Digital Commons Network^™

Mechanics For Inflammatory Cytokine-Promoted Breast Cancer Progression: Osm-Induced Loxl2 Leads To Extracellular Matrix Remodeling Of Collagen I And Subsequent Metastasis, Simion C. Dinca

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer has the highest prevalence of cancers in women in the USA; approximately 1 in 8 women will receive a diagnosis in their lifetime. Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) is the most commonly diagnosed breast cancer and presents a serious problem if it metastasizes, decreasing 5-year patient survival from ~98% to ~29%. Tumor cells grow in an environment that is known as the tumor microenvironment (TME). Due to inflammation, the TME of IDC is often saturated with neutrophil- and macrophage-derived proinflammatory cytokines including oncostatin M (OSM) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), both of which promote favorable conditions for metastasis. Modifications in the …

The Role Of Decorin And Biglycan In Cns Angiogenesis And Eae Recovery, Kristina Chapman

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a severe demyelinating disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS) associated with an autoimmune response directed against myelin antigens. Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from preexisting ones, is a vital process for tissue regeneration and wound healing but is a pathological hallmark of both MS and an MS mouse model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). This type of aberrant angiogenesis is a fundamental event during an inflammatory injury, which is mutually dependent upon the intrusion of inflammatory molecules, disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and immature vessel formation. In the EAE recovery phase, this process …

Understanding Temporal Dynamics Of Plant Specialized Metabolites In Response To Simulated Browsing In Winter, Bryanna Hope Bright

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Plants are continually defending themselves from the herbivores that consume them, often using an array of plant specialized metabolites (PSMs). Volatile organic compounds, including monoterpenes, are one such type of PSMs that can be emitted and induced by plants in response to mechanical damage and herbivory. These volatiles serve as direct defenses against herbivores and can alert neighboring plants about potential threats, resulting in protection against future attacks. However, how these chemicals change over time in response to browsing by vertebrates in the winter has received limited attention and is crucial to interpreting how monoterpenes defend plants against vertebrate herbivores. …

Sparse Format Conversion And Code Synthesis, Tobi Goodness Popoola

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Sparse computations are important in scientific computing. Many scientific applications compute on sparse data. Data is said to be sparse if it has a relatively small number of non-zeros. Sparse formats use auxiliary arrays to store non-zeros, as a result, the contents of auxiliary arrays are not known until run-time. The Inspector/Executor (I/E) paradigm uses run-time information for compiler optimizations. An inspector computes information at run-time to drive transformations. The executor---a compile-time transformation of the original code--- uses information computed by the inspector. The sparse polyhedral framework (SPF) encompasses a series of tools to support I/E run-time transformations. This work …

The Effects Of Salt And Temperature On Three Methanogen Species: Implications For Mars, Katy Dunlap

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The question of whether life has ever existed on Mars – either in the past or currently – has been pursued for decades. This debate has been prompted by a variety of discoveries regarding similarities between Mars and Earth and more recently concerns over human extinction. Mars, like Earth, once had large amounts of water, a key ingredient for life. H₂O exists on Mars in various forms now, and it is theorized that there is liquid water beneath the surface as well. Mars also contains salt and is very cold at its surface, pointing researchers towards the idea …

A Scoping Literature Review Of Workforce Development Strategies To Increase Indigenous Birth Workers, Danielle A. Thies

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Objective/Aim: To review the literature on workforce development to increase Indigenous birth workers to improve birth outcomes in Indigenous populations.

Design: A systematic scoping review.

Data Sources: The following databases were accessed: PubMED, Embase, and CINAHL. Support relating to key words and appropriate databases was provided by a university librarian.

Review Methods: Search terms across databases were sourced identifying a total of 152 papers. Title/abstract searches were screened against the inclusion/exclusion criteria, resulting in 55 papers reaching full-text review. Of the 55 papers reviewed, 26 were eligible for inclusion in the final review.

Results/Findings: Thematic …

How Authentic Professional Development And Instructional Coaching Support The Successful Implementation Of Trauma-Informed Practices, Meleah Dannelle Hoskins

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to examine how authentic professional development and instructional coaching can support the successful implementation of trauma-informed practices at two elementary schools, School A and School B, in Ridgedale School District (pseudonym) (RSD). RSD is a small urban school district in Oklahoma. This study sought to identify the support teachers need to implement trauma-informed practices and the barriers that may affect the implementation. This mixed methods action research study encompassed evidence from multiple qualitative and quantitative data sources within the four phases of the action research spiral (Herr & Anderson, 2014). While utilizing …

Determining The Functional Roles Of Short Open Reading Frames In Mycobacterium Smegmatis, Lauren Fox

Biological Sciences

The study examines the roles of a subset of short open reading frames (sORFs) in M. smegmatis using targeted mutagenesis and the subsequent examination of phenotypes associated with sORF mutation or overexpression. sORFs are defined as stretches of nucleic acid encoding a protein with a maximum of 50 amino acids. Genome annotation pipelines overlook sORFs encoding small proteins (sproteins) and, thus, sproteins in bacteria have gone unnoticed, even those that are expressed at levels similar to larger, well-described proteins. As a result of recent advances in ribosome profiling and mass spectrometry, hundreds of previously unannotated sORFs have been identified, increasing …

Investigating The Effects Of Vitamin K1 And K2 On The Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cell Line Sum159pt, Monica E. Alexander

Biological Sciences

Vitamin K serves as a cofactor in the post-translational carboxylation of glutamate to γ-carboxyglutamate (GLA) by the enzyme gamma-glutamyl carboxylase (GGCX). Vitamin K epoxide reductases (VKOR) then oxidize the vitamin K to regenerate the compound’s reduced form. While most of the known γcarboxylated proteins function in coagulation and bone homeostasis, the presence of GGCX and VKOR in a wide variety of tissues suggests that the vitamin and its pathway has more extensive physiological roles. Our previous research has assessed the expression of the vitamin K pathway in triple negative breast cancer cells (TNBCs) and compared the effects of vitamin K1 …

Cytochrome P450 1b1 And 12/15 Lipoxygenase Interaction In Paraventricular Nucleus In Angiotensin Ii-Induced Hypertension In Females, Shubha Ranjan Dutta

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Background: Angiotensin (Ang) II releases arachidonic acid (AA) from tissue phospholipids that is metabolized by 12/15-lipoxygenase (ALOX15) generating 12(S)- and 15(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE) which have been implicated in cardiovascular and renal diseases. This study was conducted to investigate a) the contribution of ALOX15 to Ang II-induced hypertension and associated pathogenesis in female mice, and b) the interaction between the cytochrome P450 (CYP)1B1-generated metabolite of 17β-estradiol (E2) (2-methoxyestradiol, 2-ME) and ALOX15 in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) as a mechanism that protects against Ang II-induced hypertension and its associated pathogenesis in female mice. Methods: Experiments were conducted in intact and ovariectomized (OVX) …

School Leaders’ Implementation Of Social-Emotional Learning In Upstate New York Small-City Schools: A Qualitative Descriptive Study, Sarah L. Sweet

Education Doctoral

This qualitative descriptive research study sought to explore, describe, and explain seven educational leaders’ understanding and implementation of social-emotional learning in an Upstate New York small-city K–12 school district. The educational leadership roles included school principals and district-level school administrators, such as superintendents, directors of curriculum, directors of social-emotional learning, and human resources personnel.

Data analysis was conducted using a priori and pattern coding of interview transcripts. Three major themes emerged based on the researcher’s interpretation and data analysis: establish a positive climate and culture, create community, and use systems-level thinking.

The findings from this study suggest executive leaders at …

A Reform Of The Cmdi Framework That Supports Completion Of The Banking Union, Economic Governance And Emu Scrutiny Unit (Egov)

Documents

No abstract provided.

The Association Between Mental Health Diagnoses And Trial Competency Assessments In Defendants: A Meta-Analysis, Danielle C. Severe

Student Theses

In the realm of trial competency evaluations, there are a variety of methods used to evaluate whether an individual is fit to stand trial. Presently, forensic psychologists conduct trial competency evaluations in order to assess one’s ability to stand trial, but for persons with a mental health diagnosis, the generic competency measures are not the most effective means to assess one’s ability to stand trial, as mental health diagnoses impair cognitive functions that are required in judicial proceedings. Forensic psychologists have opted to utilize other assessment methods such as the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool – Criminal Adjudication [MacCAT-CA] and Fitness …

In This Issuereview Articleoriginal Articles

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Help For The Community At The Marina Library, Frank Garcia

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Homelessness is a product of a complicated interaction between social and structural forces, and it is currently one of the most important problems that our society must address. This report analyzes the links between the Marina Branch library, the patrons who are homeless, and the local community agencies that provide support for them. 56 people took part in a structured survey that was carried out earlier. According to the findings of the investigation, there is a significant relationship between the library and its patrons who are homeless. This is due to the fact that the services available from the local …

“Inheritor” And “Originator”: Jane Austen’S Feminist Voice As Bridge Between Mary Wollstonecraft And Virginia Woolf, Stephanie Hyta '23

Honor Scholar Theses

This thesis explores the feminism of Jane Austen’s six novels: Sense and Sensibility (published in 1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), Emma (1815), Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion, the last two published posthumously in December 1817. Austen’s feminism serves as a bridge between the 18th and 20th centuries: her novels include a critique of the patriarchal system that Mary Wollstonecraft analyzed so judiciously in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792); they also anticipate ideas in Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own (1929), a six-part essay that originated as lectures that Woolf gave in October 1928 at …

The Effect Of Hypoxia On Gli Expression And Their Downstream Effect In Waldenström Macroglobulinemia, Estefania Yzar-Garcia

Master's Theses and Capstones

Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is a sub-type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma associated with excess secretion of immunoglobulin M (IgM) and the infiltration of the bone marrow by lymphoplasmacytic cells. There is a dynamic oxygen gradient consumption and diffusion in the tumor microenvironment, leading to regions of hypoxia (1-3% O2 concentration). GLI1, GLI2 and GLI3 are members of the family of Kruppel-like factors with highly conserved Zinc finger DNA-binding domains in mammalian cells. They signal trough the Hedgehog pathway which is a conserved pathway among species and is crucial in fundamental development processes and tissue homeostasis. They can also signal trough non-canonical pathways …

Quantum Chemistry–Machine Learning Approach For Predicting Properties Of Lewis Acid–Lewis Base Adducts, Hieu Huynh, Thomas J. Kelly, Linh Vu, Tung Hoang, Phuc An Nguyen, Tu C. Le, Emily Jarvis, Hung Phan

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Works

Synthetic design allowing predictive control of charge transfer and other optoelectronic properties of Lewis acid adducts remains elusive. This challenge must be addressed through complementary methods combining experimental with computational insights from first principles. Ab initio calculations for optoelectronic properties can be computationally expensive and less straightforward than those sufficient for simple ground-state properties, especially for adducts of large conjugated molecules and Lewis acids. In this contribution, we show that machine learning (ML) can accurately predict density functional theory (DFT)-calculated charge transfer and even properties associated with excited states of adducts from readily obtained molecular descriptors. Seven ML models, built …

Affordances And Information Systems Research: Taking Stock And Moving Forward, Mostafa Mesgari, Kaveh Mohajeri, Bijan Azad

Information Systems and Business Analytics Faculty Works

The term affordance appears with increasing frequency in the Information Systems (IS) literature. Nevertheless, those who study information technologies/information systems (IT/IS) via the affordance lens often have different views about its origin, meaning, and appropriate application in IS research. In turn, not spelling out the related assumptions and boundaries inherent in these diverse views may have hindered a wider and more cumulative adoption of the affordance lens in IS research. This paper offers a potential solution by (1) synthesizing the ecological psychology literature to suggest five key modules of the affordance concept relevant to IS research and (2) taking stock …

Making Waves: How Mandated Arbitration Could Better Address Cultural Heritage And Bring Treasure Salvage Law Into The Twenty-First Century, Megan C. Bodenhamer

William & Mary Law Review

This Note argues that American treasure salvage law should implement the modern legal techniques of Alternative Dispute Resolution—specifically arbitration—to address the modern problems surrounding treasure salvage law. Part I of this Note provides an overview of the law governing treasure salvage law. This includes common law principles called the law of finds and the law of salvage as well as the governing United States law and international treaties. Part II will outline the problems with the current standing of treasure salvage law, particularly how it fails to address modern cultural heritage considerations such as scientific advancement and the proliferation of …

Exploration Of Salivary-Omics Analyses For Stress Biomarker Monitoring, Ashanthi Snell

Honors Scholar Theses

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: To support long-term study into the salivary -omics responses to stress that may be used in biomonitoring during exercise and environmental stress, we pursued a focused study to establish optimized protocols and demonstrate that stress-specific markers are expressed to sufficient detectable limits and responsive to rest, exercise-heat stress, and to multi-day acclimation. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles, >150 nm in diameter secreted by multiple cell types and contain potentially stress-, disease-, or cell-damage-specific proteins, mRNAs, and miRNAs. Exosomes can be fractionated by their solubility and density from a variety of biofluids and probed for vesicular biomarkers (vs. freely circulating or …

Symposium Introduction - America’S Classrooms: Frontlines Of The First Amendment, Jonathan L. Entin

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Why School Choice Is Necessary For Religious Liberty And Freedom Of Belief, Richard F. Duncan

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Misgendering, Academic Freedom, The First Amendment, And Trans Students, Laura Beth Nielsen, Elsinore Kuo, Evan Zhao

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Emerging First Amendment Right To Mistreat Students, Andrew Koppelman

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Review On The Dose Response Effect Of Regular Physical Activity On Cognitive Function Among Children And Adolescents, Weidong Li, Ping Xiang

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Purpose: Positive effects of physical activity on cognitive function among children and adolescents have been observed in previous studies. However, little is known about whether there is a dose-response effect of physical activity on cognitive functioning. Especially, the curvilinear relationship between regular physical activity and cognitive functioning remained unexplored. The purpose of this paper was to review the literature on the dose response effect of physical activity on cognitive function among children and adolescents. Methods: A literature search on key words, title, and abstract with the phrases “physical activity and executive function”, “physical activity and cognition”, and “physical …

The Relationship Of Graduating Students (Alumni-To-Be)’S Sense Of Belonging And Their Intent To Give Back To Their Alma Mater At A Hispanic Serving Institution (Hsi) In South Texas, Lanlan Alvarado

Theses and Dissertations

Higher education institutions are increasingly relying on funding from the private sector (Council for Aid to Education, 2013) as state funding to higher education has decreased in recent years. Bridging the gap between university financial needs and available funding has become a high priority. In the process, higher education institutions have enlisted their advancement offices towards such bridging efforts by systematically bringing in financial support from donors, alumni, corporations, and foundations.

Funding from private sources fluctuates with changes in the macro-economic environment, laws, and regulations, as well as shifts in philanthropic interests in the public. Alumni giving constitutes a substantial …

Faculty Perceptions Of Online Instruction And Educational Technology In Higher Education, Raul Nick Cabrera

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to obtain faculty perceptions of online instruction and educational technology in higher education. Data was collected from eight participants through interviews and open-ended questions at a higher education institution. Results showed that faculty consider that online instruction is only possible for certain programs and that it’s only for certain student populations. In addition, faculty perceive online learning environments as a repository for class information and serve as a communication medium between instructor and student. Furthermore, faculty believe that there is no substitution for traditional teaching methods regardless of the educational technology available. Theoretical and …

Effect Of Elevated Temperature And Roundup Exposure On Oxidative Stress And Antioxidant Status In The American Oyster, Afsana Chowdhury

Theses and Dissertations

Aquatic organisms are frequently exposed to various environmental stressors. In this study, we observed the short-term (1-week) combined dose-dependent effect of Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide, and high temperature (30°C) on the morphology of gills and digestive glands, expression of heat shock protein-70 (HSP70), dinitrophenyl protein (DNP), nitrotyrosine protein (NTP), antioxidant enzymes such as catalase (CAT) and superoxidase dismutase (SOD) in tissues of American oyster (Crassostrea virginica). Histological analyses showed an increase in mucous production in the gills and digestive glands, hemocyte aggregation in the connective tissues as well as structural change of the lumen in the digestive glands …

Creation Of A College Math Club For High School Students, Lilian N. Chavez

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to investigate the variables that contribute to high school students' desire to join a math club, specifically the FMiM VIP Club, which is an extension of UTRGV's Follow Me into Math research project. The research utilized multiple questionnaire s to examine the combination of factors that contribute to the students' attitudes toward the math club. The participants were high school Algebra 2 students from two different schools, and the study was conducted in two stages. The first stage was conducted in the Spring of 2022, focusing on girls' math identity and their interactions with the FMiM VIP …