Digital Commons Network^™

Synthesis, Characterization, And Evaluation Of Amphiphilic Cell-Penetrating Peptides As Sirna Delivery Tools For Cancer Therapy, Muhammad Imran Sajid

Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

Post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS), also termed as RNA interference (RNAi) possess a great therapeutic potential. Three siRNA-based products have been recently approved that have developed a renewed interest in the scientific community to explore this alternative therapeutic area rigorously. However, several challenges are limiting their use as a widespread therapeutic agent. The limitations include their membrane impermeability, short half-life, elimination by the kidney, entrapment by the reticuloendothelial system, sequestration by plasma proteins, endosomal trap, and off-target effects.

Several delivery systems and transfection agents have been investigated to address these challenges. Still, most of the systems suffer from toxicity and low …

Identifying Sars-Cov-2 Variants Of Concern Through Saliva- Based Rt-Qpcr By Targeting Recurrent Mutation Sites, Rachel E. Ham, Austin R. Smothers, Rui Che, Keegan J. Sell, Congyue Annie Peng, Delphine Dean

Open Access Publishing Fund

SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) continue to pose a public health threat which necessitates a real-time monitoring strategy to complement whole genome sequencing. Thus, we investigated the efficacy of competitive probe RT-qPCR assays for six mutation sites identified in SARS-CoV-2 VOCs and, after validating the assays with synthetic RNA, performed these assays on positive saliva samples. When compared with whole genome sequence results, the SD69-70 and ORF1aD3675-3677 assays demonstrated 93.60 and 68.00% accuracy, respectively. The SNP assays (K417T, E484K, E484Q, L452R) demonstrated 99.20, 96.40, 99.60, and 96.80% accuracies, respectively. Lastly, we screened 345 positive saliva samples from 7 to 22 …

Scenes Of Screens, Scenes Of Sodomy: The Role And Impact Of The Folding Screen In Eighteenth-Century French Erotic Novels, Katherine Delony

English Undergraduate Distinction Projects

This project provides an analysis of the folding screen as a literary agent and signifier which reflects the cultural happenings of the eighteenth century with specific emphasis on new ideas about queerness which arise in France during the eighteenth century. I will focus primarily on the Marquis de Sade’s (1740-1814) Justine, ou Les Malheurs de la vertu (1791) (as well as La Nouvelle Justine, 1797) and John Cleland’s (1709-1789) Le Fille de Joie (translated 1751) with reference to Jean-Louis Fougeret de Monbron’s (1706-1760) Margot la Ravaudeuse (1753), Sade’s Philosophie dans le boudoir Jean-François de Bastide’s (1724-1798) La …

Pandemic Transitions: The Impact Of Covid 19 On Hiring And Onboarding In Academic Libraries, Lauren M. Fletcher, Roslyn Grandy, Faythe Thurman, Rachel Whitney

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Objectives: To explore how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected hiring and onboarding practices in academic libraries.

Methods: An embedded mixed-methods approach, utilizing grounded theory, was used to develop an online survey to identify changes that occurred in hiring and onboarding practices in academic libraries resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were hiring managers (including human resources staff, library administration, search committee chairs, or library supervisors) in an academic library setting. Invitations to participate were sent to multiple academic library listservs and social media groups.

Results: Results will be analyzed to determine trends in hiring and onboarding practices …

Fixed-Dose Prothrombin Complex Concentrate Versus Weight-Based Dose For Reversal Of Factor Xa Inhibitors, Kevin Chau, Bryce Winn, Peter Martsin

Providence Pharmacy PGY1 Program at Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent Medical Centers 2022

No abstract provided.

Synthesis, Characterization, And Functionality Of Novel 2d Material Sn3p2, Cory Stephenson

Physics Undergraduate Honors Theses

In recent years, two-dimensional (2D) materials have gained a lot of attention due to their potential applications in devices and their promise to revolutionize technology. In our group, we are capable of synthesizing such materials and study their properties. I have discovered a new material of the tin-phosphorus family that displays the 2D layered structure and therefore shows potential to be used in future devices due to this reduced dimensionality from the typical three-dimensional counterpart. This 2D structure may allow for new phenomena to emerge as there is no longer any interatomic interactions along the z- axis. Under this motivation, …

Monitoring The M-Dwarf Host Stars Of Tess Exoplanet Candidates: Stellar Flares And Habitability, Ashley Lieber

Physics Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the search for life beyond our solar system, the study of M-dwarfs has become increasingly important due to their unique characteristics including their small size, flaring capabilities, and long lifespans. Their small size allows for exoplanet detection due to observable gravitational interactions, and the stellar flares could potentially trigger prebiotic life on exoplanets in the system. Lastly, their long lifespans may provide the conditions necessary to foster prebiotic life and the development of more complex organisms over time. Flare rate is a critical factor in determining the habitability of the exoplanet due to its potential to damage or incubate …

Forecasting Razorback Baseball Game Outcomes, Austin Raabe

Information Systems Undergraduate Honors Theses

Despite the disappointing end to the 2021 Arkansas Razorback baseball year, the team’s success provided hog fans something to look forward to next season. While they will be without the 2021 Golden Spikes Award winner, Kevin Kopps, and four All-SEC team selections, the 2022 roster has promising new and returning talent. With fifty percent of the players who played significant time last year coming back (minimum ten hits or ten innings pitched), the arrival of several impact transfers from major conferences, and a recruiting class ranked in the top five according to Perfect Game, there is reason to believe that …

Social Isolation Interventions For Older, Underrepresented And Vulnerable Americans: A Descriptive Study Of Public Library Outreach Services During The Covid Pandemic, Sally Mathews Inglett

Leadership Education Capstones

The United States entered a state of lockdown in March 2020 in order slow the spread of the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus. With this lockdown came mandatory social isolation, which was especially impactful for older, underrepresented and vulnerable Americans. Public libraries acted as community information centers and took on many unexpected roles to benefit the common good. This study identified these interventions through research and survey, and their relationship to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Maslow, 1943). This study also brought to light collaborative relationships between agencies, the redeployment of library staff and resources to meet these needs, the impact of the …

From Disengagement To Intervention: The Chinese Civil War, Korean War, And The Paradigm Shift Of The U.S. Foreign Policy In East Asia, Hosung Jung

History Student Projects

No abstract provided.

An Internet-Connected Community: How College Students Experience Residential Living In The Age Of New Media, Jared Hobson

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

Higher education professionals, particularly those in the realm of Residence Life, are working with outdated knowledge. Emerging research is showing that the incoming cohorts of college students are fundamentally different than their predecessors because of new media technology's prevalence in our society. This study aims to determine if the usage and presence of internet-connected technology impacts how students experience community within their residence halls. In this context, students' sense of community is defined as the extent to which these individuals develop senses of attachment, belonging, and involvement.

Poverty, Social Isolation, Uselessness, And Loneliness: The Fears And Anxieties Of 19th-Century British Governesses, Lydia Pejovic

English (MA) Theses

This essay focuses on the prevalent fears of governesses in nineteenth-century Britain: poverty and social isolation, uselessness/redundancy, and a life of loneliness. Through looking at Emma, Jane Eyre, and The Turn of the Screw, novels which span the century (their publication dates ranging from 1814-1898), and comparing them to the historical reality of many middle class women at the time, these fears are revealed to be quite valid. The fears and anxieties displayed by the characters in the three novels are reflected in statements made by former governesses (including Mary Wollstonecraft), and are likewise reinforced through census reports and common …

Reruns, Devann Donovan Gardner

Graduate Theses

My thesis explores memory from the perspectives of both the adolescent and the adult. I find there are a multiplicity of truths that live within each memory. I am a visual artist who creates immersive installations and artworks that explore the plurality of truths held within memory. I offer a childlike whimsy in my visual aesthetic to invite the viewer in and pose a question for their adult side to consider. I question where the line is drawn between the child's memory and the adult's knowledge, and allow the viewer to decide which of those to believe. Imaginary landscapes and …

Cytotoxic Activity Of Non-Specific Lipid Transfer Protein (Nsltp1) And Proteomic Evaluation Of Heparin-Binding Proteins From Ajwain (Trachyspermum Ammi) Seeds, Saud Alshammari

Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

Trachyspermum ammi, commonly known as ajwain, is a member of the Apiaceae family. It is a therapeutic herbal spice with diverse pharmacological properties, used in traditional medicine for various ailments. However, all previous studies were conducted using small molecule extracts, leaving the protein’s bioactivity undiscovered. The present study demonstrated the antiproliferative activity of ajwain nsLTP1 in MCF-7, AsPC-1, and MCF10A cell lines and its structural stability in human serum and high-temperature conditions. The antiproliferative activity of ajwain nsLTP1 was evaluated in MCF-7 and AsPC-1 cell lines using an MTT assay. Annexin V-FITC and PI staining were used to detect the …

The Predictability Of Faculty Participation In Professional Development Programs Using Demographic, Academic, And Occupational Factors In Higher Education, Dibande Anna Itoe

Dissertations (2016-Present)

The purpose of this study was to determine if there exist any predictive relationships between faculty demographic, academic, and occupational factors, and faculty participation in professional development programs. Despite the established benefits of faculty participating in professional development programs and its corresponding impact on student learning and graduation rates, a critical issue for professional development centers has been how to attract and motivate faculty to participate in these programs (James Jacob et. al., 2019). A correlational research procedure was used as the structural framework for conducting this study, and the population of interest were higher education faculty from two private …

Discovery Of Ojt010 As A Novel Inhibitor Of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, Manvir Kaur

Dissertations (2016-Present)

The current pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the highly infectious pathogen, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), represents a global public health challenge. The emergence of deadly SARS-CoV-2 variants with mutations on the viral genes has made it more imperative to discover therapeutics that target the host receptors for COVID-19 treatment. Therefore, our research has targeted the critical host entry receptors: Angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) for SARS-CoV-2 entry into the human cells. SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped RNA beta coronavirus that infects human cells via interaction with the ACE2 receptor, followed by viral replication and virus dissemination. Spike protein …

Organizational Change Process Milwaukee - Needs Assessment Summary, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

Exploration of Needs

The Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD) worked with the Division of Milwaukee Child Protective Services (DMCPS) to conduct a needs assessment. A variety of information was explored to learn about the current workforce and the agency’s workforce practices, including 1) recruitment, hiring, and retention metrics and processes, 2) organizational culture and climate, and 3) other workforce processes and initiatives, such as onboarding, mentoring, supervision, performance management, and employee recognition. More specifically, four major types of information were considered: 1) objective data from various agency databases and reports; 2) subjective perceptions of staff and supervisors, …

Subset Selection Of Ε- Better Exponential Populations Under Heteroscedasticity, Anju Goyal, A. N. Gill, Vishal Maurya

Journal of Statistics Applications & Probability

Suppose we have $k( \geq 2)$independent processes/populations/sources/ treatments such that the data from $i^{th}$ treatment follow two-parameter exponential distribution with location parameter $\mu_i$ and scale parameter $\theta_i$, denoted $E(\mu_i,\theta_i )$, $i=1,\dots, k$. The location parameters $\mu_1, \dots, \mu_k$ and scale parameters $\theta_1, \dots, \theta_k$ are unknown and possibly unequal. Let $\underline{\delta}=(\mu_1 , \dots ,\mu_k, \theta_1, \dots \theta_k ) \in R^k \times R_+^k =\Omega $ and $\mu_{[k]} =max_{1\leq i \leq k}\mu_{i}$. For a given $\epsilon_1>0$, we define a set of good populations as $G=\{i:\mu_i \geq \mu_{[k]}-\epsilon_1 \}$. In this paper two-stage and one-stage subset selection procedures have been proposed to …

On Poisson Weighted Pranav Distribution Applicable To Count Data, Showkat Ahmad Dar, Anwar Hassan, Peer Bilal Ahmad, Mansour Lotayif

Journal of Statistics Applications & Probability

In this paper, we obtained a new model for count data by compounding of Poisson distribution(PD) with Weighted Pranav Distribution (WPD). Important mathematical and statistical properties of the distribution have been derived and discussed.Then, parameter estimation is discussed using maximum likelihood method of estimation. Finally, real data set is analyzed to investigate the suitability of the proposed distribution in modeling count data.

A New Class Of Distributions With Applications To Complete Data And Survival Data With Long-Term Survivors, M. M. E. Abd El-Monsef, M. M. El-Awady, M. M. Seyam

Journal of Statistics Applications & Probability

The exponential power distribution (EP) is a lifetime model that can exhibit increasing and bathtub hazard rate function. This paper aims to propose a new class of distributions called the exponential power power series (EPPS) class of distributions. The hazard function of the proposed class can be increasing, decreasing, modified bathtub (increasing-decreasing-increasing) and bathtub shaped. Among others, the exponential power geometric (EPG) distribution is presented as a special case of the proposed family. A defective version of EPG distribution is defined to estimate the fraction of long-term survivors in a population. The moments of the defective EPG distribution are obtained. …

Evaluation Of Descriptive Type Answer Using Transformed Weight And Cosine-Svm, K. Meena, R. Lawrance, S. Suresh, Moaiad Ahmad Khder

Journal of Statistics Applications & Probability

Text Mining is the technique of obtaining high characteristic information from text. In recent years, applications of text mining are broadly used in the fields of multimedia, biomedical, patent analysis, anti-spam filtering of emails, linguistic profiling and opinion mining etc. To extract useful patterns from text, various tasks such as text preprocessing, feature extraction, pattern discovery and evaluation are performed on it. The proposed work has been developed as an efficient and effective classification algorithm for textual data base. This algorithm helps to evaluate the descriptive type answers collected from the learners and also eliminate the discrepancy in manual evaluation. …

Moment Properties Of Dual Generalized Order Statistics Based On Fre ́Chet-Weibull Distribution, M. I. Khan

Journal of Statistics Applications & Probability

The dual generalized order statistics or sometimes called lower generalized order statistics is a combined structure of examining random variables in decreasing order. In this paper, some simple recurrence relations for single and product moments of dual generalized order statistics from Fre ́chet-Weibull distribution have been derived and its special cases are discussed. The characterization results are also presented based on the recurrence relations.

Quality-Quantity Tradeoff Of Children In Egypt, Ehab Sakr, Mona Khalifa, Farouk Shoieb, Sayed Khater

Journal of Statistics Applications & Probability

In Egypt, children are still seen as a source of income. We would, therefore, expect that quantity–quality tradeoff decisions are central in shaping fertility and education choices so that a negative causal effect of family size on child’s schooling exists. In this paper we argue that families display degrees of trading off quantity for quality and that this range of reactions is affected by socioeconomic, cultural and demographic covariates. The dataset used is that of the Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey (ELMPS) 2012. The sample includes 6,808 individuals in the age group (18-30). By applying cluster analysis, the sample was …

Statistical Analysis Of Factors Associated With Early Marriage Among Women In Ethiopia: Application Of Multilevel Logistic Regression Model, Lata Fekadu Tolera, Aboma Temesgen Sebu

Journal of Statistics Applications & Probability

Early marriage is still widely practiced in many parts of the world mainly in developing countries and dominant in Sub- Saharan countries. Ethiopia is also among theses Sub-Saharan countries which practices early marriage with the highest prevalence rate. The main purpose of this study was also to analyze associated factors of early marriage of women in Ethiopia with the consideration of regional variability of the practices using multilevel model. The study utilized secondary data collected on 9825 married women nested within 9 regions and two city adminstration of Ethiopia obtained from 2016 Ethiopia demographic and health survey(EDHS). Multilevel logistic regression …

Robust Bayesian Analysis For Shape Parameters With Progressive Type-Ii Censoring, N. Wheed, M. M. Nassar, M. Mahmoud, M. Yusuf

Journal of Statistics Applications & Probability

In this paper, we discuss the robustness of bayesian estimation for the exponentiated inverted Weibull distribution and the inverted Kumaraswamy distribution under progressive type-II censored samples. To estimate the unknown shape parameters of the two distributions, we use Lindley approximation to obtain Bayes estimates using the loss functions; square error loss function, linex loss function and general entorpy loss function under the non-informative and informative priors for the parameters. A simulation study is conducted to compare different estimates and the actual values of the shape parameters. Our aim is to study the robustness of estimation with regard to the three …

New Generalization Families Of Higher Order Changhee Numbers And Polynomials, Abdelfattah Mustafa, Abdelfattah Mustafa, F. M. Abdel Moneim, B. S. El-Desouky

Journal of Statistics Applications & Probability

In this paper, we present a new definition for the generalization of first and second kinds of higher-order Changhee numbers and polynomials. Furthermore, some new results are derived for these generalizations. Moreover, some interesting special cases are deduced of these Changhee numbers and polynomials.

A New Two-Parameter Estimator In The Linear Regression Model With Correlated Regressors, Abiola T. Owolabi, Kayode Ayinde, Janet I. Idowu, Olasunkanmi J. Oladapo, Dewale F. Lukman

Journal of Statistics Applications & Probability

The inefficiency of the ordinary least square estimator for the parameter estimation of a linear regression model with multicollinearity problem has led to the development of various ridge regression estimators. These estimators are recently classified as one-parameter and two-parameter ridge-type estimators. This paper proposes a new two-parameter estimator following a newly developed one-parameter ridge estimator to handle multicollinearity in the linear regression model. Theoretical and simulation results show that, under some conditions, the proposed estimator performs better than some popular existing estimators in that it has a smaller mean square error. Furthermore, we used real-life data to illustrate the papers …

Truncated Bivariate Kumaraswamy Exponential Distribution, Hanan H. El-Damrawy, A. A. M.Teamah, Basma M. El-Shiekh

Journal of Statistics Applications & Probability

In this paper we derive the truncated bivariate Kumaraswamy exponential distribution considering the truncated points as parameters. We study various mathematical properties as joint moment generating function, conditional moments, survival function, hazard function, cumulative hazard function, reversed hazard function and stress-strength parameter for the proposed truncated model. Some special states are introduced. ALso, estimation for the unknown parameters is discussed by using maximum likelihood estimation method. Finally a real data set is used to illustrate the superiority of our proposed model for fitting these data set over other compared models.

Evaluation Of A Functional Time Series Model For Forecasting Inflation In Uganda, Emong Herbert Robert, Amany Mousa Mohamed, Mahmoud A. Abdel-Fattah

Journal of Statistics Applications & Probability

Inflation is a major economic problem in emerging market economies and requires accurate models to avoid high volatility and long periods of inflation. This paper is aimed at evaluating a Functional Time Series (FTS) model as compared to other models in forecasting inflation in Uganda. The monthly Time Series (TS) data for the general Consumer Price Index (CPI) was used during the period of Jul-2005 to Jun-2020. Box-Jenkins’ Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) methodologies are explored to evaluate the FTS method of forecasting the general CPI where their accuracies are compared and …

An Improved Alternative Method Of Imputation For Missing Data In Survey Sampling, G. N. Singh, Ashok. K. Jaiswal, Chandraketu Singh, M. Usman

Journal of Statistics Applications & Probability

In the present paper, a new and improved method of ratio type imputation and corresponding point estimator to estimate the finite population mean is proposed in case of missing data problem. It has been shown that this estimator utilizes the readily available auxiliary information efficiently and gives better results than the ratio and mean methods of imputation; furthermore, its efficiency is also compared with the regression method of imputation and some other imputation methods, discussed in this article, using four real data sets. A simulation study is carried out to verify theoretical outcomes, and suitable recommendations are made.