Digital Commons Network^™

Transitional Car Living, Between Homelessness And Permanent Shelter, Isaac Hertzson

Theses

The worsening eviction crisis facing countries like the United States is caused by a variety of factors. The increasing costs of the housing market as large multi-national investing firms speculate on value of housing, to soaring rental prices, stagnating wages, inflation, and the devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Eviction creates destructive ripple effects throughout society as it often begets a negative feedback loop in which the evicted face housing discrimination leading to further eviction. Eviction is causally linked to issues with both mental and physical well being. To help those facing eviction this project proposes the creation of a …

Identification Of Essential Gene Relations For Lung Adenocarcinoma Therapy Targets By Cross-Referencing Literature-Mined And Rnaseq Data, Mariel V. Pridmore

Theses

Lung adenocarcinoma is the most frequently diagnosed subtype of lung cancer, and while the disease itself can be strenuous, the typical treatments such as chemotherapy are also known to cause whole body harm to the patient due to its systemic nature. Target therapies are increasingly gaining popularity for their ability to selectively apply the therapy to a specific cell. In terms of cancer, this method would lessen some, if not all the painful side-effects of chemotherapy and enhance a patient’s quality of life. Narrowing down what genes are deemed to be essential to the operation of the cell can help …

Eliminating Moisture In Military Footwear: An Air Flow Solution For Soldiers Perspiring Feet When Training In Extremely Cold Weather, Mingshuo Li

Theses

Ground soldiers in extremely cold environments could easily suffer terrible foot conditions because of the wet environment inside their boots produced by generated perspiration. The current winter military boot products on the market focus more on warmth and weather protection, eliminating moist air and functional design is lacking in winter boot products. A military boot system is proposed that will absorb and eliminate foot perspiration and provide a warm and comfortable environment for feet. This proposed design is to add an airflow system to the midsole of the shoe, pushing the air inside the shoe by naturally squeezing the airbag …

Cat-Oriented Design: Redesigning The Living Space For Cats For Travel, Daheng Tong

Theses

In recent years, increasing numbers of people keep cats, especially young people who study or work away from home. Having a cat can provide them with warmth and company when they are lonely. But keeping a cat also brings problems and responsibility, especially for young people, who move often and change jobs frequently. Moving with a cat is not easy for the cat or the owner. For cats, during the journey, any change in the environment can be frightening, and some of the more serious uncertainties can even lead to death. For the cat owner, in addition to having to …

Intelligent Relaxation System For Information Anxiety, Xiuyu Shi

Theses

The development of information technology has brought a lot of convenience to people's lives and changed the way we work. There are many people who use cell phones and computers every day, which has caused many health problems, and information anxiety is one of them. This paper discusses a project that proposed to help with the problem of information anxiety among workers and investigates the root causes of information anxiety among IT workers. After user testing and design, this project gives a potential design solution that uses sensory feedback. In addition, this paper gives some insights into the negative effects …

How To Help Students Who Live In Rural Areas Get Equal Education Resources., Shunjie Yang

Theses

With the development of China's economy, the imbalance between the east of China and the west of China appears. Developed cities like Shanghai and Shenzhen attract more people to work and live. As a consequence of the good economy, the education in those cities is professional. Students in those cities kept the best education resource. Unfortunately, students who live in rural areas or the west of China cannot share the same education re- source. The coming of the coronavirus exceeded the inequality of education resources since a lot of rural schools closed. That means students who live in rural areas …

Design Of An Implanted Vascular Access Device With A Mechanical Septum, Mallory Ann Moffett, Katherine Rose O'Quinn

Honors Theses

As populations continue to age, their need for medical care continues to rise. This is seen by the large need for implanted vascular devices (IVADs). IVADs are essential for individuals with poor venous access and patients requiring long-term venous delivered drugs. This document will explore the existing IVADs, where they fall short, and where our device, the IrisPort system, works to solve the unmet needs of patients. The IrisPort system is a needle-less port system that allows for repeated venous access without the use of a non-coring needle. Prior art searches have shown that the IrisPort is a novel solution …

America’S History Of Health Disparities: How Does This Affect The Future Of Healthcare In Mississippi?, Zuri O. Dixon Omere, Jazmin King

Honors Theses

America’s healthcare system runs rampant with healthcare inequalities that have an alarming effect on minorities and people of color. In order for people of color and marginalized groups to receive proper care and treatment, more attention needs to be brought to these inequalities. For example, Covid-19 reflected the health inequalities that are present in this country; minorities were more likely to become hospitalized due to Covid-19 than other non-minorities. In addition, minorities in women’s health, specifically black women, have been affected in various ways that are related to the inequalities in medicine like dying during childbirth and improper care. This …

An Investigation Of The Interactions Between Tumor-Related Factors, Functional Connectivity Measurements, And Neurologic Function In A Mouse Brain Tumor Model, Inema Epere Orukari

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Due to advances in clinical medicine, more children currently diagnosed with a brain tumor become long-term survivors after treatment than in previous decades. As the number of long-term survivors of pediatric brain tumors increases, clinicians and caretakers focus more attention on improving the quality of life of these patients. Unfortunately, a significant proportion of long-term survivors of pediatric brain tumors have cognitive deficits, which reduce their quality of life. Cognitive tests prior to therapy are critical for accurately assessing a patient’s risk of cognitive decline because they provide a pre-treatment baseline for assessing how host, tumor, and treatment factor interact …

Optimizations In The Mri-Guided Adaptive Radiation Therapy Workflow: Towards Mr-Only Rt, Sven Olberg

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Technological developments in external beam radiation therapy (RT) made in the past decades have been largely focused on the tight integration of imaging systems and therapy delivery systems in order to enable the precise delivery of therapeutic doses of radiation to internal, complexly shaped targets. Along this line, the adoption of x-ray computed tomography (CT) in the RT workflow and the combination of volumetric cone-beam CT with linacs in the clinical setting brought the practice of image-guided RT (IGRT) to the forefront. Practical limitations related to the poor soft tissue contrast of these x-ray imaging modalities prompted the adoption of …

A Self-Regulating System For Assessing Scientific Predictive Power, Ted C. Rogers

Physics Faculty Publications

I propose a method for tracking and assessing scientific progress using a prediction consensus algorithm designed for the purpose. The protocol obviates the need for centralized referees to generate scientific questions, gather predictions, and assess the accuracy or success of those predictions. It relies instead on crowd wisdom and a system of checks and balances for all tasks. It is intended to take the form of a web-based, searchable database. I describe a prototype implementation that I call Ex Quaerum. The main purpose of the present document is to motivate the project, to explain it's underlying philosophy, to explain the …

Water Use Efficiency In Western Australian Cropping Systems, Martin Harries, Ken C. Flower, Michael Renton, Geoffrey C. Anderson

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Rotations and associated management practices in rainfed farming systems of southwest Australia have shifted towards intensified cropping. Survey data from 184 fields spanning 14 Mha of southwest Australia were used to document water use efficiency (WUE) and water-limited yield potential (WLYP) of commercial crops and crop sequences and identify biophysical variables influencing WUE. WUE achieved in commercial wheat crops was 10.7 kg grain/ha.mm. Using a boundary function Ywl = 25 × (WU − 45), farmers achieved 54% of WLYP. Climate variables affected WUE more than management and biotic variates, the highest latitude region having WUE of 9.0 kg grain/ha.mm, compared …

Smokejumper Obituary: Hoffman, Ray (Redmond 1967), National Smokejumper Association

Smokejumper Obituaries

No abstract provided.

Diagnostics & Therapeutic Sciences, Georgia Southern University

Clinical Sciences: News & Publications (2018-2023)

• Sock Drive

Characterization Of The Clinical Impact Of A Celiac Disease Algorithm On Diagnostic Workup Of Patients At Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, Omid Vadpey, Gabriel N. Maine

Posters

INTRODUCTION
Advancements in medical technology and laboratory testing have prompted room for more accurate diagnostic procedures that can aid in diagnostic efficiency, reducing time to diagnosis, unnecessary test ordering, and costs. Celiac Disease is a complex gastrointestinal autoimmune disorder characterized by symptoms that mimic other bowel diseases, such as diarrhea, steatorrhea, and malnutrition. The primary goal of this pilot study is to determine if the implementation of a diagnostic serologic algorithm differs from the current standard of practice for patients that are suspected of celiac disease at Beaumont Health-Royal Oak (BH-RO).

Women And Dada: Reimagining Dada Through The Work Of Beatrice Wood And Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Violet E. Webster

Student Theses and Dissertations

This paper serves to investigate the relationship between the Dada art movement of the early twentieth century and the progression of the women’s liberation movement through the life and works of female Dada artists Sophie Taeuber-Arp and Beatrice Wood. My thesis combines the emergence of modernism and Dada’s utilization of new industrial materials with the reappropriation of material significance seen in Taeuber-Arp’s multi-media work. The first section “Dada Overview” contextualizes both Dada and the post-Victorian evolution of the early twentieth century. In “Beatrice Wood’s Expansion of the Subject” I show how Wood’s work centered around the subconscious narrative of women …

Aloso: Spectroscopy And Structure Of A New Group Of Astrochemical Molecules, Vincent J. Esposito, Tarek Trabelsi, Joseph S. Francisco

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

No abstract provided.

Game Theory, John Thrasher Iv

Philosophy Faculty Books and Book Chapters

The formal study of strategic interaction known as game theory is one of the most important elements in the PPE toolbox. It is no exaggeration to say that game theory is the fundamental logic at the heart of the social and behavioral sciences, and it is crucial for understanding social and political life. Game theory is the core of modern economic theory, formal models in political science, and the most sophisticated and rigorous approaches to moral and political philosophy. Game theory is also important in many of the natural sciences, especially in theoretical biology. As Herbert Gintis (2009, xiii) puts …

David Phetmanysay, Viola, May 2, 2022 [Program], University Of Northern Iowa. School Of Music.

Music Recital Programs

Program of a music recital given by faculty, students, or guest artists from the School of Music at the University of Northern Iowa.

Duchenne’S Muscular Dystrophy & Occupational Therapy, Vanessa Sagredo, Meagan C. Romero

Client Educational Handouts

No abstract provided.

Diminished Immune Surveillance During Histologic Progression Of Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms Offers A Therapeutic Opportunity For Cancer Interception, Sharia Hernandez, Edwin Roger Parra, Naohiro Uraoka, Ximing Tang, Yu Shen, Mei Jiang, Barbara Mino, Wei Lu, Renganayaki Pandurengan, Cara Haymaker, Kajsa Affolter, Courtney L Scaife, Michele Yip-Schneider, C Max Schmidt, Matthew A Firpo, Sean J Mulvihill, Eugene J Koay, Huamin Wang, Ignacio I Wistuba, Anirban Maitra, Luisa M Solis, Subrata Sen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) are bona fide precursors to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). While genomic alterations during multistep IPMN progression have been well cataloged, the accompanying changes within the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) have not been comprehensively studied. Herein, we investigated TIME-related alterations during IPMN progression, using multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) coupled with high-resolution image analyses.

Experimental design: Two sets of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples from surgically resected IPMNs were analyzed. The training set of 30 samples consisted of 11 low-grade IPMN (LG-IPMN), 17 high-grade IPMN (HG-IPMN), and 2 IPMN with PDAC, while a validation set of 93 samples …

Tumor Immune Microenvironment Of Brain Metastases: Toward Unlocking Antitumor Immunity, Matthew R Strickland, Christopher Alvarez-Breckenridge, Justin F Gainor, Priscilla K Brastianos

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

UNLABELLED: Brain metastasis (BrM) is a devastating complication of solid tumors associated with poor outcomes. Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have revolutionized the treatment of cancer, but determinants of response are incompletely understood. Given the rising incidence of BrM, improved understanding of immunobiologic principles unique to the central nervous system (CNS) and dissection of those that govern the activity of ICIs are paramount toward unlocking BrM-specific antitumor immunity. In this review, we seek to discuss the current clinical landscape of ICI activity in the CNS and CNS immunobiology, and we focus, in particular, on the role of glial cells in the CNS …

Genomic Correlates Of Outcome In Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte Therapy For Metastatic Melanoma, Caitlin A Creasy, Yuzhong Jeff Meng, Marie-Andrée Forget, Tatiana Karpinets, Katarzyna Tomczak, Carlos A Torres-Cabala, Amod A Sarnaik, James J Mulé, Levi Garraway, Matias Bustos, Jianhua Zhang, Sapna P Patel, Adi Diab, Isabella C Glitza, Cassian Yee, Hussein Tawbi, Michael K Wong, Jennifer Mcquade, Dave S B Hoon, Michael A Davies, Patrick Hwu, Rodabe N Amaria, Cara Haymaker, Rameen Beroukhim, Chantale Bernatchez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) historically yields a 40%-50% response rate in metastatic melanoma. However, the determinants of outcome are largely unknown.

Experimental design: We investigated tumor-based genomic correlates of overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and response to therapy by interrogating tumor samples initially collected to generate TIL infusion products.

Results: Whole-exome sequencing (WES) data from 64 samples indicated a positive correlation between neoantigen load and OS, but not PFS or response to therapy. RNA sequencing analysis of 34 samples showed that expression of PDE1C, RTKN2, and NGFR was enriched in responders who had improved …

Overall Survival In Phase 3 Clinical Trials And The Surveillance, Epidemiology, And End Results Database In Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer, 1986-2016: A Systematic Review, Chan Shen, Daniel Tannenbaum, Robert Horn, Jane Rogers, Cathy Eng, Benny Johnson, Van Morris, Michael Overman, Christine Parseghian, George J Chang, Maria A Lopez-Olivo, Raghav Kanwal, Lee M Ellis, Arvind Dasari

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: Phase 3 trials for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) have been conducted with varying designs and often with surrogate end points for overall survival (OS).

Objectives: To critically examine the factors associated with clinically relevant improvement in OS (defined as ≥2 months) in these trials and to evaluate their association with outcomes reflected in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry data.

Evidence review: Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, EU Clinical Trials Register, and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were searched for phase 3 trials of systemic therapy for patients with mCRC by decade (1986-1996, …

The Genomic Alterations In Glioblastoma Influence The Levels Of Csf Metabolites, Arnaldo J Santos-López

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) has been linked to more than 50 genes that cause a spectrum of clinical symptoms, including newborn respiratory distress, sinopulmonary infections, and laterality abnormalities. Although the RSPH4A (c.921+3_6delAAGT) pathogenic variant has been related to Hispanic groups with Puerto Rican ancestry, it is uncertain how frequently other PCD-implicated genes are present on the island. A retrospective chart review of n = 127 genetic reports from Puerto Rican subjects who underwent genetic screening for PCD variants was conducted from 2018 to 2022. Of 127 subjects, 29.1% subjects presented PCD pathogenic variants, and 13.4% were homozygous for the RSPH4A …

Hypomethylating Agent And Venetoclax With Flt3 Inhibitor “Triplet” Therapy In Older/Unfit Patients With Flt3 Mutated Aml, Musa Yilmaz, Hagop Kantarjian, Nicholas J Short, Patrick Reville, Marina Konopleva, Courtney Dinardo, Naveen Pemmaraju, Abhishek Maiti, Elias Jabbour, Nitin Jain, Ghayas Issa, Koichi Takahashi, Koji Sasaki, Maro Ohanian, Sherry Pierce, Guillin Tang, Sanam Loghavi, Keyur Patel, Sa A Wang, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Michael Andreeff, Farhad Ravandi, Naval Daver

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In older/unfit newly diagnosed patients with FLT3 mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML), lower intensity chemotherapy (LIC) in combination with either a FLT3 inhibitor or with venetoclax results in poor overall survival (median 8 to 12.5 months). We performed a retrospective analysis of 87 newly diagnosed FLT3 mutated AML patients treated on triplet (LIC + FLT3 inhibitor + Venetoclax, [N = 27]) and doublet (LIC + FLT3 inhibitor, [N = 60]) regimens at our institution. Data were collected from prospective clinical trials in 75% (N = 65) and 25% (N = 22) who received the same treatment regimens outside of a …

The Burden Of Mental Health Conditions In Children With Ckd., Katherine L. Kurzinski, Darcy K. Weidemann

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

No abstract provided.

Don't Forget The "G" In Esg: The Sec And Corporate Governance Disclosure, Jennifer O'Hare

Faculty Publications

For years, many shareholders—both institutional and individual investors—have pressured the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to require public companies to disclose more information about the environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) risks facing the company. However, the SEC has generally refused calls to require public corporations to disclose, for example, how they are addressing climate change or workforce diversity challenges. With a new president in the White House and a new administration at the SEC, the SEC will soon propose new ESG disclosure rules, requiring more information about the “E” and the “S” in ESG. But the SEC has forgotten the …

Dnp Final Report: Skilled Nursing Facility Readmissions: An Evidence-Based Telemedicine Innovation Project, Debra B. Graham

DNP Final Reports

Background: Nationally, 20% of patient readmissions occur within the first 48 hours after arrival to a skilled nurse facility (SNF), and 40-68% of these readmissions are potentially avoidable. Since 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid penalized SNFs when their return to hospital (RTH) percentages was above national benchmarks. The four SNFs in this project experienced rising transfer rates and diminished RTH percentages since 2017, despite using in-house providers Monday through Friday. Furthermore, there was no provision to address patients’ changes in conditions after hours.

Purpose: This evidence-based practice (EBP) project aimed to standardize the care provided to …

A Dual-Band Filtering Structure For Highly Selective Reconfigurable Bandpass Filter And Filtering Balun, Jinqun Ge, Guoan Wang

Faculty Publications

This article proposes a filtering structure consisting of two half-wavelength resonators and two open-stub loaded resonators, which generates two third-order passbands. Multiple transmission zeros are introduced by the newly developed coupling scheme, resulting in extremely sharp roll-off desirable for highly selective filters. The proposed structure is applied to design a PIN-diodes switch-controlled reconfigurable dual-band bandpass filter (BPF) with four-state filtering responses: both passbands ON, both passbands OFF, high-frequency passband ON, and low-frequency passband ON. Stepped-impedance open stubs and one-end-grounded coupled lines are studied and employed in the design to suppress unwanted responses. In addition, two filtering structures are placed symmetrically …