Comparing Head Impact Biomechanics During Different Drill Types in Collegiate Offensive and Defensive Linemen

This study prospectively observed ten collegiate football linemen performing individual and team practice drills during the fall season. A total of 2,242 head impacts were recorded by the Head Impact Telemetry System, validated through video data, and categorized into one of seven standardized drill types. Results from linear mixed models indicated drill type as a main effect for peak linear acceleration (p = 0.001), peak rotational acceleration (PRA) (p = 0.023), and risk-weighted exposure (p = 0.040); therefore, subsequent pairwise comparisons were performed. Except for 1-on-1 drills, inside run recorded significantly greater impact kinematics compared to all drill types, and defensive linemen had greater PRA than offensive linemen. Offensive linemen sustained a higher cumulative load of impacts when compared to defensive linemen. An understanding of how position- and drill-specific responsibilities influence head impact kinematics may provide insight to practical strategies to alter drill execution without sacrificing the integrity of practice.Master of Art

Development and management of iatrogenic biloma post microwave ablation of solitary metastatic breast cancer lesion in the liver

Thermal ablation is used to treat liver metastasis including those from breast cancer. The ablation is associated with pain, hemorrhage, and biliary structure damage leading to bilomas. Biloma is a collection of bile that can occur inside or outside the biliary system, which could happen as a rare complication of surgery (from procedures like abdominal surgery or diagnostic procedures), trauma, or spontaneously. We report a case of biloma development after microwave ablation (MWA) of a metastatic lesion in the liver. We present a 66-year-old female diagnosed with stage 4 intraductal carcinoma of the right breast with metastasis to the liver. She developed biloma and infarction of the left lobe of the liver following MWA, which was treated with percutaneous internal/external biliary drain placement. Her symptoms and liver function tests were completely resolved after 3 months, and her left hepatic lobe completely atrophied in the same period. Biloma is a rare but concerning complication of MWA, therefore high suspicion should be maintained in patients presenting with cholestatic symptoms and fever postprocedure. When identified, drainage with antibiotic therapy can effectively treat biloma and resolve the symptoms

Evaluating protein cross-linking as a therapeutic strategy to stabilize SOD1 variants in a mouse model of familial ALS

Mutations in the gene encoding Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) cause a subset of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (fALS) cases. A shared effect of these mutations is that SOD1, which is normally a stable dimer, dissociates into toxic monomers that seed toxic aggregates. Considerable research effort has been devoted to developing compounds that stabilize the dimer of fALS SOD1 variants, but unfortunately, this has not yet resulted in a treatment. We hypothesized that cyclic thiosulfinate cross-linkers, which selectively target a rare, 2 cysteine-containing motif, can stabilize fALS-causing SOD1 variants in vivo. We created a library of chemically diverse cyclic thiosulfinates and determined structure-cross-linking-activity relationships. A pre-lead compound, “S-XL6,” was selected based upon its cross-linking rate and drug-like properties. Co-crystallographic structure clearly establishes the binding of S-XL6 at Cys 111 bridging the monomers and stabilizing the SOD1 dimer. Biophysical studies reveal that the degree of stabilization afforded by S-XL6 (up to 24°C) is unprecedented for fALS, and to our knowledge, for any protein target of any kinetic stabilizer. Gene silencing and protein degrading therapeutic approaches require careful dose titration to balance the benefit of diminished fALS SOD1 expression with the toxic loss-of-enzymatic function. We show that S-XL6 does not share this liability because it rescues the activity of fALS SOD1 variants. No pharmacological agent has been proven to bind to SOD1 in vivo. Here, using a fALS mouse model, we demonstrate oral bioavailability; rapid engagement of SOD1G93A by S-XL6 that increases SOD1G93A’s in vivo half-life; and that S-XL6 crosses the blood–brain barrier. S-XL6 demonstrated a degree of selectivity by avoiding off-target binding to plasma proteins. Taken together, our results indicate that cyclic thiosulfinate-mediated SOD1 stabilization should receive further attention as a potential therapeutic approach for fALS

Patient Characteristics Associated With Phone and Video Visits at a Tele-Urgent Care Center During the Initial COVID-19 Response: Cross-Sectional Study

Background Health systems rapidly adopted telemedicine as an alternative health care delivery modality in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Demographic factors, such as age and gender, may play a role in patients’ choice of a phone or video visit. However, it is unknown whether there are differences in utilization between phone and video visits. Objective This study aimed to investigate patients’ characteristics, patient utilization, and service characteristics of a tele-urgent care clinic during the initial response to the pandemic. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of urgent care patients using a statewide, on-demand telemedicine clinic with board-certified physicians during the initial phases of the pandemic. The study data were collected from March 3, 2020, through May 3, 2020. Results Of 1803 telemedicine visits, 1278 (70.9%) patients were women, 730 (40.5%) were aged 18 to 34 years, and 1423 (78.9%) were uninsured. There were significant differences between telemedicine modalities and gender (P<.001), age (P<.001), insurance status (P<.001), prescriptions given (P<.001), and wait times (P<.001). Phone visits provided significantly more access to rural areas than video visits (P<.001). Conclusions Our findings suggest that offering patients a combination of phone and video options provided additional flexibility for various patient subgroups, particularly patients living in rural regions with limited internet bandwidth. Differences in utilization were significant based on patient gender, age, and insurance status. We also found differences in prescription administration between phone and video visits that require additional investigation

THE LEGACY OF INCARCERATION: HOW PRISON MUSIC BECAME A COMMODITY IN THE POPULAR MUSIC INDUSTRY

Carceral music-making in the United States has been recorded and broadcast since the 1930s. Folklorists visited prisons and captured sound recordings, prison wardens broadcast prison radio shows across the continent, and record producers funneled prisoners into recording booths while the incarcerated persons were allowed temporary leave to record. These recordings and their transcripts entered academic and public settings via archives, published books, and LP releases. Later, artists across genres from the late 1950s to the 2010s covered and sampled these carceral music recordings (particularly of Black imprisoned persons), and they further wove the music from incarcerated persons into the fabric of American and British popular music. In this dissertation, I outline the development of carceral music culture in the United States, from the interest in carceral music-making that emerged in the late 1800s to the proliferation of carceral recordings in archival and commercial spheres in the 1930s-1950s. By analyzing the social conditions that lead to the creation and dissemination of “emotionally honest” and “confessional” carceral music-making culture, I explain how the culture of covering and sampling was and continues to be predicated on stereotypes of prisoners’ race, class, and gender, and is sustained by the coercion and exploitation of prisoners. I use archival recordings, interviews, and newspaper clippings and to argue that musicians in the late 1950s through the 2010s commodified carceral recordings and benefited from a widespread white, middle-class fascination with criminality and the suffering of Black bodies.Doctor of Philosoph

Estimation of Occupational Exposure of Artisanal Fishers following the 2019 Oil Spill in Northeastern Brazil

The 2019 Oil Spill off the coast of Northeastern Brazil dramatically impacted the health, economy and environment of the coast of the state of Bahia. Artisanal fishing communities in the region were often interacted directly with the oil due both to the oil removal efforts that were led at the community level and due to their dependence on fishing to meet basic survival needs. Crude oil is a complex mixture of compounds including PAHs, VOCs, heavy metals, and hydrogen sulfide, which can lead to health effects including oxidative stress, heart disease, severe lower pulmonary disease, and severe neurological endpoints. Government response was conflicting and disjointed, increasing economic damage and health outcomes in these communities. These communities are primarily Afro-Indigenous, and the fishing moratorium following this spill exacerbated existing environmental inequity dramatically. This thesis estimated the exposures these communities experienced, building 6 epidemiological models from survey data taken from 6 communities in the year following the disaster. Epidemiological models created matched qualitative reports of exposure provided by community members, leading to the identification of potentially useful estimates of exposure using survey-centric data collection methods.Master of Scienc

ENGINEERING OF THERMOSTABLE β-HYDROXYBUTYRATE DEHYDROGENASES FOR THEIR APPLICATION IN KETONE SENSORS

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a dangerous condition for patients involving elevated ketone body levels, and monitoring these ketones is essential for its diagnosis and treatment. β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) is the primary ketone that is produced during the DKA state, which can be used to indicate the onset and end of ketoacidosis. Existing technologies for monitoring ketone bodies are blood, urine, and breath ketone monitors, of which BHB is measured in only blood monitors. The enzyme β-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (BHBDh) is used in these blood ketone monitors and is a NAD+-dependent dehydrogenase that catalyzes the oxidation of BHB and reduction of acetoacetate, which are coupled with the conversion of NAD+/NADH as a co-factor of the enzyme. Conventional methods for monitoring BHB are more static in nature, whereas BHB levels change dynamically. Thus, there is a need to measure ketones continuously, in real-time, and in vivo to diagnose and treat DKA more efficiently. The development of continuous ketone monitors (CKM) is in progress. However, there are issues which need to be addressed to accelerate this development. Commercially available BHBDhs are derived from mesophilic bacteria and are expected to require further improvement of their enzymatic activity and stability for application in CKM systems. Thus, I focus on the development of engineered BHBDhs toward future use in CKM systems. In order to do so, I focus on the enhancement of the activities and stabilities of bacteria derived BHBHDhs. In Chapter 2, I aimed to develop new thermostable BHBDh by screening putative BHBDhs, characterizing, and engineering them when I observed limitations in their enzyme properties. In Chapter 3, I aimed to improve the thermal stability of an existing BHBDh derived from Psychrobacter arcticus (PaBHBDh), characterizing, and engineering this enzyme to improve its properties. Chapter 4 is the conclusion of this thesis. I was able to identify putative BHBDhs derived from thermophile bacteria, that showed BHBDh activity and thermal stability, and mutagenesis was able to bring improvements in activity. I was also able to show a moderate activity and thermostability in PaBHBDh, and mutagenesis was able to bring an improvement in thermal stability.Master of Scienc

Building Subnational Climate and Energy Policies on Household Energy Behaviors

Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges facing the world, yet conflicting interests and geopolitical dynamics often get in the way of national action and cooperation. Focus has shifted to local, subnational actors, but effective action and accountability requires consistent emissions reporting. In the first chapter, I introduce Fourier series to regression modeling of machine learning predicted emissions of local administrative units in the EU Covenant of Mayors. Fourier series are used in disciplines outside of the social sciences to analyze periodic trends, and with them, I show how traditional regression methods tend to slightly overestimate decreases in emissions changes. Local actors, though, ultimately reflect the households they represent. International action and cooperation of these local actors must further grapple with historical inequalities faced by the global south where local institutions may take on different forms and fill different roles. The second chapter uses Malawi as a case study to examines how financial inclusion, both formal and informal, influence household energy behaviors. The most impoverished households are found to use financial tools to meet higher up-front capital costs for solar technologies and lessen food insecurity. Informal financial institutions are no less important than their formal counterparts in rural areas where there is low penetration of the latter’s services. The third chapter in comparison analyzes household climate beliefs and energy use in the U.S. context. U.S. household climate beliefs are strongly influenced by national political messaging, but there is evidence suggesting a divergence between beliefs and actions in addition to support for a false dichotomy narrative of consumer versus corporate climate change responsibilities. Furthermore, households resist making changes that would noticeably affect their daily lives, favoring less direct and passive background changes. There is thus an important role for local officials and actors to understand geography-specific heterogeneity in their constituents’ politics, climate views, and energy behavior to craft effective energy and climate policy.Doctor of Philosoph

COMBINED ACTION IN VIETNAM: U.S. MARINE CORPS COUNTERINSURGENCY THOUGHT AND PRACTICE, 1965-1971

In August 1965, a contingent of United States Marines initiated the Combined Action Platoon (CAP) program in the Republic of Vietnam. The program embedded small groups of fourteen Marines and a Navy medical Corpsman in villages throughout the country’s five northernmost provinces. Their purpose was to train, advise, and fight alongside locally-raised militias known as Popular Forces (PF). The PF were minimally trained, paid, and equipped, yet they became an unlikely focal point in the Marines’ strategy in Vietnam. Since the war, Combined Action is often discussed synonymously with counterinsurgency, a complex process that requires delicate blends of social, political, economic, and military initiatives. Such interpretations, however, do not account for the manner in which the Marines in the CAPs understood their jobs or their commanders’ methods for assessing their activities in the villages. Both stemmed from the institutional culture the Marines built before Vietnam, and the counterinsurgency doctrine and knowledge they brought with them when they entered the war in 1965. Rather than attempt to assess Combined Action’s success or failure as a counterinsurgency initiative, this work uses the program as a window into how Cold War Marines understood insurgencies and how that understanding influenced the techniques they used in Vietnam. It argues Combined Action was an evolving, initially ad hoc program that provided a way for the Marines to increase their capacity for area denial, but was later misconstrued as counterinsurgency. It shows that most of the program’s actions, from beginningDoctor of Philosoph

Social Networks and Party Identity

Partisanship is the most important force in American public opinion and political behavior, making partisan socialization critical to understanding American political psychology. While scholars agree that partisanship is a social identity (Campbell et al. 1960) with social origins (Niemi and Jennings, 1968), how partisanship shapes, and is shaped by, our social networks remains underexplored. This dissertation consists of three projects that illuminate the interplay between social networks and party identity. The first project explores how two personality traits, open-mindedness and agreeableness, affect our proclivity for associating with people who share our party identity, a phenomenon I refer to as partisan homophily. I find that open-minded and agreeable people are less politically homophilic, but for different reasons. Open-minded people tend to be less avoidant of members of the other party but just as likely to terminate relationships with out-partisans as close-minded people. Meanwhile, agreeable people tend not to end relationships over politics, but whether they avoid out-partisans is unclear. The second project focuses on networks and affective polarization, the extent to which one harbors warmer feelings for their own party relative to the other. Leveraging panel data of incoming college students, I find affectively polarized entering freshman tend to build more homophilic networks, and, in turn, these homophilic networks lead people to become more affectively polarized. Using the same data, the final project illustrates that strong partisans tend to build more reinforcing networks, and that partisanship strengthens in homophilic networks. Together, this dissertation enriches our understanding of partisan socialization.Doctor of Philosoph