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Sex-Specific Macrophage Responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Polyphosphate
No full textTuberculosis (TB) kills 1.5 million people annually, with males experiencing higher disease incidence and worse clinical outcomes than females. Despite this disparity, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying sex-specific differences in TB immunity remain poorly understood. Our lab previously observed that polyphosphate (polyP), a polymer of phosphate secreted by pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), enhances the survival of ingested bacteria in human macrophages and alters macrophage gene expression in a sex-specific manner. This study investigated how Mtb infection or polyP treatment of macrophages alters the expression of Ceroid lipofuscinosis, neuronal 8 (CLN8), one of the most highly altered genes identified in our previous gene expression analysis. CLN8 encodes an endoplasmic reticulum-localized lipid trafficking protein, suggesting a potential role in lipid remodeling and stress responses during infection. We therefore focused on CLN8 to explore its contribution to lipid droplet accumulation and nuclear morphology in macrophages.
Using confocal microscopy, we analyzed macrophages from three male and three female donors treated with control, polyP, or Mtb. Contrary to our previous RNA sequencing data showing sex-specific CLN8 transcriptional upregulation in females, CLN8 protein expression showed no significant changes in either sex across treatments. However, clear sex-specific differences in phenotypic lipid metabolism emerged. Both male and female macrophages accumulated lipid droplets in response to polyP treatment, but only females showed significant lipid accumulation during Mtb infection, indicating impaired signal integration in males. Nuclear morphology analysis showed that female macrophages possess significantly rounder nuclei than males at baseline—a stable architectural difference maintained across all treatments. Males uniquely showed decreased nuclear roundness following polyP treatment, suggesting sex-specific structural responses to bacterial signals.
These findings demonstrate that biological sex fundamentally shapes macrophage responses to TB through distinct cellular strategies: females exhibit robust metabolic flexibility with a stable nuclear architecture, while males show threshold-dependent responses that require strong, isolated signals. The identification of polyP as a key mediator of sex-specific cellular responses provides mechanistic insight into clinical TB disparities and suggests that personalized, sex-specific treatment approaches may improve outcomes for this deadly disease
The Unconventional Candidate: Agenda-Setting in Small-Town Politics
No full textIn the modern political climate, the intersectionality between race, party affiliation, and ideology makes for an interesting case study in the power of media and agenda-setting. This professional project employed a mixed-methods approach, combining content creation with quantitative social media analysis and qualitative case study examination. The research focused on Caymen Watts\u27 2025 mayoral campaign in Columbia, Mississippi, specifically examining how agenda-setting theory manifested through digital media engagement. During the length of the campaign, I was the social media manager for the Watts Team. As a direct component of the electoral process, I saw firsthand how agenda-setting worked in real time. The study period spanned from February 9, 2025, through April 1, 2025, coinciding with the official campaign cycle leading up to the mayoral election. The results of this study found that while the Watts campaign was successful in using social media to bridge the gap between potential younger voters in the community. However, the overarching power of traditional media outlets still holds a significant sway over the ideologies and opinions of a small town like Columbia
Isolation of the 2019 Bonnet Carré Spillway Effects on the Habitat Suitability of Brown Shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus) and Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) Using a Modeling Approach
No full textIn 2019, an unprecedented flood year, the Bonnet Carré Spillway (BCS) was opened on two separate occasions (February 27th to April 11th, and May 10th through July 27th) diverting a volume 6 times the volume of Lake Pontchartrain into the surrounding coastal waters of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The goal of this research was to determine the spatio-temporal influence of these freshwater releases on two economically and ecologically important species (Farfantepenaeus aztecus and Callinectes sapidus) with variable responses to salinity and temperature depending on the age class. The Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) model framework was utilized in this study in conjunction with (1) combined-effects calculation schemes using catch per unit effort (CPUE) data and (2) hydrodynamic model (msbCOAWST) output to determine if there was a significant impact from the 2019 BCS diversions.
The geometric mean was determined to be the best combined-effects model for estimating habitat suitability model values when considering salinity, temperature, and depth in combination (SxTxD and SxT) The results for brown shrimp and blue crabs indicated that there was a consistent significant impact from BCS outflows in response to salinity across all age classes and all critical ecological periods, while impacts in response temperature were more variable, with significantly impacts on the younger age classes (larvae) and more developed blue crabs (juvenile and adult male). The significant impacts were primarily seen in Louisiana and Mississippi in response to salinity and temperature for both species, with few significant impacts seen in Alabama
Unbinding Piratical Themes: Treasure Island, The Unbinding of Mary Reade, and Piratical History
No full textRobert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, a touchstone in children’s literature, is known among critics as the novel that popularized numerous piratical themes and tropes as well as the classic pirate archetype, which has been emulated in fictional pirates ever since. Long John Silver, the basis for this archetype, has been analyzed by these critics for over a century for his exciting personality, his moral ambiguity, and his thirst for freedom. Because of the incredible influence of Treasure Island and its pirate archetype, modern pirate literature, such as Miriam McNamara’s The Unbinding of Mary Reade, must reproduce many of the themes that Stevenson popularized in order to be recognized as piratical, yet it must also simultaneously adhere to the demands of a modern audience. McNamara, to appeal to this audience, positions a historical, cross-dressing female pirate figure as her main character, which not only mimics the classic themes that Silver popularized but also works to provide queer representation and a tale of gender transgression. Themes of freedom and ambiguity prevail throughout The Unbinding, as Reade rejects oppressive society on land in favor of truly expressing her undefined gender and sexuality on the open seas. By analyzing the influence of Treasure Island and its themes on the modern pirate genre through The Unbinding, McNamara’s novel reveals itself as a powerful, emulative tale of claiming freedom through piracy
Interventions to Improve the Side Effects of GLP-1 Medications
No full textThis doctoral project stemmed from clinical observations of the side effects of GLP-1 medications. When patients reported side effects and were questioned about what they had been eating, some reported fast food and processed foods, and had made no diet changes. Whether they had not been given instructions, or had forgotten them, or simply did not realize the importance of a proper diet. The researcher began to see what clinical guidelines could be found regarding GLP-1 medications. An article published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine provided clinical recommendations for managing gastrointestinal adverse events in patients taking GLP-1 medications. It was a great resource with educational handouts (Gorgojo-Martinez et al., 2022).
A plan was created to provide this education, complete nutritional screening, and follow the patients weekly for four weeks to assess any side effects they experienced and determine whether diet education helped prevent, improve, or worsen them. A final nutrition screening was needed to be implemented at the end of the fourth week to assess whether the patients\u27 diets had improved after four weeks. Although the side effects did not show improvement, the patients reported that the patients reported the diet education helpful and the diet did improve the side effects. The nutrition screenings also showed improvement in the participants\u27 diet over the four weeks. The overall conclusion is that patient education and developing a rapport with patients will always be beneficial. It is a core theory in nursing, which should be at the forefront of our minds as healthcare providers
The Numerical Method for Finding All the Zeros of a Function f (x) on an Interval [a,b]
Get PDFIn this study, we develop a simple mathematical method for finding all the roots of a function on a specified interval. Existing classical numerical methods, including the Bisection Method, Secant Method, and Newton Method, cannot find all the zeros of a function f (x) on an interval [a,b]. Popular numerical root solvers like Matlab’s ‘fzero’, Maple’s ‘fsolve’, and SageMath’s ‘find_root’ typically yield only a single zero. This thesis explores a proposed interval computation bisection method, a systematic approach based on the traditional Bisection Method and interval computation. Unlike traditional bisection, which relies on the intermediate value theorem, this approach uses interval arithmetic to compute the function value over subintervals. SageMath is used to implement the method because of its built-in support for interval arithmetic and symbolic computation, which ensures accurate root detection. The method determines whether a zero exists in each subinterval by iteratively bisecting the interval and analyzing the interval computation value of the function over the corresponding interval until the root is isolated in an interval of desired precision. This approach ensures the reliable detection of all roots, even in cases where the traditional numerical methods fail
Women’s Independence in the Archives: A Study of the Sisters of the Holy Family as Found in the New Orleans Archdiocese Archive
Get PDFThe Sisters of the Holy Family, a Catholic convent based in New Orleans, have a space in the archival records of the archdiocese. The overwhelming presence of documents by men means that the story in the archive belongs as much to them as it does to the sisters. This follows the patriarchal hierarchy of the Church. Nevertheless, the documents that are available tell the sisters’ story and how they sought independenc
Simulating Interactions Between (Remote) Internal Waves and the Background Flows and Topography of the U.S. West Coast
Get PDFThis dissertation focuses on the simulation of remotely and locally generated semidiurnal internal tides (ITs) and near-inertial waves (NIWs), and how they interact with the California Current System (CCS) and the U.S. West Coast (USWC) topography. In Chapter II, we force Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) simulations of the CCS with tides and remote internal waves (IWs) originating from as far as Hawaii, using a realistic global HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) simulation. To allow for optimal wave energy influx and minimize boundary reflections from the interior of the domain, we conduct boundary sensitivity tests on tide and IW forcing in multiple simulations with varying open boundary condition and sponge layer setups. Model validation with moorings and satellite data shows improved IW energy representation with remote IW forcing for the most optimal boundary configuration. In Chapter III, the fate of remotely generated semidiurnal ITs in the USWC continental margin is investigated using the best ROMS simulation from Chapter II. To separate the onshore and offshore propagating IT fluxes, we utilize a 2-dimensional Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) technique. Integrated along the entire USWC margin, ~20% of the remote mode-1 onshore fluxes are reflected, 40% are scattered to modes 2-5, 7% are transmitted onto the continental shelf, and the remaining 33% are dissipated. However, these fractions vary along the USWC margin due to differences in stratification, slope criticality, topographic roughness, and angle of incidence. Lastly, the remote ITs enhance the advection and diffusion of heat and salt, reducing the thermocline stratification. In Chapter IV, we diagnose the full modal energy balance using a 2-km horizontal resolution nested simulation to study the interactions between IWs and the California Current System. The background flows supply energy to ITs and NIWs while scattering both, with NIW scattering being more pronounced than IT scattering. While topographic scattering of IW energy to small scales dominates in the shallow/rough region, wave-background flow interactions drive the resolved IW forward energy cascade in the deep/smooth ocean. Finally, by comparing two different months, we observe the background flow-induced IW scattering to depend on the strength of the background flows and stratification
Self-Perceived Employability and Employer Expectations of Community College Students\u27 Skill Gap in Industry 4.0
Get PDFIndustry 4.0, the fourth industrial revolution, is reshaping job competencies and careers through technological integration, impacting global competitiveness, information security, and skill requirements (Jackson & Tomlinson, 2020). This shift has heightened job uncertainties, competition, and the role of institutional policymakers in aligning higher education with labor market demands (Kornelakis & Petrakaki, 2020; Tan et al., 2023 Tomlinson, 2012). However, inconsistencies persist between employer expectations and graduates’ skills, making employability, a graduate’s ability to secure and sustain employment, more crucial than ever (Fugate et al., 2004; Otache & Edopkolor, 2022).
This study aims to conduct a sequential explanatory mixed-method study by examining student self-perceived employability and exploring employer expectations of community college students’ skill gaps impact on Industry 4.0. This study employed a quantitative phase surveying Louisiana community college student, followed by a qualitative phase gathering insights from employers. The two implications of the study were generalizability and researcher bias. To enhance the generalization of the study, the researcher monitored the quantitative phase to ensure the accuracy of the number of completed surveys. The researcher bias was monitored by allowing the community college designated personnel to distribute the survey.
The study\u27s findings concluded that employers highly recruit community college graduates due to institutional reputation, reinforcing student confidence in employability, while employers emphasize partnerships for workforce preparation. However, discrepancies exist between student perceptions and employer expectations regarding job availability and required skills, highlighting the need for greater alignment.
The alignment can be executed through industry and community college collaboration, curriculum realignment, and experiential learning. As Industry 4.0 changes workforce demands, employers stress the importance of digital skills, prompting community colleges to integrate advanced competencies and strengthen industry partnerships to enhance graduate employability. The findings will contribute to research on self-perceived employability and employer expectations, raising awareness of skill gaps, and enhancing workforce preparation for Industry 4.0
Investigating the Effects of Drinking Environments on Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategy Use, Perceived Self-Efficacy, and Perceived Effectiveness Through Experimental Vignette Design
Get PDFDerived from a Social Cognitive Theory framework (Bandura, 1986), the aim of this study was to assess the impact of different drinking environments on college students’ expected use of alcohol protective behavioral strategies, perceived effectiveness of those strategies, and perceived self-efficacy to use them. To accomplish this, we sought out to create and employ experimental vignettes consisting of a bar/club or party drinking environment in a two-part study. Study one aimed to pilot test the vignettes prior to their use in study two, whose aim was to test our initial hypotheses. Both analytic samples were recruited from a nationwide participant recruitment platform named Prolific. Inclusion criteria were alcohol use in the past 30 days and currently taking at least half or more college courses in person. Study one consisted of 170 traditional aged college students (Mage = 21.24, SDage =1.56) who primarily identified as White (62.9%) and female (62.4%). Participants completed a demographic form, were randomly assigned to one vignette condition (i.e., bar/club or party), and were given measures of expected alcohol use and consequences. The second study consisted of 261 traditional aged college students (Mage = 21.33, SDage =1.57) who similarly primarily identified as White (64.4%) and female (61.3%). Participants were given a demographic form, were randomly assigned to one vignette condition, and given measures of expected alcohol protective behavioral strategy use and perceived strategy effectiveness, and self-efficacy to use strategies. T-tests revealed no significant difference among those who received the bar/club vignette versus the party vignette on expected alcohol use or consequences during study one. No significant differences emerged during Kruskal-Wallis tests between the bar/club and party vignette group on expected alcohol protective behavioral strategy use, perceived effectiveness, or perceived self-efficacy. These findings suggest that college student perceptions may not differentiate when using alcohol in a bar/club versus a party drinking environment. However, this is discrepant against previous literature depicting differences in alcohol use and consequences among these drinking environments. The inconsistency between college students’ perceptions and their reports of experiences may point toward other important and under-researched factors at play. Clinical implications are discussed