This mixed methods research investigated how young adult alumnae from a Catholic female high school perceive the impact of their high school service experience concerning their "beliefs" about the importance of service, current "engagement" in service, and their beliefs about and engagement with four Catholic Social Teaching principles (life and dignity, care for the poor, solidarity and common good, and rights and responsibilities) related to social justice. This research draws data from young adult alumnae from a Catholic female single-sex high school in a metropolitan city of the United States. The data collection included a web-based survey (N=131), individual interview (n=9), and school documents review. Catholic theology of the human person, and Catholic social teaching principles served as the conceptual framework for data analysis. This research draws data from young adult alumnae from a Catholic female single-sex high school in a metropolitan city of the United States. The data collection included a web-based survey (N=131), individual interview (n=9), and school documents review. Catholic theology of the human person, and Catholic social teaching principles served as the conceptual framework for data analysis. The quantitative data revealed that Catholic high school service program experience positively impacts participants' "beliefs" about the importance of service (65%), and the importance of four Catholic social teaching principles (73%). The qualitative data corroborates with the quantitative findings. However, participants lacked translating their beliefs in to action with only 42% reporting as "engaged" in service. Although a majority of participants (60%) reported as engaged in activities related to four CST principles, in reality only 25% are significantly engaged in service in the past 12 months. Catholic educators are invited to examine their service pedagogy and address factors that contribute to low level of service engagement. Further research is suggested to identify factors that would raise the level of service engagement in alumnae’s young adult life.

This thesis paper examines the feasibility of using external-beam PIXE to study the surface enrichment effect in metal artifacts. By varying the energy of the incident proton beam, we penetrated the artifact's surface to different levels and were able to produce a depth profile of the elemental composition of the sample. In this study, the sample set we chose to examine consisted of ancient and modern coins. This paper first describes the surface enrichment effect and theoretically how PIXE can be used to study it. It then details the construction of the components of the external-beam setup. Many of the refinements of the hardware and experimental methods are discussed. It recounts the means of calibration of the detector and analytical tools. Finally, an accounting of the research performed on several coins is set forth, along with data showing the effectiveness of PIXE in complementing other methods of elemental analysis. We found that PIXE revealed statistically significant differences in concentrations of modern coins at the two beam energies we used. Ancient coins did not have similarly significant discrepancies between the two beam energies. The modern coin data suggested depletion in copper in copper-silver and copper-gold alloys, which is consistent with predictions of the theory of the surface enrichment effect. We suggest that the ancient coins are so deeply corroded that the PIXE beam is unable to penetrate adequately to observe surface enrichment. Comparison of our PIXE data to XRF and SEM data suggest that the trends we observed in modern coins are verified by the other methods. We therefore assert that external-beam PIXE is an effective tool for studying the surface enrichment effect, though with the beam energies available at Brigham Young University, the study must be limited to fairly modern coins.

Concern for the environment and a need for more efficient energy generation have sparked a growing interest throughout the world in renewable fuels. In order to reduce emissions that negatively contribute to global warming, especially CO2, enormous efforts are being invested in technologies to reduce our impact on the environment. Biomass is an option that is considered CO2 friendly due to the consumption of CO2 upon growth. Co-firing biomass with coal offers economic advantages because of reduced capital costs as well as other positive impacts, such as NOx and SOx emission reductions. However, due to the large average particle size of biomass, issues arise such as poor flame stability and poor carbon burnout. Larger particles can also result in longer flames and different heat transfer characteristics. Oxygen enrichment is being investigated as a possible solution to mitigate these issues and enable co-firing in existing facilities. An Air Liquide designed burner was used in this work to explore the impact of oxygen enrichment on biomass flame characteristics, emissions, and burnout. Multiple biomass fuels were used (medium hardwood, fine hardwood, and straw) in conjunction with multiple burner configurations and operating conditions. Exhaust ash samples and exhaust NO were collected for various operating conditions and burner configurations. All operating parameters including O2 addition, swirl, and O2 location could be used to reduce LOI but whenever LOI was reduced, NO increased producing an NO-LOI trade-off. Starting with high LOI, various parameters such as O2 addition and increased swirl could be used to reduce LOI with only small increases of NO. As O2 or swirl increased further, small decreases in LOI were obtained only with large increases in NO. This behavior was captured through NO-LOI trade-off curves where a given configuration or operating condition was deemed better when the curve was shifted toward the origin. Global enrichment or O2 addition to the secondary stream and O2 addition to the primary stream produced better trade-off results than center O¬2 injection. Straw produced NO-LOI trade-off curves just as the wood particles but the curve was shifted further from the origin, likely due to the higher nitrogen content of the straw. Flame characterization results showed that small amounts of O2 in the center improved flame attachment and stability while increasing flame temperature and pyrolysis rates.

<p>  </p> <p>Betavoltaics are self-contained  radioisotope power sources where radioisotopes irradiate a semiconductor and  generate electricity similar to a photovoltaic cell. Betavoltaics differ from  other power sources as it is ideal for long-lasting (>20 years), low,  continuous power applications where battery replacement is not feasible. Ideal  functions for betavoltaics include sensors in hard to reach places such as  underwater and deep space applications, as well as cardiac pacemakers where  power source replacement is undesirable or impossible. However, betavoltaics  are limited in application by its power output since it only produces power in  the nanowatt range. Betavoltaic performance can be improved by two methods:  Increasing the amount of activity of the radioisotope or increasing the  performance of the semiconductor. Currently, commercial betavoltaics utilize a  titanium tritide film to irradiate a gallium arsenide semiconductor. The  objective of this dissertation is to identify a tritium storage medium that  can produce more power in the betavoltaic than the currently used titanium  tritide. This was done in three steps: First, metal film options were  simulated in MCNP to evaluate tritium substrate self-shielding, semiconductor  beta irradiation and determine ideal thicknesses. Second, metal film options  at ideal thicknesses were manufactured and evaluated during the hydrogen  loading process to determine the viability of materials fully absorbing  hydrogen. Lastly, the loading kinetics would be evaluated to further investigate  hydride/tritide formation in the storage medium if full loading is not  realized to determine the ideal thickness required, or if other factors during  the loading process need to be considered.</p> <p>Metallic films were evaluated to  maximize tritium packing and optimized for minimizing self-shielding to  improve performance for betavoltaic cells beyond the titanium tritide films  currently used. Ideal, fully loaded tritium metallic films, such as lithium,  aluminum, titanium, magnesium and palladium tritides, were simulated in MCNP6  (Monte Carlo N-Particle 6) to evaluate power deposition into a gallium  arsenide semiconductor by varying the thickness of the films. Lithium was  identified as the best storage option with an optimal thickness of 4 μm and a  theoretical betavoltaic current output of 644 nA for a gallium arsenide  semiconductor, tripling the current output emitted by an ideal titanium-loaded  film. </p> <p>The viability of lithium and  aluminum film loading were evaluated in the hydrogen loading system while comparing  to titanium as a benchmark. Unlike titanium and aluminum films where films  were in a solid state through the loading process, lithium has to be melted  into a liquid state to be loaded. The uptake of hydrogen by the films was  determined by Sievert's method, where the pressure drop recorded by the  Hydrogen Loading System was the measured pressure of hydrogen absorbed by the  film. All film loadings showed a pressure drop that corresponded to the  expected pressure drop from loading. The films were characterized after  loading to confirm hydrogen absorption and formation of hydride. Both lithium  and titanium demonstrated hydride formation while the aluminum did not.</p> <p>The pressure drops during loading  were compared to the Mintz-Bloch model. For some loadings in all materials,  there was good correlation between experimental loadings and Mintz-Bloch  models, primarily due to the hydride formation happening quickly. Differences  can be explained from the speed of the hydride reaction and thermal  decomposition of the hydride during loading. The Mintz-Bloch model further  confirmed that the aluminum did not form a hydride during loading.</p> <p>Lithium was demonstrated to be a  viable hydrogen loading substrate. The film was characterized to be lithium  hydride after hydrogen loading and its loading kinetics matched very well with  the Mintz-Bloch model. Aluminum was demonstrated to not be viable as a  hydrogen loading substrate as it requires significantly higher pressures,  beyond the allowed limits for tritium handling, to form a hydride and  permanently hold when exposed to atmosphere.</p>

Pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1 (PTTG1) encodes a multifunctional protein that is involved in many cellular processes. However, the potential role of PTTG1 in tumor formation and its prognostic function in human pan-cancer is still unknown. The analysis of gene alteration, PTTG1 expression, prognostic function, and PTTG1-related immune analysis in 33 types of tumors was performed based on various databases such as The Cancer Genome Atlas database, the Genotype-Tissue Expression database, and the Human Protein Atlas database. Additionally, PTTG1-related gene enrichment analysis was performed to investigate the potential relationship and possible molecular mechanisms between PTTG1 and tumors. Overexpression of PTTG1 may lead to tumor formation and poor prognosis in various tumors. Consequently, PTTG1 acts as a potential oncogene in most tumors. Additionally, PTTG1 is related to immune infiltration, immune checkpoints, tumor mutational burden, and microsatellite instability. Thus, PTTG1 could be potential biomarker for both prognosis and outcomes of tumor treatment and it could also be a promising target in tumor therapy.

Antibodies are naturally occurring in humans, with the function to protect the body from pathogens. Occasionally, antibodies towards the body’s own proteins are produced. These so called autoantibodies are present in healthy individuals but are also highly associated with diseases with autoimmune involvement. Research on autoantibodies in healthy individuals as well as in patients is important to gain knowledge and facilitate prognostics, diagnostics and treatment. However, a method for purification of these antibodies has not previously been described. In the present project, an enrichment procedure of circulating autoantibodies found in human plasma is described. Twenty protein fragments previously known to be highly reactive were attached to magnetic microbeads, enabling autoantibodies from eight human plasma sample pools to be captured. The six antigens with highest shown reactivity were chosen for elution procedure. Using pH alterations and heat treatments, a successful elution and enrichment procedure was developed. With analysis of the eluted autoantibodies, it can be established that the enrichment was successful on multiple sample pools. In the scaled-up procedure, autoantibodies could be enriched in all positive antigen-sample combinations. Concentration measurements indicated amounts of up to 0.23 mg antibodies per ml eluate. This implies sufficient concentrations for further applications of the enriched autoantibodies. / Antikroppar förekommer naturligt i människor, med syftet att skydda kroppen från patogen. I vissa fall skapas av misstag antikroppar som angriper kroppens egna proteiner. Dessa autoantikroppar förekommer hos alla människor, såväl friska som sjuka, men de är också starkt förknippade med autoimmuna sjukdomar. Kunskapen om autoantikroppar hos friska personer och hos patienter är idag begränsad, men fortsatt forskning inom området förväntas i framtiden underlätta prognostik, diagnostik och behandling. Hittills har ingen metod för anrikning av autoantikroppar ur blodplasma beskrivits. I detta projekt beskrivs en anrikningsmetod för autoantikroppar ur blodplasma från människa. Tjugo tidigare kända högreaktiva proteinfragment fästes på magnetiska mikrokulor. Dessa antigen-täckta mikrokulor användes för att fånga in autoantikroppar från åtta plasmaprover. De sex proteinfragment som hade högst reaktivitet i dessa prover valdes ut för elueringsförsök. Eluering genomfördes under basiska följt av sura förhållanden, tillsammans med värmebehandling. Denna elueringsmetod fungerade för anrikning av några autoantikroppar från flera av plasmaproverna. I ett utökat experiment kunde autoantikroppar anrikas ur alla kombinationer av antigen och plasmaprov som förväntades ge signal. Koncentrationen av autoantikroppar i eluaten uppskattades till högst 0.23 mg/ml. Denna koncentration är tillräcklig för flera vanliga metoder där antikroppar används.

Regulator of Chromatin Condensation 1 (RCC1) is the only known guanine nucleotide exchange factor that acts on the Ras-like G protein Ran and plays a key role in cell cycle regulation. Although there is growing evidence to support the relationship between RCC1 and cancer, detailed pancancer analyses have not yet been performed. In this genome database study, based on The Cancer Genome Atlas, Genotype-Tissue Expression and Gene Expression Omnibus databases, the potential role of RCC1 in 33 tumors’ entities was explored. The results show that RCC1 is highly expressed in most human malignant neoplasms in contrast to healthy tissues. RCC1 expression is closely related to the prognosis of a broad variety of tumor patients. Enrichment analysis showed that some tumor-related pathways such as “cell cycle” and “RNA transport” were involved in the functional mechanism of RCC1. In particular, the conducted analysis reveals the relation of RCC1 to multiple immune checkpoint genes and suggests that the regulation of RCC1 is closely related to tumor infiltration of cancer-associated fibroblasts and CD8+ T cells. Coherent data demonstrate the association of RCC1 with the tumor mutation burden and microsatellite instability in various tumors. These findings provide new insights into the role of RCC1 in oncogenesis and tumor immunology in various tumors and indicate its potential as marker for therapy prognosis and targeted treatment strategies.

<p dir="ltr">The accurate identification of flow regimes in multiphase flow systems is of paramount importance in many engineering applications. This thesis explores the significance of flow regime identification using neural networks, specifically employing a self-organizing map (SOM) algorithm. The focus of this research is on the determination of bubble void fraction probability density function (PDF) using local conductivity probe measurements. The thesis begins by providing an overview of the importance of flow regime identification in understanding and predicting the behavior of multiphase flows. Various flow regimes such as bubbly flow, slug flow, annular flow, and others, are discussed highlighting their distinct characteristics and implications for system performance. The self-organizing map is introduced as a powerful neural network technique capable of identifying and classifying different flow regimes based on input parameters obtained from local conductivity probe measurements. The SOM algorithm is explained in detail, emphasizing its ability to learn and adapt to complex patterns in the data. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, experimental measurements of local conductivity probe signals were conducted in a multiphase flow system. The obtained data was used to train and optimize a self-organizing map for flow regime identification. The bubble void fraction probability density function was calculated based on the local time-averaged void fraction measurements from the droplet-capable conductivity probe (DCCP-4). The analysis of the PDF provides valuable insights into the distribution and characteristics of bubbles within the multiphase flow system. These insights can enhance the understanding of bubble behavior, droplet behavior, interfacial phenomena and overall system performance. The thesis concludes with the classification results along with an error analysis conducted to highlight potential discrepancies in the tested results. Additionally, future research directions and potential improvements in the flow regime identification methodology are outlined.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The estimation of local irradiation conditions is a complex and crucial task with significant implications for reactor safety, operation, and spent nuclear fuel management. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of using measurements of a limited number of nuclides taken at the time of discharge to infer local irradiation conditions. Specifically, the focus is on determining the local operating power, void fraction, and burnup. These factors are required to calculate the isotopic composition of discharged reactor assemblies. Existing methods often struggle with substantial uncertainties when estimating these local conditions, leading to inaccuracies in isotopic calculations. Therefore, markedly different, this research aims to establish a relationship between local conditions and isotopic measurements, benefiting from the low uncertainty associated with experimental isotopic measurements. To achieve this goal, a two-step approach is employed. First, a mathematical inference procedure is developed to correlate the isotopic composition of discharged fuel with the local irradiation conditions. Second, given a certain prediction accuracy, efforts are made to minimize the number of isotopic measurements required at the time of discharge. To do so, this work develops an inference algorithm employing a simplified depletion model of a single pin in a BWR assembly using SCALE Polaris module. Polaris module generates the virtual measurement of 29 nuclides including actinides and fission products with assumed power and void fraction histories provided to SCALE Polaris as inputs. Employing these virtual measurements, a similarity measure metric is employed to minimize the number of nuclides to estimate irradiation conditions, and the inference method used to estimate the irradiation conditions is the ordinary least squares method.</p>

The overexpression of the enzymes involved in the degradation of procollagen lysine is correlated with various tumor entities. Procollagen-lysine, 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenase 3 (PLOD3) expression was found to be correlated to the progression and migration of cancer cells in gastric, lung and prostate cancer. Here, we analyzed the gene expression, protein expression, and the clinical parameters of survival across 33 cancers based on the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC), function annotation of the mammalian genome 5 (FANTOM5), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), Human Protein Atlas (HPA) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases. Genetic alteration, immune infiltration and relevant cellular pathways were analyzed in detail. PLOD3 expression negatively correlated with survival periods and the infiltration level of CD8+ T cells, but positively correlated to the infiltration of cancer associated fibroblasts in diverse cancers. Immunohistochemistry in colon carcinomas, glioblastomas, and soft tissue sarcomas further confirm PLOD 3 expression in human cancer tissue. Moreover, amplification and mutation accounted for the largest proportion in esophageal adenocarcinoma and uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma, respectively; the copy number alteration of PLOD3 appeared in all cancers from TCGA; and molecular mechanisms further proved the effect of PLOD3 on tumorigenesis. In particular, PLOD3 expression appears to have a tumor immunological effect, and is related to multiple immune cells. Furthermore, it is also associated with tumor mutation burden and microsatellite instability in various tumors. PLOD3 acts as an inducer of various cancers, and it could be a potential biomarker for prognosis and targeted treatment.