Honors Program Theses: Spring 2024

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10675.2/625494

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Comparative Analysis of Neural Network Model Compression Methods
(Augusta University, 2024-05) Doughty, Daelyn; Xiang, Weiming; Mo, Zihao; School of Computer and Cyber Sciences
Neural networks are crucial for advancing artificial intelligence but face deployment challenges on resource-constrained devices due to high computational and memory demands. This thesis evaluates neural network compression techniques—unstructured pruning, quantization, knowledge distillation, and structured sparsity—to reduce model size and computational overhead while maintaining performance. Experiments using the MNIST dataset assess each method’s impact on accuracy, inference time, and storage. Findings indicate that quantization and knowledge distillation are particularly effective, balancing size reduction with performance retention. This research enhances the deployment of complex neural models on limited-resource devices, increasing the accessibility and applicability of AI technologies.
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Gluteus Medius, Biceps Femoris, and Vastus Medialis Activation During Variations of Common Lunges
(Augusta University, 2024-05) Fowler, Diana; Bolgla, Lori; Winkler, M; Medcalfe, Simon; Department of Kinesiology
Background: Hip and knee muscle weakness is associated with many conditions such as patellofemoral pain (PFP), anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, and iliotibial band stress syndrome (ITBS). Physical therapists commonly prescribe lunges as a functional way to improve hip and knee strength. Typically, patients perform a lunge by moving the involved lower extremity away from the midline of the body (NWB). The lunge may be modified by standing on the affected lower extremity and moving the uninvolved extremity away from the midline of the body (WB). To date, it is unknown if differences exist in hip and knee muscle activation when performing a lunge in either manner. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the relative activation of hip and knee muscles during various lunges performed in a non-weight bearing (lunge performed with the limb moving away from the body midline) and weight bearing (lunge performed with the opposite limb moving away from the body midline) manner. We hypothesized that subjects would generate similar muscle activity across the lunge variations. Methods: Surface electromyographic (EMG) activity of the gluteus medius (GM), vastus medialis (VM), and biceps femoris (BF) was collected for thirteen subjects during a series of lunges and conditions. Subjects performed 5 repetitions of a front, side, and curtsy lunge in a non-weight bearing and weight bearing manner. Data were expressed as a percent maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). Separate 2 (condition) X 3 (lunge type) analyses of variance with repeated measures were used to determine differences in muscle amplitudes for each exercise. The level of significance was established at the 0.05 level. Results: EMG activity for the GM during all lunge variations ranged from low to moderate (17.8-23.0% MVIC). The EMG activity for the VM ranged from low to moderate (7.9-26.9% MVIC) while EMG activity for the BF was low (4.2-12.0% MVIC). Conclusion: Lunges may be used for strengthening and endurance training. For most of the lunges and conditions, muscle activation generally was higher during the non-weightbearing condition. The muscle activation produced for all muscles ranged from low to moderate. Our findings show that lunges that generate moderate EMG activity are best for endurance training. Lunges that only require low levels of EMG activity will need to be performed with an external load to increase the exercise intensity. Findings from this study provide an evidence-based approach for the clinician when prescribing lunges for individuals with hip and knee weakness.
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Exploring Intensity of Activity throughout the day among overweight/obese adults participating in a structured physical activity program
(Augusta University, 2024-05) Finney, Alexandra; Kindred, Madison; Greene, Daniel; Curry-McCoy, Tiana; Department of Kinesiology
Implementation of a physical activity program focused on moderate intensity may affect changes in daily steps, time spent sedentary, and/or time spent in light and vigorous intensity amongst overweight/obese adults. Adults classified as overweight/obese were recruited to participate in a 12-week weight-loss program where they were encouraged to work up to 300 min/week of structured exercise. However, this paper only collected data from weeks 1-4. Participants completed the exercise prescription provided by the research team but were also encouraged to participate in any physical activity of their choosing. Participants were provided with a FitBit device to track their steps and intensity levels during exercise sessions. Data was collected on a weekly basis from the FitBit.com dashboard. This study found minimal changes in activity and sedentary time during weeks 1-4. The participants did, however, exceed their goal step count during the 4-week period. Data is still being collected to explore the effects of the implementation of a physical activity program amongst overweight/obese adults.
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The Impact of Exercise Autonomy on Virtual-Reality Enhanced Time Trial Performance
(Augusta University, 2024-05) Butler, Brooke; Moore, Andrew; Greene, Daniel; Cannon, Jennifer; Department of Kinesiology
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The Real-World Effects of a Monastic Lifestyle
(Augusta University, 2024-05) Dolin, Kolbe; Bryant, Wlliam; Routh, Daniel; Peritore, Nicole; Department of Communication
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Alteration in Autophagy and Mitophagy Genes in Skeletal Muscle of Aged Mice
(Augusta University, 2024-05) Brunkow-Schnell, Gabriel; Fulzele, Sadanand; Thompson, Mason; Winkler, Angelina; Department of Medicine
Diseases such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, cancer and dementia are illnesses that commonly develop in elderly people. Many diseases and illnesses related to aging are often caused by damaged DNA, which may cause errors in DNA replication or transcription. DNA damage is a major cause of mitochondrial dysfunction and weakened autophagy, making it more difficult for the human body to destroy damaged cells and create healthy cells. Autophagy takes place when a cell discards unnecessary organelles or repurposes defective ones to optimize performance. Mitochondria specifically are organelles that regulate cellular energy homeostasis and cell death. Mitophagy is the process of a cell removing damaged or aged mitochondria through lysosomal degradation. Mice have been used as research models for a long period of time due to their anatomical, physiological, and genetic similarity to humans. They also have an average lifespan of 26-30 months in a controlled lab setting, making them easy to study for their entire lives. Mice can be used to study the effects of mitophagy because the way they age is easily trackable, does not take much time, and has similar effects to human aging. This makes mice useful for studying effective ways to cure age related human diseases. This proposal aims to find the effects of autophagy and mitophagy in the aging of muscular and skeletal cells in mice. We will be extracting RNA from the tibia bones of 40 dead mice varying from male to female and adult (12-month) to old (21-month). 10 different mice tibia will be used for 4 different categories, including female 12-month-old mice, female 21-month-old mice, male 12-month-old mice, and male 21-month-old mice. The tibia bones must be crushed in order to be prepared for RNA extraction. This is done by first cutting off the epiphyses (heads) and leaving the diaphysis (shaft) to be crushed. The tibia diaphysis is crushed with scissors in a phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution then vortexed and centrifuged for a short time. After removing the supernatant after each time crushing, this process is repeated at least two more times to ensure the tibia is crushed into a powder-like substance. The substance is then scraped into a mortar and filled with liquid nitrogen, which allows the bone powder to be crushed with a pestle. After being scraped into a tube, 200 microliters of TRIzol are added to the crushed bone powder to extract the RNA. This research is unique compared to similar studies because it will look to compare the relationship between mitophagy and autophagy and the physical and mental state of health of the mice. This includes their age, gender, and how strong their arm muscles are which will be concluded by the length of muscle fibers.
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The Role of CD73 in Oral Fibroblast Inflammatory Response
(Augusta University, 2024-05) Brumbaugh, Rylee; Morand, Ana; Hauger, Joseph; Alber, Keri; Department of Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences
Oral fibroblasts, a type of cell responsible for creating and maintaining the extracellular matrix, play a significant role in the inflammatory response and wound healing. The protein CD73 is a nucleotide-metabolizing enzyme found on the surface of cells and in the extracellular matrix. This enzyme is responsible for the production of extracellular adenosine from its precursor adenosine monophosphate (AMP) after a series of dephosphorylation steps that hydrolyze extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Functional CD73 is crucial to cells, as it is responsible for shaping the extracellular environment for adenosine signaling, and adenosine is a key mediator of inflammation and immune response. While the effects of adenosine primarily constitute immune regulatory function, prolonged exposure to adenosine can be detrimental to the host. During inflammatory processes, CD73 and other nucleotide-metabolizing enzymes tightly regulate the concentration of adenosine, ATP, and other signaling molecules involved in inflammatory responses and would healing. Wound healing in the gingival mucosa is important, as the chronic inability to repair the oral mucosa may lead to oral inflammatory diseases. The presence and progression of oral inflammatory diseases may also initiate and/or worsen other diseases in the host. Our research was focused on the role of CD73 in the inflammatory responses of oral fibroblast cells. Our group has previously conducted studies highlighting the role of CD73 in human gingival stromal cells. Though differences can be observed between the human and the murine CD73 enzyme, gaps in knowledge still exist, specifically concerning the involvement of CD73 in inflammatory and repair mechanisms that can be better dissected by comparing normal versus CD73-deficient cells. In this project, we used isolated primary gingival fibroblasts from WT (Wild Type) and CD73-deficient mice to investigate their inflammatory response in vitro through the expression of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines such as Cxcl1 and Cxcl2. Cxcl1 and Cxcl2 play a role in regulating immune and inflammatory response. TGF?, Col1, IL-1?, and Il-17 were examined as well. The cytokine TGF? controls cell proliferation and wound healing, and the main structural protein in the extracellular matrix is collagen type 1. The cytokine IL-1? plays a role in inflammation as well, and the cytokine IL-17 is responsible for the defense against microbial organisms. The results show that a deficiency of CD73 led to an increase in inflammatory markers. In conclusion, the functionality of CD73 plays a key role in oral fibroblast inflammation since the absence of functional CD73 yielded higher levels of most proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines evaluated in this study.
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Effects of Stress on Cytokines and Blood Pressure
(Augusta University, 2024-05) Reeves, Jeremiah; Kapuku, Gaston; Patel, Ruchi; Leightner, Jonathan; Department of Medicine
Evidence shows that psychological stress prompts an increase in the parameters of blood pressure while rest has been found to minimize these effects (1) (2). The objective of this work is to determine whether psychological stress plays a role in increasing blood pressure and inflammatory factors such as cytokines (e.g., IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-?). We hypothesize that an elevated blood pressure will be accompanied by an increased pro-inflammatory cytokines level in the blood (e.g., IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-?.). A period of rest will be associated with lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
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The Role of Religious Orientation and Religious Coping on Justice-Oriented Beliefs
(Augusta University, 2024-05) Brooks, Arion; Wilcox, Melanie M.; Hunt, David; Leightner, Jonathan; Department of Pscyhological Sciences
The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how the health of one’s relationship with religion and spirituality is related to political ideology, vaccine support, and endorsement of social justice attitudes and behaviors. Within this decade, American society experienced a major change through the resurgence and ongoing conversation of the Black Lives Matter Movement and women’s rights movements. Additionally, civil unrest increased due to the 2020 presidential election and the COVID-19 regulations, with vaccine hesitancy reaching an all-time high (Dunivin et al., 2022; Exline et al., 2021). Movements advocating for social justice, visà-vis increased movements against them – often rooted not only in the political right but also in certain sects of Christianity – have reopened discussions regarding the role of religion—and more specifically, the health of one’s relationship with religion—in political issues. Rather than categorical religion itself, health of one’s relationship with religion refers to the quality and nature of an individual’s connection to their religion, and how their overall wellbeing and functioning is impacted by their relationship with their religion (Cohen & Johnson, 2016). Research on Social Dominance Theory and Right-Wing Authoritarianism have consistently demonstrated a relationship between religious and political ideology, with prejudicial and authoritarian attitudes consistently demonstrated as being related to conservatism and religiosity (Lantz et al., 2018; Fasce & Avendaño, 2020).
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Moving Towards an Online Thematic Apperception Test (TAT): The Impact of Administeration Modifications on Narrative Length and Story Richness
(Augusta University, 2024-05) Vincent, Elyse Mireille; Mulford-Slavin, Jenelle; Coleman, Jeremy; Wiley, Faith; Department of Psychological Sciences
The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) is the second most commonly used performance-based task in clinical practice. However, traditional TAT administration is time-consuming and raises accessibility issues. Recent research exploring modifications to administration to address these concerns has found that within a lab setting, having participants type their own narratives leads to richer responses than when participants narrate the stories out loud to an examiner (Coleman et al., 2023). The current study extends Coleman et al.’s (2023) work by investigating the impact of card presentation (hard copy versus on the computer screen) and setting (in the lab versus online) on narrative quality. A four-card TAT protocol was administered to 135 college students in three separate conditions: in lab with hard copies of cards (Lh), in lab with images on the computer (Lc), and online (O) administration in which participants could take the TAT wherever they wished. The resulting narratives were scored using the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale- Global Rating Method (SCORS-G) by two trained raters. MANOVA procedures showed that SCORS-G ratings were not affected by card presentation (computer versus hardcopy) or setting (online versus lab) and add to Coleman et al.’s (2023) results to suggest that the TAT can be administered online without a diminution in the quality of SCORSG ratings at least with some populations. Clinical and research implications as well as future directions will be discussed.
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Characterization of a Homologation Enzyme HphA by Enzymatic Assays and Site-Directed Mutagenesis
(Augusta University, 2024-05) Owens, Skyler; Mori, Shogo; Spencer, Angela; Wilson, Anastasia; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Natural Products (NPs), chemical compounds produced by microorganisms and plants, show many different biological properties, including antibiotic, anticancer, and immunosuppressive, and therefore are very important sources of drugs. However, therapeutic targets, such as pathogens and tumors, can become drug-resistant to common small-molecule drugs due to over-prescription and misuse. Thus, it is important to search for new bioactive compounds with improved clinical properties. One of the major families of NPs in Nature includes peptide NPs that are composed of amino acid building blocks. They are very diverse and used for many applications, but pathogens can easily develop resistance to break down the molecules. To create a better drug with enhanced stability, the chemical structure of peptide NPs can be modified by gene engineering methods. As the development of drugs from scratch requires a huge amount of resources and takes more than a decade, modifications of a known chemical compound are time and cost-effective futuristic methods to produce new drug candidates. The chemical transformation called homologation is one way to produce engineered peptide NPs. Our objective was to characterize the Zn2+ binding site of the first enzyme in the homologation pathway for Lphenylalanine and L-tyrosine, HphA, which is involved in the biosynthesis of peptide NPs called anabaenopeptins. Site-directed mutagenesis was performed on HphA D15, H218, and H220 residues to convert them to alanine, which were predicted to be responsible for Zn2+ binding by bioinformatic analysis. The activities of these mutants and the wild type were compared through HPLC analysis and colorimetric assays to investigate the reactions catalyzed by the enzymes and the reaction speed, respectively. The data confirmed the importance of the Zn2+ binding site in HphA as well as the homology to known enzymes in the homologation pathway of other amino acids. This research illuminates a method to modify peptide NPs to be more biologically stable and counter the global antibiotic-resistant crisis in the future.
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Dual-Task Posture Performance in Older Adults with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
(Augusta University, 2024-05) Sommer. Amaya; Jehu, Deborah; Winkler, A. Maleah; Garner, James; Department of Kinesiology
Introduction: Fall-related mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) are a prevalent problem among the older population. mTBIs lead to the development of postural control impairments which may persist and lead to further injury. Testing dual-task posture performance may be an appropriate screening and monitoring tool of postural performance for mTBI, but further evidence is needed. Objective: To compare single and dual-task posture performance in older adults with mTBI. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with a recruitment of n=4. Demographic data was collected first. Participants, who were all at least 65 years of age or older, were then tested for dual-task posture performance using an AMTI force platform. Participants were instructed to complete two repetitions of single and dual tasks involving posture in a randomly chosen sequence. The motor task was standing with their feet apart on the force platform. The cognitive task entailed counting backwards from a 3-digit number by an interval of 3 in their head. Each task on the platform lasted for 60 seconds. Outcome measures included 95% confidence area (mm2), center of pressure (COP) path length (mm), COP velocity (mm/s), and mean frequency (Hz). A repeated measures analysis of variance on single and dual task posture parameters was conducted to determine the influence of dual tasking on posture. Results: Out of the 4 participants, there were 2 females. The average time since diagnosis was 430.75 days ± 295.72 days and the average Montreal Cognitive Assessment score was 21.33/30 points. There was no significant Condition by Measure interaction (F(1,3)=0.22, p=0.67, ?p 2=0.07). There was no significant main effect of Condition (F(1,3)=0.22, p=0.67, ?p 2=0.07). Conclusion: No significant difference was found between single and dual-task parameters, which included 95% confidence area (mm2), center of pressure (COP) path length (mm), COP velocity (mm/s), and mean frequency (Hz). This was surprising as it was expected that dual tasking would provoke impairments in postural control parameters. However, data collection is ongoing so these findings should be interpreted with caution. Refined screening and monitoring protocols for fall-related mTBIs may the improve time to diagnosis, prevent reinjury, and mitigate long term impairments.
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The Therapeutic Potential of Cannabidol in the Treatment of Head and neck Cancer
(Augusta University, 2024-05) Ko, Kathryn; Baban, Babak; Shahoumi, Linah; Winkler, A. Maleah; Department of Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences
Tongue tumor is a type of head and neck cancer that begins to spread in the cells of the tongue. There are several types of cancer that can affect the tongue. However, the most common and prevalent type of tongue cancer is squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Tongue tumors are a form of head and neck cancer within the oral cavity. The most common and prevalent type of tongue cancer is squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). SCC are thin, flat cells that are found on the surfaces of the skin and tongue, in the lining of the digestive and respiratory tracts, mouth, throat, thyroid, and larynx. Cannabidiol (CBD) has been a sensational topic for researchers as many recent studies have shown that it has anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties, which correlates with the studies of tumor suppression. CBD is isolated from the Cannabis sativa plants, such as hemp and marijuana. Studies show CBD may be able to help in the treatment for some types of cancer. For example, CBD may be beneficial for cancer patients and their cancer related side effects. Also, CBD showed effect on decreasing cancerous cells in tumors. With increasing number of cases with head and neck cancer worldwide, it is unavoidable to do a research study on their interactions. Therefore, under the guidance of Dr. Baban, I will be conducting a research study that focuses on the therapeutic potential of Cannabidiol in the treatment of tongue tumor. The research experiment will use tumor murine cell lines to generate the experimental model of tongue tumor in the mice and analyze how Cannabidiol (CBD) affects the tongue tumor development. The cell line for mice experimental model has been developed at the department of Oral Biology and Dx Sciences, Dental College of Georgia (DCG) at Augusta University. The goal of this research is to explore the role of inhaling CBD in mice to provide a new therapeutic option to target and decrease the tongue tumors. We will be assessing imaging, Flow Cytometry, and histology analysis to examine and evaluate the consequences of CBD. All the protocols in our research studies were relied on and approved by IACUC at Augusta University.
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Downregulation of Emilin1 and Thbs2 Contributes to Aortic Structural Stiffness of the XX Female Four Core Genotype Mice
(Augusta University, 2024-05) Kamau, Anne N.; Ogola, Benard; Cannon, Jennifer; Guerrero-Millan, Josefa; Department of Medicine
Background: The aorta comprises endothelial cells in the tunica intima, and smooth muscle cells in the tunica intima intertwine with elastin fibers and fibroblast cells. A network of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, including collagen, integrins, and adhesion proteins, provide rigidity and support the vessel. Protein deficiencies within the ECM compromise the structural integrity, which can foster an array of vascular pathologies, including aneurysms and atherosclerosis. However, ECM disorganization can occur due to vascular remodeling in mice, which is dependent on age and sex. Sex differences between females and males can be hormonal (estradiol versus testosterone) or chromosomal (XX versus XY). Studies have shown that females, compared to males, exhibit accelerated arterial stiffness with aging. The decline in sex hormones promotes arterial stiffening in male and female mice. However, whether the driving factor in arterial stiffening is sex chromosome complement (XX versus XY), sex hormone-dependent, and their interaction is unknown. Methods: To determine the contribution of sex hormones and sex chromosomes or their interaction to arterial stiffening, we used the Four-Core genotype (FCG) mouse model. FCG mice comprise females and males with either XX or XY sex chromosome complement. First, we performed vaginal swabs in female mice to determine estrous cycles. After euthanasia, we isolated male and female mice descending thoracic to the abdominal aorta. Aortic length, thickness, and diameter were assessed. Next, we used a tissue puller to assess the uniaxial tension of the aorta. Stress-strain and force-displacement curves of the aorta were automatically generated in control, collagenase, and elastase digestion conditions. Aortic histology by Masson’s Trichome (MTC) was used to determine collagen, and Verhoeff-Van Gieson (VVG) was used to determine elastin strands. PCR microarray assessed aorta ECM and adhesive genes, followed by RT-qPCR validation. Results: The estrous cycling did not significantly impact aorta mechanical testing. Stress-strain tests showed an increased leftward shift in the following order: XXF, XYF, XXM, and XYM, respectively, recapitulated by the tensile strength assessed by force-displacement tests. Aortas were enzymatically digested with collagenase to determine collagen contribution to tensile strength. Collagenase digestion indicated a rightward shift in XXF compared to XYF (P<0.0007) and removed any significant differences in XX compared to XYF, XXM, and XYM. Elastase digestion showed a rightward shift in XXF compared to XYF, while no significant difference was detected in the male mice. PCR microarray indicated significant changes in Adamts, Emilin1, Icam, Thbs2, Ctnna1, Ecm1, and Fbln1 genes, while RT-qPCR validation showed a significant decrease in Emilin1, Icam, Thbs2, Ctnna1, Ecm1, and Fbln1 genes in XX mice. Aortic histology data indicated increased Masson’s trichrome staining in XX than XY female mice that was removed by collagenase digestion. Verhoeff-Van Giesen staining showed linearized elastin structures in elastase-digested aortas but not in control and collagenase groups. Conclusion: We show that gonadal intact female FCG mice with XX sex chromosomes complement have increased intrinsic stiffness that was not impacted by the estrous cycle. PCR microarray and RT-qPCR indicated that the Emilin1 gene plays a role in aortic stiffness. New and Noteworthy: For the first time, segregating mice by sex hormones and sex chromosome complement shows increased aortic structural stiffening in XX female mice, partly driven by Emilin1 and Thbs2 genes. Previous studies have shown that Emilin1 null mice are hypertensive and have increased myogenic tone and vascular abnormalities. Additionally, we show a significant decrease in Emilin1 and Thbs2 genes in stretched primary isolated cells from XX female mice. The sex-specific change suggests a unique role of Emilin1 and Thbs2 genes in XX female mice in regulating the aorta’s integrity.
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Special Education Representation: Investigating the Identification, Response to Intervention, and Placement of Special Education Students in Minority Manjority Districts
(Augusta University, 2024-05) Morales-Ormaza, Aryana; Hunt, David; Kuo, Nai-Cheng; Welsh, Grace; Department of Social Sciences
In 1975, congress passed the “Education for All Handicapped Children Act”, reauthorized in 2004 as the “Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, with a promise of six foundational principles to special education (SPED) students and their families. These principles consist of students receiving an appropriate evaluation, individualized education program, free appropriate public education, and be place in the least restrictive environment, while parents or guardians would be given procedural safeguards and the right to participate alongside teachers (Lee, 2024). In recent years, educators, parents, and guardians have contended that some of these principles are not fully honored in the school systems. Previous research has shown disproportionately based on race and gender among SPED nationwide (GBPI, 2022). Additionally, states only receive 40 percent of the allotted budget for IDEA federal funding (New America, 2016). These findings are important to note as they display a potential violation of Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), a vital principle of IDEA, and leave researchers questioning the possibility of more violations which leads to the scope of this project. Through the collection of publicly available data, this research suggests a difference is occurring between white majority districts versus minority majority districts. Specifically, the project explores minority majority districts’ SPED students being underrepresented and served at a lower rate than those in white majority districts. Districts from Georgia will be compared to identify gaps of service to SPED students by using IDEA principles as the measurement for services.
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Examining Factors that Contrinute to Food Insecurity Among College Students at Augusta University
(Augusta University, 2024-05) Lynch, Bella; Peritore, Nicole; Griffith, Candace; Silva, Jeane; Department of Kinesiology
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Framing the Pathways from Police Spending to Community Outcomes
(Augusta University, 2024-05) Frails, Elise; Medcalfe, Simon; Moore, Janna; Cromer, Bran; College of Business
Law enforcement funding gained increased visibility and focus after 2020's tragic killing of George Floyd. For years, activists advocated cutting law enforcement budgets and the George Floyd murder increased calls by activists to “defund the police”. However, others advocated for a reallocation of funds while others wanted to protect police spending. This thesis will analyze the effect of changing police spending on a variety of community outcomes using county level data from Georgia and South Carolina. Specifically, we examine the relationship between police spending and violent crime, self-reported mental health, and high school graduation. We find that police spending has no effect on crime, improves mental health, and decreases education attainment. Policy changes based on these results are suggested for local governments.
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Understanding the Challenges Imposed by Parole
(Augusta University, 2024-05) Hinson, Harper; Griffith, Candace; Oliveira, Raquel Lara Velez; Vericella, Sharn; Department of Social Sciences
The purpose of this study is to formally investigate the challenges that parolees face during their personal reentry experiences and how those challenges make reentry more difficult. I gathered six participants using convenience sampling. I was able to accomplish this through conducting six semi-structured, qualitative interviews at both, Augusta University and the Georgia Department of Community Supervision. The interviews were coded using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. I was able to break down my findings into nine themes and two subthemes. The four most frequently discussed there were A1. Employment, A3. Social Support, A6. Reentry Adaptations, and B. Prison Experiences. According to my findings and supporting literature, parolees attribute most of the challenges they face during reentry to carceral control, employment, and social support barriers. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
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Exploring the Ability of Twist1 to Induce Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 Expression at the Transcriptional Level in Human Pancreatic Stellate Cells
(Augusta University, 2024-05) Gavara, Natasha; Sabba, Maria Eugenia; Wiles, Karen; Bryan, James; Department of Biological Sciences
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How Kynurenine Affects the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor at Different Stages of Osteoblastic Differentiation
(Augusta University, 2024-05) Allen, Tate J.
This study aims to determine the impact of kynurenine treatment on various stages of osteoblastic commitment and differentiation to better understand the impact of this molecule on osteoblast dysfunction during aging. It is hypothesized that kynurenine will have its most detrimental effect on osteoblast differentiation at the mid to later stages of differentiation. To test this hypothesis, three biological replicates of each experiment were completed with immortalized mesenchymal-lineage cell lines (ST2 mesenchymal progenitor cells and MC3T3 osteoblast progenitor cells) to ensure rigor and reproducibility. A molecular approach was employed to quantify cellular expression pattern changes underlying any observed differences in extracellular matrix production by the osteoblasts. Molecular markers and gene expression were analyzed via RT-qPCR, which was used to define the molecular signature during the identified differentiation periods negatively affected by the kynurenine-supplemented media.