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Acknowledging the Resilience, Determination, and Perseverance of First-Generation African American Women Seeking Their Ph.D. at Predominantly White Institutions: A Critical Qualitative Study
No full textAcknowledging the resilience, determination, and perseverance of first-generation African American women (AAW) seeking their Ph.D. at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) indicates the need for change, such as providing equitable guidance and mentoring to increase advancement toward degree attainment. My and other AAW’s experiences, as well as our current positionality, illuminate, in particular, the need for change in African American representation and first-generational leadership in PWI spaces. This qualitative study was an exploration of the academic journeys of three first-generation AAWs at PWIs, myself included. The study focused on the need to manifest self-empowerment through resilience, determination, and perseverance in every space of our doctoral journeys, indicating the barriers faced by first-generation AAW pursuing and completing a Ph.D. This study showed the conflicting priorities that influence the doctoral socialization process of first-generation AAW Ph.D. candidates in the All But Dissertation (ABD) phase and ultimately influence their time to degree completion. Up to 60% of all doctoral candidates fail to complete their dissertations. However, skewed data have resulted from placing all AAW into one category, regardless of whether they are first-generation or have U.S. citizenship. Linked with Black feminist methodology, I proposed a new theory, the Again But Determined phenomenal experiences of AAW. I used a critical race theory perspective to examine my experiences and those of two other first-generation AAW who pursued a Ph.D. at a PWI. This study addressed our past academic journeys toward success. The passion that went into this research mirrors the passion that first-generation AAW put into themselves. Release after 04/11/202
Quantification of Antithrombin III via Flow Velocity Profiling in Microfluidic Paper-Based Devices
No full textAntithrombin III (ATIII) is a protein which plays a critical role within the regulation of the coagulation cascade. When the concentration of ATIII is found to be insufficient, thrombotic conditions that are caused by hypercoagulability increase in its likelihood to occur. This can result in life-threatening events, such as myocardial infarction or stroke. Methods that are currently available in order to detect ATIII levels lack the ability to be portable and prompt. These inefficiencies result in the inability to effectively serve as a point-of-care (POC) test in urgent and critical settings. This thesis presents a novel method for detecting levels of ATIII through the use of a particle-based assay which is driven through a model involving capillary flow. The platform uses a microfluidic paper-based device (µPAD) in order to measure flow velocity profiling through the quantification of capillary flow alterations which are caused by the immunoagglutination of the antigen, ATIII and anti-ATIII antibody conjugated microparticles. A smartphone was used to take video recordings of the tested samples which traveled through the channels of the µPAD and in addition, cloud-based Google Colab was used to analyze the videos in order to automatically provide raw data tracking the fluid front of the sample as it moves down the channel. ATIII spiked concentrations of 0 ng/mL, 0.5 ng/mL, 1 ng/mL, 3 ng/mL, 6 ng/mL and 12 ng/mL were tested in PBS, 0.5% plasma and 0.1% plasma. In addition, 0 ng/mL, 0.5ng/mL and 1 ng/mL spiked concentrations were tested in 0.001% plasma. All the samples and their flow profiles were determined. Our definition of flow profile represented the flow velocity slope. The average flow velocity slope was found which allowed for a correlation to be seen between the degree of immunoagglutination of ATIII and anti-ATIII antibody conjugated microparticle as it caused alterations in interfacial tension and viscosity for each of the concentration tested. Samples that had a higher concentration of ATIII led to a higher profile of flow velocity slope. The gold standard immunoassay for ATIII quantification is the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) which provided us with proper quantification of endogenous levels of ATIII in 0.001% plasma and this allowed for steps in the optimization of the assay. This assay does not require intensive training but rather, is affordable, portable, and also capable of rapidly detecting ATIII levels which make it appealing to use within the clinical setting. The work done in this thesis has proven logarithmic linear trends of increasing flow velocity in relation to increasing concentrations of ATIII, providing insight towards developing a foundation in future POC tests targeting ATIII and potentially other biomarkers
Understanding the Removal of Atmospheric Aerosol in a Tropical Marine Environment
No full textAerosols and their interactions with clouds remain the largest sources of uncertainty in our understanding of the atmosphere and climate. A major factor in this uncertainty is the wet scavenging (removal) of aerosols in global models, which negatively impacts model capabilities to capture aerosol lifetimes and, consequently, aerosol impacts on climate and air quality. This dissertation focuses on scavenging over the tropical West Pacific region and consists of three distinct approaches: (1) a ground-based study investigating factors contributing to the inter-seasonal persistence of aerosol concentrations in a tropical coastal megacity despite higher precipitation during the wet season, (2) a multi-tool study using aircraft data that determines meteorological variables relevant for scavenging during long-range transport, and (3) an aircraft-based study calculating in-cloud scavenging efficiencies of multiple aerosol species and sizes in tropical convection. In the first part of the dissertation, we analyzed size-resolved aerosol composition, aerosol optical depth, and meteorology to understand why Metro Manila, Philippines exhibits similar aerosol concentrations across seasons despite large differences in seasonal rainfall. We identified two major factors: (1) opposing seasonality of black carbon and water-soluble aerosol, and (2) inefficient scavenging by short rain events (86%) and black carbon (70 – 80%); moderate scavenging for organic aerosol (53 – 60%) and nitrate (62%); and a wide range of SEs for ammonium (53 – 87%). We also found that accumulation and coarse mode aerosol volume concentrations were nearly totally scavenged in-cloud (>92%), suggesting a preferential activation of large aerosols. Comparisons of differing cloud tops showed that SEs did not vary significantly on an aerosol mass basis with cloud top height. These results demonstrate that aerosol size and composition are more important for in-cloud SEs. This work was published in the Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences (Hilario et al., 2025). This dissertation provides an explanation for how aerosol loadings can be sustained during the wet/rainy season, which should be investigated in other developing cities due to the health risks associated with pollutant accumulation. The dissertation also provides suggestions for meteorological variables that could be considered in model scavenging parameterizations. The presented method can be repeated in different environments to identify regional differences in factors that influence scavenging. Finally, the calculated in-cloud SEs motivate improvements in chemical transport models through future observation-model comparisons
Keys to Effective Aphid Management in Leafy Vegetables
No full textAphids are the most economically important insect pests of lettuce, primarily due to their ability to rapidly infest crops and contaminate marketable heads. This bulletin outlines practical management strategies based on current research and field experience in desert lettuce production. Emphasis is placed on preventative cultural practices, conservation of natural enemies, frequent field scouting, and accurate species identification to guide control efforts. Because insecticide efficacy varies by aphid species, correct identification is essential for selecting effective treatments. A nominal action threshold treating when more than 5% of plants are infested is recommended to improve timing of foliar sprays and minimize unnecessary applications.Documents in the Arizona Pest Management Center collection are made available by the Arizona Pest Management Center (APMC) and the University Libraries at the University of Arizona. For more information about items in this collection, please contact https://acis.cals.arizona.edu/about-us/arizona-pest-management-center
Digital POWRR Peer Assessment Program Participant Case Studies
No full textCase studies. Companion white paper available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10150/677915.This volume presents 25 case studies authored by participants in the Digital POWRR Peer Assessment Program (2021–2025), a professional development initiative focused on building digital preservation capacity in under-resourced libraries, archives, museums, and community organizations. Each case study offers a unique, grounded perspective on digital stewardship challenges, institutional context, and progress made during the program. The narratives reflect a range of organizational types and maturity levels, highlighting shared barriers such as limited staffing, technical infrastructure, and institutional buy-in. Participants document their self-assessment work, implementation efforts, and lessons learned, often emphasizing themes of relationship-building, incremental progress, and advocacy.
Compiled as a companion to the white paper "Beyond the Checklist: Healing, Connection, and Capacity-Building Through Digital Preservation Peer Assessment," this collection offers a rich, practitioner-centered view of digital preservation work in the field today.Institute of Museum and Library StudiesThis item from the Library Presentations and Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]
Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure in High-Risk Populations
No full textSkin cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in the United States, and both collegiate athletes and survivors of skin cancer are high-risk groups for future skin cancer diagnoses. While physical activity and exercise, such as gained from participation in an athletic program or a gardening intervention, can potentially reduce incidence of some chronic diseases, the ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure which may accompany these activities is the number one modifiable risk factor for all skin cancers. Thus, assessment of UVR exposure is warranted for both high-risk groups. Furthermore, atypical (dysplastic) nevi (AN/DN) are associated with melanoma incidence, and increased UVR exposure likely plays a role in development of these nevi. Assessment of skin lesions in collegiate athletes becomes important as a step towards identifying higher-risk populations in need of closer monitoring. This dissertation outlines results from two different studies in two separate populations. The first two aims focus on assessing trends in sun exposure and sun protection among collegiate athletes and estimating the prevalence of atypical nevi and potential demographic and exposure related factors associated with past diagnosis of these lesions in the athletes (Stanford University SUNSPORT data). The third aim focuses on describing and assessing UVR exposure among skin cancer survivors before and after a community gardening intervention (Harvest for Health Together Arizona).
The results from Specific Aim 1 show that 3,564 incoming collegiate athletes who completed a SUNSPORT survey and participated in outdoor sports reported a mean of over 700 hours of outdoor training time per year whereas indoor sport athletes only trained outdoors 27.5 hours per year. Furthermore, there was no statistically significant change in hours training outdoors over the 12 years for either indoor or outdoor athletes. Sun-protection scores showed a statistically significant positive linear increase among outdoor athletes with protection scores increasing 0.57 points per three-year time period (Trend Coefficient: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.45, 0.69), which was contrasted to indoor athletes with a significant negative linear trend in protection, with scores decreasing by 0.39 points per year (Linear Trend Coefficient: -0.39, 95% CI: -0.63, -0.16).
In Specific Aim 2, analysis of 1,025 Stanford athletes who reported they received a physician-based full-body skin examination prior to entering Stanford, over 20% reported a previous atypical nevi diagnosis. Prevalence estimates were highest among those athletes with red hair (33.3%). In outdoor athletes, each 50 additional hours of outdoor training time was associated with 6% higher prevalence of atypical nevi diagnosis. Furthermore, a 5% decrease in atypical nevi was observed per one-unit increase in the sun protection score, based on the linear ln(odds ratio (OR)) and those with skin type I (always burn and never tan) had an Odds Ratio (OR)=2.87 for AN/DN as those with phototype VI skin (never burns, tans easily).
Specific Aim 3 focused on an analysis of UVR exposure in the 29 people who completed enrollment in pilot study for the Harvest for Health Together Arizona community gardening program. All participants were survivors of skin cancer, either melanoma or non-melanoma skin cancer. UVR exposure was measured at the wrist for seven days at baseline and at study end using dosimeter data. At baseline, participants averaged a total weekly dose of UVR of 268.7 J/m2. The average total dose of UVR decreased significantly after this intervention with an average dose of 111.2 J/m2, p=0.04 (Pre-Post difference= -157.5 J/m2).
This research suggests that outdoor collegiate athletes receive high levels of UVR exposure and some of the athletes have high prevalence of a prior atypical nevi diagnosis. This finding suggests a need for interventions to reduce UVR exposure and/or increased surveillance among this group, particularly for those athletes at highest risk. Furthermore, this analysis suggests that cancer survivors may be able to participate in a community gardening intervention designed to improve diet and activity levels without significantly increasing their exposure to UVR. Such interventions might then reduce the incidence of Type Two diabetes and other chronic diseases including secondary cancers.Release after 06/30/202
Religious Rhetorical Acts in Civil Rights Literature: Confession, Kneeling, and Prophecy
No full textReligious rhetorical acts serve as an important means of appealing to Americans during the Civil Rights period. This dissertation undertakes to study three of these practices—confession, kneeling, and prophecy—within the literary works of Black Americans during the 1940s through the 1960s. Black authors employ these three religious practices to appeal to Americans’ morality and humanity, sometimes through an evocation of a new future, through the calling out of present evils that needed to be confessed and repented, and through inversions of readers’ expectations. These acts also appeal to American civil religion—that is, a series of beliefs and cultural practices that emphasize a kind of nationalism influenced by but not the same as Christian tradition. These practices also have connections to the Black church and its long history of fighting for racial equality. Confession is examined through a reading of Native Son by Richard Wright; kneeling is examined within Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun; and the use of prophecy to persuade readers and listeners is examined in the works of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” and James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time. This dissertation finds that the three religious rhetorical practices are effective because of their multitudinous meanings and the possibilities for new significations. These practices were used in the 1940s-1960s, have been used in the Black Lives Matter movement, and will likely continue to be used in the future to persuade individuals to change their hearts and actions.Dissertation not available (per author’s request
Exercise-Mobilized Donor Lymphocyte Infusions (Dli-X) for the Prevention and Treatment of Leukemic Relapse After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
No full textDonor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) remains a cornerstone immunotherapeutic strategy for preventing and treating leukemic relapse following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT), particularly in patients with high-risk myeloid malignancies such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Despite its clinical utility, the efficacy of DLI is often limited, and it carries the risk of life-threatening graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), necessitating the urgent development of strategies to enhance graft-versus-leukemia (GvL) effects while mitigating GvHD risks. Our lab and others have demonstrated that a single bout of acute exercise elicits a rapid mobilization of effector lymphocytes triggered by catecholamine release and β2-adrenergic dependent signaling. This mobilization significantly enriches the peripheral blood with GvL favoring subsets, including natural killer (NK) cells, CD8+ T cells, and γδ T cells, while concurrently reducing the frequency of naïve CD4+ T cells implicated in GvHD. Preclinical studies further support that these exercise-mobilized lymphocytes exert enhanced antileukemic effects in xenogeneic mouse models while displaying transcriptomic signatures consistent with enhanced anti-tumor activity and cytokine responsiveness.These data support the idea that exercise-mobilized donor lymphocyte infusions ‘DLI-X’ can be used as a simple and economical strategy to augment GvL effects to prevent and treat leukemic relapse after alloHCT. Notably, we introduce the novel approach of triple cytokine (IL-12, IL-15, IL-18) stimulation in whole PBMCs, which has previously only been used with purified NK and γδ T cells, to enhance the efficacy of DLI further. Given the enrichment of CD8+, γδ T cells, and NK cells in DLI-X, we hypothesize that overnight stimulation with triple cytokines will further enhance the potency of the graft ‘DLI-XS’. Herein, we show that DLI-XS is a superior product in vitro against leukemia cell lines K562, HL-60, and TF1. Meanwhile, DLI-X improves outcomes in vitro against all target cell lines and in vivo against K562. These novel findings present a feasible, scalable, and clinically promising strategy to improve DLI efficacy
Sičháŋǧu Oyáŋke Ektá Lakȟótiyapi Tókeča Kiŋ (The Status of Lakota Language on the Rosebud Reservation)
No full textThis Master’s thesis focuses on adult Lakota language learners on the Rosebud Indian Reservation or Sičháŋǧu Oyáŋke (Burnt Thigh Settlement). Sičháŋǧu people, according to winter counts and oral history, were initially called Čhokátȟowela -Blue in the Center. However, during the migration west, an enemy tribe set fire to the prairie around the camp, and the people had to run through the fire into the river, and they had burned thighs as a result, and thus their nickname and later band name became Sičháŋǧu. The Sičháŋǧu Oyáte speak the Lakȟóta Language, classified as a Siouan language, which is spoken along with the rest of the Thitȟuŋwaŋ (Prairie Dwellers) bands of the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ Seven Council Fires. Očhéthi Šakówiŋ is a confederacy of seven tribes, which consisted as follows: Bdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ (Dakhóta) -Spirit Lake DwellersSisíthuŋwaŋ (Dakhóta) Boggy Land Dwellers; Waȟpéthuŋwaŋ (Dakhóta)Leaf Dwellers; Waȟpékhute (Dakhóta)Leaf Shooters; Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋ (Dakȟóta) End Dwellers; Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋna (Dakȟóta) Little End Dwellers; Thitȟuŋwaŋ (Lakȟóta) Plains Dwellers.
Lakȟóta is one of the three distinct dialects spoken by the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, the other two being Dakhóta and Nakhóta. (Note: Nakhóta people refer to themselves as Dakhóta when asked about their dialect) This paper will focus on the online Lakota Language Survey 2025 results. The survey aims to gauge input from adult Lakota language learners on resources they require to be successful in Lakota language learning as well as inquiring about the aspects of current programs they feel have been successful and useful for their language learning goals. The survey also measures adult input regarding Lakota language vitality, first language speaker population, fluency, success of adult learning programs, program focus, financial contribution to a program, and childcare. The survey method was conducted online via Qualtrics, containing 28 questions with multiple-choice and short-answer options. The approach was selected based on how rapidly the results would be collected. This paper will also examine the 2015 Lakota Language Preservation Project Survey results. The survey measured the number of first-language Lakota speakers in all 20 communities within the Rosebud Indian Reservation. It also roughly estimated that there was an average loss of one fluent speaker a month. In 2015, they placed the population of first-language Lakota speakers at 515, with an average age of 65-67. A follow-up on this survey has placed the first-language speaker population at 322 and the average age now at 75+, with three of the 20 communities now without fluent speakers of Lakota. Reviewing all data presented with best practices and recommendations backed by research will be analyzed and discussed in closing
Stability of Thin Films and Stress from Ultrafast Laser-Induced Nanograting Structures
No full textUltrafast laser stress figuring (ULSF) is a non-contact technique for correcting low spatial frequency surface figure error of thin transparent mirror substrates, even after coatings are applied. Ultrafast laser pulses focused into the substrate material generate stress from nanograting structures formed within the bulk substrate, creating bending moments. The stability of ultrafast laser generated modifications (nanogratings) has been studied via stress birefringence, but the stability of the stress state produced by nanogratings has not been thoroughly investigated. For ULSF to be used as a post-coating figuring process, both the ultrafast laser generated stress and the film stress must be stable. This thesis presents the results of three experiments to measure the stability of ultrafast laser-generated stress and stress in thin films. The first experiment was an isochronal annealing study up to 1000 °C on uncoated fused silica and Corning ultra-low expansion (ULE) glass figured with astigmatism, which was found to be stable up to 500 °C. We measured only small changes in astigmatism after each thermal cycle, and the direction of relaxation may have depended on the material composition local to the modifications, coupled with thermal expansion mismatch and point defect erasure. After thermal cycling beyond 500 °C, stress either increased due to densification or decreased due to nanograting erasure. The second experiment was a long-term room temperature stability study on ULSF-flattened, coated mirrors. The small changes in power measured after 2-3 years are likely due to the coating’s sensitivity to differences in ambient temperature between measurements. In the third experiment, fused silica substrates coated with an antireflective film were annealed and then thermally cycled to investigate coating stress relaxation. High temperature annealing produced the most stable substrates without significantly increasing reflectance. Finally, the results of all three experiments are summarized with recommendations for new avenues to measure stability and ultrafast laser generated stress