Anthocyanin Extraction Methods: Synthesis Of Morpho-Anatomical Knowledge For Decision-Making Based On Decision-Tree, Gabriel Laquete De Barros, F.T.S. Silva, R.S. Teixeira, J.G. Wagner, C.V. Rombaldi, M. Vizzotto, A. Ubeyitogullari, L. Nora

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Efficient anthocyanin extraction from emerging food matrices is essential in food technology and requires a precise, consistent, and clear extraction method. This study aimed to develop a decision-tree tool for selecting the optimal anthocyanin extraction technique. A comprehensive data synthesis covering the years 2018 to 2023 was conducted using leading academic databases, including Web of Science, Scopus, Medline, and SciELO. A combination of systematic and non-systematic approaches was employed to guide the decision-making process. The keywords used included “anthocyanin extraction methods,” and studies with more than 10 citations were prioritized, along with recent and relevant publications. Thirty-six articles were analyzed …

The Effects Of Wildfires On Predation Risk, Perch Selection, And Background-Matching In Western Fence Lizards, Elmer Ernesto Gutierrez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Fires are a naturally occurring phenomenon, driving a range of behavioral, reproductive, and morphological adaptations in wildlife. However, we are now living in a new geological epoch—the Pyrocene—characterized by human-induced extreme fire behavior. This shift results in a need to understand how animals survive and adapt in post-fire environments. In this study, we investigated the following questions: (1) Does predation risk increase in burned habitats after a fire? (2) How does dorsal darkness morphology vary between burned and unburned habitats? and (3) Do animals select perches that enhance their background-matching in post-fire environments? We used the Western Fence Lizard ( …

Exploring The Impact Of Leaders’ Emotional Intelligence On Employee Retention And Job Satisfaction: An Employee-Centric Perspective, Stacia Mccambridge

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Employee retention and job satisfaction are crucial for the success of higher education institutions, as turnover incurs high costs and disrupts operations. This qualitative phenomenological study explored how leaders’ emotional intelligence, as defined by self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management emotional intelligence, impacts employee satisfaction and retention in university settings in Southern California. The theoretical framework used for this study was the emotional intelligence theoretical framework of Goleman et al. (2002), which includes self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management competencies to conduct surveys and interviews. The two research questions that guided this study of how employees described, based …

The Disordered Negatively Charged C-Terminus Of The Large Hect E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Herc2 Provides Structural And Thermal Stability To The Hect C-Lobe, Kelly L. Waters, Kayla J. Rich, Noah D. Schwaegerle, Tianyi Yang, Shuanghong Huo, Donald E. Spratt

Chemistry

Homologous to the C-terminus of E6AP (HECT) and RCC1-like domain (RLD)-containing protein 2 (HERC2) is a large, 528 kDa E3 ubiquitin ligase that is associated with cancer, oculocutaneous albanism type 2, Prader-Willi syndrome, and other neurological diseases. HERC2 has been found to contribute to double-stranded DNA break repairs, tumor suppression, maintaining centrosome architecture, and ubiquitylation. The C-terminal portion of the HECT domain (C-lobe) of HERC2 is responsible for transferring ubiquitin to a substrate but the precise function of the other eight domains in HERC2 are unknown. Interestingly, HERC2 contains a unique and negatively charged C-terminal …

The Central And Peripheral Analgesic Effect Of Vietnamese Traditional Herbal Formula Thai Binh Hv Decoction On Experimental Animal Models, Nhu Quy Nguyen Thi, Mai Linh Nguyen Thi, Quan Nguyen Van, Huu Tran Duc, Ngan Nguyen Hoang

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background: The extract of Thai Binh HV (TBHV), a traditional Vietnamese herbal formula, has been found to be safe and anti-arthritis effects, but the mechanism of analgesic action of this formula has not been clarified as yet. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the central and peripheral analgesic effects of TBHV. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on Swiss mice and Wistar white rats to evaluate the analgesic effect of TBHV with three models corresponding to different pain agents (hot plate, acetic acid-induced writhing, and carrageenaninduced paw edema). Control drugs in the study included oral codeine …

Addressing The Teen Mom Situation In Thailand: A Systematic Review On Challenges, Initiatives And Recommendations For Improvement, Junkkrit Wunggrath, Phinphot Phrommasen, Wanchalerm Ritthimon

Jurnal Keperawatan Indonesia

Teenage pregnancy in Thailand poses significant public health challenges with implications for societal welfare and economic development. This systematic review analyzed the challenges faced by teenage mothers in Thailand, evaluated existing initiatives, and proposed evidence-based recommendations. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the Scopus and Web of Science databases and others focusing on literature from 2016 to 2023. Keywords included “teenage pregnancy,” “teen mom,” “unwanted pregnancy,” and “unintended pregnancy” resulting in the selection of 36 studies. The PRISMA framework was followed to ensure a systematic approach. Data extraction focused on societal, educational, economic, and health-related challenges as well as …

The Relationship Between Chute Behavior And Morbidity In Cattle, Andrea Rankin

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Most cattle see a handling chute at least once in their lives. Handling plays a huge role in cattle management, whether it’s for transportation, auction sales, deworming, medical treatments, or AI purposes. Morbidity related to Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is one of the biggest causes of economic loss for ranchers and can be related to handling stress. Auction-derived calves (ADC; n=92) were brought to the University of Arkansas Savoy Research Facility for processing and monitoring for behavioral cues and disease. The objective of this study was to find a relationship between the calves’ behavior in the chute and morbidity. The …

Magnetic Nano And Micro Rods As Tools For Characterizing Materials Mechanical Properties: Fundamentals And Applications, Artis Brasovs

All Dissertations

The focus of this dissertation is insect blood (Hemolymph). Hemolymph is analyzed by taking a materials science approach. Rheological characterization of hemolymph has been performed for the first time. Owing to a minute amount of available material, a new protocol was established where Magnetic Rotational Spectroscopy (MRS) with ferromagnetic nanorods was employed. The challenge was examining the microliter droplets' viscosity in less than a few minutes. This challenge was successfully resolved.

Blood is critical for the insect's survival: after wounding, the insect has to seal the wound quickly, in a few minutes. As the mechanism of fast clotting has never …

The Diverse Effects Of Continual Organic Inputs On Soil Biogeochemical Properties And Microbial Communities In Sandy Ultisols Under Organic Production, Zhine Wang

All Dissertations

The objectives of this study were to understand how continual organic amendment inputs improve Nitrogen (N) cycling, microbial diversity and functional traits. Fully crossed factorial experiments were designed to test four cover crop treatments (cereal rye, hairy vetch, mixture of the rye and vetch, and no cover crop fallow) and two levels of manure compost application (with manure application and blank control) in organic vegetable production from 2020 to 2023. Cover crop biomass, soil chemical and biological properties were analyzed for the distribution and availability of soil labile N (Chapter 2), the abundance of N-cycling genes (Chapter 3), the structure …

Selective Hydroxyl Functionalization Using Novel Bifunctional Macrocyclic Catalysts And Sufex-Based Methodologies, Austin Seilkop

All Dissertations

The research behind this dissertation explores innovative strategies for the functionalization of alcohols. Alcohols are abundant in biologically relevant molecules and pharmaceutical drugs, so designing new methods for modifying them has gained significant interest over the years. The first and second chapters of this dissertation focus on the selective functionalization of a particular class of alcohols, amino alcohols, a well-represented functional handle in biomolecules. The hydroxyl functionalization of amino alcohols often demands multiple synthetic steps. We developed a new class of macrocyclic catalysts to enable precise and efficient transformations of amino alcohols, advancing the scope and efficiency of amino alcohol …

Foster Care, Substance Use, And Social Determinants Of Health In South Carolina: A Geographic Approach, Patricia Carbajales-Dale

All Dissertations

Foster care is a critical intervention for vulnerable children, with approximately 400,000 children entering the system annually in the United States. Parental substance use, second only to neglect, is now a leading cause of foster care entry. While previous research has explored the relationship between socioeconomic factors and foster care, few studies have incorporated spatial approaches at the neighborhood level to understand how factors such as economic inequality, healthcare disparities, and substance use influence foster care entries. This study addresses that gap by integrating spatial analysis and machine learning techniques to examine the geographic and social dynamics underlying foster care …

Optimization Of Polymeric Micelles As A Delivery System For Crispr/Cas9 Ribonucleoprotein, Lucian Williams

All Dissertations

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) is an adaptive immune system in bacteria that has been harnessed to perform precise genetic modifications in mammalian cells. Among CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins, Cas9 has emerged as a transformative tool in gene editing due to its simplicity, high specificity, and versatility compared to the other Cas proteins and gene-editing technologies. Despite its potential to cure genetic disorders, the clinical application of Cas9 has been hindered by challenges such as immunogenicity, off-target effects, and low delivery efficiency. To address these issues, this dissertation explores using polymeric nanoparticle systems to encapsulate and protect Cas9 and …

Characterizing Mechanisms Of Dna Repair And Genome Stability, Joshua Turner

All Dissertations

Every day our cells are bombarded with DNA lesions that threaten the stability of our genome. To help maintain genomic integrity our cells evolved to have a network of enzymes dedicated to repairing DNA lesions. Upon encountering a site of DNA damage, a cell recruits enzymes that remodel the stalled replication fork by reannealing the newly synthesized DNA together known as fork regression. Loss of fork regression activity has been shown to promote replication stress resistance after induced DNA damage. In this thesis, I discuss the role F-Box Helicase 1 (FBH1) plays in fork regression and how FBH1 promotes the …

Emerging Agency In Border Communities During Pandemics, William Ordeman

All Dissertations

“Emerging Agency in Border Communities During Pandemics” uncovers the complex natural and social histories of two Texas border counties, El Paso and Hidalgo, to explain how these counties became highly susceptible to the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. This work argues that humans engaging with natural resources throughout history created a rhetoric of exploitation and social hierarchy along the Texas/Mexico border. Rhetoric from Spanish and Anglo colonists coupled with environmental phenomena across time displaced Latinx/e bodies living in these counties into precarious communities called colonias, and the presence of these colonias made each county highly susceptible to disease outbreak. I …

Leveraging High-Frequency Water Quality Data And Machine Learning For Monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms, Ibrahim Busari

All Dissertations

Freshwater management is one of the most critical resources on the earth due to the plethora of water use and its limited availability. Increased algae proliferation is one of the significant problems of freshwater bodies that is triggered by nutrient enrichment and enabling conditions such as light and warm temperatures. This algal proliferation is toxic to the ecosystem through their biomass and potential toxin production that can cause hypoxic conditions and is often referred to as Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). Current monitoring approaches include laboratory analysis of water samples to observe algal cells, monitoring of water quality parameters using water …

Supporting Holistic, Informed, Decision-Making Through The Complementarity Of Life Cycle Assessment And Radiological Protection, Bryanna Wattier-Weisensee

All Dissertations

Decision making is challenging and it is necessary to consider all relevant data to make an informed decision. The work herein provides a pathway wherein the fields of radiological protection and life cycle assessment (LCA) can be utilized synergistically to benefit the decision-making using the other (and vice versa). Specifically, LCA parallels decision-aiding techniques used in the optimization of radiological protection and LCA includes an ionizing radiation potential (IRP) impact category wherein the impacts associated with an emission of radioactive material is quantified to determine the human health impact. Thus this body of work focuses on (1) expanding the platform …

Advancing Substance Use Disorder Treatment Using Genomics And Metabolomics, Lindsey Contella

All Dissertations

Advancing our understanding of genetic, metabolic, and environmental factors in substance use disorder (SUD) could lead to more effective therapies. In 2022, 16.5% of the U.S. population was diagnosed with SUD, yet current treatments lack efficacy for all patients, making a precision medicine approach crucial. This dissertation explores SUD's relationship with tryptophan (TRP) metabolism through the kynurenine pathway (KP) as a potential therapeutic target. Chapter I reviews current knowledge on SUD and KP. Chapter II identifies how SUD alters KP metabolite concentrations, identifying a reduced concentration of the neuroprotective metabolite, kynurenic acid (KA) and elevated concentrations of the neurotoxic metabolite, …

Behavior In Phelan-Mcdermid Syndrome: Clinical Characteristics, Genetic And Metabolic Contributions, And Evaluation Of Behavioral Assessment Tools, Emily Payne

All Dissertations

Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS) is characterized by genetic and phenotypic variability with varying levels of developmental delay, intellectual disability (ID), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), speech delay, minor dysmorphic features, and behavioral issues. Genetic causes of PMS involve deletions in the 22q13.3 region or pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in SHANK3. Due to the significant heterogeneity and complexities seen in individuals with PMS, there are numerous challenges surrounding research, accurate diagnoses, assessments, and the creation of treatments. Behavioral issues are present in the majority of individuals with PMS, including lower levels of adaptive behavioral skills needed for daily functioning, disruptive behaviors, restricted and …

Drosophila Model Of Cocaine Use Disorder, Jeffrey Hatfield

All Dissertations

Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is a major public health challenge. While the primary mechanism of action of cocaine has been well characterized, and family studies have identified a strong genetic component, the specific genetic factors that influence susceptibility to development of CUD remain poorly understood. Genetic studies of cocaine use disorder are difficult in humans, but can be readily performed in Drosophila, where environment, genetic background, and cocaine exposure can be controlled. Drosophila exhibit behavioral and transcriptomic responses to cocaine, which binds to the dopamine transporter in fruit flies as it does in humans. Here, we use Drosophila to …

Quantifying Effects Of Partial Genetic Backgrounds To Decode Genetic Drivers Of Clinical Phenotypes, Rini Pauly

All Dissertations

Understanding partial genetic backgrounds illuminates the genetic architecture of complex traits and diseases, revealing how diverse genetic backgrounds contribute to phenotypic diversity. With this approach we could advance personalized medicine by identifying population-specific variants affecting drug metabolism, tailoring medical treatments to individual genetic profiles. Additionally, it offers evolutionary insights into human history, shedding light on past migrations and the spread of genetic traits. This research leverages cutting-edge statistical genetics techniques and novel machine learning approaches to efficiently analyze extensive population genomic datasets, distilling complex admixture signals into meaningful genetic markers.

The study introduces Admix-AI, an innovative convolutional neural network-based tool …

Biogeochemical Controls Of Cesium-137 Migration In Surface Waters And Near Surface Sediments At The Usdoe Savannah River Site, Reid Williams

All Dissertations

Considerable concentrations of cesium-137 (¹³⁷Cs) and other anthropogenic radionuclides have been released into the environment at the Savannah River Site (SRS). Additionally, cesium-containing radioactive waste will be stored onsite for the foreseeable future. Therefore, the goal of this work was to identify mechanisms controlling cesium transport in surface waters and near surface sediments at SRS to further the understanding of ¹³⁷Cs migration in the vadose zone and reservoirs. It was hypothesized that a multitude of factors impact the mobility of ¹³⁷Cs at the SRS, but that the clay sediment fraction provides an important contribution in limiting …

A Modern Moral Dilemma: A Utilization Of Culture Wars For Political Gain Within The United States Government, Abigail K. Lowry

Honors Theses

The present study researches the background of culture wars within the United States and showcases how these culture wars are being utilized by political entrepreneurs in order to achieve a goal separate from resolving the expressed policy issue. In an effort to investigate this phenomenon, this paper analyzes the historical timeline of several prominent culture wars within the United States and then uses this background as a lens to examine the political successes and failures of two United States governors who attempted to utilize culture wars in order to advance themselves politically. By examining the rhetoric used by Ron DeSantis …

Insights And Challenges Of Insecticide Resistance Modelling In Malaria Vectors: A Review, Eric Ali Ibrahim, Mark Wamalwa, John Odindi, Henri Edouard Zefack Tonnang

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: Malaria is one of the most devastating tropical diseases, resulting in loss of lives each year, especially in children under the age of 5 years. Malaria burden, related deaths and stall in the progress against malaria transmission is evident, particularly in countries that have moderate or high malaria transmission. Hence, mitigating malaria spread requires information on the distribution of vectors and the drivers of insecticide resistance (IR). However, owing to the impracticality in establishing the critical need for real-world information at every location, modelling provides an informed best guess for such information. Therefore, this review examines the various methodologies …

Promoting Adolescent Mental And Physical Health: Initiatives Focused On Connecting Public Health And Social Services To The Health Sector In Nebraska, Theresa Nguyen

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

This capstone focuses on the second recommendation of improving access to comprehensive, coordinated health services from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report The Promise of Adolescence: Realizing Opportunity for All Youth (2019). This proposal uses secondary data from the research project, Moving Evidence-Based Recommendations to Practice to Strengthen the Health Care System in Nebraska. Key stakeholders (n=28) were interviewed from the health care, public health, social services, and policy sectors. Each subject was asked to participate in a semi-structured interview by a trained interviewer. The interview was 1 hour long and conducted via phone call or Zoom. …

Association Between Cigarette Smoking And Angina Pectoris Among Middle-Aged Adults: Findings From The Framingham Cohort Study, Lauren M. Hron

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Objectives: This study investigates the relationship between current cigarette smoking at baseline and the occurrence of angina pectoris during follow-up among middle-aged adults (30-70 years), adjusting for age, sex, BMI, diabetes status, education, and number of cigarettes smoked per day.

Methods: Using the Framingham Heart Study cohort (N=4,434), logistic regression analyses were performed. A backward selection approach identified confounders and explored effect modification.

Results: Angina prevalence was 16.4%, with higher odds observed in males, older individuals, and those with obesity or diabetes. Smoking status showed a non-significant association with angina in multivariable models (aOR:0.86, 95% CI: 0.73-1.01). However, age and …

Understanding And Mitigating The Potential Effects Of Postpartum Depression On Fathers And Male Support Persons, Rachel Norton-Turk

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Background. During the postpartum period, best practices dictate that medical professionals screen new mothers or birthing persons for anxiety and depression and direct them to the appropriate resources and services they may need. This qualitative study explored the steps being taken to identify depression and anxiety concerns in male support partners during the postpartum period and to understand what resources are being brought to their attention if depression and anxiety are identified. Methods. A convenience sample of male support persons participated in semi-structured, one-on-one interviews either in-person or over Zoom between September and October 2024. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, …

Comparative Study Of Coronary Heart Disease Incidence In Smokers Vs. Non Smokers: A Longitudinal Cohort Analysis From The Framingham Heart Study, Mona Melvin Periera

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Objective: To evaluate the association between smoking and coronary heart disease (CHD) incidence while adjusting for potential confounding factors, including age, education level, systolic blood pressure, BMI, serum cholesterol, and diabetes, using data from the Framingham Heart Study.

Methods: A cohort of 4,434 participants aged 32–70 years, free of CHD at baseline, was analyzed. Smoking status (current vs. non-current smokers) was the primary exposure, and CHD incidence was the outcome. Adjustments were made for confounders using multivariable logistic regression models. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

Results: CHD was diagnosed in 27.96% of …

Directional Web Strikes Performed By Ray Spiders In Response To Airborne Prey Vibrations, Sarah Han, Todd A. Blackledge

University Research

Most orb-weaving spiders use static webs that deform only after flying prey hit the webs. However, ray spiders (Theridiosoma gemmosum) pull orb webs into cones that are loaded with enough elastic energy to snap back like slingshots at accelerations of up to 504 m s−2 once released. We test the hypothesis that ray spiders sense vibrations from flying insects to release their webs and capture prey in mid-flight. We show that spiders release webs in response to live tethered mosquitoes that are not touching silk. Web release is most likely when mosquitoes are in front of the web and within …

Enhancing Ai Ethics Through Integrating Aif360 With Generative Ai, Christina Ieisha Hastings

All Dissertations

In recent years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has brought about significant positive changes in people's lives with respect to convenience and efficiency. The primary aim of AI is to emulate human intelligence in machines, creating a system capable of thinking and replicating human cognitive functions. AI encompasses tasks that mirror human behaviors, such as visual perception, speech recognition, and language translation.

The realm of AI ethics is an evolving and interdisciplinary field dedicated to addressing ethical considerations in AI. The establishment of ethical standards for AI is vital for developing morally upright AI systems and ensuring ethical conduct in AI applications. …

Reframing The Landscape: Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty, Amy Reid

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This thesis project recognizes Robert Smithson’s contribution to the fields of art and landscape architecture with a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for Spiral Jetty. The nomination was completed with support from the Utah State Historic Preservation Office, Dia Art Foundation, and Holt/Smithson Foundation.

Spiral Jetty is considered a highly influential work of the Land art genre. At Rozel Point Smithson constructed a 1,500-foot-long and 15-foot-wide earthwork of site-sourced basalt rock and soil. It extends from the shore approximately 600 feet before collapsing twice in a counterclockwise spiral. Smithson carefully selected the site where the earthwork would …