Digital Commons Network^™

Impact Of Tumor Cell Expressed Cd38 On Metastasis And Immune Evasion In Breast Cancer, Tanvi Visal

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly metastatic breast cancer subtype. The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of cancer cells is a key feature of the metastatic cascade and is not a binary process but often generates malignant cells with both epithelial (E) and mesenchymal (M) traits known as hybrid EM cells. Recent studies highlight the enhanced metastatic potential of the hybrid EM cells. However, molecular insights and targetable vulnerabilities within hybrid EM remain elusive. We discovered that hybrid EM murine tumors are enriched in CD38, an immunesuppressive molecule associated with worse clinical outcomes in liquid malignancies but relatively understudied in solid …

Relationship Between Processing Body Formation, Epithelial-To-Mesenchymal Transition, And Invasion In Lung Adenocarcinoma, Amanda Warner

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, largely due to its ability to metastasize. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process that enhances the ability of cells to lose their cell-cell contacts, invade, and enter the blood stream which are essential during metastasis. Many transcriptional gene programs are altered during EMT such as activation of mesenchymal transcription factors, like ZEB1, and enhanced response to the TGFβ1 cytokine. In oncogenic contexts, TGFβ1 enhances the formation of processing-bodies (P-bodies) where P-body proteins are required for invasion in multiple cancerous cell lines. P-bodies are a type of ribonucleoprotein …

Exploring Veto Activity: Dnam-1-Cd155 Axis In Overcoming Nk Cell-Mediated Allo-Rejection And Applications For Car-T Cell Therapy, Wei-Hsin Liu

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

As Miller et al. defined veto activity, it enables cells to target host cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) precursors specific to veto cells' antigens, selectively eliminating anti- donor T cell clones without inducing rejection. By leveraging this unique immune property, two key research aims were proposed: “Exploration of the Impact of Veto Activity on Natural Killer (NK) Cell-Mediated Allo-rejection” and “Development of Off-the- shelf Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T Therapy: Engineering Anti-Viral Veto CD8+ T Cells”. As demonstrated in our previous research, in a murine model with mild conditioning, anti-third-party central memory CD8+ veto T cells (veto Tcm) can prevent T cell- …

Development Of Lineal Energy Spectrum-Based Biological Effects Models For Protons, Joseph M. Decunha, Fada Guan, David Grosshans, Zhongxing Liao, Dragan Mirkovic, Oleg Vassiliev, Radhe Mohan

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

In this dissertation, methods are developed and described to allow for the rapid calculation of microdosimetric spectra (specifically, lineal energy) for protons. SuperTrack, a GPU-accelerated tool for calculation of microdosimetric spectra was developed and is capable of computing lineal energy spectra up to 5000x faster than using Geant4 directly. Proton lineal energy spectra generated by SuperTrack are indistinguishable from those generated by Geant4. With SuperTrack, large libraries of lineal energy spectra for monoenergetic protons spanning 0-300 MeV have been developed. The proton lineal energy spectra calculated by SuperTrack have been compared to experimental measurements made by a tissue equivalent proportional …

Novel Statistical Methods For Mediation Analysis With High-Dimensional Omics Mediators, Zhichao Xu

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Mediation analysis is a widely used statistical method for examining how molecular traits, such as gene or protein expression, act as intermediaries linking an exposure to a health outcome. For example, it can help explain how smoking affects disease risk through molecular changes. The rapid progress in high-throughput omics profiling technologies and large-scale epidemiology consortia, such as the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and UK Biobank, now has resulted in an extensive accumulation of genomic data for biomedical research and analysis. At the same time, it poses significant methodological challenges, …

The Influence Of Scientific, Genetic, And Health Literacy On Carrier Screening Decision-Making, Brenna D. Albracht

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

For those wishing to assess their reproductive risks and make informed decisions in their reproductive planning, carrier screening for autosomal recessive and X-linked conditions, as well as cell-free DNA (cfDNA) screening for aneuploidy, are recommended during pregnancy. Despite similarities in purpose, sample requirements, insurance coverage, and safety, a lower percentage of individuals elect carrier screening than cfDNA screening, suggesting there may be a disconnect in what patients perceive as valuable information for their pregnancy. Previous studies have attempted to explain the factors associated with carrier screening uptake or decline; however, no models have yet accounted for a patient’s literacy level …

Harnessing The Immunomodulatory Potential Of Radiofrequency Ablation To Improve Therapeutic Outcomes In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Bhumi Maniyar

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) continues to rank among the most lethal cancers with poor prognosis. PDAC is characterized by a thick desmoplastic stroma, severe immunological suppression, and resistance tostandard treatments. The need for innovative therapeutic approaches is highlighted by the tumor microenvironment's (TME) critical role in promoting disease development and reducing the effectiveness oftreatment. A promising locoregional treatment that can induce tumor necrosis and modify the TME is endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation (EUS-RFA). However, there is still minimal understanding around its wider impact on stromal remodeling and immunological activation. This study investigates the immunomodulatory effects of RFA combined with neoadjuvant …

Exploring The Immunologic Consequences Of Atrx Deficiency In Glioma, Benjamin Whitfield

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

ATRX is a key chromatin regulator that is frequently mutated across multiple cancer types. One of the most common ATRX-mutated tumor types is the adult-type glioma, IDH-mutant, Astrocytoma. It is known that ATRX mutation leads to increases in DNA damage, replication stress, and global epigenetic regulation at a cell level; however, less is known about the impact of ATRX mutation on immune signaling. Furthermore, little is known about the interaction of ATRX loss with gain-of-function mutations in IDH. In this paper we set out to explore the impact of ATRX loss on immune signaling in gliomas, both in the context …

Stat3, Nf-Κb, And Estrogen Receptor Beta: The Balance Of Inflammation In K-Ras Mutant Lung Adenocarcinoma, Michael J. Clowers

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

K-ras mutant lung adenocarcinoma (KM-LUAD) is a difficult-to-treat cancer subtype in which chronic inflammation pervades the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Pro-inflammatory pathways dampen the response to treatments, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, necessitating therapies that target this inflammatory signaling network in the TIME. This network is underpinned by interaction and coordination of two inflammatory pathways: signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). The balance of these transcription factors determines the degree of anti- vs. pro-tumor immunity, and a skewing towards STAT3 is known to promote tumor development and a pro-tumor TIME. It is also …

Mhc Class I Tyrosine Phosphorylation Site Y320 Augments Cd8+ T Cell Priming, Effector Function, And Memory Response, Yimo Sun, Gregory A Lizee, Yitao Tang, Priscilla Ortiz, R Eric Davis

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The cytoplasmic domain of MHC class I (MHC-I) molecules contains a single, highly conserved tyrosine residue (Y320). In previous work, we found that mice expressing a Y320F-mutated form of H-2K^b had reduced capacity to generate K^b-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses following viral infection, due (at least in part) to defects in endolysosomal trafficking of H-2K^b and antigen cross-presentation by dendritic cells (DCs). In this study, we investigated whether there are additional, post-presentation dependencies on Y320 for T-cell priming. We engineered both human- and mouse-derived antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to express either wild-type MHC-I or variants of …

An Investigation Into The Potential Of Cell Therapies For Acute Myeloid Leukemia (Aml) Treatment, Amanda Eckstrom

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Despite recent advances in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment, curative rates remain poor with high rates of relapse and many patients are unable to tolerate the intensive chemotherapy standard of care regimen. Cell therapies have shown great success against hematologic malignancies but face several challenges including treatment-related toxicities and human-leukocyte antigen (HLA) matching. Natural killer (NK) cells and gamma delta (γδ) T cells offer alternative effector cell options for cell therapies that do not require HLA-matching and have shown low toxicity in previous studies. In this project, we sought to evaluate FT538 induced pluripotent stem cell-derived NK (iPSC-NK) and donor-derived …

Investigating Metabolic And Mitochondrial Adaptations Triggered By Blood Flow During The Endothelial-To-Hematopoietic Transition, Paulina Horton

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplant is the standard of care for many hematologic diseases. However, many patients cannot benefit from this potentially curative treatment because they cannot find a suitable donor, contributing to a high level of unmet need. Recently, bona fide HSCs capable of robust engraftment and differentiation have been generated from iPSCs utilizing wall shear stress (WSS) to help promote HSC generation. However, the mechanisms through which WSS regulates hematopoiesis remain poorly understood. Scientists, therefore, continue to look for the mechanotransduction pathways that promote hematopoiesis, and key answers may lie in examining the role of extrinsic factors that …

Differential Progression Of Pancreatic Premalignancy In Geographically Distant Murine Transgenic Cohorts Uncovers Key Role Of Microbial Metabolites, Rian M. Howell

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Despite recent advances in diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer that remains highly lethal. Efforts have been made to increase the understanding of the underlying mechanisms driving early stages of tumor development, when the cancer is most susceptible to intervention. To this end, genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) have been developed with the mutations most commonly seen in the patient population. Expression of these mutations in select cellular compartments has resulted in the ability to recapitulate characteristics of human pancreatic cancer such as the development of …

Retrofitting Farm Equipment With Airflow Sensors, Jacob Bybee

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In the Fall of 2024, our farm in Idaho upgraded our equipment from conventional seeding drills to more modern and sophisticated air seeder drills, particularly the John Deere 1900 Commodity Air Cart and John Deere 730 Air Disk Drill. In our case, this equipment was purchased used at an auction and had been a little modified. One modern convenience that this certain 730 Drill did not come with was a blockage monitoring system to alert the operator that a seed distribution tube was no longer distributing seeds. My question the became: Can an affordable, reliable airflow sensor system be designed …

Understanding And Modeling Pooled Rideshare Acceptance: Influential Factors, Preferred User Experiences, And Implications, Rakesh Gangadharaiah

All Dissertations

Ridesharing allows people to share a vehicle with others traveling in the same direction, which can reduce costs and traffic congestion. Pooled rideshare (PR) services, such as UberX Share and Lyft Shared, offer an economical and environmentally friendly alternative by matching passengers traveling similar routes. However, despite these benefits, PR adoption remains low due to concerns about safety, privacy, and convenience. This research explores the factors influencing PR adoption and provides recommendations to improve user acceptance. A nationwide survey of 5,385 participants across the U.S. was conducted to understand why people choose or avoid PR. The study identified five key …

Physiological And Molecular Responses Of Diverse Rice Genotypes Under Drought Stress, Huda Mohmmed Alshaya

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Climate change-induced drought stress is a significant constraint on global rice (Oryza sativa L.) production, threatening food security. This study evaluated the drought resilience of 15 diverse rice genotypes from the USDA mini-core collection under field, greenhouse, and osmotic stress conditions. Field trials assessed reproductive-stage drought tolerance based on panicle length (PL), number of spikelets per panicle (NSP), and spikelet sterility (SS). Greenhouse experiments examined moisture retention at the vegetative stage. Significant genotypic variation was observed, with genotypes 310724, 310779, 311181, 311603, 311793, and Vandana exhibiting drought tolerance through stable PL and SS. Additionally, genotypes 310100, 310428, 311255, N22, …

Pregnancy Care Integrating Translational Science, Everywhere (Precise): A Prospective Cohort Study Of African Pregnant And Non-Pregnant Women To Investigate Placental Disorders – Cohort Profile, Rachel Craik, Joseph Akuze, Marie-Laure Volvert, Hannah Blencowe, Moses Mukhanya, Angela Koech, Grace Mwashigadi, Marleen Temmerman, Marvin Ochieng, Emily Mwadime

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Purpose: The Pregnancies' Care Integrating translational Science, Everywhere Network was established to investigate specific placental disorders (pregnancy hypertension, preterm birth, fetal growth restriction and stillbirth) in sub-Saharan Africa. We created a repository of clinical and social data with associated biological samples from pregnant and non-pregnant women. Alongside this, local infrastructure and expertise in the field of maternal and child health research were enhanced.

Participants: Pregnant women were recruited in participating health facilities in The Gambia, Kenya and Mozambique at their first antenatal visit or at the time a placental disorder was diagnosed (Kenya and The Gambia only). Follow-up study …

Modelling Virus Filtration And Virus Reduction By An Advanced Multilayer Model: Retention Distribution And The Effect Of Product Aggregates, Hironobu Shirataki, Remo Leisi, Junji Hdaka, S. Rancil Wickramasinghe

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Robust virus reduction and high permeability are characteristic properties of virus filters, which are modeled as having an asymmetric multilayer membrane structure with a pore size distribution. In this study, an advanced heterogeneous multilayer model for the multicomponent solution containing viruses, protein monomers and aggregates, has been developed to reproduce the filtration behavior, virus reduction, and virus/protein retention distribution in the virus filter with asymmetric membrane structure. Calculations based on the multilayer membrane structure with consideration of the effect of aggregate size and concentration numerically reproduce the experimental results that virus LRV (log reduction value) decreases when a large number …

Health Information Seeking Behaviors And Consumer Reponse To Scope Of Practice Expansion, Benjamin Kim

Economics Honors Theses

This paper leverages state level variation in scope of practice (SOP) regulation to identify the effect of expanded SOP on healthcare consumer interest. Focusing on google trends search intensity as a proxy for consumer interest this paper utilizes a two-way fixed effects model to estimate the consumer response to healthcare policy. Further I utilize an event study framework to detect a treatment effect of SOP. I find no statistical evidence of an effect of SOP on search intensity utilizing the event study framework. The two-way fixed effects model indicates a positive effect of SOP on consumer interest without controls but …

The Rise Of Artificial Intelligence Andthe Importance Of Media Literacy: Decoding Ai-Generated News, Chris Medeiros

Communication Honors Theses

With the rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence, people around the world are growing concerned about the quality of the content they receive -- especially the information they read in the news. Artificial Intelligence, “the development of computer systems capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as speech recognition, problem- solving, and pattern detection” (Climavision, 2024), are at the heart of these concerns. There are many forms of artificial intelligence. However, the study focuses explicitly on generative AI models, also referred to as Large Language Models (LLMs). A 2023 study surveying newsrooms nationwide reveals that Artificial Intelligence is …

Innovation And Genre In Nonnus’S Dionysiaca, Arianna Loewen

Classical Studies Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Towards Explainable And Robust Nlp: Neutrosophic Probability Augmentation In Text Classification, Nabil M. Abdel-Aziz, Mahmoud Ibrahim, Khalid A. Eldrandaly

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

The rapid growth of textual data necessitates advanced text classification models. However, traditional methods struggle with ambiguity and uncertainty in natural language, reducing classification reliability. To address this, we integrate neutrosophic logic, which explicitly models truth, indeterminacy, and falsity, into a DistilBERT-based text classification framework. Additionally, we employ data augmentation using synonym replacement to enhance generalization. Our approach is evaluated on the AG News dataset, classifying articles into four categories: World, Sports, Business, and Science/Technology. By incorporating neutrosophic attributes, the proposed framework assesses text quality, mitigates uncertainty, and improves robustness against ambiguous inputs. Experimental results demonstrate an accuracy of 94.10%, …

Single Valued Neutrosophic Hypersoft Set Based On Merec-Moosra Mcdm Methods For Evolution Of Sustainable Strategies For The Circular Supply Chain Based On The Beverage Industry, Alaa Salem, Rayan Hussein, Ahmed Abdelmouty, Mohamed Abouhawwash

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Corporate enterprises around the world are facing increasing pressure to operate sustainably due to rising environmental concerns such as climate change, resource scarcity, and ecological degradation. In response, circular supply chain (CSC) practices have emerged as a promising solution, especially within the manufacturing and beverage sectors. CSC focuses on reusing materials, minimizing waste, and creating value from products that have reached the end of their lifecycle. This study investigates the challenges and opportunities of applying circular supply chain management (CSCM) in the beverage industry, which is known for generating significant waste due to high production volumes. The research identifies key …

Development Of Aczel-Alsina Aggregation Operators In Neutrosophic Cubic Sets For Multi-Expert And Multi-Criteria Weighting: Optimizing Alternative Fuel Technology Selection, Majid Khan, Muhammad Gulistan, Aitazaz A. Farooque, Mohammed M. Al-Shamiri, Witold Pedrycz

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Managing vague and uncertain data has long been a challenge in decision-making (DM), particularly in scenarios where criteria and expert assessments play a critical role. This paper introduces operational laws based on Aczel-Alsina (AA) norms within Neutrosophic Cubic Sets (NCS) to more effectively handle uncertainty. Leveraging these operational laws, we propose two aggregation operators: the Neutrosophic Cubic Aczel-Alsina Weighted Averaging (NCAAWA) and the Neutrosophic Cubic Aczel-Alsina Weighted Geometric (NCAAWG) operators. These provide a comprehensive approach to data aggregation, preserving both additive and multiplicative influences on outcomes in complex systems. In DM, the importance of weights is paramount, and we introduce …

Early Breast Cancer Detection With Ultrasound Data Using Nmf, Rutvi Khamar

Theses and Dissertations

Early detection of breast cancer significantly influences patient outcomes. Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (DCE-US) has shown promise in early detection by visualizing tumor vascularity and perfusion dynamics in real-time. This study evaluates the efficacy of DCE-US in distinguishing four stages of cancer progression: normal, hyperplasia, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and invasive cancer, using a transgenic mouse model that mimics human breast cancer. Ultrasound burst pulses, while commonly used to remove unbound contrast agents, can potentially damage human tissues. Using the pre-pulse data helps mitigate this risk, ensuring safer and more reliable measurements. A VEGFR2-targeted microbubble contrast agent was injected, and …

Blink-Related Brainwaves As Digital Biomarkers For Cognition Assessment During Complex Tasks, Lexine Carmlixa Sibert-Jolissaint

Theses and Dissertations

Blink-related oscillations (BROs) are neurophysiological responses observed in electroencephalography (EEG) following spontaneous blinking, reflecting the brain processing of new visual information. Prior research has demonstrated BRO responses across various cognitive states, such as resting, cognitive loading, and sensory stimulation, highlighting their potential as a non-invasive biomarker of brain function. We conducted the first investigation of BRO responses during a verbal fluency (VF) task, which is a complex, dynamic task state combining memory, visual perception, executive function, and language processing. Using publicly available EEG data from 22 healthy adults, we measured BRO responses over the left anterior frontal region corresponding to …

Comparison Analyses Of Consumer Acceptance, Evoked Emotions, And Purchase Intent Between Gluten-Containing Versus Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Products, Shaelyn Frauenhoffer, Eniola Ola, Suzanne Jervis, Susan E. Gauch, Han-Seok Seo

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The demand for gluten-free products has increased significantly over the past few decades. This study aimed to determine differences in consumer acceptance, emotional responses, and purchase intent between gluten-containing versus gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. Twelve commercially available chocolate chip cookie products from 11 brands were evaluated, including 7 gluten-free and 5 gluten-containing options. Eighty-nine participants without celiac disease took part in this 2-day study, evaluating six cookies per day. Participants rated sensory acceptance (appearance, flavor, texture, and overall liking) using a 9-point hedonic scale and evaluated specific sensory attributes (chocolate flavor, sweetness, chewiness, and hardness) using a 5-point just-about-right (JAR) …

The State Of Latino-Serving Community-Based Organizations In Massachusetts, Fabián Torres-Ardila, Phillip Granberry, Rachel Paz, Luna Páez Abaunsa, Valentina Valderrama Pérez

Gastón Institute Publications

Massachusetts has a diverse Latino population with large numbers of Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, and Mexicans. Nearly a third (32%) of the Latino population is foreign-born. Of this foreign-born population, 61% are not U.S. citizens. Nearly 210,000 Latino children are enrolled in K-12 schools. Of the Latino population over age five who speak Spanish in the home, 33% have limited English proficiency. Among the adult population, 28% have less than a high school education, and 60% are in the labor force.3 The varied needs of this population require a strong ecosystem of local organizations that provide services to support …

Assessing The Utilization Of Building Information Modelling (Bim) In The Preservation Of Cultural Heritage: A Case Study Of Ashe-Street Courthouse, Boluwatife J. Oluwamakinde

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how Building Information Modeling (BIM) was used in the Ashe Street Courthouse restoration, with an emphasis on its role in heritage preservation. It follows a context-oriented instrumental case study methodology and a systematic four-step approach: reviewing literature and historical records, conducting semi-structured interviews with renovation architects, and analyzing project documentation. The study compares BIM with traditional methods to assess documentation quality, stakeholder collaboration, and project efficiency. Findings show that BIM increases documentation accuracy through real-time modifications while preserving historical data. It also enhances collaboration by providing a centralized platform for architects, engineers, and preservation specialists, reducing errors …

Stock Pitch: Robinhood Markets (Hood), Morgan Cole

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This capstone project presents an in-depth analysis and valuation of Robinhood Markets Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOD). Robinhood Markets is a revolutionary fintech platform aiming to democratize finance and investing.

The company was founded in 2013 in Menlo Park, California by Vladimir Tenev and Baiju Bhatt. The co-founders created an intuitive mobile trading platform and were the first to offer commission-free trading. Robinhood has opened the door to investing to a new demographic through the easy-to-use mobile app, the ability to buy and sell fractional shares (this makes purchasing shares of companies with high share prices accessible to more individuals), in-app financial …