Digital Commons Network^™

Targeting Il-6 Signaling And Release Pathways Modulates Inflammation And Restores Intestinal Epithelial Integrity And Function During Mycobacterium Avium Paratuberculosis Infection, Ala' Mahmoud Saleem Alhendi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Like TNFα, IL-6 is upregulated in Crohn’s disease (CD) associated with Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) infection. Limited therapeutic response to anti-IL-6 therapy may be related to the dual role of IL-6. In this study, we investigated the effects and the signaling mechanism of IL-6 in intestinal epithelial integrity and function during MAP infection using an in vitro model that consists of THP-1, HT-29 and Caco-2 cell lines. Clinically, we determined that plasma samples from MAP-infected CD patients have higher IL-6 levels compared to controls (P-value < 0.001). In CD-like macrophages, MAP infection has significantly upregulated the secretion of IL-6 and the shedding of IL-6 receptor (IL-6R). Moreover, it resulted in significant upregulation of intestinal damage markers including CLDN2, NOX-1 and SERPINE1. Blocking IL-6 signaling exacerbated that damage and enhanced the levels of the damage markers. In HT-29 cells, MAP infection upregulated MUC2 expression, a protective response that was reversed when IL-6R was neutralized. More importantly, blocking IL-6 signaling during MAP infection rescued damaged Caco-2 cells from MAP-induced apoptosis. We also examined the role of monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4), a proton-coupled lactate symporter, that facilitates the inflammatory shift in macrophages, and its impact on intestinal epithelial homeostasis during MAP infection. MAP infection increased lactate export and upregulated the expression of MCT4, TNFα, and IL-6 via TLR2. Inhibition of MCT4 during MAP infection using α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCα) significantly reduced TNFα and IL-6 and led to restoring baseline oxidative status, mucin level, and SERPINE1. It also enhanced tight junction protein TJP1 (ZO-1) expression. These findings emphasize the role of IL-6 in MAP-associated CD pathogenesis and explain the ineffective response to IL-6 therapies in CD patients. Moreover, our findings revealed the role of MCT4 in CD pathophysiology during MAP infection and highlighted MCT4 as a potential therapeutic target for effective CD treatment.

Wavefront Sensing Using Nonlocal Metasurfaces, Arturo Martin Jimenez

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Many laser applications require wavefront control to compensate for aberrations caused by system misalignment, component fabrication errors, and propagation through inhomogeneous atmospheres. Aberrations caused by atmospheric turbulence remain particularly challenging to measure due to the temporally fluctuating wavefront distortions and large transverse phase variations in the beam. Conventional wavefront sensors, like the Schack-Hartmann (SHWS) are effective at low turbulence levels, but require relatively bulky optical elements. This thesis investigates the use of metasurface optical elements for use in wavefront sensors both in the low-turbulence limit and in deep turbulence conditions. Such metasurface-based wavefront sensors can achieve the functionality of complex …

Specialty Optical Fibers: Design, Fabrication, And Characterization, Md Abu Sufian

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

As conventional silica fibers approach their performance limits in the face of exponentially growing demands for high data throughput in optical communication systems and constraints on power handling capability stemming from material limitations, several alternative technologies have been explored over the past decade. Despite the implementation of advanced multiplexing schemes and progress in digital signal processing capabilities, conventional fibers remain limited by their inherent physical constraints. In this advent, space division multiplexing, where the fiber cross-section comprises multiple simultaneous data channels, has been proposed as a potential solution to satisfy the bandwidth requirements of hyper-scale data centers, Artificial Intelligence infrastructures, …

Metasurface-Refractive Hybrid Lens Design, Ko-Han Shih

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Refractive optics are widely used in imaging systems while optical aberrations can limit their imaging performance and the typical solution to correct is cascading additional refractive optics with varying materials and shapes. Still, this scheme can result in bulky and costly lenses. Metasurfaces (MSs), with their compactness and ability to locally manipulate wavefronts, offer additional degrees of freedom in aberration correction. Integrating MSs with refractive optics creates MS-refractive hybrid lenses, enabling advanced optical performance while maintaining a compact design. Various methods have been proposed for designing aberration-correcting MSs in hybrid lenses, which often rely on predefined target phase profiles or …

Utilizing Programmable Spatial Light Modulators For Beam Shaping And Spectral Synthesis, Shree Ram Thapa

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Programmable spatial light modulators (SLMs) built on Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) technology enable precise control of multiple degrees of freedom of light, such as amplitude, phase, frequency, polarization, and time. We demonstrate applications of SLM technology that go beyond the conventional 4-f ultrafast pulse shaping approach. By developing a dual-oscillator power amplifier (DOPA), we show that nonlinear wave interactions inside optical fibers can be managed through the spectral phase adjustment of optical frequency combs produced by non-degenerate, cascaded four-wave mixing (CFWM). Our approach utilizes a programmable spectral phase profile, which allows precise regulation of an optical comb’s spectral content. …

Programmable Integrated Topological Photonics, Amin Hashemi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The interplay between non-Hermiticity and topology has emerged as a frontier in photonics, with important implications for quantum optics, lasers, and sensors. While conventional approaches rely on Hermitian band structures, recent theory shows that loss and dissipation can themselves give rise to novel topological phenomena. In this dissertation, we experimentally explore this paradigm using programmable integrated photonic platforms based on coupled silicon ring resonators. We first demonstrate that purely non-Hermitian effects, without any underlying Hermitian topology, can induce topological edge states. Implementing a non-Hermitian Aubry–Andre–Harper model with loss modulation, we observe edge-localized modes in both periodic and quasiperiodic configurations and …

Advancements In Slow-Wave Thin Film Lithium Niobate For Opto-Electronic Communications, Joseph W. Haefner

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The views expressed in this dissertation are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Air Force, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.

The explosive growth of human connectedness over the previous decades has, and will continue to strain the communication infrastructure under-girding modern economies, and society. The continuous expansion of data-centers, advanced artificial intelligence models, and remote data storage will require novel high bandwidth solutions for both long haul and local inter-connects. Current solutions seek to expand link bandwidth through the use of complex high baud rate constellations, in …

Electrochemical Detection Of Nitrite Based On Iron Oxide–Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Modified Electrode In Real Water, Amira Ghezal, Zina Fredj, Ammar Al-Hamry, Marcos A. Gross, Leonardo G. Paterno, Mounir Ben Ali, Olfa Kanoun, Baljit Singh

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

This work presents a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) modified with iron oxide nanoparticles-reduced graphene oxide (ION-rGO) nanocomposite for the rapid and highly sensitive determination of nitrite in real water samples. The presence of both ION and rGO on the electrode surface enhances the sensing performance compared to the unmodified SPCE by reducing the charge transfer at the electrode/electrolyte interface. Under optimized conditions, it is demonstrated that the charge-transfer resistance determined from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) scales linearly with the logarithm of nitrite concentration. Due to its unique structure, the proposed nitrite sensor displays improved performance compared to our previous work, …

Clinical Educators' Perceptions And Experiences With Interprofessional Education And Collaborative Practice, Laurie Neely

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

As healthcare systems adapt to meet increasingly complex population health needs, interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) has emerged as a vital strategy to improve patient outcomes while decreasing costs. Interprofessional education (IPE) is essential for preparing health professions students to engage in patient-centered, team-based care. However, faculty must be equipped to design and facilitate IPE experiences for successful integration into health professions curricula. The Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) created Core Competencies for IPCP, including roles and responsibilities, teams and teamwork, communication, and values and ethics, to guide faculty in preparing students to be collaborative healthcare providers. While academic faculty have been …

You And Me: Imagination As A Coping Mechanism For Childhood Trauma, Rachel B. Sacks

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

You and Me is a two-dimensional (2D) animated short film about a young girl who suffers from an unknown illness. As she tries to rest, two otherworldly monsters transform her room into an unsettling nightmare. These monsters stem from her own distorted perceptions of the doctor and nurse caring for her. You and Me focuses on the difficulties that children navigating medical challenges face in communicating their fears with their caretakers. It is a film rooted staunchly in the subjective world of its protagonist. The art style deliberately combines conventionally appealing character design with surrealist imagery and evocative, unsettling lighting …

Utterance Fluency In Integrated Speaking Tasks: Examining The Role Of Task Type And Topic, Elif Saribas

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Fluency is a fundamental component of second language (L2) proficiency and plays a central role in both communicative competence and language assessment (Tavakoli & Wright, 2020). This study examined utterance fluency, specifically speed, breakdown, and repair fluency, within integrated speaking tasks, widely employed in high-stakes language assessments such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT). Although previous research has established strong associations between fluency and both communicative adequacy and overall proficiency ratings (De Jong et al., 2015; Révész et al., 2016), the interaction between task structure and topic remains insufficiently understood due to confounding …

Leyendo "Pasión De Historia" Desde Una Mirada Poscolonial, Erika Maribel Heredia

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The short story “Pasión de historia” by Ana Lydia Vega can be interpreted as a sharp reflection on Latin American postmodernity, immersed in a cultural reality shaped by colonialism. This context raises questions of identity in the face of a globalized economy, making the story a text with a complex framework and multiple levels of interpretation. Among these, postcolonialism stands out as the central axis of the analysis presented in this essay.

The frequent references to the Puerto Rican nation and its independence struggle, the depiction of gastronomy as a unifying national element, the use of popular language infused with …

Gothic Girlhood Horrors, Nina M. Lopez

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Gothic Girlhood Horrors is a collection of creative nonfiction examining the formative experiences of girlhood. Through experimental essays, short stories, and other forms of prose, it investigates how universal and personal a young woman’s experiences can be. Part I, “HOW TO BECOME A GIRL,” opens with a coming-of-age story. “GIRL CRAZY” takes inspiration from memoirist Elissa Washuta’s “Sexually Based Offenses,” with the narrator engaging in a hypothetical conversation. Some essays explore the narrator’s relationship with motherhood; others delve into the complex relationship with her own mother. Key moments of girlhood are highlighted, such as dying hair (“let down your hair”) …

Breaking Barriers: Women's Struggle For The Vote In Jacksonville, Brett M. Nystrom

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

During the first half of the twentieth century, women in Jacksonville brought women’s suffrage to the forefront of the city’s discourse through increased engagement in the public sphere. By forming women’s organizations such as the Woman’s Club of Jacksonville, the Florida Equal Franchise League, and the Duval County League of Women Voters, White women addressed concerns regarding women’s voting rights. However, these White women’s organizations and Jacksonville’s White, male-dominated authority excluded African American women from participating in the public sphere. Therefore, African American women in Jacksonville established the City Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs, which served as a platform for …

Utilizing Recommendation Systems To Achieve More Personalized Themed Experiences, Bryan P. Mcgowan

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Digital platforms such as Amazon, Netflix, and YouTube demonstrate the effectiveness of recommendation systems to personalize content and drive revenue, yet themed attractions have historically offered limited personalization. This thesis explores how recommendation systems can enhance adaptive themed experiences, focusing on branching narratives and dynamic environments that respond to guest behavior. Research from literature relevant to recommendation systems, along with analyses of successful attractions and digital experiences, informed the creative solutions developed for The Nexus. In this immersive walkthrough attraction, guests pass through a magical portal into a multiverse that adapts to their preferences and actions. This research shows how …

The Marginalization Of The Malgre Nous In French Society From Its Roots To The 1960s, Marie Oury

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis examines how young Alsatians found themselves on the margins of postwar France. The illegal annexation of their region by Germany in 1940 led them into a bitter paradox: within months, they had to support their enemy's war effort. The National Socialist (Nazi) regime's coercion reached its height between 1942 and 1945, when 130,000 young men and women from Alsace and Moselle were conscripted into the German army against their will. After the war, this generation bore the weight of that history, struggling to reintegrate into France, a nation that sought to avoid grappling with the complex experiences of …

Digitally-Mediated Nature-Connectedness?: Listeners’ Emotional Responses To And Perception Of Digitized Nature Sounds, Marissa Salas

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

• Faced with the potential closure or privatization of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS), it is important to reflect on the conservation efforts using soundscapes. This dissertation explores the gap between experts and lay listeners in listening to soundscapes through the digitally-mediated spaces (e.g. YouTube). In a pilot project conducted in 2024 that used facial emotional recognition software and a talk-aloud protocol, data on emotions was collected. Using NPS video recordings on its webpages, social media accounts and via other digital channels (YouTube, etc.) created by NPS experts, this project employed an innovative, interdisciplinary, mixed-methods experimental design to investigate …

Analysis Of Queerness And Race In Black Lightning And Dctv Femslash, Rachel Marks

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

In this dissertation, I research issues of queer representation and race in the CW network’s DC television (DCTV) shows’ fandom by investigating femslash ships, or the fan pairing of female characters. To do this, I compare the femslash ship of the characters Anissa Pierce and Grace Choi (ThunderGrace), a canon multiracial couple from the CW television show Black Lightning, to three other DCTV femslash pairings: the characters Sara Lance and Ava Sharpe (Avalance), a canon white couple from the television show DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, the characters Alex Danvers and Kelly Olsen (Dansen), a canon multiracial couple from …

Expanding The World Of Themed Entertainment Through Choice-Based Narratives: How Video Game Design Principles Inspire Immersion In Attractions, Layla R. Mccarthy

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Within most traditional theme park attractions, guest interaction does not directly impact the unfolding of the narrative. While there are many examples of encouraged interaction, guests still lack agency. Within this research, the goal is to develop a hypothetical theme park attraction (titled The Library of Worlds) where guests will be met with various choices that influence the trajectory of the story. Drawing inspiration from non-linear storytelling and interactive gaming, this study explores integration of choice-based narratives into themed entertainment, questioning the ways in which agency can enhance immersion and connection within attractions – as well as what elements …

Live Content: Turning Guests Into Co-Creators Of Gamified Attractions, Brittany Mcchesney

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Based on an in-depth exploratory literature review, this thesis proposes to assess how a live content team might interact with the lifecycle of a gamified theme park attraction. To offer unique and memorable experiences to Guests, there has been an increase in the development of theme park attractions that are “gamified,” in that Guests can interface with some interactive game element or experience. This is especially pertinent with the development of video-game-focused lands and attractions, such as Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan, Hollywood, and soon to be Epic Universe in Orlando, FL. Attractions can incorporate gamification in a …

Evaluating Robustness Of Methods For Comparing Two Means Using Paired Data With Few Incomplete Pairs, Thien Pham

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Practitioners often resort to the paired t test to test equality of two means when data is complete. When small amounts of data are missing, is this method still as robust? Are there alternative methods which can perform the job better on the missing data? In this thesis, we measured the robustness of the paired t-test, two sample t-test, corrected z-test, modified corrected z-test, weighted t-test, pooled t-test, optimal pooled t-test, unequal variance test, correlation focused t-test, multiple imputation method, mixed model method, modified maximum likelihood estimate method, and Uddin’s modified maximum likelihood estimate method. This is simulated in an …

Humanity In The Calamity: Hurricane Andrew, The Cold War, And The Demilitarization Of Fema, 1993 – 2002., Luis R. Rios Iii

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Humanity in the Calamity maps out the erroneous land practices that damned the American population to build in the state of Florida in a manner that does not fit the fluid landscape of the environment. Throughout history, as Americans built up Florida on the threatened coastline, the doctrines of disaster polities and emergency management were birthed under the influence of Civil Defense, induced by the militaristic agendas of the Cold War. The influence of Cold War-Era Civil Defense clouded the field of emergency management and FEMA, limiting the response to natural disasters making disasters more violent and deadly.

These issues …

Macabre Therapeutics: An Exploration Into The Cathartic Nature Of Splatter Utilizing The Saw Franchise As Corpus, Rosalind E. Rohrbaugh

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This project positions splatter (a subgenre of horror films that centralizes gore) as applicable for sociopolitical critique and emotional catharsis, disrupting the narrative of splatter as a solely shock-based enterprise. The project utilizes the Saw franchise as a corpus, which reignited audience interest in extreme horror in 2004, rejuvenating splatter film releases since their stagnancy throughout the 1990s. This research seeks to answer why Saw captured the attention of audiences and returned the splatter subgenre to the 21st century, utilizing psychoanalytical film analysis, sociopolitical analysis, semiotics, content analysis, and archival research as methodology and drawing on Aristotle’s Catharsis and Rhetorical …

Sketching Towards Character: An Actor's Process Of Reclaiming The Mind-Body Connection, Lauren E. Schulke

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The human body is capable of incredible things. It completes vital functions autonomically, can instinctively protect us from harm, helps us sense, process, and respond to the world we inhabit, and can even heal itself when necessary. But what happens when an actor, who is dependent on their body to express their artistry, has lost awareness of their material? With the help of this thesis and the crafting of a personal methodology, I have developed a process that works towards healing this fracture and encourages the initial crafting of character through embodiment.

This thesis details the evolution of a personal …

Under Control, Eric Tegethoff

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Under Control is a collection of six short stories focused on masculinity. The stories explore family, climate change, nationalism, and the nature of work. “A Survey of Man” and “Snake Pit” dive into the corrosive effects of capitalism on men in society. In “The Art of War,” the narrator finds the cost of pursuing healing outside of society’s prescribed norms. Society’s norms also act on the characters in “My Country, My Cybertruck” and “Bad Reporting.” The collection ends with “Virtual Idaho,” a short story that scrutinizes the masculine barriers to properly grieving for a loved one.

The Federal Maritime Commission’S New Framework For Ocean Carrier Accountability: Analysis Of The Mcs Industries And Oj Commerce Decisions, Heewan Noh, Jie Shi

Cardozo Law Review de•novo

This article examines two 2024 Federal Maritime Commission (FMC or “Commission”) cases that significantly impact the interpretation of ocean carrier accountability under the Shipping Act of 1984: MCS Industries, Inc. v. COSCO Shipping Lines Co. Ltd. and OJ Commerce, LLC v. Hamburg Südamerikanische Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft A/S & Co. KG. This article argues that the FMC, whose mission is to “[e]nsure a competitive and reliable international ocean transportation supply system that supports the U.S. economy and protects the public from unfair and deceptive practices,” continues to make ongoing efforts to clarify and enforce protecting shippers’ rights. These efforts focus particularly on (i) …

Correcting Course: How Congress Can Streamline U.S. Engagement With The International Criminal Court, Sophia N. Ramcharitar

Cardozo Law Review de•novo

Since its participation in the 1998 Rome Conference, the United States has vocalized opposition to key components of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) jurisdiction. This opposition has informed longstanding positions taken by the executive branch and motivated anti-ICC legislation passed by Congress. Support for the ICC’s investigation in Ukraine challenged these narratives across the legislative and executive branches, but the ICC’s arrest warrants of Israeli officials in 2024 renewed Congress’s heightened skepticism of the court and sowed political divisions on efforts to sanction the ICC. Congress’s oscillation on the ICC within the past several years prompts a larger question of …

Remedying Unconstitutional Immigration Enforcement, Guha Krishnamurthi

Cardozo Law Review de•novo

Fearmongering about “illegal immigration” has reached a fever pitch. There is a nearing bipartisan consensus among politicians that “stopping illegal immigration and securing the border” is a paramount priority. The fact that many politicians and institutional actors have displayed animus in discussing immigration enforcement portends that many perils lie ahead. It is precisely during this time that constitutional rights must serve as a bulwark against government overreach. This Essay contends that our constitutional rights framework, specifically its principal remedies for rights violations, are inadequate to protect against government malfeasance. In particular, I demonstrate that there are plausible scenarios where the …

Shoot The Messenger: Why Section 230 Does Not Shield Suggestive Content Delivery, Alexander Heinkele

Cardozo Law Review de•novo

Internet companies have frequently relied on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 to avoid liability for third-party content hosted on their platforms. However, over time, companies began to take advantage of the broad cover of Section 230 in circumstances outside the statute’s original scope. This Note advocates for a more nuanced interpretation of the statute as it applies to suggestive algorithms and offers a proposal for amending Section 230 to better reflect the modern digital landscape.

The Score Act Is Unconstitutional: Private Nondelegation Problems With Congress’S Latest Attempt To Regulate College Sports, Sam C. Ehrlich, Ryan M. Rodenberg

Cardozo Law Review de•novo

The Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements Act (“SCORE Act”) is Congress’s most ambitious effort yet to bring stability to college sports, codifying the recent House settlement while granting sweeping regulatory power to private athletic associations such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (“NCAA”) and the College Sports Commission (“CSC”). However, by delegating policymaking authority to these private, self-interested entities without any sort of public oversight, the bill raises serious constitutional concerns under the private nondelegation doctrine. Drawing on parallels to a string of litigation involving the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (“HISA”) and recent Supreme Court signals, …