Digital Commons Network^™

Implementing Animal-Assisted Therapy During Psychiatric Intakes, Rebecca Dorne

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Introduction: The purpose of this evidence-based project is to determine if Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) causes improvements in veterans’ feelings of anger, anxiety, depression, and suicidality in the acute psychiatric setting during psychiatric evaluations. The project aims to provide veterans with an additional way to experience short-term relief from symptoms while discussing their symptomology with mental health providers.

Background: The prevalence of depression is 20% higher in veterans than in that of the general population. Similarly, it has been shown that 23% of all veterans using VA care have had PTSD at some point in their lives. In the Psychiatric Emergency …

Advancing Simultaneous Extraction And Sequential Single-Particle Icp-Ms Analysis For Metallic Nanoparticle Mixtures In Plant Tissues, Lei Xu, Xingmao Ma, John Yang, Joel G. Burken, Paul Ki-Souk Nam, Honglan Shi, Hu Yang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Engineered Nanoparticles (ENPs) Have Been Increasingly Used in Agricultural Operations, leading to an Urgent Need for Robust Methods to Analyze Co-Occurring ENPs in Plant Tissues. in Response, This Study Advanced the Simultaneous Extraction of Coexisting Silver, Cerium Oxide, and Copper Oxide ENPs in Lettuce Shoots and Roots using Macerozyme R-10 and Analyzed Them by Single-Particle Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Additionally, the Standard Stock Suspensions of the ENPs Were Stabilized with Citrate, and the Long-Term Stability (Up to 5 Months) Was Examined for the First Time. the Method Performance Results Displayed Satisfactory Accuracies and Precisions and Achieved Low Particle Concentration …

Perceptions Of Developmental Disability Service Providers, On How The Judicial System Responses To Persons With Developmental Disabilities., Donna Whilby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The situation or issue that prompted me to search the literature was observing the persons with developmental disabilities circling the judicial system due to multiple encounters with law enforcement. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how the Northeast Florida judicial system could improve the outcomes of persons with developmental disabilities by reducing and preventing multiple encounters. The empowerment theory was the most appropriate theory for my study. Empowerment theory indicates that it is imperative to encourage people, especially those who have a psychological deficit, to lean into their resources to gain and utilize their power in society. …

Sb 90: Injecting The Wrong Solution Into The Insulin Market, Kelly Ross

University of the Pacific Law Review

No abstract provided.

Breaking It Down: What Factors Control Microbial Decomposition Rates?, Brian M. Connolly, Nigel D'Souza, Naupaka Zimmerman, John Zobitz

Biology Faculty Teaching Materials

Demonstrating and modeling changes in ecosystem processes in the laboratory classroom can be logistically difficult and expensive. This complexity often leaves little time for students to generate and test hypotheses. Yet, we must foster student understanding of how matter and energy move through ecosystems to develop an appreciation of how current ecosystems function and how human-mediated global change may alter ecosystem processes. In this lesson, we describe an adaptation of the Tea Bag Index (TBI) that provides students with an inexpensive, adaptable, and easily replicated method for testing how an ecosystem function (i.e., decomposition by microorganisms) alters carbon flow …

Bad Therapy: Conceptualizing The Teaching Of “Thinking Like A Lawyer” As Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Chelsea Baldwin

St. Mary's Law Journal

Law students and lawyers experience mental illness and substance abuse at higher rates than the general population and other learned professions. This is bad for an individual’s wellbeing as well as their clients and society because mental illness and substance abuse increases stress which in turn decreases effective decision-making and judgment, and in worst case scenarios leads to attrition as individuals choose death by suicide which has cascading social and economic impacts. This Article identifies practices in legal education that likely combine in a causal mechanism, although not a sole cause, to the higher rates of mental illness and substance …

The Enzymatic Regulation Of Contraction-Induced Toll-Like Receptor 4 Shedding From C2c12 Myotubes, Rebekah C. Gridley

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

Stimulated contractions are shown to increase toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) release from C2C12 myotubes in vitro. The purpose of this study was to determine if the release of TLR4 from myotubes is controlled by proteolytic membrane cleavage. A broad-spectrum metalloprotease inhibitor was used to test this hypothesis in a C2C12 cell culture model, and TLR4 concentrations in the cell culture supernatant were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) following stimulated myotube contractions.

ELISA analysis revealed TLR4 concentrations below the sensitivity threshold of the ELISA kit for all experimental conditions. In confirming the effectiveness of the electrical pulse stimulation (EPS) treatment, …

The "Essence" From Within: A Phenomenological Study Examining The Lived Experiences Of Racial And Ethnic Minoritized Women (Raemw) Senior Level Administrators At 4-Year Predominately White Institutions (Pwis) In The United States (U.S.), Felicia Crockett

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of senior level RAEMW administrators who work at 4-year PWIs in the U.S. and analyze the impact of institutional environments on their success. The theories that guided this study were: Crenshaw’s (1994; 1989; 2015) intersectionality framework and four tenets of CRT which include counter-storytelling, the permanence of racism, interest convergence, and intersectionality (Hiraldo, 2010, 2019). This study was guided by the three research questions: 1) How do RAEMW senior level administrators describe their experiences navigating higher education, 2) How do senior level RAEMW administrators describe the impact of institutional environments …

Role Of Diamines On The Properties Of Soybean Oil-Based Adhesives, Uday Mukeshbhai Panchal

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Synthesizing environmentally friendly materials from renewable feedstock is crucial for reducing pressure on non-renewable resources such as petroleum products. Plant oils (POs) play a vital role in the formation of polymers. However, modifications are essential for better performance. One possible approach to achieve sustainable development in the materials sector is to produce polymers from epoxidized plant oils (EPOs), which are renewable and environmentally beneficial. Polymers with a high concentration of functional groups can be used as crosslinking agents to enhance the properties of EPO-based polymers.

This work produced a resin with unique properties and potential uses by crosslinking epoxidized soyabean …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Application Of Linear, Bio-Based Polyester Of Glutaric, Pimelic, And Azelaic Acid With Butane Diol And Hexane Diol, Jainishkumar Patel

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Most synthetic polyesters are not biodegradable. However, certain natural polyesters and some synthetic ones are. Synthetic polyesters are widely utilized in apparel. Synthesizing environmentally friendly materials from renewable feedstock is crucial for reducing pressure on non-renewable resources such as petroleum products. Azelaic acid (AA), pimelic acid (PA), and glutaric acid (GA) are naturally occurring saturated dicarboxylic acids or can be synthesized from naturally occurring raw materials. These are renewable, environmentally beneficial, and suitable alternatives for non-biodegradable polyesters.

This research focuses on the synthesis, structure, and physical characterization of saturated linear polyesters. The polyesters are produced through melt-polycondensation of bio-based materials …

Review Of Fundamentals Of Anatomy And Physiology- Australian Edition, Jorge L. Canchola

Open Educational Resources - Reviews

No abstract provided.

Women, War And Reproductive Health: An Analysis Of Afghanistan 1980-2023, Behishta Sadaat

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

As an Afghan woman who lived through decades of conflict, experienced motherhood, and advocated for women’s rights, I have witnessed firsthand the profound impact of war on reproductive health. Despite the significance of this issue, there exists a dearth of essential data and research, particularly in the context of armed conflict. Drawing from my academic background in the health sector and my activism for women’s rights, my thesis aims to fill this gap by examining how war has shaped Afghan women’s reproductive health needs and experiences between 1980 and 2023.

This research explores the evolving socio-political landscape of the country …

To Essa And Beyond: Arc Of Education Policy Bends Toward Local Authorities & Holistic Approaches, Adam Tanielian

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Article presents a mixed-methods, interdisciplinary study on educational policy and practice to offer solutions to fossilized problems extant across the United States’ elementary and secondary schools. Analysis of historic Supreme Court decisions and statutes unveil compelling trends that have shaped the legal landscape over the latter half of the twentieth century. Linguistic comparisons of two milestone revisions of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act—No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)—show Congress granted more flexibility and authority to local districts and states under ESSA, which reflected trends in Supreme Court opinions over several decades.

A …

Youth Interest In Reusable Menstrual Hygiene Products: An Opportunity For Improving Menstruation Management, Makenna R. Eccles

College Honors Program

Adolescents experience inconsistent menstrual hygiene material access that is exacerbated by poverty and results in menstruation management difficulty, health risks, and interruptions to school attendance. The study centered the adolescent menstruation management experience through qualitative interviews to identify management difficulties and to assess knowledge, interest, and perceived feasibility of implementing reusable menstrual hygiene materials such as reusable sanitary pads, period underwear, menstrual cups, and menstrual disks to improve both menstrual hygiene access and menstrual management experiences. Inductive and deductive coding was used to analyze interview data and identify key themes. Adolescents expressed interest in reusable menstrual hygiene materials due to …

Exploring Complex Daily Tasks In Preclinical Alzheimer Disease, Audrey A. Keleman

WUSM Theses and Dissertations – All Programs

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a slowly progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by a gradual decline in cognitive functions and ability to perform daily activities. AD begins with a clinically silent period in which pathological abnormalities accumulate in the brain before cognitive impairments occur (i.e., while individuals remain cognitively normal [CN]). This stage is known as preclinical AD and can last up to two decades. It can be identified by measuring biomarkers of AD using neuroimaging or biofluid techniques. In the United States alone, it is estimated that nearly 46 million individuals are in the preclinical stage of AD and at risk …

The Holocaust's Legacy: Influencing Jewish Political Identity, Jordan Eskew

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis addresses the intricate relationship between the historical persecution of the Holocaust and its enduring influence on contemporary Jewish political engagement, a subject of significant contemporary relevance in political and international relations. Despite broad recognition of the Holocaust’s impact, the specific ways in which its memory affects Jewish political attitudes and actions around the world in the modern day have not been sufficiently thoroughly examined. Utilizing qualitative methods, including interviews with 20 individuals—public figures, Holocaust survivors, their descendants, and broader members of the Jewish diaspora— this study focuses on understanding the interplay between historical trauma, community cohesion, and the …

Jtc 24: Embracing The Unknown, Katie Lee Mullins

University of Mississippi News

This story is part of the 2024 Journey to Commencement series, which celebrates the pinnacle of the academic year by highlighting University of Mississippi students and their outstanding academic and personal journeys from college student to college graduate.

Tri-Training Algorithm Based On Density Peaks Clustering, Yuhang Luo, Runxiu Wu, Zhihua Cui, Yiying Zhang, Yeshen He, Jia Zhao

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: Tri-training can effectively improve the generalization ability of classifiers by using unlabeled data for classification, but it is prone to mislabeling unlabeled data, thus forming training noise. Tritraining (Tri-training with density peaks clustering, DPC-TT) algorithm based on density peaks clustering is proposed. The DPC-TT algorithm uses the density peaks clustering algorithm to obtain the class cluster centers and local densities of the training data, and the samples within the truncation distance of the class cluster centers are identified as the samples with better spatial structure, and these samples are labeled as the core data, and the classifier is updated …

Louisiana V. Biden: The Fallacy Of Congressionally Mandated Oil And Gas Drilling In The Outer Continental Shelf, Garrett Bergthold

University of the Pacific Law Review

No abstract provided.

Development Of Agar-Based Preformed Particle Gel For Water Control In High-Salinity Reservoirs, Ahmed Ben Ali, Reem Elaf, Abdulaziz A. Almakimi, Mohammed Saad, Ibnelwaleed A. Hussein, Baojun Bai

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Oil Extraction Faces Challenges in Cost and Complexity Due to Excessive Water Production, Leading to Diminished Hydrocarbon Recovery. Preformed Particle Gels (PPGs) Hold Promise for Enhancing Oil Recovery and Sealing High-Permeability or Fractured Zones. However, Current PPGs Encounter Limitations in High-Temperature Reservoirs, Including Salt Sensitivity and Potential Hazards. to Address These Issues, We Propose Eco-Friendly PPGs Utilizing Agar Polysaccharides. Agar Backbones Grafted with Acrylamide (AM) and AM/N,N′-Methylenebis(AM) (MBA) Via Microwave-Assisted Techniques Resulted in Polyacrylamide Grafted Agar (Ag/PAM) and Cross-Linked Polyacrylamide Grafted Agar (Ag/PAMBA). Various Sizes (75 Μm to 1.18 Mm) Were Prepared to Accommodate Diverse Reservoir Porosities and Ensure Effective …

Accelerated Somatic Mutation Calling For Whole-Genome And Whole-Exome Sequencing Data From Heterogenous Tumor Samples, Shuangxi Ji, Tong Zhu, Ankit Sethia, Wenyi Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Accurate detection of somatic mutations in DNA sequencing data is a fundamental prerequisite for cancer research. Previous analytical challenges were overcome by consensus mutation calling from four to five popular callers. This, however, increases the already nontrivial computing time from individual callers. Here, we launch MuSE 2, powered by multistep parallelization and efficient memory allocation, to resolve the computing time bottleneck. MuSE 2 speeds up 50 times more than MuSE 1 and eight to 80 times more than other popular callers. Our benchmark study suggests combining MuSE 2 and the recently accelerated Strelka2 achieves high efficiency and accuracy in analyzing …

Ataxia-Telangiectasia Mutated Loss-Of-Function Displays Variant And Tissue-Specific Differences Across Tumor Types, Patrick G Pilié, Virginia Giuliani, Wei-Lien Wang, Daniel J Mcgrail, Christopher A Bristow, Natalie Y L Ngoi, Keith Kyewalabye, Khalida M Wani, Hung Le, Erick Campbell, Nora S Sanchez, Dong Yang, Jinesh S Gheeya, Rohit Vivek Goswamy, Vijaykumar Holla, Kenna Rael Shaw, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Chiu-Yi Liu, Xiaoyan Ma, Ningping Feng, Annette A Machado, Jennifer P Bardenhagen, Christopher P Vellano, Joseph R Marszalek, Eeson Rajendra, Desiree Piscitello, Timothy I Johnson, Maria Likhatcheva, Elias Elinati, Jayesh Majithiya, Joana Neves, Vera Grinkevich, Marco Ranzani, Marina Roy Luzarraga, Marie Boursier, Lucy Armstrong, Lerin Geo, Giorgia Lillo, Wai Yiu Tse, Alexander J Lazar, Scott E Kopetz, Mary K Geck Do, Sarah Lively, Michael G Johnson, Helen M R Robinson, Graeme C M Smith, Christopher L Carroll, M Emilia Di Francesco, Philip Jones, Timothy P Heffernan, Timothy A Yap

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: Mutations in the ATM gene are common in multiple cancers, but clinical studies of therapies targeting ATM-aberrant cancers have yielded mixed results. Refinement of ATM loss of function (LOF) as a predictive biomarker of response is urgently needed.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We present the first disclosure and preclinical development of a novel, selective ATR inhibitor, ART0380, and test its antitumor activity in multiple preclinical cancer models. To refine ATM LOF as a predictive biomarker, we performed a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of ATM variants in patient tumors and then assessed the ATM variant-to-protein relationship. Finally, we assessed a novel ATM LOF …

Perceived Benefits And Barriers To Livestock Mortality Composting, Rachel Wieme, Lynne Carpenter-Boggs

Journal of Extension

We conducted webinars in 2020 about livestock mortality composting (LMC). Forty-five attendees completed a survey to evaluate the webinar and help define future educational needs. Major barriers to LMC were lack of experience, public and neighbor perceptions, and environmental management. Most respondents indicated convenience, cost, biosafety, use of product, and environmental management as benefits. An unexpected emotional theme indicated that LMC also supports the “circle of life” and “respect for the animal.” We propose that this theme may be a uniting message to improve public and producer perception of LMC, increase use of LMC, and improve public-producer relationships overall.

“Use” As A Conscious Thought: Towards A Theory Of “Use” In Autonomous Things, Gohar Khan, A Karim Feroz

All Works

The way users perceive and use information systems artefacts has been mainly studied from the notion of behavioral beliefs, deliberate cognitive efforts, and physical actions performed by human actors to produce certain outcomes. The next generation of information systems, however, can sense, respond, and adapt to environments without necessitating similar cognitive efforts, physical contact, or explicit instructions to operate. Therefore, by leveraging theories of consciousness and technology use, this research aims to advance an alternative understanding of the "use" associated with the next generation of IS artefacts that do not require deliberate cognitive efforts, physical manipulation, or explicit instructions to …

Delivering Crispr To The Hiv-1 Reservoirs, Theodore Gurrola, Samuel Effah, Ilker Sariyer, Will Dampier, Michael Nonnemacher, Brian Wigdahl

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection is well known as one of the most complex and difficult viral infections to cure. The difficulty in developing curative strategies arises in large part from the development of latent viral reservoirs (LVRs) within anatomical and cellular compartments of a host. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/ CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system shows remarkable potential for the inactivation and/or elimination of integrated proviral DNA within host cells, however, delivery of the CRISPR/Cas9 system to infected cells is still a challenge. In this review, the main factors impacting delivery, the challenges for delivery …

Adopting Yield-Improving Practices To Meet Maize Demand In Sub-Saharan Africa Without Cropland Expansion, Fernando Aramburu-Merlos, Fatima A. M. Tenorio, Nester Mashingaidze, Alex Sananka, Stephen Aston, Jonathan J. Ojeda, Patricio Grassini

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Maize demand in Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to increase 2.3 times during the next 30 years driven by demographic and dietary changes. Over the past two decades, the area croppedwithmaize has expanded by 17million hectares in the region, with limited yield increase. Following this trend could potentially result in further maize cropland expansion and the need for imports to satisfy domestic demand. Here, we use data collected from 14,773 smallholder fields in the region to identify agronomic practices that can improve farm yield gains. We find that agronomic practices related to cultivar selection, and nutrient, pest, and crop management can …

Expanded Food And Nutrition Education Program Generates Economic Value Through Body Mass Index Improvement: A Cost-Benefit Analysis, Andrea Leschewski, M. Catalina Aragon, Dave Weatherspoon, Karen Barale, Garry Auld, Richard Acquah-Sarpong, Susan S. Baker

Journal of Extension

Prior economic evaluations of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) perform cost-benefit analyses (CBA) reliant on self-reported behavioral data and unvalidated criteria for disease prevention. This study aims to conduct a CBA of Colorado and Washington EFNEP using an objective biomarker, Body Mass Index, to monetize program benefits. A longitudinal study of a convenience sample of EFNEP participants was conducted utilizing a single-group pretest-posttest design. Results indicate Colorado and Washington EFNEP generates $9.23 of benefits per $1.00 of costs and demonstrate the feasibility and value of using biomarkers in economic evaluations of nutrition education interventions delivered through Extension.

Effects Of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, And Nitrogen-Phosphorous-Based Flame Retardants On Properties Of Bio-Based Polyurethane Foam, Janvi Chaudhari

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Rigid polyurethane foams (RPUFs) are widely used materials in buildings, coolers, and refrigerators due to their good thermal insulation properties. They are also used in automobiles due to their low density, sound adsorption, and mechanical properties. However, most of the raw materials used for their production originate from non-renewable sources. Also, these polymers are susceptible to fire due to their porous structure. For that, it is important to incorporate bio-based materials to produce polyurethanes along with flame retardants (FRs) that can efficiently quench a fire and suppress the release of toxic fumes. Herein, soybean oil, henceforth referred to as vegetable …

Study Of Soybean Oil-Based Non-Isocyanate Polyurethane Films Via A Solvent And Catalyst-Free Approach, Pratik Patel

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Synthesizing polymeric materials that are both sustainable and practical has become a priority. Polyurethanes (PU) are becoming more popular because of their countless applications and exclusive properties in many sectors. While considering the current issue of environmental problems and the excessive use of petroleum products, non-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPU) are favored due to their sustainability and low toxicity compared to conventional PU. In this work, flexible NIPU films were made using a green and facile method. For that, soybean oil (SBO) was used as the starting material and converted into epoxide soybean oil (ESBO) followed by its chemical conversion into carbonated …

Structural And Thermomechanical Properties Of Rigid Polyurethane Foams Prepared Using Fresh And Recycled Canola Oil, Janu Patel

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Polyurethane (PU) is a versatile and widely utilized polymer with a broad spectrum of applications across various industries. Its unique properties make it suitable for numerous products that enhance comfort and efficiency in everyday life. Traditional PU production relies on petroleum-based raw materials, which have negative impacts on the environment. This study focuses on the utilization of waste cooking oil (WCO), specifically three to four times-used canola oil (UCO), to synthesize rigid polyurethane foams (RPUFs) as an environmentally friendly alternative by replacing petroleum-based raw materials. This approach also aims to address environmental concerns associated with the improper disposal of WCO …