Digital Commons Network^™

Targeting The Weak: A Content Analysis Of Violence In Advergames, Arshak Papazyan

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

With a rising trend of targeting children using various means of advertisement, the popularity of advergames has significantly increased. Although previous research suggests that negative content in advergames result in less favorable attitudes toward the game (Waiguny, et al., 2013), the presence of violence in advergames targeted to children aged three to ten years is significantly high. Despite the growing concern regarding violence in advergames and other means of advertisement targeted to children, research has not yet investigated the actual amount of violence in advergames. To shed light on this important issue, the present research discusses results of a descriptive …

Martin Luther King, Jr. And Today’S World, Jessica Raniewicz

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

Martin Luther King was a firm believer in nonviolence. Gandhi’s ideals of nonviolence gave King the ideas for his movement. He wanted it to be done peacefully and without violence. King had a way of uniting people and getting his ideas heard in a nonviolent way. Unfortunately, if Dr. King were here today, I believe he would be disgusted and upset with the way we as a nation have been conducting ourselves in his absence. As a nation, we have not changed for the better and have a lot …

Full Issue, No Author

Verbum

No abstract provided.

You Are What You Eat: Gastronomy And Geography Of Southern Spain, Katherine F. Perry

Honors Theses

Using empirical and numeric data, this study explores the use of food as a proxy to understand the cultural-historical geography of southern Spain. After spending three months in Granada, Spain, I compiled the most commonly used thirty-five ingredients from a selection of Spanish cookbooks and contextualized them within the broader history of Spain. The elements of traditional Andalucían cooking fit into three primary chapters of Iberian history: Roman occupation, the Moorish invasion beginning in the 8^th century, and the Columbian exchange, or the exchange of goods that took place between the Americas and Old World following European discovery of …

Does Gut Microbiota Affect The Diet Preference In Anurans?, Jordan A. Rice

Honors Theses

Gut microbiota is a community of bacteria that live in the digestive track of a host. These microbes assist in the breakdown of indigestible materials as food passes through the alimentary canal. Metabolites from bacteria may play a role cell to cell communication with their host and thus gut microbiota may affect the diet preference of the animal host. Southern Leopard frogs (Rana sphenocephala) and Green Tree frogs (Hyla cinerea) were used as focal species to test whether gut microbiota affect their diet preference. Three groups of tadpoles were tested. The control group was fed a …

Increased Lower Limb Spasticity But Not Strength Or Function Following A Single-Dose Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor In Chronic Stroke, Krishnaj Gourab, Brian D. Schmit, T. George Hornby

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: To investigate the effects of single doses of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) on lower limb voluntary and reflex function in individuals with chronic stroke.

Design: Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial.

Setting: Outpatient research setting.

Participants: Individuals (N=10; 7 men; mean age ± SD, 57±10y) with poststroke hemiplegia of >1 year duration who completed all assessments.

Interventions: Patients were assessed before and 5 hours after single-dose, overencapsulated 10-mg doses of escitalopram (SSRI) or placebo, with 1 week between conditions.

Main Outcome Measures: Primary assessments included maximal ankle and knee isometric strength, and velocity-dependent (30°/s–120°/s) plantarflexor stretch reflexes under …

Application Of Implan To Extension Programs: Economic Impacts Of The University Of Arizona Cooperative Extension Snap-Ed Spending, Ashley Kerna, George Frisvold, Laurel Jacobs, Vanessa A. Farrell, Linda Houtkooper, Scottie Misner

Journal of Extension

Many Extension programs are turning to the input-output software IMPLAN to demonstrate economic impacts. IMPLAN is a powerful tool that can be used to estimate the total economic activity associated with an industry, event, or policy. One possible application, therefore, is to use program spending data to estimate the economic effects of Extension's presence in the region. Yet results should be interpreted with care because they can report gross‑rather than net—economic effects. This article provides an example of IMPLAN application by estimating the net change in state economic activity resulting from University of Arizona Cooperative Extension SNAP-Ed spending.

A Game-Based Learning Model, Fatmah Mohamed Ali Ramsi

Theses

The purpose of this research is to design a conceptual model and develop an implementation as a proof of concept of game-based learning (GBL)to support linguistic skills acquisition. Our model lays the foundations of game-based learning by defining methods, processes, and procedures to support the development of game-based learning systems. Integration of learning and gameplay raises various issues, among them the learning process, learning content, and game characteristics. Language competency is fundamental to academic and social success. Vocabulary acquisition is a primary basis for language competency. Word lists and dictionaries have been used as a resource to enrich vocabulary. The …

Raman Spectroscopic Analysis Of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma And Oral Dysplasia In The High-Wavenumber Region, Hugh Byrne, Luis Felipe Carvalho, Fiona Lyng, Franck Bonnier

Articles

Raman spectroscopy can provide a molecular-level signature of the biochemical composition and structure of cells with excellent spatial resolution and could be useful to monitor changes in composition for early stage and non-invasive cancer diagnosis, both ex-vivo and in vivo. In particular, the fingerprint spectral region (400–1,800 cm^-1) has been shown to be very promising for optical biopsy purposes. However, limitations to discrimination of dysplastic and inflammatory processes based on the fingerprint region still persist. In addition, the Raman spectral signal of dysplastic cells is one important source of misdiagnosis of normal versus pathological tissues. The high wavenumber …

Transcriptomics In Type 2 Diabetes: Bridging The Gap Between Genotype And Phenotype, Christopher Jenkinson, Harald H. H. Goring, Rector Arya, John Blangero, Ravindranath Duggirala, Ralph A. Defronzo

School of Medicine Publications

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a common,multifactorial disease that is influenced by genetic and environmental factors and their interactions. However, common variants identified by genome wide association studies (GWAS) explain only about 10% of the total trait variance for T2D and less than 5% of the variance for obesity, indicating that a large proportion of heritability is still unexplained. The transcriptomic approach described here uses quantitative gene expression and disease-related physiological data (deep phenotyping) to measure the direct correlation between the expression of specific genes and physiological traits. Transcriptomic analysis bridges the gulf between GWAS and physiological studies. Recent GWAS …

Legitimacy And The International Trade Regime, Thomas Christiano

San Diego Law Review

Issues of global justice and trade are usually dealt with in terms of what a just system of trade is like and what the distribution of income, opportunities, or welfare ought to be. But the question I address and explore is what a legitimate way of making decisions in the international realm is. This issue has arisen acutely in the case of the formation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other international institutions. In particular, many have complained that developed countries engaged in hard bargaining with developing countries in the conferences that led up to the formation of the …

How To Construct Global Justice, Aaron James

San Diego Law Review

Do social relationships between people give rise to any demands of social justice whatsoever? If they do, are they of any practical significance given the relationships living human beings are actually in? And, might they be so significant as to ground a theory of global justice—if not the whole of anything rightly called justice, then at least of the central range of issues in world politics? Finally, could that perhaps be what a political philosophy of global justice should mainly be about?

Here, in bare outline, is how the answers to all of these questions might be “yes,” at least …

Two Conceptions Of Justice And The Dystopia Of Global Justice, Horacio Spector

San Diego Law Review

Political associations raise special questions of justice. Some authors contend that those special questions derive from characteristic features of the modern state. For instance, Thomas Nagel argues that two defining features of the political community justify associative redistributive duties that hold among its members but not among members and nonmembers. Those features are the fact that the political community exercises sovereign power over its members by resorting to the imposition of coercive rules and the fact that it exercises that power in the name of its members. In this paper, I will not challenge this assertion but will nonetheless argue …

The Dukuns Of Madura: Their Types And Sources Of Magical Ability In Perspective Of Clifford Geertz And Pierre Bourdieu, Bangun Sentosa D. Haryanto

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

This descriptive paper is based on a research in Madura, Indonesia, in 2014. The research data was mostly through in-depth qualitative interviews and direct observation that have been developed into ethnographic case study. These methods were informed by a methodological approach derived from the ‘structural constructivism’ of Pierre Bourdieu. The main concept of “dukun” (supernatural/magic service providers) of Clifford Geertz was employed to theorize the findings and frame the argument. Within eight-month research period in Madura, I interviewed 19 dukuns and describe them using pseudo-names. Madura’s dukun phenomenon demonstrates that magic is undoubtedly one of the main strategic resources available …

The Regulation Of Hpv Late Gene Expression And The Potential Role Of Inkt Cells In Cervical Cancer, Patrice Nolan

Masters

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are ubiquitous, sexually transmitted viruses present in 99.7% of all cervical cancers, the second most common cancer in females worldwide. Expression of HPV L1 and L2 late genes is found only in terminally differentiated epithelial cells. As L1 and L2 proteins are highly immunogenic, it is suggested that their suppression may prevent detection of the virus by the immune system, thus acting as a prerequisite for persistence of infection. Therefore, if expression of these proteins in the lower cervical layers was induced, it could lead to clearance of the virus. One aim of this thesis was to …

Designing Eye Tracking Algorithm For Partner-Assisted Eye Scanning Keyboard For Physically Challenged People, Zeenat S. Al-Kassim

Theses

The proposed research work focuses on building a keyboard through designing an algorithm for eye movement detection using the partner-assisted scanning technique. The study covers all stages of gesture recognition, from data acquisition to eye detection and tracking, and finally classification. With the presence of many techniques to implement the gesture recognition stages, the main objective of this research work is implementing the simple and less expensive technique that produces the best possible results with a high level of accuracy. The results, finally, are compared with similar works done recently to prove the efficiency in implementation of the proposed algorithm. …

Investigation Of Groundwater Quality Of Al Hayer Area, (North Of Al Ain City) Using Hydro Geochemical Approach, Mohammed Hosny Ibrahim Gadalla

Theses

Al Hayer is located in the northeast of Al Ain area, Eastern region of the United Arab Emirates. Groundwater abstraction for domestic, agricultural and industrial uses has led to major depletion in the aquifer resulting in groundwater quality deterioration. This study aims to identify the factors affecting the groundwater quality in this area, and to determine the recharge mechanism for the study area to understand the behaviour of major ions in regional groundwater by using hydrogeochemical and isotopic approaches. The hydrochemical analysis of 37 collected samples of groundwater revealed that the groundwater is characterized by moderate salinity and high concentrations …

Virtual Screening Of Phytochemicals For Cancer Therapy, Asma Ahmad Al Haddad

Theses

Cancer is one of the leading cause of deaths in the world. Vast majority of contemporary cancer therapies have side effects. Dietary plants and plant-based products have been shown to reduce the severity of the condition with minimal or no side effects. However, the precise molecular interactions that lead to this are largely unknown. In this study, several target proteins in cancer pathways were chosen and a collection of chemical derived from plants, or phytochemicals, were virtually screened in silico using molecular docking techniques. Furthermore, the docking modes were subjected to extended molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The pharmacokinetic properties of …

Aflatoxin Level In Selected Spices In Abu Dhabi Markets, Salma Ibrahim Al Hammadi

Theses

Aflatoxins (AF) are toxic secondary metabolites secreted by the fungi Aspergillus or Penicillium. Four aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2) are common in foods and feeds produced or stored under unfavorable conditions of humidity and temperature AFB1 is considered the most toxic.

Spices are significant ingredients in the UAE cuisine, used for the purpose of seasoning, coloring, and flavoring. In this research, 94 samples of spices (including pepper, chili, coriander, fennel seeds, paprika, turmeric, zataria, and mixed spices) purchased from different markets in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, were analyzed for their contents of AF. Sample were analyzed using high-performance …

Molecular Targets Of Manuka Honey In Human Breast Cancer, Sarah Saif Al Qubaisi

Theses

The medicinal properties of Manuka honey have been extensively studied, particularly in terms of its wound healing and antimicrobial activities. We have previously demonstrated that Manuka honey also has anti-cancer properties against a variety of cancer cell types in vitro as well as in preclinical cancer models. The cellular targets of the anti-cancer activity of Manuka honey, however, remain unknown. For the present study, we selected the triple negative human breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, to investigate susceptibility to Manuka honey and to identify the potential signaling pathways affected. MDA-MB-231 cancer cells are known to constitutively express activated STAT3 transcription …

How Dogs Love Us: A Neuroscientist And His Dog Decode The Canine Brain. Gregory Berns, Alison Shaw

Emerging Topics in Academic Libraries

No abstract provided.

Groundings Volume Two, Issue Two

Groundings

This is the full issue of Groundings Vol. 2, Iss. 2. It includes a wrap of both the 12th Annual Walter Rodney Symposium and the 3rd Annual Walter Rodney Speakers Series; a piece by Jesus Chucho Garcia that honors the late Norman Girvan; the official Save the Date for the 13th Annual Walter Rodney Symposium; information on the republication of The Groundings with My Brothers; a photo-narrative by Julian Plowden on the student protests at the Atlanta CNN Center; we then have 3 pieces surrounding the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry by Wazir Mohamed, Anne Braithwaite, and Rohit Kanhai, …

Fundamental Unenumerated Rights Under The Ninth Amendment And The Privileges Or Immunities Clause, Adam Lamparello

Akron Law Review

The failure to link the Ninth Amendment and Privileges or Immunities Clause for the purpose of creating unenumerated fundamental rights has been a persistent but rarely discussed aspect of the Court’s jurisprudence. That should change. There need not be an ongoing tension between the Court’s counter-majoritarian role and the authority of states to govern through the democratic process. If the Constitution’s text gives the Court a solid foundation upon which to recognize new rights and thereby create a more just society, then the exercise of that power is fundamentally democratic. The Ninth Amendment and Privileges or Immunities Clause provides that …

The Five Days In June When Values Died In American Law, Bruce Ledewitz

Akron Law Review

During a five day period in June, 1992, every Justice on the United States Supreme Court joined one or the other of two opinions that denied the objectivity of values—either Justice Kennedy’s majority opinion in Lee v. Weisman or Justice Scalia’s dissent in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Both of these opinions expressed the view that normative judgments are merely human constructions. This moment represents symbolically the death of values in American law. The arrival of nihilism at the heart of American law is a world-changing event for law that must be acknowledged.

The death of values was announced by …

Genetic Analyses Determine Connectivity Among Cave And Surface Populations Of The Jamaican Endemic Freshwater Crab Sesarma Fossarum In The Cockpit Country, Manuel Stemmer, Christoph D. Schubart

International Journal of Speleology

The Jamaican freshwater crab Sesarma fossarum (Decapoda: Brachyura: Sesarmidae) is endemic to western central Jamaica where it occurs in cave and surface streams of karst regions. In the present study, we examine the population genetic structure of the species, providing evidence for intraspecific differentiation and genetic substructure among twelve sampled populations. Interestingly, crabs from caves appear genetically undistinguishable from representatives of nearby surface waters, despite previously observed and described morphometric differentiation. In contrast, genetic isolation takes place among populations from rivers and caves belonging to different watersheds. In one case, even populations from different tributaries of the same river were …

Sat/Act Prep Class: Kenyon College And Mount Vernon Salvation Army

Undergraduate Research and Community Engaged Learning

No abstract provided.

Lanthorn, Vol. 50, No. 27, November 30, 2015, Grand Valley State University

Volume 50, July 13, 2015 - June 6, 2016

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

Commonwealth Times 2015-11-30

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

The Physiological Effects And Projected Outcomes Of Urbanization And Pollution On Reptiles, Dale Rodney Lockman

University Honors Program

Research regarding urbanization and its relationship with population fluctuations and physiological responses in animals has been assessed through a multitude of studies involving stress hormone changes, white blood cell counts and other physical and behavioral changes. The scope of this paper emphasizes the explanation of urbanization, the physiological and anatomical impact it has made on reptiles, and the projected outcomes urbanization will have in the future. Some questions are brought up in this paper to serve as a basic overview of what will be learned about urbanization and pollution. In order to provide background information, my research has been conducted …

The Statesman, V. 59, I. 13, Stony Brook University

Stony Brook Statesman-Sucolian

v.59;i.13