Digital Commons Network^™

Dietary Manipulations Of The Undernourished Infant Microbiome, Cyrus Zhou

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Today, undernutrition affects approximately 150 million children worldwide. During the first two years of life, the healthy gut microbial community undergoes a series of predictable developmental transitions. These transitions are delayed in undernourished children resulting in microbiota “immaturity.” In a foundational study, immature gut microbial communities from undernourished children and normally developing communities from chronologically age-matched healthy children living in the same area were transplanted into groups of germ-free mice consuming the same diet – one representative of what consumed by the study population. Compared mice with a mature gut microbiome, mice with an immature gut microbiome had impaired weight …

The Role Of Pten Subcellular Localization In Neuronal Development And Autism Spectrum Disorder, Nicole Desmet

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are genetically heterogeneous neurodevelopmental conditions that nevertheless converge on altered neuronal connectivity and circuit function. A central unresolved problem in the field is how diverse genetic perturbations, acting at different biological levels and developmental stages, give rise to shared neurodevelopmental outcomes. This dissertation addresses this problem by examining how gene function, subcellular signaling, and developmental context interact to shape neuronal morphology and circuit-relevant phenotypes.

Cell-autonomous mechanisms regulating neuronal morphology are examined through the ASD risk gene Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog (PTEN) in developing dentate gyrus granule neurons. Selective biasing of PTEN to defined intracellular compartments in …

Black Essential Workers Experiences With Long-Term Covid-19 Symptoms, Jeremiah Cedric Campbell

Doctorate in Kinesiology

The purpose of this dissertation study was to understand the perceived effects of long-term COVID-19 on Black essential workers at the height of the pandemic and overall impact on mental health. The researcher interviewed 19 Black essential workers from Texas, across economic sectors (e.g., healthcare, sanitation), and who experienced long COVID symptoms. Findings centered across four themes: asking for help during the pandemic, COVID symptoms, being Black, and mental health. Using a theoretical approach incorporating critical race theory and social determinants of mental health, findings revealed the ways systemic racism affected these Black essential workers. This research can inform culturally …

The Effects Of An Eight-Week “Move Your Wayⓡ” Physical Activity Intervention On Quality Of Life And Exercise Motivation Among University Faculty Mothers, Stephanie Perez Beaudion

Doctorate in Kinesiology

The purpose of this dissertation was to expand the body of knowledge on physical activity (PA) interventions and their impact on quality of life (QoL) and motivation among university faculty mothers, a population facing unique challenges in balancing professional and caregiving responsibilities. This study utilized an eight-week "Move Your WayⓇ" (MYWⓇ) PA intervention grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to explore its effects on QoL, PA levels, and exercise motivation. A total of 22 university faculty mothers participated in the study, completing pre-, mid-, and post-intervention assessments using validated tools, including the WHOQOL-BREF, IPAQ-SF, and BREQ-3. Results demonstrated statistically significant improvements …

2026-04-15 Redhawk Dining Announces Spring Changes, Maya Deguzman

The Spectator Online

No abstract provided.

University Honors 2025-26 Hall Of Fame, Who's Who Inductees, Staff Report

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi has announced inductees into the 2025-26 Hall of Fame.

Essays On Empirical Research Of Education, Criminal And Decision, Hsuan-Hua Huang

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three essays in applied microeconomics, examining how subjective beliefs, institutional designs, and policy incentives shape critical life-cycle decisions in education and public safety. The first chapter investigates how students form beliefs about their academic ability and how the misalignment between perceived and benchmark ability shapes high-stakes educational sorting. Using longitudinal data from Taiwan, I show that these ability gaps systematically predict school and track choices. By developing a model of utility maximization under perceived ability, the results highlight that subjective beliefs, rather than objective scores alone, are central to educational outcomes and potential mismatches in school …

Good Resource, Bad Vibe: How Well Does The Media Reflect Economic Activity?, Brett Watson, Noah Burke, Dayna Jean Defeo

ISER Reports

Resource industries like oil and fishing are characterized by boom-and-bust cycles – there are “good years” and “bad years.” In communities that are highly connected to a particular resource, these economic shocks are foregrounded in the public attention. This paper compares economic indicators with media coverage over a 10-year period in Homer, Alaska. Specifically, it explores the economic shock of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill and looks at how media coverage aligned to the fishery performance during the recovery years. Even as the fishery recovered to pre-spill performance in dollars, the media sentiment did not “bounce back” as quickly. …

Subchronic Oral Exposure To Propylparaben Induces Endocrine Disruption And Genotoxicity In Male Rats, Sarah M. Moud, Najiah M. Alyamani

Saudi Toxicology Journal

ropylparaben (PP) is widely employed as a preservative in consumer products such as cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food items, prompting increasing safety apprehensions due to its possible endocrine-disrupting properties. A controlled experimental investigation was conducted to assess the toxicological effects of sub-chronic propylparaben exposure on the testes of adult male rats. Twenty adult male rats (n = 20) were randomly assigned to two groups (10 rats per group): a control group receiving distilled water and a treated group receiving PP orally at a dosage of 100 mg/kg body weight once daily for four consecutive weeks. This dosage was selected based on …

Master Of Social Work Faculties Integration Of Gender And Sexuality Diverse Content: A Cross-Sectional, Quantitative Study, Lynn Mazur

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Master of social work (MSW) students may be entering into field practice without meeting the necessary competencies for practice to address the needs of the gender and sexuality diverse (GSD) population. The literature supports that GSD content may be absent from course content. This cross-sectional design study aimed to understand what factors influence MSW faculty to incorporate GSD content into their coursework. MSW faculty at Council on Social Work Education (CSWE, 2022) accredited programs were invited via email to complete an online, anonymous, and voluntary survey. The results suggested strong support for the integration of GSD content into the coursework, …

Growing Healthy Habits: Impacts Of A Youth Community Garden For Children In Rural Mississippi, Olivia G. Degravelle

Honors Theses

This study examines the implementation and outcomes of a Youth Garden Program conducted in Pontotoc, Mississippi. Funded by the Allstate Community Service Project Grant, the Youth Garden was constructed within the previously established Pontotoc Community Garden. The initiative comprised four weekly workshops designed for participants ranging from preschool to adolescence. Each session incorporated hands-on fruit and vegetable (FV) planting or harvesting, an educational lesson, and a complementary craft activity. Children’s FV consumption patterns, nutritional knowledge, and attitudes toward FV were assessed through pre- and post-program surveys. In addition, the photo-elicitation interview method invited participants to take digital photographs of garden …

Mapping Serial Killer Life Pathways With Behavior Sequence Analysis, Morgann Lynn Brafford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are known to influence criminal behavior in adulthood, their potential influence on serial killer actions has not been scrutinized. This study was an investigation of how ACEs might affect serial killer actions later in life. The trauma-control model provided a conceptual framework for the investigation. Marono et al.’s research featuring behavior sequence analysis (BSA) was broadened to examine the impact of psychological abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse, violence against animals, head injury, and bullying serial killer behaviors like stalking or sexual assault. The participants were 364 anonymized male serial killers from the Radford/Florida Gulf Coast …

The Influence Of The Timing Of Definitive Restoration Placement After Root Canal Completion: A 22-Year Retrospective Study, Shikha Gupta

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Objective: To evaluate how the time interval between root canal obturation and the placement of a definitive restoration impacts the incidence of tooth failure, defined as non-surgical retreatment, apical surgery, or extraction. Methods: This 22-year-retrospective cohort study utilized electronic health records from the Marquette University School of Dentistry (MUSoD) axiUm database, analyzing 11,002 teeth treated between 2004 and 2026. Inclusion criteria required patients to be at least 18 years of age, categorized as established patients of record, with all non-surgical root canal treatments (NSRCT) meeting the 2020 AAE quality standards. The interval between obturation and restoration was categorized into seven …

Emotional Awareness And Resilience In Adolescents, Emilie Zimmerman

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Adolescent trauma exposure is prevalent and associated with a range of negative developmental outcomes. However, some youth demonstrate resilience. Emotional awareness, a foundational component of emotion regulation, may play a role in promoting adaptive functioning following adversity, though its contribution to resilience in trauma-exposed adolescents remains unclear. The present study examined whether emotional awareness is associated with multiple domains of resilience including prosocial behavior, self-efficacy to handle conflict, perceived resilience, and emotional and conduct problems, after accounting for trauma exposure. Participants were 36 adolescents enrolled in a support program for at-risk youth. Data were obtained from youth-report measures of trauma …

Family Processes As A Protective Factor Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Adolescent Delinquency, Tessa Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores whether family processes (i.e., parental attachment and parental discipline/monitoring) serve as protective factors between the relationship of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adolescent delinquency. Prior research has established an association between ACEs and many negative life outcomes, including delinquent behavior, while strong parental attachment and parental discipline/monitoring are linked to lower rates of delinquency. However, the interplay of these three factors has been understudied. Drawing on data from the 2024 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS) (N=22,016), this study examines the relationship between ACEs, family processes, and delinquency using negative binomial regression models. Results indicate that parental …

Convergent Rna Pathophysiology In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Hunter Lee Patterson

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the connection between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis pathogenesis and RNA biology via two mechanisms: microRNA regulation of gene expression in the spinal cord and modulation of TDP-43 pathology through synthetic oligonucleotides. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by selective loss of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord that leads to progressive weakness. However, despite this shared clinical pattern the known causes of ALS are extremely varied. Only about 10% of ALS cases are familial while the other 90% occur sporadically. Even among that small fraction of familial cases, researchers have identified dozens …

Spontaneous Blood Oxygen Level Dependent Signals In Glioblastoma-Bearing And Aging Brains, Ki Yun Park

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Brain activity fluctuates across timescales from microseconds to decades, reflecting processes ranging from rapid synaptic transmission to slow neuromodulatory and homeostatic changes. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) captures the slow end of this spectrum (spontaneous blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) fluctuations over tens to hundreds of seconds), which reflect the integrated output of these underlying processes and are increasingly recognized as sensitive to both pathological and physiological brain states. The core of this thesis examines rs-fMRI as a biomarker for two clinical entities: glioblastoma and aging. Reliable biomarker development requires both methodological rigor and analytic breadth, knowing what the method …

Rethinking Consumer Data And Behavior, Nicole J. Olynk Widmar, Michael L. Smith, Erin Robinson

Purdue University Press Books

Today’s food and agricultural consumers are driven by more than just price—they are influenced by trust, values, and perceptions that are often difficult to measure. Rethinking Consumer Data and Behavior explores what truly shapes consumer choices and how businesses can respond effectively.

This book utilizes research on loyalty, risk, sustainability, and ethical considerations, revealing how these factors influence purchasing decisions in ways traditional data often misses. It examines consumers’ willingness to pay for local and organic products, the impact of food labeling and safety messaging, and the surprising role of sensory cues such as appearance and taste. The book also …

Geology Education For Grades 3–12, Natalie J. Carroll, Theodore Leuenberger

Purdue University Press Books

Geology Education for Grades 3–12 guides and encourages youth to learn about the geological processes occurring all around them. Level 1 introduces basic terms and concepts, and is intended for youth in grades 3–5. Activities focus on understanding important topics such as the rock cycle, rock textures, and crystal formation. Designed for students in grades 6–8, Level 2 offers readers more concrete examples of advanced geological concepts, including fossilization, mineral formation, and rock classification. The exercises in Level 3, which is geared toward grades 9–12, includes additional information on the Earth’s varied landscapes, a variety of geological events, and the …

Discovering The World Of Honey Bees And Beekeeping, Natalie J. Carroll, Greg Hunt, Krispn Given

Purdue University Press Books

You don’t have to be a scientist or a lifelong beekeeper to fall in love with the world of honey bees. Discovering the World of Honey Bees and Beekeeping is designed to take anyone, regardless of their experience, on a rewarding adventure by first exploring the fascinating biology and behavior of these insects. This book is designed to help readers see the environment from a bee’s perspective, revealing the vital role pollinators play in our food systems and local ecosystems. Whether you are a student, a backyard gardener, or a nature lover, this guide provides a clear, step-by-step roadmap for …

Lateral Minimally Invasive Si Joint Fusion Following Adult Spinal Deformity: A Case-Report And Literature Review, Basel Musmar, Hassan Saad, Joshua Pelta-Heller

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

This case report describes lateral minimally invasive sacroiliac (SI) joint fusion for SI joint–mediated pain in a patient with a history of adult spinal deformity surgery. A 48-year-old woman with multiple medical comorbidities previously underwent long thoracolumbar fusion. She subsequently had L4-S1 anterior lumbar interbody fusion and posterior L4-pelvis instrumentation in 2010. Following a ground-level fall in 05/2021, she developed new left-sided hip and sacroiliac pain with intermittent left lower-extremity numbness. Radiographs demonstrated mild hip osteoarthritis and sacroiliac joint sclerosis; spine imaging revealed discontinuity of the right iliac fixation rod without acute fracture. MRI of the hip showed bilateral sacroiliitis …

Inflammation- And Resolution-Programmed Myeloid Circuits Govern Therapeutic Resistance In Epithelial And Mesenchymal Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Liqun Yu, Charlotte Rivas, Fengshuo Liu, Yichao Shen, Ling Wu, Zhan Xu, Yunfeng Ding, Xiaoxin Hao, Weijie Zhang, Hilda L Chan, Jun Liu, Bo Wei, Yang Gao, Luis Becerra-Dominguez, Yi-Hsuan Wu, Siyue Wang, Tobie D Lee, Xuan Li, Xiang Chen, David G Edwards, Xiang H-F Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Single-cell analysis of human triple-negative breast cancer revealed heterogeneous macrophage populations with opposing phenotypes - proinflammatory and proresolution of inflammation. Paradoxically, both subsets accumulated in therapy-refractory residual tumors but showed inverse correlations across patients, suggesting mutually exclusive resistance mechanisms. Inflammatory macrophages localized preferentially to epithelial-like tumors, whereas proresolution macrophages were enriched in mesenchymal-like tumors. Mouse models faithfully recapitulated these patterns. After chemoimmunotherapy, mesenchymal-like tumors expanded proresolution macrophages through phagocytosis/efferocytosis, ω-3 fatty acid uptake, and resolvin production. Macrophage-secreted C1q emerged as a principal antagonist of T cell function by targeting mitochondria and inducing metabolic dysfunction. By contrast, epithelial-like tumors accumulated inflammatory …

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus Occidentalis) Groundings On A Four-Lane Divided Highway In South Texas: A Comparative Study Using Citizen Science, Bradley Evan Beer, Kevin W. Ryer, Md. Saydur Rahman, John H. Young Jr., Richard J. Kline

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

The population of the once-endangered brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) has increased over the past several decades and is now considered fully recovered. However, in south Texas, the combined effects of weather patterns, transportation infrastructure, and brown pelican biology have led to road mortalities on State Highway 48 (SH 48) at the Carl “Joe” Gayman Bridge. To mitigate these mortalities, the Texas Department of Transportation modified traffic barriers on SH 48. We aimed to examine the effect of the barrier change and determine which weather variables influence brown pelican groundings on SH 48. Citizen scientists monitored sections of SH …

A Multilevel Analysis Of Prescriber-Reported Buprenorphine Induction Challenges In Fentanyl-Endemic Settings, Alyssa Vawn Long

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The emergence of illicitly manufactured fentanyl has increased clinical uncertainty during buprenorphine induction in medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. The purpose of this quantitative, retrospective cohort study, guided by the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), was to examine whether prescriber-level buprenorphine induction practices and experiences with precipitated withdrawal were associated with reported buprenorphine induction challenges, and whether county-level fentanyl prevalence contributed to these challenges after accounting for geographic clustering. Secondary, de-identified archival data were obtained from the National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network study CTN-0134 and included 64 prescribers practicing in fentanyl-endemic settings. Buprenorphine induction challenges were operationalized as …

Impact Of Living Shorelines On Coastal Morphology And Sedimentology, Sydney Garber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Living shorelines, or nature-based solutions, have emerged as a preferred approach to coastal restoration, but have not been well studied or monitored postimplementation. This project evaluated the efficacy of living shorelines in protecting and stabilizing coastal morphology in Palm Beach County’s Lake Worth Lagoon. The study assessed surface and subsurface sedimentology, short-term water-level variability, and morphological change at two living shoreline areas of Jewell Steinhardt Cove and Snook Islands Natural Area. Each shoreline area has different breakwater designs aimed at stabilizing the shoreline with recruitment of oysters and mangroves in the Lake Worth Lagoon. Overall, seasonal morphology and sediment data …

Single-Nucleus Brain Transcriptomics Reveals Microglia Dysfunction In Multiple System Atrophy, Rasmus Rydbirk, Frederik Nørby Friis Sørensen, Jonas Folke, Henriette Haukedal, Andrea Asenjo Martinez, Irene Lisa Vargas, Simone Mcgarry, Oline Chantell Hollmann, Camila Gherardelli, Sofia Sepulveda, Adam T Szafran, Michael A Mancini, Sanne Simone Kaalund, Tomasz Brudek, Lisette Salvesen, Sara Bech, Justyna Okarmus, Peter Kharchenko, Morten Meyer, Claudio Soto, Kristine Freude, Abhisek Mukherjee, Susana Aznar, Konstantin Khodosevich

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rare, age-related neurodegenerative disease that shares clinical and pathological features with Parkinson's disease (PD) but presents a more devastating disease course. To elucidate the distinct cellular pathophysiology, we performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing on postmortem striatal brain tissue from 7 MSA and 12 PD patients, and 10 non-neurological cases. Here, we show significant compositional differences in astroglia and microglia subtypes, while oligodendroglia and neurons are comparable. PD brains show abundant microglia expressing MHC class II HLA haplotypes, indicative of a proinflammatory state, alongside more homeostatic astrocytes. In contrast, MSA lack activated microglia but has more …

Understanding Contest Skill To Reduce The Welfare Costs Of Aggression, Lucy Oldham, Gareth Arnott, Mark Briffa, Agnieszka Futro, Jo Donbavand, Alena Kadlecova, Ali Alameer, Manzar Malik, Mhairi Jack, Iona Smith, Mark Brims, Claire Anderson, Simon P. Turner

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Skill is the ability to do a challenging behaviour well. We examined how contest skill influences contest success, costs and whether skilful behaviour enhances welfare. We measured skill across three domains: accuracy, appropriateness (selecting suitable agonistic tactics when the optimal choice varies) and efficiency, alongside vigour, sex and body weight. Skill was weakly correlated across domains. Winners were heavier relative to their opponent, displayed greater vigour and were more skilful at blocking, but other skill measures did not predict contest win/loss outcome. Appropriate blocking by winners reduced the number of lesions received by reducing exposure to attacks, suggesting it can …

Decoding Immunotherapy Response Through Computational Modeling, Bingrui Li, Ruihan Luo, Kexin Huang, Jiajia Liu, Weiling Zhao, Xiaobo Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Immunotherapy has seen success in treating patients with cancer, but variable responses underscore the need for effective patient stratification and therapy planning. Computational tools integrating multi-omics, imaging and machine learning have advanced, yet reliable personalized predictions remain challenging. This review analyzes the field through four converging paradigms: classical machine learning, deep learning, graph and network modeling, and mechanistic systems biology. We examine the evolution from correlational features to representation learning, relational inference, and causal simulation of tumor-immune dynamics, highlighting the shift towards multi-modal fusion and interpretable, clinically deployable models. By providing an integrated review of these computational tools, we hope …

High Germinability Can Facilitate Recovery Of Adelia Vaseyi (Euphorbiaceae), An Imperiled Tamaulipan Thornscrub Shrub, Saroj Dhakal, Bashira Chowdhury, Alejandro Fierro-Cabo

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

While critical to maintaining dryland biodiversity and drought resilience, reforestation has been limited in subtropical dry forests because of knowledge gaps in seed biology that must be filled to upscale seedling production and ensure recovery of imperiled endemic plants. We characterized seed germination, dormancy, and storage needs for Adelia vaseyi, a threatened endemic shrub commonly included in planting mixes to restore Tamaulipan thornscrub, an imperiled subtropical forest spanning South Texas and Northeastern Mexico. We found A. vaseyi seeds have high germinability (82.0%) and a short mean germination time (3.04 ± 0.08 days). A delia vaseyi seed does not appear …

The Role Of Avoidance In The Relationship Between The Impact Of Childhood Trauma And Physiological Responsivity To Fear And Reward In Adulthood, Tristan Alana Benjamin

Dissertations (1934 -)

Childhood trauma is prevalent and has been associated with deleterious physical and psychological outcomes that persist into adulthood. Extensive research on the neurobiological consequences of experiencing trauma has demonstrated an association between experiencing a traumatic event and elevated physiological arousal in response to fearful stimuli compared to healthy controls. By contrast, emerging research has found that adults who experienced a traumatic event during childhood demonstrate blunted physiological arousal responses. The physiological profile associated with childhood trauma may be related to coping strategies utilized; notably, children may be more likely to engage in avoidance to cope with the impact of trauma …