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"Google is my friend": An Exploration of Older Adult Media Literacy
The advancement and incorporation of media in daily life continue to grow exponentially as the median age of humanity continues to rise. While there are media literacy education programs targeted toward children and adolescents, older adults are often left out of these initiatives. Based on ethnographic research conducted at two senior centers in Denton, TX, this thesis explores the way older adults analyze and interact with media. Data collection methods include participant observation and semi-structured interviews with senior center members over the age of 65. The research findings highlight how older adults navigate an expanding information society and how they lean on their community for support. These findings laid the foundation for the creation of a media literacy educational seminar given at both senior centers.
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Williams, Mikaela Anne
System:
The UNT Digital Library
"The Gordita's Guide to Body Positivity"
"The Gordita's Guide to Body Positivity" is an autobiographical documentary reflecting on society's expectations of the female body image and how it affects Latinx women. Through personal recollections, media content, and archival material, the film explores beauty expectations, body discrimination, and body positivity. The document analyzes the documentary styles such as autoethnography and narration incorporated into the film and provides historical and theoretical context to body image in the Latinx culture and how the media has affected body image, beauty ideals, and eating disorders. In addition, the pre-production, production, and post-production process is detailed.
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Calderon, Jessica Andrea
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Green Manufacturing of Lignocellulosic Fiber through Bacterial Degradation Process
Lignocellulose is the most abundant biopolymer on earth and offers excellent potential for sustainable manufacturing. Because lignocellulose is structurally complex and resistant to decomposition, innovative degradation strategies are necessary to unlock its value. In this dissertation, a green manufacturing process through enzyme-triggered self-cultured bacteria retting for lignocellulosic fiber was developed and investigated. The mechanism of the lignocellulosic fiber retting at a controlled degradation strategy was studied. This enzymatic degradation strategy utilizes a small amount of enzyme to trigger a large aggregation of specific bacteria to obtain clean fibers. Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) fiber was successfully retted with this strategy. The degradation of pectin was proved through an environmental scanning electron microscope and reducing sugar analysis. The bacterial successions were identified by 16S rRNA gene metagenomic sequencing. The results showed that Bacillaceae dominated the hemp retting conditions containing 1% pectinase, suggesting that pectinase can manipulate bacterial community succession by changing the nutrients available to bacteria through the degradation of pectin. This degradation strategy has 20-25% less environmental impact than the thermochemical degradation strategy, resulting in better fiber consistency and much shorter processing time (3-5 days) than the traditional water degradation strategy. The study on the degradation of lignin-rich lignocellulose also …
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Fu, Yu
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Harmonic Function in Rock: A Melodic Approach
This dissertation explores the influence of melody on harmonic function in pop and rock songs from around 1950 to the present. While authors define the term "function" in several ways, none consider melody in their explanations, and I contend that any discussion of harmonic function in rock must include melody. I offer a novel perspective on function by defining it through what I call tension-as-anticipation, and I define a "melodic function" that accounts for the sense of tension and relaxation a melody creates within a particular moment in a track. My dissertation defines two types of melodic function—dominant and tonic—based on the melody's goal-directed scale-degree content, position within a phrase, and relation with the harmony. Dominant-melodic function results in two musical phenomena that I call the "imposed dominant" and the "dominant remainder." An imposed dominant occurs when a dominant-melodic function is initially dissonant with the harmony and resolves over a tonic. A dominant remainder occurs when a dominant-melodic function occurs over a harmonic resolution to the tonic, creating a slower dissipation of tension. Tonic-melodic function produces a phenomenon I call the "tonic anticipation," where a melody outlines a tonic mode over a pretonic harmony, creating a maximum sense of tension-as-anticipation. …
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Oliver, Matthew Ryan
System:
The UNT Digital Library
"Have You Ever Had a Broken Heart?"
Have You Ever Had Broken Heart? is a collection of essays that interrogate memory, loss, and grief through the intersection of personal narrative, films, the actress Frances Farmer, and woman saints and mystics from the twelfth through seventeenth centuries who were punished for daring to speak to G-d. The essays engage with autotheory and include a myriad of forms, such as segmented, one sentence, and hybrid works. The films discussed range from the philosophical, such as Ingmar Bergman's Winter Light (1963), to Graeme Clifford's biopic, Frances (1982), to catechize the grief of the persona losing her mother and sister to a hit and run car wreck in June 2022. The persona traverses the realm of the mystics and saints, including Marguerite Porete, Sor Juana Inez De La Cruz, and Joan of Arc, examining their respective quests to experience the unseen and often silent divine, while questioning her longing for G-d, and simultaneously believing G-d cannot exist. Yet, within this confusion, she finds herself immersed in memories which carry the presence of her mother's love.
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Moore, Katherine
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Homoleptic and Heteroleptic Platinum(II) Complexes for Organic Light Emitting Diodes and Humidity Sensors: Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications
This dissertation focuses on the design, synthesis, characterization of platinum (II) pyridylazolate complexes and develop high performance organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) and design and execute high-sensitivity humidity sensors based on the luminescent metal-organic complexes of platinum. A majority of existing platinum compounds do not dissolve in organic solvents, making it difficult to analyze the photophysical characteristics of complexes in solution, a key part of understanding chemical photophysical properties. Furthermore, due to the poor quantum yield, it is inefficient for use in devices such as OLEDs. Chapter 2 reports the synthesis and characterization of a novel heteroleptic platinum(II) pyridylazolate complex with high solubility and quantum yield. The photochemistry of the complex is studied, including efficiency, emission profiles, and lifetimes at different temperatures. Chapter 3 reports the power efficiency (lm/W), current efficiency (cd/A), external quantum efficiency (EQE), luminance and operating voltage (V) of OLED devices made with the heteroleptic platinum(II) pyridylazolate complex. The relation between thickness of hole transport layer and electron transport layer on performance of devices has been studied through building a variety of devices. Chapter 4 includes application of a homoleptic platinum(II) pyridylazolate complex in humidity sensor. In many environments, the relationship between moisture content and emissive wavelength …
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Farvid, Seyedmajid
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Horses Against Tanks: Historical Memory and the German Invasion of Poland
The entrance of the German Invasion of Poland and depiction thereof into modern historiographical conversations offers historians superior articulation of the creation of historical memory, mythos, and identity ‒ especially in wider terms of European Imperialism. By utilizing the current trends in gendering of empire, the use of auto-biography and life writing to understand felt realities and obfuscated truths, and the attempts by empire to queer and utilize labeled deviations to control and gain power over their colonized subjects, one is presented a better understanding of how the German Invasion of Poland fits into the story of empire and indigeneity. That story continues past the Third Reich however, as German propaganda in its various forms was accepted as truth after the Second World War, providing justification for and rationalizing post war political power structures of Western nations. As the threat of a cold war with the USSR loomed, many in the American military felt it necessary to accept and support German myths about their military prowess (and non-culpability for the Holocaust) and the inferiority of Slavic military forces. By analyzing not the myths themselves, but how they were created and propagated, historians can add to this historical conversation a case …
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Palmer, Matthew Steven
System:
The UNT Digital Library
The Idiomatic Techniques and Procedures of Composer Kevin Walczyk (b. 1964) that Define a Unique Musical Language
Award winning composer Kevin Walczyk's describes himself as a "musical storyteller," using all musical elements of structure, melody, harmony, and counterpoint to convey programmatic content. A variety of subjects are conveyed that include historical events, people, physical objects or locations, and literary texts. Deeper matters, such as spiritual themes, are also often incorporated in his music that enhance the musical program. The technical procedures employed—pertaining particularly to the expression of programmatic content—has produced a unique musical language that stands out in the modern compositional landscape. What are these inherent idiomatic features, and how are they exhibited? The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a detailed examination of Walczyk's distinct musical language. A critical analysis of the technical procedures used to convey his programmatic content, as well as insights into his influences and writing process, illuminate the attributes of this a posteriori musical language. The two works selected for this study to demonstrate this are Symphony No. 2: Epitaphs Unwritten and Talking Winds, both written for wind band.
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Wollam, Seth Frederick
System:
The UNT Digital Library
The Impact of Kindergarten Classroom Assignment on Classroom Teachers and Student Achievement
To determine the impact of an administrator's decision on student placement in kindergarten classrooms, teachers were asked to share their perceptions on how that decision impacted their ability to deliver instruction and follow the district scope and sequence, as well as how that decision impacts student academic achievement and social and emotional development. This qualitative study was designed to gather data from kindergarten teachers using focus group interviews and individual interviews of campus principals from two campuses within the same district. The following two ways in which kindergarten classrooms were created were explored: (a) by random assignment or (b) knowledge of students' academic and behavioral performance based on information relevant to their Pre-K experience. Campus principal participants reported that they each chose their method to provide equity in the classrooms and fairness amongst their teachers. Teacher participants reported that overall, they preferred to have as much information about incoming students as possible and to be a part of the process of placing students into classrooms for the following year. By examining these teachers' perspectives, the findings from this study may positively influence policy and practice for campus administrators as they decide how they will place students in kindergarten classrooms. Continued …
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Fountain, Angelica Brianna
System:
The UNT Digital Library
The Impact of Leadership on School Culture and Teacher Retention
To determine the impact that school leaders have on school culture and teacher retention, a sequential explanatory mixed methods approach was used to study schools in a district feeder pattern in in a large, suburban district in Texas with a student population of approximately 25,000. In Phase 1, teachers at one elementary, one middle, and one high school were asked to complete a 26-question Likert scale survey about school culture. The last statement in the survey asked participants if they were willing to participate in a focus group about school culture and teacher retention. In Phase 2, focus group interviews were conducted with volunteer participants who took the survey and stated they would be interested in participating in a focus group. Three focus groups were held to divide the participants by grade level grouping taught: elementary, middle, and high school. Focus group participants stated that they believe school leaders play a vital role in creating the culture of the school and in teachers' desire to remain not only teaching at their school, but also remaining in the field of education. The survey data supported these findings. By examining teachers' perspectives, the findings of the study may positively inform and influence …
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Spaulding, Shelly
System:
The UNT Digital Library
The Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Attachment Security and Psychological Well-Being
Socioeconomic status (SES) has been shown to reliably predict parenting practices, family well-being, and psychological outcomes throughout the lifespan. The current study employed a cross-sectional, quantitative design in which adult participants (N = 336) completed an online survey measuring demographic variables, financial stress, attachment security, and psychological well-being. The study results suggest that (a) both current and family history of financial stress negatively predicted attachment security, (b) SES positively predicted general psychological well-being, although individual SES factors (e.g., income, subjective SES, financial stress) demonstrated nuanced relationships with well-being, life satisfaction, and resilience, (c) family history of financial stress and attachment security mediated the relationship between calculated social status and psychological well-being, and (d) the mediated relationship between calculated social status and psychological well-being via the pathway of attachment security was significant for racial/ethnic minorities, but not for White participants. The present findings contribute to the current literature by (1) including multidimensional measurements of SES, (2) addressing nuances in the relationship between SES and attachment, (3) emphasizing the role of financial stress on attachment security, and (4) providing initial cross-cultural considerations in the relationships among SES, attachment, and psychological well-being. Future researchers are encouraged to conduct longitudinal analyses, amplify sample recruitment …
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Zuniga, Sabrina Graciela
System:
The UNT Digital Library
The Impact of Team Size on Principal Self-Efficacy in Their Role as Instructional Leaders
The ever-changing role of public-school principals is complex and overwhelming. Because instructional leadership impacts teaching practices and student achievement, this important principal role should be cultivated with principals having sufficient time to engage as instructional leaders. A generic qualitative inquiry methodology was used to explore how the size of an administrative team impacts principals' instructional leadership self-efficacy. Exploration was achieved through 10 one-on-one, semi-structured interviews and one focus group interview. The data suggest that team size does impact an administrator's ability to serve as an instructional leader. Participants reported that larger teams provided more time for working with individual teachers and collaborative teams. Although interviewed administrators did not always abandon instructional leadership when there was insufficient time, they did often sacrifice personal time to fit it in. Administrators did not believe that they had enough time to be instructional leaders, regardless of the team size, but they shared that there was more time to develop their instructional leadership principal self-efficacy when working on larger teams. Larger teams also provided administrators with greater diversity of perspectives and experiences, which they said cultivated their self-efficacy. Consequently, an opportunity exists for district administrators to consider the specific needs of each campus, the exhaustive …
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Graham, Ashlee
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Increasing Caregiver Reliability on Anecdotal Assessments
Functional analyses are the gold standard of confirming maintaining variables of problem behavior. Despite widespread support, many clinical settings instead use anecdotal assessments. These have been shown to have poor reliability when used by non-experts but can be useful for confirming maintaining variables of problem behavior when agreement has reached a certain level. We used behavior skills training to teach new staff member pairs behavior function to increase their reliability on these assessments. We found that although agreement increased slightly, this was not clinically significant. Out of the two pairs of participants one pair of participants was able to identify their client's maintaining variable of problem behavior. Future research should investigate the type of training used for non-experts for example training non-experts to state problem behavior in objective operational terms.
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Drummond, Cody McPhail
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Instructors and Underrepresented Students in Microbiology: Educational Digital Tool Use, Trends, Perceptions, and Success
The purpose of this three-article dissertation was to expand knowledge and theory regarding digital tool use in biology laboratory courses, such as microbiology, which requires specific laboratory skill development through the perception of instructors and students. Article 1 establishes the broad digital literacy and fluency problem in education by providing definitions and the context behind digital literacy fluency and its impact on acquisition of knowledge in digital learning environments. The study provided a picture of the lack of knowledge about the use of digital tools in education and practical problems around appropriate implementation, infrastructure, and preparedness. Article 2 presents results of a literature research study about the foundational, pandemic-induced, and current digital tool use in biology and microbiology lab courses. Recommendations for improvement in digital tool implementation, pedagogical approach, and appropriate selection to meet learning outcomes were provided. Article 3 describes a 3-layered study to build a new instrument to understand minority-student perceptions of identity and digital literacy and technology barriers on student success in STEM courses. The study identified challenges and benefits of digital tool use in virtual microbiology lab courses, unique challenges of underrepresented populations, and the need to develop an instrument to capture the context of this …
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Bradshaw-Ward, Danita M.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Investigating Novel Streptomyces Bacteriophage Endolysins as Potential Antimicrobial Agents
As antibiotic resistance has become a major global threat, the World Health Organization has urgently called scientists for alternative strategies for control of bacterial infections. Endolysin, a protein encoded by a phage gene, can degrade bacterial peptidoglycan (PG). Currently, there are three endolysin products in the clinical phase. We, thus, are interested in exploring novel endolysins from Streptomyces phages as only a few of them have been experimentally characterized. Using bioinformatics tools, we identified nine functional domain groups from 250 Streptomyces phages putative endolysins. NootNoot gp34 (transglycosylase; Nt34lys), Nabi gp26 (amidase; Nb26lys), Tribute gp42 (PGRP; Tb42lys), and LazerLemon gp35 (CHAP; LL35lys) were selected for experimental studies. We hypothesized that (1) the proteins of interest will have the ability to degrade PG, and (2) the proteins will be potential antimicrobial agents against ESKAPE safe relatives. The results showed that LL35lys, Nb26lys and Tb42lys exhibit PG-degrading activity on zymography and hydrolysis assay. The enzymes (400 µg/mL) can reduce PG turbidity to 32-40%. The killing assay suggested that Tb42lys possess a boarder range (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas putida, Acinetobacter baylyi and Klebsiella aerogenes). While Nb26lys can attack Gram-negative bacteria, LL35lys can only reduce the growth of the Gram-positive strains with an MIC90 of 2 …
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Maneekul, Jindanuch
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Investigating the Molecular Framesworks of Phloem-Cap Fiber Development in Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)
The current study focuses on the vascular cambium and the reiterative formation of phloem fiber bundles in cotton stems. The role of the TDIF-PXY-WOX pathway was examined in regulating cambial activity and the differentiation of phloem fibers. A study was conducted to identify and characterize the cotton WOX family genes, focusing on WOX4 and WOX14, aiming to identify and analyze their phylogenetic relationships, tissue-specific expression profiles, functional roles, and metabolic consequences. Through a sequence analysis of the Gossypium hirsutum genome, 42 cotton loci were identified as WOX family members. GhWOX4 exhibited a close homology to 7 loci, while GhWOX14 displayed homology with 8 loci. Tissue-specific expression analysis revealed prominent expression patterns of GhWOX4 and GhWOX14 in cotton internodes and roots, suggesting their involvement in vascular tissue development. Functional studies utilizing VIGS (virus-induced gene silencing) demonstrated that the knockdown of GhWOX4 and GhWOX14 resulted in a significant reduction in stem diameter and bast fiber production. This result suggests that secondary phloem fiber development is regulated by GhWOX4 and GhWOX14 genes in cotton. Additionally, the metabolic profiling of VIGS plants revealed significant alterations in amino acids, organic acids, and sugars, with implications for primary metabolic pathways. These findings suggest that GhWOX4 and …
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Kaur, Harmanpreet
System:
The UNT Digital Library
"The Just For Fun Talent Show"
Three individuals prepare themselves to perform unique talents on a live stage, proving to themselves and others that they are far more capable than they imagined.
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Bratcher, Jordan
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Kinetics and Atmospheric Chemistry Studies of Halogenated Species
Quantitative information about halogenated hydrocarbons is important for understanding their impact on atmospheric ozone chemistry and climate change, their regulation, and the devising of improved substitutes. The Montreal Protocol aimed to regulate the utilization and manufacturing of hydrochlorofluorocarbon compounds (HCFCs), contributing to ozone layer depletion. The 2016 Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol agreement, Annex C listed 274 HCFCs. Only 16 of them have been measured experimentally. The rest were set to zero by default. These reported global warming potentials (GWPs) play a crucial role in formulating policies for gradually reducing the usage and production of HCFCs to prevent atmospheric impact. Here we are studying 1-chloro-1-fluoro-ethane (CH3CHFCl) as a test of past theory. There are no prior experimental measurements of the reactivity of CH3CHFCl with hydroxyl (OH) radicals, which primarily determines its atmospheric lifetime, nor of its infrared (IR) spectrum. Saturated hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are non-ozone depleting substitutes for chlorofluorocarbons deprecated under the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, but they exhibit high global warming potentials (GWPs) and the Kigali Amendment adopted in 2016 outlines their phase down. Unsaturated HFCs offer more reactive alternatives, whose likely short atmospheric lifetimes would imply small GWPs. Because their GWPs are …
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Sapkota, Ramesh
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Kinetics and Thermochemistry of Halogen and Nitrogen Compounds
Halogen and nitrogen containing compounds play a key role in the atmospheric chemistry of the Earth. Through a mixed computational and experimental approach, the kinetics of these compounds with radicals common to the atmosphere have been explored. Using fundamental measurements such as the IR absorption cross-section, the rate constants of atmospheric reactions and the properties of product molecules have been derived. These results have been further extended to environmental applications such as the Global Warming Potential for a species. The present results can be used as a calibration for further experiments and as checks on computational predictions of environmental properties. Such modeling can aid in the development of future industrial reagents that are less hazardous to the atmosphere.
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Rawling, George
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Leadership Practices and Processes that Close Opportunity Gaps for Socioeconomically Disadvantaged and Minoritized Students: A Case Study of a High-Needs Title 1 Elementary School
The purpose of this qualitative, single case study was to identify leadership practices and processes that contributed to the success of a single High Needs, Title 1 elementary school that has experienced acknowledged superior academic success, particularly for its minoritized and low socioeconomically disadvantaged students, as indicated by the school's success on the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests. The study sought to explore the principal's and teachers' conception of leadership for success and to examine what effective practices and processes were employed at a high-needs, high-performing campus that accounted for its success. The study applied the culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL) framework to analyze the practices employed at the school. Results of the study, from interviews with the principal and a focus group of three teachers, indicated that not only did they apply the principles of the CRSL framework, which employed the critical self awareness, culturally responsive curricula and teacher preparation in a culturally responsive and inclusive school environment which engaged parents and students in community contexts, but they also enhanced their effectiveness through the provision of additional resources for teachers and students, with a heavy reliance on data to guide academic decisions.
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Braveboy, Peter
System:
The UNT Digital Library
The Local Organization of Refugee Service Provision: A Qualitative Comparison of Two Resettlement Cities in Texas
This comparative case study examines the organizational variations in refugee services in Dallas and Amarillo, Texas. Engaging sociological theories of organizations, migration, and the state, this study conceptualizes immigrant-serving organizations as brokers that operate within fields of similar entities that channel resources and services to refugees. Drawing on 60 in-depth interviews and over two hundred hours of participant observation, this study finds two distinct models of resource brokerage. In Dallas, immigrant-serving organizations operated as networked resource brokers, characterized by high levels of collaboration, robust local political support, and community engagement through consistent volunteer labor. These characteristics facilitated the sharing of resources and knowledge, resulting in the establishment of more professionalized services for immigrants and refugees. In contrast, immigrant-serving organizations in Amarillo operated as atomized resource brokers, characterized by fragmented collaborations, inter-organizational competition, limited volunteer labor, and varying levels of political support from local representatives. This atomized brokerage model hindered the efficient allocation of resources and support, leading to fragmented and less comprehensive services for refugees. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the variations within the organizational fields of ISOs in Texas. The comparative analysis of Dallas and Amarillo offers a nuanced understanding of the impact of local context …
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Fessenden, Deborah June
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Magnetoresponsive Layer-by-Layer (LBL) Polyelectrolyte Microcapsules Exposed to Low Frequency Alternating Magnetic Field for Drug Delivery to Breast Cancer Cells
Layer-by-layer (LBL) polyelectrolyte capsules can be modified to incorporate stimuli such as superparamagnetic nanoparticles which respond to a magnetic field only when it is turned on. Thus, they can act as a switch to load or unload their drug cargo on demand. Specifically, magnetite is incorporated into bilayer capsules made of alternating poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(sodium-p-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) which surrounds calcium carbonate core. The core is then dissolved using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). These capsules are loaded with at FITC-BSA conjugate and examined with fluorescence to show the unloading of the FITC-BSA from capsules as it brightens the entire field of view of the microscope. The results suggest that we can next load and unload an anticancer drug such as doxorubicin using the combination of microcapsule and alternating magnetic field (AMF) to treat the cancer cells. Preliminary data interprets that the low frequency AMF we use has little to no adverse effect cells viability. This coincides with the general thought that low frequency AMF signals are not harmful to humans. Therefore, as an alternative to hyperthermia methods which use heat, it may be possible to deliver the anticancer drugs specifically to the cells when and where it is needed.
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Powell, Robert Darrel
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Memories of Troy in Middle English Verse: A Study of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," "Troilus and Criseyde," and the "Troy Book"
This thesis explores the influence of the legend of Troy on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde, and Lydgate's Troy Book. This study seeks to understand why medieval English Christians held the pagan myth of Troy in such high regard beyond the common postcolonial critique of Trojan ancestry as a justification for political power. I begin by demonstrating how Vergil's Aeneid presents a new heroic ideal much closer to Christian virtue than Homeric values, Aeneas submitting his will to fate and earning his piety through suffering. I then turn to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, assessing how Gawain is not only descended from Aeneas but how the major events of his quest echo Aeneas' journey, especially in both heroes' submission of their wills to fate. Next, I reveal how Chaucer's Troilus enacts a platonic ascent from a state of ignorance to a state of truth, but as Troilus' name is also linked to the city of Troy itself, the fate of Troilus becomes the fate of Troy. In this way, Chaucer dramatizes the spiritual ascent of his Trojan ancestors in that they move from sin to salvation as a culture. Finally, I investigate how Lydgate …
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Johnson, Frazier Alexander
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Mesenchymal Stem Cells Encapsulated and Aligned in Self-Assembling Peptide Hydrogels
This study presents a viable strategy using fmoc-protected peptides hydrogels, to encapsulate and stretch mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). To explore the peptide hydrogel potential, a custom mechanical stretching device with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chambers were used to stretch MSCs encapsulated in Fmoc hydrogels. We investigated the impact of fmoc- FF prepared in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFP) and deionizied water in the self-assembly, and mechanical properties of the gels. The peptide hydrogel is formed through molecular self-assembly of peptide sequence into β-sheets that are connected with the π-π aromatic stacking of F-F groups. The hydrogels provided a stiff, hydrated gel with round nanofiber morphology representing an elastic modulus of 174-266 KPa. MSCs cultured on peptide hydrogels undergo viability, morphology, and alignment evaluations using MTT, live/dead, and phalloidin (F-actin) staining. The F-actins of 3D- cultured MSCs in Fmoc-FF/HFP, and Fmoc-FF/DMSO followed by mechanical stretching showed elongated morphology with defined microfilament fibers compared to the round and spherical F-actin shape of the control cells. Peptide gels with 5mM concentration preserved 100% viability of MSC. Results reveals the feasibility and conditions for successful cell encapsulation and alignment within peptide hydrogels. Encapsulation of MSC in peptide nanofiber followed by a stretching process present a promising …
Date:
December 2023
Creator:
Kasani, Yashesh Varun
System:
The UNT Digital Library