Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Environmental Pollutants On Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease Pathogenesis., Tyler Charles Gripshover

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Steatotic liver disease is brought upon by differing etiologies and its global prevalence is expected to keep increasing over the next several decades. Particularly, alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) manifests from excessive alcohol consumption where the liver retains lipids and progresses with metabolic dysfunction. Previous studies have demonstrated that environmental pollutants, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) promote metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), in diet-induced obesity models. However, it is unknown if environmental pollutants may also promote ALD pathogenesis. Thus, this dissertation focuses on characterizing the effects of PCB126 in a rodent ALD model followed by multiple ‘Omics approaches to identify mechanisms …

Educator Perceptions Of The Care And Instruction Of Trauma Exposed Students In A Small, Urban, Christian School., Amanda L. Petters

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students of color in low socio-economic, high crime urban areas are exposed to a higher level of trauma than their White contemporaries. The trauma that they bring into school with them create challenges for their teachers working to eliminate barrier to students’ education. Widespread efforts have been attempted to thwart the social injustices that many students of color experience in schools including disproportionality around implementation of school rules and the equitable access to curriculum. I used Critical Race Theory to frame my study around students of color in urban areas experiencing disproportionate levels of trauma, and their teachers’ level of …

Biocargos: Capture And Release Gels For Optimized Storage Of Biologics., Chinmay Shashank Potnis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Environmental Exposures And Male Reproductive Outcomes., Damilola Rukayat Owoade

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Male sexual dysfunction comprises various conditions, including erectile dysfunction (ED) and ejaculatory dysfunction. Testosterone deficiency (TD), which has been linked to some of these sexual dysfunctions, is characterized by low production of testosterone by the testes. These male reproductive outcomes may develop due to exposure to various risk factors, including environmental exposures. These environmental exposures may include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and tear gas. This dissertation aims to examine the effects of tear gas exposure and VOCs on male reproductive outcomes. The association between tear gas exposure and male reproductive outcomes was assessed using data obtained from an online anonymous …

Quantification Of Tumor Biophysical Heterogeneity Through Mechanical And Ultrastructural Analysis., Bradley James Mahaffey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly invasive, aggressive brain cancer that carries a median survival of 15 months. This poor prognosis is due, in part, to its resistance to standard therapeutic intervention. Recent studies have demonstrated that tumor heterogeneity plays a critical role in facilitation therapy resistance by mediating tumor adaptation through microenvironmental cues. Efforts to describe these microenvironmental differences may aid in the development of strategies to combat resistance. GBM can be separated into two distinct regions – a core and a rim, which are thought to drive specific aspects of tumor evolution. The core is proliferative as evidenced by …

Effects Of A Protection Zone In A Reaction-Diffusion Model With Strong Allee Effect., Isaac Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A protection zone model represents a patchy environment with positive growth over the protection zone and strong Allee effect growth outside the protection zone. Generally, these models are considered through the corresponding eigenvalue problem, but that has certain limitations. In this thesis, a general protection zone model is considered. This model makes no assumption on the direction of the traveling wave solution over the Strong Allee effect patch. We use phase portrait analysis of this protection zone model to draw conclusions about the existence of equilibrium solutions. We establish the existence of three types of equilibrium solutions and the necessary …

Investigating Mems Devices In Flow Conditions Relevant To Flow-Through Systems., Mohammad Shafquatul Islam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Advancements in microscale actuating technologies has substantially expanded the possibilities of interacting with the surrounding environment. Microstructures that deflect in response to mechanical forces are one of the largest application areas of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). MEMS devices, functioning as sensors, actuators, and support structures, find applications in inertial sensors, pressure sensors, chemical sensors, and robotics, among others. Driven by the critical role of catalytic membrane reactors, this dissertation aims to evaluate enzyme activity on polymeric membranes and explore how fabrication methods from the field of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) can incorporate sensing and actuation into these porous surfaces. Toward …

Investigation Of Heterocyclic Amines And N-Acetyltransferase 2 Genetic Polymorphism In The Dysregulation Of Hepatic Energy Homeostasis: A Gene-Environment Approach., Kennedy M Walls

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are mutagens generated when cooking meat for prolonged periods of time or until well-done. Recent epidemiological studies reported significant associations between dietary HCA exposure and insulin resistance and type II diabetes. However, no previous studies have examined if HCAs, independent of meat consumption, contributes to pathogenesis of insulin resistance or metabolic disease. It is well known that HCAs require hepatic bioactivation by cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) and N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2). NAT2 expresses a well-defined genetic polymorphism in humans that, depending on the combination of NAT2 alleles, correlate to rapid, intermediate, or slow acetylator phenotypes that exhibit differential …

Agency In Learning And E-Learning Through The Lens Of Disability And Inclusivity., Marta Martin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Through the analysis of ethnographic, qualitative data collected from students and their stakeholders at the University of Louisville, this thesis examines the experiences of students with disabilities in spaces of higher education, particularly virtual learning spaces. This research has illuminated systemic gaps in disability resources and accessibility within the landscape of higher education, restricting the agency of students with disabilities and their stakeholders.

The Self-Consistent Field Energy Landscape And Its Application To Describing Electron Correlation., Xinju (Spancer) Dong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Global elucidation of SCF (self-consistent-field) solutions is an extension of global optimization in which the goal is the identification of all solutions, which can be defined as a NP (nonpolynomial)-hard problem. The value of identifying multiple SCF solutions is to use as reference wavefunctions, such as NOCI (nonorthogonal configuration interactions), NOMCSCF (nonorthogonal multiconfigurational SCF), etc. However, the high-dimensional space over which to search and the relatively high cost of local optimization in Hartree-Fock (HF) models cause difficulty in efficiently searching over the full SCF space. In order to address the technical issues of high-dimensionality and nonlinearity, a Lie algebraic description …

Design, Fabrication, And Integration Of Robotic Skin Sensors For Human Robot Interaction., Olalekan Olakitan Olowo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Enhancing physical human-robot interaction in modern robotics relies on refining the tactile perception of robot skin sensors. This research focuses on crucial aspects of the development process, including fabrication techniques, miniaturization, and integration for a more efficient collaborative human-robot interface. The fabrication process of robot skin sensors, designed to mimic human skin, is explored both within and outside cleanroom environments. An enhanced technique is presented to increase fabrication yield and create more miniaturized sensor designs with feature sizes in the tens of microns. These sensors function as piezoresistive arrays using organic polymers like PEDOT: PSS as the pressure-sensing medium. Various …

Optical And Electrical Interfaces For Biological Structures, Mehdi Bandali

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents novel solutions for recording optical and electrical data from biological structures. CHAPTER ONE discusses the 16×16 Time correlated SPAD image array I developed in a 180 nm HV CMOS process for single-molecule localization super-resolution microscopy (SRM). This image array has a maximum frame rate of 80 MHz and a fill factor of 17.4 %. To demonstrate SRM with this imaging array, we localized gold nanoparticle displacement at 40 nm. CHAPTER TWO discusses stimulation artifacts' time and frequency domain characteristics and potential strategies for canceling this interference on neural recording. CHAPTER THREE discusses an artifact-resilient neural recording front-end …

Doxorubicin-Induced Changes To The Tgf-Β Signaling Pathway And Autophagic Flux In Fibroblasts: Implications For Cardiotoxicity, Conner Patricelli

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Doxorubicin is a commonly used chemotherapeutic used to treat many different types of cancer. However, its clinical use is limited due to its cardiotoxic adverse effects. While multiple mechanisms have been shown to be responsible for doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity, it is generally accepted that the principle mechanism is oxidative stress induction through the production of reactive oxygen species and free radicals in the myocardium. However, efforts to reduce/prevent doxorubicin toxicity using antioxidants have largely failed in pre-clinical and clinical trials. The targeted approach using a liposome delivery of doxorubicin significantly reduced the risk of cardiotoxicity; however, this approach is limited to …

2023-12-01 Minutes & Appendices, Longwood University

Board of Visitors Meeting Minutes 1964-

No abstract provided.

Impacts Of Environmental Stressors On Native South Dakota Amphibian Physiology And Survival, Danielle Jean Galvin

Dissertations and Theses

Amphibian populations around the world are declining, with some of the most likely drivers behind these declines including emerging infectious diseases and environmental contaminants. To address major gaps in the current literature, I sought to evaluate the effect of two major environmental stressors on various aspects of amphibian physiology: emerging infectious diseases and environmental contaminants. Emerging infectious diseases of amphibians include fungal, viral, and parasitic pathogens which have expanded in host range, either geographically or in competent host species. Environmental contaminants include chemicals which may be naturally occurring in the environment, or which may be introduced to the environment, often …

Wake Up America: Conceptualizing The Social Determinants Of Sleep, Nicole Eve Bray

Masters Theses

This paper is an attempt to understand racial, ethnic and gender disparities in sleep as a sociological problem. Public health and sociological researchers have looked at the connection between sleep disparities among minorities and the impact it has on health. However, they haven’t explained and applied the social structural factors that cause these disparities, as well as address how stress can serve as a moderator. In my investigation, I found that sleep troubles differ across race, ethnicity and gender. These differences relate to the distinguishable life situations of women and minorities in American society, such as stressful life circumstances that …

The Private Pilot Check Ride: Applying The Spacing Effect Theory To Predict Time To Proficiency For The Practical Test, Michael Scott Harwin

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between a set of targeted factors and the total flight time students needed to become ready to take the private pilot check ride. The study was grounded in Ebbinghaus’s (1885/1913/2013) forgetting curve theory and spacing effect, and Ausubel’s (1963) theory of meaningful learning. The research factors included (a) training time to proficiency, which represented the number of training days needed to become check-ride ready; (b) flight training program (Part 61 vs. Part 141); (c) organization offering the training program (2- or 4-year college/university vs. FBO); (d) scheduling policy (mandated vs. student-driven); and demographical variables, which …

Climate Change And The Shifting Geography Of Coral-Reef Development, Victor Rodriguez-Ruano

Theses and Dissertations

Coral-reef development is modulated by growth processes that deposit calcium carbonate onto the reef, such as calcification, and destructive processes that remove calcium carbonate from the reef, such as bioerosion. Wherever calcification rates exceed bioerosion rates, there is a net accretion of the reef through time, but where bioerosion rates exceed calcification rates, there is a net destruction of the reef through time. A reef’s framework is the legacy of the interaction of these processes throughout a reef’s history. Studying the fossil frameworks of reefs can shed light on the environmental factors that have controlled reef development in the past, …

The Relationship Between Biofouling Adhesion And Frequency Of Mechanical Cleaning To Control The Recruitment To Clear Coatings, Dylan Thomas Eggers

Theses and Dissertations

There is a need to control biofouling on sensors and transparent windows in the marine environment. Clear silicone coatings offer a method to reduce the adhesion strength of marine organisms to the surface, however, these also require mechanical cleaning to maintain the surfaces free of fouling. This research evaluated the performance of eighty seven formulations and took the top two candidates to investigate a) the frequencies of wiping required by a brush to maintain two coatings and uncoated glass surfaces free of fouling and b) the effects of clear silicone coatings fouling release properties on required frequencies. The panels were …

How Students Learn: Examining The Differences In Learning Strategies Between Flight And Nonflight Students, Jennifer A. Torres

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any differences in learning strategies between undergraduate flight and nonflight students attending a 4-year university that offered a Part 141 flight training program. Learning strategies were measured using Panadero et al.’s (2021) 30-item Deep Learning Strategies Questionnaire and its four subscales—Basic Learning Self-Regulation Strategies, Visual Elaboration and Summarizing Strategies, Deep Information Processing Strategies, and Social Learning Self-Regulation Strategies—all of which were the dependent variables. The primary independent variable was group membership, but the study also incorporated two covariates—self-efficacy and intrinsic value—which were measured using the respective subscales of Pintrich …

Regulatory Mechanisms Of The Lbd40 Transcription Factor In Arabidopsis Thaliana Somatic Embryogenesis, Sanjay Joshi, Kristine Hill, Manohar Chakrabarti, Sharyn E. Perry

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Somatic embryogenesis (SE) is a process by which an embryo is derived from somatic tissue. Transcription factors (TFs) have been identified that control this process. One such TF that promotes SE is AGAMOUS-like 15 (AGL15). Prior work has shown that AGL15 can both induce and repress gene expression. One way this type of dual function TF works is via protein interactions, so a yeast 2-hybrid (Y2H) screen was undertaken. One intriguing protein with which AGL15 interacted in Y2H was LBD40. LBD40 encodes a LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES (LOB)-domain TF that is unique to plants and is primarily expressed during seed development. …

The Distribution And Reproductive Success Of The Western Snowy Plover Along The Central And Southern Oregon Coast - 2023, David J. Lauten, Kathleen A. Castelein, Mary Lee, Jacey Corrente, Marty R. Mccamant, Eleanor P. Gaines

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

We monitored the distribution, abundance and productivity of the federally threatened Western Snowy Plover (Anarhynchus nivosus nivosus) along the central and south coast of Oregon from 4 April – 15 September 2023. We surveyed and monitored plover activity in a project area that included, from north to south, Sutton Beach, Siltcoos River estuary, the Dunes Overlook, North Tahkenitch Creek, Tenmile Creek, Coos Bay North Spit, Bandon Snowy Plover Management Area, New River Habitat Restoration Area (HRA) and adjacent lands, and Floras Lake. Our objectives for the project area in 2023 were to: 1) estimate the size of the adult Snowy …

The Emergence Of “The School Shooter” As A Category Of Analysis: What The 1990s Can Teach Us About Youth Violence, Rebecca Maria Jimenez

Honors College Theses

This thesis is a case study of the emergence and framing of “the school shooter” as one part of the larger problem of American youth violence during the 1990s. This decade forever changed the way school safety is viewed. Although the annual number of school shootings largely remained the same from the 1970s to the early 1990s, a spike in fatalities in 1993 occurred during a fraught historical moment. A wave of youth violence, beginning in the late 1980s, helped to set the stage for new security measures, such as zero tolerance policies in schools, and the development of new …

Drone Swarms In Adversarial Environment, Bhavana Sai Yadav Akula

Theses

Drones are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operated remotely with the help of cameras, GPS, and on-device SD cards. These are used for many applications including civilian as well as military. On the other hand, drone swarms are a fleet of drones that work together to achieve a special goal through swarm intelligence approaches. These provide a lot of advantages such as better coverage, accuracy, increased safety, and improved flexibility when compared to a single drone. However, the deployment of such swarms in an adversarial environment poses significant challenges. This work provides an overview of the current state of research on …

Impacts Of Marine Heatwaves On Top Predator Distributions Are Variable But Predictable, Heather Welch, Matthew S. Savoca, Stephanie Brodie, Michael G. Jacox, Barbara A. Muhling, Thomas A. Clay, Megan A. Cimino, Scott R. Benson, Barbara A. Block, Melinda G. Conners, Daniel P. Costa, Fredrick D. Jordan, Andrew W. Leising, Chloe S. Mikles, Daniel M. Palacios, Scott A. Shaffer, Lesley H. Thorne, Jordan T. Watson, Rachel R. Holser

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Marine heatwaves cause widespread environmental, biological, and socio-economic impacts, placing them at the forefront of 21st-century management challenges. However, heatwaves vary in intensity and evolution, and a paucity of information on how this variability impacts marine species limits our ability to proactively manage for these extreme events. Here, we model the effects of four recent heatwaves (2014, 2015, 2019, 2020) in the Northeastern Pacific on the distributions of 14 top predator species of ecological, cultural, and commercial importance. Predicted responses were highly variable across species and heatwaves, ranging from near total loss of habitat to a two-fold increase. Heatwaves rapidly …

Case Sampling Vs Universal Review For Evaluating Hospital Postoperative Mortality In Us Surgical Quality Improvement Programs, Vivi W Chen, Alexis P Chidi, Tracey Rosen, Yongquan Dong, Peter A Richardson, Jennifer Kramer, David A Axelrod, Laura A Petersen, Nader N Massarweh

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

IMPORTANCE: Representative surgical case sampling, rather than universal review, is used by US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and private-sector national surgical quality improvement (QI) programs to assess program performance and to inform local QI and performance improvement efforts. However, it is unclear whether case sampling is robust for identifying hospitals with safety or quality concerns.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether the sampling strategy used by several national surgical QI programs provides hospitals with data that are representative of their overall quality and safety, as measured by 30-day mortality.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This comparative effectiveness study was a national, hospital-level …

Modulating A Prebiotic Food Source Influences Inflammation And Immune-Regulating Gut Microbes And Metabolites: Insights From The Be Gone Trial, Xiaotao Zhang, Ehsan Irajizad, Kristi L Hoffman, Johannes F Fahrmann, Fangyu Li, Yongwoo David Seo, Gladys J Browman, Jennifer B Dennison, Jody Vykoukal, Pamela N Luna, Wesley Siu, Ranran Wu, Eunice Murage, Nadim J Ajami, Jennifer L Mcquade, Jennifer A Wargo, James P Long, Kim-Anh Do, Johanna W Lampe, Karen M Basen-Engquist, Pablo C Okhuysen, Scott Kopetz, Samir M Hanash, Joseph F Petrosino, Paul Scheet, Carrie R Daniel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Accessible prebiotic foods hold strong potential to jointly target gut health and metabolic health in high-risk patients. The BE GONE trial targeted the gut microbiota of obese surveillance patients with a history of colorectal neoplasia through a straightforward bean intervention.

METHODS: This low-risk, non-invasive dietary intervention trial was conducted at MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX, USA). Following a 4-week equilibration, patients were randomized to continue their usual diet without beans (control) or to add a daily cup of study beans to their usual diet (intervention) with immediate crossover at 8-weeks. Stool and fasting blood were collected every 4 …

A New Era For Myelin Research In Neurofibromatosis Type 1, Peter De Blank, Akiko Nishiyama, Alejandro Lopez-Juarez

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Evidence for myelin regulating higher-order brain function and disease is rapidly accumulating; however, defining cellular/molecular mechanisms remains challenging partially due to the dynamic brain physiology involving deep changes during development, aging, and in response to learning and disease. Furthermore, as the etiology of most neurological conditions remains obscure, most research models focus on mimicking symptoms, which limits understanding of their molecular onset and progression. Studying diseases caused by single gene mutations represents an opportunity to understand brain dys/function, including those regulated by myelin. Here, we discuss known and potential repercussions of abnormal central myelin on the neuropathophysiology of Neurofibromatosis Type …

Turing Patterns In A P-Adic Fitzhugh-Nagumo System On The Unit Ball, L. F. Chacón-Cortés, C. A. Garcia-Bibiano, Wilson A. Zuniga-Galindo

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

We introduce discrete and p-adic continuous versions of the FitzHugh-Nagumo system on the one-dimensional p-adic unit ball. We provide criteria for the existence of Turing patterns. We present extensive simulations of some of these systems. The simulations show that the Turing patterns are traveling waves in the p-adic unit ball.

Nutritional-Environmental Trade-Offs In Potato Storage And Processing For A Sustainable Healthy Diet, Aubin Payne, Ebenezer M. Kwofie, Prince Agyemang, Jamie Baum

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Over the last decade, poor diets and limited access to nutritious foods have been critical drivers of micronutrient deficiency in human health. However, food fortification at an industrialized scale in developed countries has helped eliminate deficiency-related diseases. In developing countries, fortified foods and biofortified materials have been delivered to nutrient-deficient communities. While these strategies have produced significant and acclaimed results, reports from the Food and Agricultural Organization suggest that over a quarter of the world’s population suffers from micronutrient deficiency. This implies that there are still declines in micronutrients in food products at different nodes along the food value chain …