Digital Commons Network^™

Functional Components And Food Application Progress Of Almond By-Products, Xie Jingyi, Wang Wanqing, Wang Xinyi, Yuan Chunle, Li Yuna, Hua Wei

Food and Machinery

As the global almond industry expands rapidly, large quantities of by-products are generated during processing (such as green hulls, shells, and skins), which are rich in functional constituents including polyphenols, flavonoids, dietary fibers, and volatile aroma compounds. This review summarizes the compositional characteristics and extraction technologies of these by-products, while elucidating their potential applications in food and biomaterials, with a specific focus on their antioxidant properties, bioactivities, and structural features. Furthermore, in light of recent research advances, the review further discusses poor stability, low bioavailability, challenges in processing compatibility, and other problems, proposing enhancement strategies such as nano-delivery, structural modification, …

A Calibrated And Conformal Deep Learning Framework For Trustworthy Antinuclear Antibody Pattern Recognition With Selective Referral To Experts, Hussein Ali Hussein Al Naffakh, Ahmed Dheyaa Radhi, Raghdah Maytham Hameed, Muntaha Abdullah Reishaan, Fouad A. Majeed, Rozaida Ghazali

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Reading antinuclear antibody patterns on human epithelial cells by indirect immunofluorescence is the reference screen for systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases, but it is slow, subjective, and variable between observers. Deep learning reaches high accuracy on this task, yet most systems return a single prediction without stating how reliable it is, which is unsafe in a diagnostic workflow. This paper presents an intelligent decision support framework built around a single calibrated uncertainty signal. That signal is the control variable for four reliability modules: confidence calibration, conformal prediction, error detection, and selective referral. A feature space out of distribution detector serves as …

Historical Chaos Among Tetrabothriideans (Eucestoda) Of Odontocetes (Artiodactyla)—Revising Generic Taxonomy And Species Diversity For Cestodes Among Oceanic Dolphins, Eric P. Hoberg, Kaylen Marie Soudachanh, Robert L. Rausch

MANTER: Journal of Parasite Biodiversity

Explorations over the past 150 years that have defined the diversity and structure of the tetrabothriidean cestode fauna among Odontocete cetaceans (Artiodactyla) are summarized and reviewed. Persistent errors in interpretation of comparative morphological characters, inconsistent taxonomic decisions, and an understanding of generic-level and species diversity are addressed. We outline a revision of the Tetrabothriidea, which now encompasses 8 genera. Prosthecocotyle is resurrected from synonymy with Tetrabothrius, and Cetaceobothridius n. gen is proposed. A clear basis is outlined for differentiation of generic and species diversity among Cetaceobothridius, Priapocephalus, Prosthecocotyle, Strobilocephalus, Tetrabothrius, and Trigonocotyle that constitute the tetrabothriidean fauna of odontocetes; species …

Barriers And Facilitators To Health Literacy Among Black Americans With Overweight And Obesity In South Carolina: A Mini-Ethnographic Study, Shelly Campbell-Timmons

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative mini ethnography adapted from traditional ethnography with limited time and scope, was to explore and understand perceptions of barriers and facilitators to health literacy among Black Americans with overweight and obesity in three South Carolina counties. Population data showed that approximately 40.3% of U.S. adults are obese. Moreover, Non-Hispanic Black communities are disproportionately affected by overweight and obesity despite efforts to combat the weight-related health risk. Still, limited health literacy should be the focus of public health strategies like teach-back and plain language communication, to address overweight and obesity prevalence and disparities. The study was …

Three-Dimensional Chromatin Architecture Is Rapidly Restored After Dna Replication, Tyler K. Fenstermaker, Svetlana Petruk, Alexander Mazo

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Studies of post-replicative chromatin exclusively focus on the kinetics of protein binding after DNA replication to understand maintenance of transcriptional programs. Here we investigated both chromatin-bound factors and the three-dimensional architecture of the post-replicative genome in human cells. We found that transcription factors and chromatin looping proteins rapidly associate with nascent DNA. We discovered that the architectural factors, CTCF and YY1, bind to their target sequences immediately following DNA replication, and that chromatin loops from 39 to 425 kb re-form within 10 min of DNA replication. This suggests that the 3D structure of chromatin is at most briefly disrupted by …

Revealing Cryptic Lineage Diversity In The Persian Gulf And Oman Sea Groupers (Perciformes: Epinephelidae): Phylogenetic And Species Delimitation Insights, Ehsan Damadi, Faezeh Yazdani Moghaddam, Masoumeh Gholipour Cheshm Gilak, Mehdi Ghanbarifardi

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Groupers (Epinephelidae) are a taxon of great commercial interest due to their large body size and high market value, and are also an important ecological species for biodiversity conservation in coral reef ecosystems. Despite their importance, phenotypic convergence among species generally leads to incorrect taxonomic identification, an issue enhanced by molecular studies revealing the presence of a high cryptic diversity and complicating conventional systematic frameworks. Herein, grouper species diversity in the ecologically heterogeneous Persian Gulf and Oman Sea was investigated to resolve taxonomic ambiguities and assess patterns of cryptic diversity. Mitochondrial COI gene sequencing was used in conjunction with integrative …

Harvest And Retting Method Alter The Composition Of Hemp Fiber For High Performance Concrete, Abigail Lazier, Jennifer Macadam, Srishti Banerji, Bruce Bugbee

Plants, Soils and Climate Student Research

Recently, the use of natural fibers in place of polymer fibers in high performance concrete has been explored for improved mechanical properties (including reduced spalling) and greater sustainability. This project aims to recycle biomass waste produced by the medical cannabis industry by using it in concrete. We have designed and conducted multiple studies to determine efficient methods for fiber harvest and processing from our in-house medical cannabis waste. Harvest method, (including fresh harvest and defoliation or physically induced senescence), storage condition, ( 4 C or 25 C), and processing technique, (mechanical or biological) were trialed. Additionally, we used standard forage …

Uae Audiences' Reliance On Social Media As A Source Of Information On Complementary And Alternative Medicine: A Study Of Al Ain City Residents Based On Media System Dependency Theory, Abdul Rahman Al-Toum, Mohammed Al-Kaabi, Najoud Al-Mansouri, Ahmed Bin Ishaq, Amer Khaled Ahmad, Maram Manajrah

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

This study examined the extent to which UAE audiences rely on social media as a source of information on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and the resulting effects of this reliance. Grounded in Media System Dependency Theory, the study employed an audience survey using a questionnaire administered to a sample of (132) Emirati citizens in Al Ain. The findings revealed that the combined medium and high reliance reached (53%). Regarding the effects, cognitive effects recorded the highest arithmetic means, followed by affective and behavioral effects at comparable levels. Hypothesis testing showed no statistically significant differences in the degree of reliance …

Can Artificial Seagrass Meadows Reduce Pathogenic Bacteria In Coral Reef Ecosystems- A Mesocosm Study, Hewa Pathirannahelage Athri Thathsarani Weerakoon, Jimmy Kuo, Pi-Jen Liu, Kwee Siong Tew

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Seagrass meadows provide essential coastal ecosystem functions by stabilizing sediments, enhancing water quality, and shaping nutrient and microbial dynamics. With global seagrass losses accelerating due to climate change and anthropogenic pressures, artificial seagrass (ASG) has been proposed as a nature-based alternative to mimic these functions. However, its ability to replicate biological interactions, particularly microbial regulation and pathogen suppression, remains unclear. In this study, we conducted a six-week mesocosm experiment comparing natural Thalassia hemprichii and ASG within coral reef-associated habitats in southern Taiwan. Physicochemical parameters, sedimentation rates, nutrient concentrations, and planktonic and benthic bacterial communities were analyzed. Sedimentation rates and nutrient …

Differential Equation Modeling For Sustainable Resource Management: A Steady-State Optimal Harvesting Approach, Iordanka N. Panayotova, Aleksei Talonov

CODEE Journal

Mathematical models based on differential equations provide a powerful framework for connecting real-world data to informed decision-making. In this work, we present a student-accessible project that uses an optimal-control framework to study the sustainable management of biological resources.

Motivated by fisheries management, we examine a predator--prey system in which harvesting decisions must balance ecological and economic considerations. The model is formulated as an optimal control problem that seeks to maximize the total discounted net revenue from harvesting. Rather than solving for the complete time-dependent harvesting trajectory, we restrict the analysis to positive controlled coexistence equilibria and characterize an interior stationary …

Spatiotemporal Variations Of Tidal Asymmetry Along The Coast Of Taiwan: Characteristics And Implications, Ting-Chieh Lin, Tai-Wen Hsu, Tzu-Chun Huang, Chun-Yuan Lin

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study presents the first systematic investigation into the spatiotemporal characteristics and evolutionary trends of tidal asymmetry along the coast of Taiwan from 2003 to 2022, employing a moving window method combined with the S_TIDE toolbox.  By quantifying the skewness of the Main Tidal Asymmetry Combinations (MTAC) and their temporal variations, the study reveals significant regional disparities between the eastern and western coasts.  The western coast is primarily dominated by the M2-M4 combination, with the northwestern region exhibiting a flood dominance pattern and the southwestern region characterized by ebb dominance.  Conversely, the eastern coast, attributed to its open topography and …

Reliable Performance Analysis Of Polyurea Coatings Used In Offshore Wind Turbines, Yu-Chang Lin, Yen-Fu Liu, I-Ming Pan, Ming-Yuan Lin, Kang-Yu Liao, Hung-Hua Sheu, Hung-Bin Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study explores the weather resistance, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of polyurea coatings in marine environments. The relevant analysis results can be used as a reliability assessment of offshore wind turbine structural coatings during their service life under the influence of marine environments. The long-term experiment uses seawater and 70°C thermal aging conditions as coating reliability assessment items. The microstructure of the samples that have been immersed in seawater for a long time and thermally aged is observed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results show that the surface of the 100 and 125 series polyurea coatings is …

Identifying The Causality And Criticality Of Factors Influencing The Promotion Of Asian Island-Hopping Cruise Tourism In Taiwan, Hsiao-Chuan Liu, Gin-Shuh Liang, Feng-Ming Tsai, Yu-Ling Lien

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the global tourism industry has steadily recovered since 2022. Island-hopping cruises have gained increasing attention for enhancing regional connectivity and diversifying marine travel experiences; however, their development in Asia remains limited compared with that in Europe and the Caribbean due to fragmented policy coordination, inadequate port infrastructure, and uneven technological readiness. Although Taiwan possesses a geographic advantage and can serve as a strategic hub linking Asian island destinations, systematic planning and stakeholder coordination remain insufficient, resulting in unclear mechanisms that drive or constrain island-hopping cruise tourism. Existing studies mainly focus on market demand or passenger behavior, …

White Shark Occurrence In Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Revealed From Acoustic Telemetry In An Offshore Mpa, Michael A. Dance, Jay R. Rooker, R. J. David Wells, Megan V. Winton, Landes L. Randall, Marissa F. Nuttall, Brondum M. Krebs, Creed C. Branham, Brett B. Sweezey, Richard J. Kline

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The outer continental shelf of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) is characterized by unique bathymetric features that provide critical habitat for marine fauna. Here, we demonstrate the utility of large-scale acoustic telemetry for monitoring an oceanic marine protected area (MPA) and document the first known occurrences of white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) within Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS). White sharks were tagged with acoustic transmitters in the western North Atlantic Ocean off the east coast of the United States and Canada. Nine white sharks were detected along the outer shelf ecosystem associated with FGBNMS over a three-year …

Technical Analysis And Market Liquidity In Sale-And-Purchase Transactions Of Second-Hand Oil Tankers, Chih-Chung Cheng, Po-Yin Wang, Heng-Chih Chou

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In addition to using second-hand oil tankers to fulfil immediate shipping needs, shipowners can leverage price fluctuations in the tanker market to make vessel sale-and-purchase (S&P) transactions. Given that the profitability of vessel S&P transactions depends primarily on timing decisions, in this study, technical analysis was applied to identify the optimal transaction timing for 5-, 10-, and 15-year-old second-hand Aframax tankers. In a simulation, an S&P strategy based on technical analysis outperformed a benchmark buy-and-hold strategy, particularly for newer tankers, possibly due to the higher price volatility and lower market efficiency in the markets for these vessels. However, the lack …

Synchronous Deep Reinforcement Learning For Optimized Storage Assignment Of Ship Blocks, Gawon Lee, Jaehyeon Heo, Misung Kim, Hyerim Bae

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This paper presents a deep reinforcement learning (RL) framework for optimizing block storage allocation in shipbuilding yards. During the shipbuilding process, vessels are constructed in block units to maximize the operational efficiency. Following assembly, these blocks must be stored in limited yard spaces, creating a complex variant of the binary packing problem. This storage allocation problem is further complicated by operational constraints, including the barge capacity and transportation time restrictions. Moreover, poor storage decisions can lead to redundant block movements, which can adversely affect downstream processes and increase operational costs. To resolve this problem, a policy-gradient-based synchronous RL model was …

A Resilience Early Warning Assessment Of The Maritime Supply Chain: A Case Study Of China’S New Energy Vehicle Exports, Xiuqian Chen, Liangyong Chu, Mengyao Wang, Jiayin Du, Yiming Zhang, Xiyao Xu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Enhancing resilience through early warning is a critical strategy for mitigating disruption risks in the maritime supply chain (MSC). This study proposes a novel early warning assessment framework to determine the resilience of the MSC. It is referred to as a resilience early warning system. An evaluation index system for shipping enterprises is developed based on four dimensions: withstand capacity, adaptive capacity, learning capability, and the external environment. A resilience assessment model that uses the Bayesian best-worst method (BBWM) and the extension cloud model (ECM) is established to quantify MSC resilience. An early warning evaluation model based on a Bayesian …

Public-Port Throughput As An Activity Proxy For Near-Port Air Quality And Health: A Transferable Two-Scale Framework (Kaohsiung, 2017–2024), Ping-Jen Wang, Ying-Lin Hsu, Shih-Hao Chang, Bao-Tzung Wu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

We developed a two-scale time series framework using monthly container throughput (20-foot equivalent units, TEU) as a port activity indicator. Applied to Kaohsiung, Taiwan (2017–2024), we related TEU to near-port NO₂ and PM₂.₅ (monthly) and air quality to outpatient respiratory diagnoses (weekly) across the 2019–2020 sulfur rules and the COVID-19 pandemic. Transfer-function models indicate TEU tends to lead near-port NO₂ by 6–9 months. Structural break tests at policy dates indicate nonsignificant changes in levels and slopes, suggesting gradual rather than abrupt shifts in the activity–pollution linkage. Weekly two-pollutant distributed-lag Poisson models estimated relative risks (lags 0–8) per interquartile range (IQR) …

Automated And Quantitative Characterization Of Benthic Habitat And Associated Biological Communities Of An Unknown Southeast Pacific Seamount, Yakufu Niyazi, Denise J. B. Swanborn, Jan M. Tapia-Guerra, Javier Sellanes, Erin E. Easton, Germán Zapata-Hernández, Heather A. Stewart, Alan J. Jamieson

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Seamounts are prominent seafloor features that strongly influence geological processes, ocean circulation, and benthic biodiversity. Despite their importance, most seamounts remain unmapped and poorly characterized, particularly in the southeast Pacific Ocean, a region recognized for high marine endemism and ecological isolation. In this study, we present a quantitative habitat characterization of a previously undocumented seamount, informally named Solito Seamount, located between the Nazca–Desventuradas Marine Park and the Juan Fernández Archipelago, within Chile’s Exclusive Economic Zone. The seamount is a conical volcanic edifice approximately 37 km wide, rising >3,500 m above the surrounding abyssal plain. High-resolution multibeam bathymetry and backscatter intensity …

Impacts Of Sprouted Barley On Performance And Carcass Ultrasound Measurements In Angus-Influenced Steers During Backgrounding, Zachary C. Crump, Anthony Fernando Alberto, Bailee L. Brown, Bryce W. Roholt, Lillian L. Okamoto, Ryan A. Spurling, Robert E. Ward, Brady M. Blackett, Robert L. Harding, Sanjeewa D. Ranathunga, Kara J. Thornton

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

The objective of this research was to determine the impacts of including sprouted barley (SB) in the diets of backgrounding beef steers. Angus-influenced steers (328 ± 6.59 kg) were assigned to one of four diets (n = 15/diet): a control (CON) diet, or a diet containing 5%, 10%, or 20% SB (DM basis)—replacing corn silage and some rolled barley. Individual intake and feeding behavior were monitored using Vytelle bunks. Body weight (BW) and ruminal fluid samples were collected on d 0, 30, and 60, while dry matter intake (DMI), feeding behavior, average daily gain (ADG), and gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) were …

Exploring Evolution As A Unifying Theme In The General Biology For Majors Course Sequence, While Iteratively Examining Attitudes And Decisions About Learning: An Application Of Lonergan’S Transcendental Method, Christine E. Gray

San Jose - Lonergan Chair in Catholic Philosophy

As I reflect upon my journey as an educator, I recognize it has been shaped, in large part, by my own foundational roots in the Catholic Liberal Arts tradition. As I prepare for another academic year, I find myself, once again, considering how my pedagogical practice can better meet my students “where they are” in my General Biology for Majors I and II courses. Since that “place” is shaped by a student’s prior experiences, both in and out of the classroom, I also recognize that “place” is unique for each student. This is precisely why each term pushes me to …

A New Bubblegum Coral From The Nazca Ridge Reveals Chitin As The Structural Scaffold Of Skeleton-Less Paragorgia Colonies, Juan Armando Sánchez, Erin E. Easton, Nayeli Elizavet Garcia, Yony Román-Ochoa, Julia Kaled Cáceres, Javier Sellanes

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Bubblegum corals (Paragorgia; Corallidae) form among the largest branching colonies in deep-sea environments despite lacking an axial skeleton. How these octocorals maintain structural cohesion using only sub-millimeter sclerites has remained unexplained. Here we describe Paragorgia quitinosa Sánchez & Easton n. sp., collected at 670 m depth on the Nazca Ridge (southeastern Pacific) during the Schmidt Ocean Institute RV Falkor (too) expedition FKt240708, and report the first evidence of visible chitin in octocoral tissues. The new species is diagnosed by autozoids and siphonozoids retracted on prominent, rounded mounds, large 8-derived radiate capstan sclerites (mean 0.095 mm), and canal walls …

Integration Of Freshness Monitoring And Active Packaging Technologies For Aquatic Products, Maria Ali, Abdul Waheed Ghanghro, Bheem Raj Serani, Mahrukh Zakir

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Aquatic products are nutritionally valuable but highly perishable, with quality loss driven by microbial spoilage, biochemical changes, including total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), trimethylamine (TMA) and histamine, and physicochemical deterioration, including lipid oxidation, gas production and texture loss. Conventional packaging slows these processes but does not report real-time freshness. This review analyzes how active packaging (antimicrobial, antioxidant, enzyme-inhibiting, and oxygen-scavenging systems, including bio- and nanocomposites) can be combined with freshness monitoring technologies (colorimetric/pH indicators, gas sensors, biosensors, and digital tools such as radio frequency identification (RFID) and Internet of Things (IoT) systems) specifically for fish, shrimp, and mollusks. We first …

Developing A Deep Learning-Based Artificial Intelligence System For Detecting Scientific Misinformation On Digital Platforms, Shorouq Al-Awawdeh, Ayah Al- Jafari

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

Objectives: This study develops and evaluates an Arabic scientific misinformation detection system by fine-tuning AraBERT-base-v2. It examines the effects of early stopping and input sequence length on model performance, interprets selected linguistic characteristics associated with misleading content, and discusses the limitations of using machine-translated data.

Methodology: The study adopted a mixed-methods design, employing a systematic integration of quantitative and qualitative approaches, supported by an interpretive qualitative reading. The initial database consisted of 23,546 records, including 123 Arabic articles collected from the Akeed, Sheek, and Taqeen platforms, and 23,423 foreign-language records drawn from the GossipCop and PolitiFact collections within FakeNewsNet. After …

Broadening The Community Of Nudibranch Enthusiasts Through Multilingual Educational Programming To Increase Climate Advocacy Engagement, Richelle Li Tanner, Cintya Felix Mendivil, Ashley Lam, Lorena Muñoz, Micah Kim, Elena G. Morales Poot, Gabrielle Keeler-May

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Environmental literacy and advocacy for environmental protections are essential components of responsible stewardship. For coastal communities, stewardship requires knowledge of ocean processes and the biological communities living within these ecosystems. While many studies highlight difficulties in engaging American audiences in environmental concern and stewardship due to hyper-individualistic societal values, tidepooling is one recreational pathway to coastal community engagement that strengthens sense of place, and therefore, responsibility to protect natural resources. We sought to broaden the tidepooling community to include more diverse voices through a participatory science program with inland city-dwelling, multilingual, and non-English speaking adults. Using nudibranchs as an environmental …

Amorphous Calcium Phosphate Maintains Casein Microarchitecture While Modulating Bacterial Growth Kinetics, Vuk Uskoković, Michael Ibba, Lorenzo Eugenio Leiva

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Casein, the primary source of protein in ruminant milk, represents a family of proteins that self-assemble into globules composed of finer spherical subunits and stabilized by calcium phosphate (CP) nanoparticles. These globules act as holdase-type chaperones for unfolded or partially folded proteins, preventing their aggregation. Simultaneously, by integrating CP nanoparticles, they enable the bioavailability of calcium and phosphate beyond their solubility limits, thereby enhancing the nutritional value of milk. Using a range of physicochemical and biological characterization techniques, including scanning and transmission electron microscopy, organic and inorganic elemental analyses, SDS-PAGE, and vibrational, UV/Vis and NMR spectroscopies, it is demonstrated that …

Charge Modulation Of Peptide/Nucleic Acid Complexes: An Anionic Additive Enhances Gene Silencing And Crispr/Cas9 Editing By Promoting Intracellular Nucleic Acid Release, Abdulelah Alhazza, Sorour Khayyatnejad Shoushtari, Hasan Uludag, Keykavous Parang, Hamidreza Montazeri Aliabadi

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction: Small interfering RNA (siRNA) and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated Protein 9 (Cas9) complexes are effective approaches to temporarily downregulate protein expression via post-transcription RNA interference or permanently altering protein expression via editing genomic DNA, respectively. However, the efficient delivery of these mediators to targeted cells has been challenging, largely due to their anionic and hydrophilic nature, which hinders their interaction with the cell membrane and cellular internalization. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) exhibit dual characteristics as a carrier for nucleic acid delivery, where positively charged components bind to the negatively charged nucleic acid, and the hydrophobic components …

Skin Carotenoid Scores Reflect Immune Status Among Children Living With Hiv In Tanzania, Wilbert Mbuya, Thobias Boniphace, Michael Mwagala, Peter Agrea, Nazareth M Mbilinyi, Nancy E Moran, Andrew R Dinardo, Mkunde Chachage

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Many individuals living with HIV experience persistent inflammation despite antiretroviral treatment, increasing their risk for cardiovascular diseases, cognitive decline, and other noncommunicable diseases. Carotenoids can inhibit this inflammation by reducing lipid peroxidation. Carotenoid intake and plasma concentrations can be approximated using a noninvasive cutaneous spectrophotometer. This study quantified skin carotenoid levels in Tanzanian children ages 5 to 15 years old (N = 185) both with and without HIV. Over 95% had low to moderate skin carotenoid scores (< 400 units). In children living with HIV, higher viral loads were linked to lower skin carotenoid scores (rho = -0.57, P < 0.001), whereas higher CD4 counts correlated with increased skin carotenoid scores (rho = 0.52, P < 0.001). Overall, carotenoid levels were low and associated with immune status, suggesting that elevated carotenoid scores correlate with lower inflammation in children living with HIV. Future studies investigating dietary carotenoid interventions to support immune function are warranted.

Part Iii. Uncanny Spaces And The Trauma Of The Misplaced: Revisiting Psychological Athetosis As The Ecogothic, George Conesa

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

After climbing mount “Ktaadn” [Katahdin] in Maine, Thoreau observed that not all of nature was a one size-fits-all walk in the friendly woods with foxes cavorting and butterflies a-fluttering. While revisiting ecogothic perspectives (Conesa, 2024), a topical turn is made toward understanding interconnected fear responses to uncanny landscapes as a factor of previous and new traumatic events. A deep historical and comprehensive appraisal of organisms in their natural and newly found umwelten suggests that the ecogothic uncanny is a common experience of organism-territory accommodations to “place.” During these place-mind interstices, past traumatic events are amplified into newly …

Trauma Work With Horses: Compassion And Connection, Olivia Sagan Prof

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

New ways of working with trauma survivors are being sought with the case being made that dominant trauma therapies have relied too heavily on verbal narration and cognitive processing.  Evidence suggests that traumatic experiences are often encoded in sensory, emotional, physiological, and relational systems that may be difficult to access through language alone. This has led to interest in the potential of body-oriented, movement-based, and experiential interventions alongside traditional talk therapies. There are also calls for exploring nature-based therapies as these have shown that engagement with natural environments may help aid the process of healing. Within this context, equine-assisted therapies …