and how those could vary across its seasonal life cycle. We found that recruitment is currently restricted to the upper estuary and while it varies annually, the frequency and density of sponge recruits have generally increased from 2007 to 2023. A seasonal life cycle was confirmed …

Reinforcement Learning Methods For Assistive And Rehabilitation Robotic Systems: A Survey, Mojtaba Sharifi, Shreesh Tripathi, Yun Chen, Qiang Zhang, Mahdi Tavakoli

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Advancements in robotic systems aimed at improving mobility for individuals with disabilities have required more sophisticated control and navigation methods. Traditional control approaches often lack the complexity and adaptability needed for the high-dimensional nature of human activities. Consequently, reinforcement learning (RL) has emerged as a dynamic and effective framework for managing robotic actions in complex and unpredictable human environments. This article reviews the integration of RL in robotic systems for enhancing the mobility of individuals with disabilities, addressing the limitations of traditional control methods in complex and unpredictable environments. We critically analyze various RL algorithms, discussing their advantages and challenges …

Label-Free Visualization And Segmentation Of Endothelial Cell Mitochondria Using Holotomographic Microscopy And U-Net, Raul Michael, Tallah Modirzadeh, Tahir Bachar Issa, Patrick Jurney

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Understanding the physiological processes underlying cardiovascular disease (CVD) requires examination of endothelial cell (EC) mitochondrial networks, because mitochondrial function and adenosine triphosphate production are crucial in EC metabolism, and consequently influence CVD progression. Although current biochemical assays and immunofluorescence microscopy can reveal how mitochondrial function influences cellular metabolism, they cannot achieve live observation and tracking changes in mitochondrial networks through fusion and fission events. Holotomographic microscopy (HTM) has emerged as a promising technique for real-time, label-free visualization of ECs and their organelles, such as mitochondria. This nondestructive, noninterfering live cell imaging method offers unprecedented opportunities to observe mitochondrial network dynamics. …

Optogenetic Methods To Stimulate Gamma Motor Neuron Axons Ex Vivo, Apoorva Karekal, Remie Mandawe, Cameron Chun, Sai Kiran Byri, Danitza Cheline, Serena Ortiz, Shawn Hochman, Katherine A. Wilkinson

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

It is challenging to stimulate gamma motor neurons, which are important regulators of muscle spindle afferent function, without also recruiting alpha motor neurons. Here, we test the feasibility of stimulating gamma motor neuron axons using optogenetics in two transgenic mouse lines. We used an ex vivo muscle–nerve preparation in adult mice to monitor muscle spindle afferent firing, which should increase in response to gamma motor neuron-induced lengthening of the sensory region of the muscle spindle. A force transducer measured alpha motor neuron-mediated twitch contractions. Blue LED light (470 nm; 1–5 mW) was delivered via a light guide to the sciatic …

The Lived Experiences Of African American Women In Predominantly White Higher Education Institutions In Texas And Their Journey To Advancement To Tenure, Wanda Yvonne Carter-Dyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

African American women are underrepresented in predominantly White higher education institutions in Texas. Inconsistent treatment and policies have contributed to the disparate numbers of African American women in predominately White institutions. African American women are subjected to discrimination based on race, sex, and color. The problem investigated in this study was the barriers to African American tenure-seeking women in predominately White institutions. Barriers discussed in those interviews were discrimination, equity, inclusion, lack of support systems, organizational culture and relationships, and mentors. Six African American women in PWIs in Texas were interviewed to give a voice to the barriers experienced …

Using Advanced Machine Learning To Evaluate The Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Human–Bear Interactions In Maryland, Usa, Katherine A. Kurth, Jonathan K. Trudeau

Human–Wildlife Interactions

American black bears (Ursus americanus) are highly adaptable to human-dominated areas, which can lead to interactions with humans. Managing these interactions is a priority for many wildlife agencies in North America. Climate-induced shortages in natural food can exacerbate human–bear interactions, as bears are driven to seek alternative food sources in human-dominated areas. However, few studies have investigated the impact of climate or weather on the frequency and severity of human–bear interactions. In Maryland, USA, no research has examined the anthropogenic or environmental factors contributing to human–bear interactions, even though reported interactions have consistently increased since the 1990s. Our …

Ai And Positionality:A Guide For Learning Communities, Emese Ilyés

Open Educational Resources

This practical guide helps educators thoughtfully integrate AI tools while preserving what matters most—student voice and agency. Drawing on research with students navigating AI in higher education, it offers concrete activities and frameworks that position technology as an assistant rather than a replacement for authentic expression. Through adaptable classroom strategies and qualitative approaches, educators across disciplines will discover how to create learning environments where students recognize the value of their unique perspectives in an age of artificial intelligence.

Development Of Physics-Based Deterioration Models For Reinforced Soil Retaining Structures, Amr Morsy, Islam Ebo

Mineta Transportation Institute

Reinforced soil walls are key earth retention features in the transportation infrastructure. They are used to support and retain soil in a wide variety of crucial structures, such as highways, bridges, and railways, to ensure stability. They also provide solutions for constructing embankments and slopes in constrained spaces, allowing for efficient land use and improved infrastructure planning. This study used advanced numerical modeling to improve the understanding of the behavior and long-term performance of the aging reinforced soil walls from the 1970s for asset management purposes. An asset-scale model was created to simulate the effects of weather on these walls. …

Conceptual Critical Success Factors Model On Infrastructure Sustainability Rating System For California Construction Projects, Joseph J. Kim, Jose A. Arroyo-Turcios

Mineta Transportation Institute

This report addresses the sensitivity and reliability of the sustainability rating systems by comparing each category’s verified scores with its respective submitted scores to evaluate how points are awarded for infrastructure projects, examine which categories present the most challenges for verification, and identify the best category for verification in the sustainability rating system. The authors conducted three analyses using credit score data obtained from fourteen actual civil infrastructure projects certified under Envision. First, the Natural World category had the highest average score from the submitted and verified data. Pairwise comparisons using t-tests indicate that the mean value of one category …

Science, Physiology, And Nutrition For The Nonscientist, Judi S. Morrill

Open Educational Resources

A wonderful blend of physiology, nutrition, biochemistry, genetics, biology, evolution, chemistry--what we all need to know as informed citizens. A basic knowledge of the life sciences and how our bodies work--to promote our own good health, especially as we're bombarded with misleading advertisements, soundbites, and the like. DNA fingerprinting, calorie requirements, dietary advice, genetic engineering (including gene editing with CRISPR cas9)--all in an easy-to understand book.

Realities Of Nutrition, Judi S. Morrill

Open Educational Resources

What Is Nutrition Reality? Is it in the advertising claims that a food is natural or supplies instant energy? Is it in the myriad of dietary supplements? Is it in the diet plans for instant weight loss and glowing health? The only way to find out is to learn the basic principles of nutrition science, so you can be your own nutrition expert. Here is the true introduction to nutrition that you will read with pleasure and real understanding. It will free you from dependence on popular sources of information - often misinformation - so you can distinguish illusion from …

Words And Stardom: Modernist Poetic Responses To Asta Nielsen, Karl E. Toepfer

Open Educational Resources

This essay discusses how four modernist poets portrayed the Danish movie star Asta Nilesen (1881-1972). German Hans Schiebelhuth (1895-1944) describes the "demonic" power of Nielsen's image to awaken dark aspects of his adolscent personality. For the Flemish poet Paul van Ostaijen (1896-1928), Nielsen's cinematic image provokes a radical shattering of language into extravagant "word-images." Danish writer Rudolf Broby-Johansen (1900-1987) linked Nielsen's image to a radical (Marxist) critique of oppressive sexual politics within a capitalist society. German Franz Behrens (1895-1977) composed a lengthy, expressionist ode to Nielsen from the perspective of one who actually worked as a screenwriter in the German …

Novel Loci For Triglyceride/Hdl-C Ratio Longitudinal Change Among Subjects Without T2d, Lihua Wang, Siyu Wang, Jason A Anema, Vaha A Moghaddam, Yanli Lu, Shiow Lin, E Warwick Daw, Allison L Kuipers, Iva Miljkovic, Michael Brent, Gary J Patti, Bharat Thygarajan, Joseph M Zmuda, Michael A Province, Ping An

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Triglyceride (TG)/HDL-C ratio (THR) is a surrogate predictor of hyperinsulinemia. To identify novel genetic loci for THR change over time (ΔTHR), we conducted genome-wide association study (GWAS) and genome-wide linkage scan (GWLS) among nondiabetic Europeans from the Long Life Family Study (n = 1,384). Subjects with diabetes or on dyslipidemia medications were excluded. ΔTHR was derived using growth curve modeling and adjusted for age, sex, field centers, and principal components. GWAS used a linear mixed model accounting for familial relatedness. GWLS employed haplotype-based identity-by-descent estimation with 0.5 cM average spacing. Heritability of ΔTHR was moderate (46%). Our GWAS identified a …

Dfcp1 Is A Regulator Of Starvation-Driven Atgl-Mediated Lipid Droplet Lipolysis, Victoria A Ismail, Meg Schuetz, Zak N Baker, Jean A Castillo-Badillo, Teri V Naismith, David J Pagliarini, David J Kast

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Lipid droplets (LDs) are transient lipid storage organelles that can be readily tapped to resupply cells with energy or lipid building blocks, and therefore play a central role in cellular metabolism. Double FYVE Domain Containing Protein 1 (DFCP1/ZFYVE1) has emerged as a key regulator of LD metabolism, where the nucleotide-dependent accumulation of DFCP1 on LDs influences their size, number, and dynamics. Here we show that DFCP1 regulates lipid metabolism by directly modulating the activity of Adipose Triglyceride Lipase (ATGL/PNPLA2), the rate-limiting lipase driving the catabolism of LDs. We show through pharmacological inhibition of key enzymes associated with LD metabolism that …

Multisensory Naturalistic Decoding With High-Density Diffuse Optical Tomography, Kalyan Tripathy, Zachary E Markow, Morgan Fogarty, Mariel L Schroeder, Alexa M Svoboda, Adam T Eggebrecht, Bradley L Schlaggar, Jason W Trobaugh, Joseph P Culver

2020-Current year OA Pubs

SIGNIFICANCE: Decoding naturalistic content from brain activity has important neuroscience and clinical implications. Information about visual scenes and intelligible speech has been decoded from cortical activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electrocorticography, but widespread applications are limited by the logistics of these technologies.

AIM: High-density diffuse optical tomography (HD-DOT) offers image quality approaching that of fMRI but with the silent, open scanning environment afforded by optical methods, thus opening the door to more naturalistic research and applications. Although early visual decoding studies with HD-DOT have been promising, decoding of naturalistic auditory and multisensory stimulus information from HD-DOT data …

Concomitant Traumatic Brain Injury Exacerbates Endotheliopathy In Patients With Spinal Cord Injury, Shahab Hafezi, Miguel A. Ruiz-Cardozo, Sarbani Ghosh, Sravanthi Bandla, Matthew N. Montoya Rush, Anand Dharmarajan, Mark H. Hoofnagle, Isaiah R. Turnbull, Camilo A. Molina, Grace M. Niziolek

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.