Digital Commons Network^™

Adapting A Community Engagement Project In Engineering And Education To Remote Learning In The Era Of Covid-19, Maija A. Benitz, Li-Ling Yang

Engineering, Computing & Construction Management Faculty Publications

In the spring of 2020, our interdisciplinary community engagement project, bridging courses in engineering and education, was midway through completion when we abruptly transitioned to remote learning due to COVID-19. Remote learning poses unique challenges to community engaged courses that are often inherently interactive and social. We quickly pivoted our project, which originally sent undergraduates into fourth grade classrooms to teach about wind energy and engineering design. Student reflection papers illuminate challenges to skill development and negative socioemotional consequences. Our findings provide insight and suggestions for future implementations of community engagement projects in the era of remote learning.

T-Cell/Histiocyte-Rich Large B-Cell Lymphoma In A 27-Year-Old With Hidradenitis Suppurativa, Psoriasis, And Vitiligo: Implications For Screening, Gautham Vellaichamy, S M. Townsend, Alexis B. Lyons, Iltefat Hamzavi

Dermatology Articles

No abstract provided.

Internet Of Things (Iot): Cybersecurity Risks In Healthcare, Ruhi Patel

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

The rapid growth and investment in the Internet of Things (IoT) has significantly impacted how individuals and industries operate. The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a network of physical, technology-embedded objects that communicate, detect, and interact with their external environment or internal state (Hung, 2017). According to Tankovska (2020), IoT devices are estimated to reach 21.5 billion units by 2025. This technological boom is leading various industrial sectors to notice a quick increase in cybersecurity risks and threats. One industrial sector has been particularly vulnerable to numerous cyber threats across the globe: healthcare. Oliver Noble (2020), a data encryption …

Marital Versus Nonmarital Entitlements, Raymond C. O'Brien

ACTEC Law Journal

The percentage of adult couples living in intimate nonmarital cohabitation continues to increase. The period of cohabitation is most often for a short period of time and entered into for several reasons. But for a small percentage of these and an increasing percentage of longer-term cohabitants, dissolution during life or at death often results in the unjust enrichment of one party. This Article examines methods of redress. In piecemeal fashion, a variety of states enforce nonmarital agreements, written and oral, during lifetime, while some enforce equitable remedies. Very few states enforce contract or equity remedies at death.

The paucity of …

Gifts In Contemplation Of Death: Why Can't Section 2035 Simply Die?, Stephanie J. Willbanks

ACTEC Law Journal

Income and wealth inequality has become a popular topic. There are a myriad of ways to reduce such inequality utilizing the tax system, either the income tax or the transfer taxes. Revitalizing the estate tax by reducing the exemption amount and adjusting the rate structure would reduce inequality. Much has been written about the viability of the estate tax and possible alternatives. This article does not revisit that analysis. Instead, it assumes that the estate tax will remain a viable component of the overall tax system. It analyzes one small segment of the estate tax – §2035 – and argues …

Evolution Of A Field: Personal Histories In Conflict Resolution, Howard Gadlin, Nancy A. Welsh

DRI Press

This book features 23 chapters written by founders, thinkers, inventors, reformers, disrupters and transformers in the field of conflict resolution, thus allowing readers to explore the field’s real, on-the-ground reasons for being and evolving. The contributors include mediators, facilitators, arbitrators, ombuds, academics, system designers, entrepreneurs, leaders of conflict resolution organizations, researchers, advocates for conflict resolution, and critics of conflict resolution. They share their personal and professional stories as well as the values, aspirations and characteristics of the field that inspired them to become involved in conflict resolution, develop their careers, and both influence and wrestle with the field’s evolution.

Contributors …

Dach1 Mutation Frequency In Endometrial Cancer Is Associated With High Tumor Mutation Burden, Mckayla J. Riggs, Nan Lin, Chi Wang, Dava W. Piecoro

Open Access archive

Objective DACH1 is a transcriptional repressor and tumor suppressor gene frequently mutated in melanoma, bladder, and prostate cancer. Loss of DACH1 expression is associated with poor prognostic features and reduced overall survival in uterine cancer. In this study, we utilized the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN) Avatar database to determine the frequency of DACH1 mutations in patients with endometrial cancer in our Kentucky population. Methods We obtained clinical and genomic data for 65 patients with endometrial cancer from the Markey Cancer Center (MCC). We examined the clinical attributes of the cancers by DACH1 status by comparing whole-exome sequencing (WES), …

Mortality Convergence In The Enlarged European Union: A Systematic Literature Review, Rok Hrzic, Tobias Vogt, Fanny Janssen, Helmut Brand

Open Access archive

Background: The high mortality rates in the European Union (EU) Member States that acceded in 2004 sparked political interest in mortality convergence. Whether mortality is converging in the EU remains unclear. We reviewed the literature on mortality convergence in the post-2004 EU territory as a whole. We also explored whether the study designs influenced the results and whether any determinants of mortality convergence had been empirically examined. Methods: A systematic literature review was performed. Our search included scientific databases and the websites of international governmental institutions and European demographic research institutes. Results: We uncovered 94 unique records and included seven …

Two Manoeuvres To Facilitate The Oral Insertion Of Lma Ctrach™, Handattu Krishna, Nandhini Joseph, Karri Pavani

Open Access archive

Background and Aims: LMA CTrachTM, a new intubating conduit, has a thicker shaft compared to that of the intubating laryngeal mask airway (ILMA) due to the embedded optical fibres of the system. This causes difficulty during insertion despite normal mouth opening. Utility of two manoeuvres to overcome this was evaluated. Methods: From our experience with LMA CTrachTMwe found that two manoeuvres can be helpful to facilitate the insertion of LMA (a) dorsal and downward pressure over the shaft at the point where it hinges against the incisors while continuing the one handed rotational insertion of LMA (b) Lateral insertion of …

An Uml Based Performance Evaluation Of Real-Time Systems Using Timed Petri Net, Tanuja Shailesh, Ashalatha Nayak, Devi Prasad

Open Access archive

Performance is a critical non-functional parameter for real-time systems and performance analysis is an important task making it more challenging for complex real-time systems. Mostly performance analysis is performed after the system development but an early stage analysis and validation of performance using system models can improve the system quality. In this paper, we present an early stage automated performance evaluation methodology to analyse system performance using the UML sequence diagram model annotated with modeling and analysis of real-time and embedded systems (MARTE) profile. MARTE offers a performance domain sub-profile that is used for representing real-time system properties essential for …

Ethics Of Kidney Care In The Era Of Covid-19, Dominique E. Martin, Jordan A. Parsons, Fergus J. Caskey, David C.H. Harris

Open Access archive

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic presents significant challenges for health systems globally, including substantive ethical dilemmas that may pose specific concerns in the context of care for people with kidney disease. Ethical concerns may arise as changes in policy and practice affect the ability of all health professionals to fulfill their ethical duties toward their patients in providing best practice care. In this article, we briefly describe such concerns and elaborate on issues of particular ethical complexity in kidney care: equitable access to dialysis during pandemic surges; balancing the risks and benefits of different kidney failure treatments, specifically with regard …

Validity Of A Cb-Naat Assay In Diagnosing Tuberculosis In Comparison To Culture: A Study From An Urban Area Of South India, Aishwarya Raj, Shrikala Baliga, M. Suchitra Shenoy, B. Dhanashree

Open Access archive

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of Deformation Of The Cornea During Tonometry Using Fem, R. B. Bharathi, Gopalakrishna Prabhu, Ramesh S. Ve, Rakshath Poojary

Open Access archive

A three-dimensional finite element model of the human eye is developed to evaluate the force which will be applied over the surface of cornea during tonometry and gonioscopy tests. The standard tonometers and gonioscopy experiences deformation from 0.5mm to 3mm of the cornea is adopted during both point contact and boundary contact on the surface of the cornea. The results demonstrate the maximum force experienced by the tonometer with point contact at the center of the cornea for the maximum possible deformation of the cornea during tonometry. The study also analyzes for the force experienced by the tonometer or goniolens …

Contraceptives Utilization And Barriers In Karnataka, Southern India: A Survey On Women Residing In Slums, Sowmya, Ansuya, V. Vinish

Open Access archive

Background: Population explosion remains a major cause of concern in India. Although, the country became the first to implement a national population control programme in 1952, it is yet to effectively control its population growth. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess the utilization and barriers for non-utilization of contraceptives among slum resident married women of Udupi district, Karnataka, India between October 2017 to July 2018 The survey involved 323 married women aged 18–45 years. Data were generated using self-developed and validated questionnaire. Generated data were analyzed using descriptive analysis. Results: The result of the study showed low …

Role Of Deformation Imaging In Left Ventricular Non-Compaction And Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: An Indian Perspective, A. J. Ashwal, Sudhakar Rao Mugula, Jyothi Samanth, Ganesh Paramasivam

Open Access archive

Background: Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) has emerged as a novel feasible tool for the assessment of left ventricular rotational parameters. Since hypertrophic cardiomyopathy(HCM) shares morphologic features with left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC), we used this imaging modality to compare rotational mechanics between these two entities. Results: We compared global and regional LV function and rotational mechanics between LVNC, HCM, and healthy subjects using STE. Longitudinal strain and torsion were obtained from echocardiographic images from parasternal short axis as well as standard LV apical views. Twelve patients with LVNC [mean age 46.12 ± 14.66 years; median 47.5 IQR (39.25–58.5) years] were compared …

Raps Sheet, December 2020, Retirement Association Of Portland State

RAPS Sheet: Monthly Newsletter

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Cyanobacteria On Transgenerational Responses In Daphnia Pulicaria, Olivia Williams

2020 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

'Transgenerational plasticity' occurs when environmental cues alter the expression of traits in offspring and future generations. This experiment examined the influence of low-quality cyanobacteria (Anabaena) on across-generation responses in a common water flea (Daphnia pulicaria) to quantify whether changes in food quality from dietary cyanobacteria can induce transgenerational effects. Three Daphnia clones from Lake Mendota (WI) were maintained at 14C, 16:10 photoperiod until the third laboratory generation; animals from each clonal line were then reared for multiple generations on diets that contained varying amounts of cyanobacteria (either 100% Scenedesmus or 70% Scenedesmus, 30% Anabaena). General linear models and a posthoc …

Biological Nitrogen Fixation In Aeschynomene Indica: A Comparison Between Btai1 And A Native Strain Isolated In Texas, Abbey Raymond

2020 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Host-microbe interactions between legumes and rhizobia exemplify a symbiotic relationship; the rhizobia provide fixed nitrogen to leguminous plants via symbiotic nitrogen fixation, while they are safely harbored in plant root nodules. In this study, the nodulation of the legume Aeschynomene indica inoculated with BTAi1, a known rhizobium, was monitored and compared when inoculated with TSN2, a newly isolated rhizobium in Texas. Upon maturation, the physical characteristics of the plant were examined, and nitrogen fixation abilities were measured. In addition, the rhizobium isolated from these plants was sequenced and named “TSN2”. It was found that there were no significant differences in …

Determining The Role Of Low Molecular Weight Penicillin-Binding Proteins In Carbapenem Tolenerance In Aceinetobacter, Hana Ali

2020 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Antimicrobial resistance is a rapidly increasing threat to public health, where pathogens are no longer susceptible to antimicrobials prescribed to fight infections. Carbapenems are last-resort antimicrobials that bind penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) and inhibit cell wall biogenesis, leading to death. Specifically, the pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii (Ab) demonstrated carbapenem tolerance, or the ability of bacteria to survive in the toxic concentrations without changing the minimal inhibitory concentration. These data represent the first study to understand carbapenem tolerance in Ab. Here, we investigated the physiological significance of low molecular weight (LMW) PBPs, which have not been extensively studied in bacteria and could represent …

Supersize It! Developing A "Supercytoplast" Through Platelet Fusion, Taulbee B. Gunter

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Stem cell research opens a wide range of possibilities from lab-grown tissues for medical purposes to cloned animals for livestock production. The issue with one of the most popular forms of cell recombination into a stem cell, known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), is that it requires an oocyte. The requirement of an oocyte is often the host of public scrutiny for its economic and ethical issues. Platelets may offer a less expensive and more accessible alternative to oocytes as sources of naturally enucleated cells. Thus, the objective of this explorative research project is to isolate and fuse platelets …

Ensemble Learning With Recursive Partitioning Methods To Explore Relationships Between Mental Health And Physical Activity, Jessica Gilmore

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Physical and mental health are imperative to maintaining a well functioning immune system, which is especially critical during a global pandemic. Moreover, physical and mental health contribute to the overall quality of life experienced by an individual. Consequently, it is important to explore factors that contribute to both physical and mental health. Physical activity has been previously shown to improve physical and mental health yet many individuals do not get enough physical activity daily. Using data collected during the larger Exercise is Medicine (EIM) study, the current study utilized ensemble learning with recursive partitioning methods to explore the relationships that …

The Exploration Of The Long-Term Effects Of Stroke Patients In The Icu, Hannah Smith

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Hospitalization in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) has been shown to have poorer long-term effects in stroke patients from the time of admission up to one year of discharge. Throughout the world, people suffer from the complications of having a stroke and being in the ICU. Increased mortality rate, dysphagia, poor speech, loss of mental status, and decreased muscle movement are found in stroke patients who received treatment in the ICU. The poorer long-term effects in stroke patients receiving treatment in the ICU may be caused by the type of stroke, comorbidities, or mental status at admission. The long-term effects …

Respiratory Illness And Household Air Pollution: Problem Identification And Intervention, Hannah Flournoy

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study is an expanded literature review that identifies the key concepts of Household Air Pollution (HAP) and the relationship it has with respiratory illness. This study identifies twenty research studies that inspect HAP and respiratory symptoms across a number of communities that utilize biomass fuel as their primary fuel source. It seeks to identify the problems that come with HAP, such as childhood respiratory infection, COPD, and other respiratory illnesses. This review seeks to identify if people in low to middle income countries, who utilize biomass fuel sources, see and improved respiratory outcome from using modern cookstoves and other …

Maximalist Decision Making: When Maximalism Is Appropriate For Appellate Courts, Lauren Cyphers

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Content, Context, What's Next? A Garcetti-Pickering Analysis For Public Employees In Court, Austin Longnecker

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Soviet And Russian Masculinities: Rethinking Soviet Fatherhood After Stalin And Renewing Virility In The Russian Nation Under Putin, Amy E. Randall

History

Vladimir Putin’s macho image and his deployment of a masculinized Russian nationalism have fascinated Russians and non-Russians alike, generating considerable public and scholarly analysis. This article argues that the appeal of Putin as a powerful and hypermasculine leader over the last twenty years is best understood not just in the larger geopolitical context of Russia’s national and economic decline in the 1990s but also in terms of Soviet and post-Soviet discourses of failed manhood. In particular, this work focuses on the widespread critique of men as fathers in the 1950s and 1960s and the accompanying campaign to create a new …

Hydrologic & Hydraulic Analyses To Re-Establish Trigg Branch’S Jurisdictional Channel To Pre-Dam Condition Using Hec-Hms & Hec-Ras Models, Razak Ahmed Albarqaawee

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Birds strikes are the most prevalent cause of airplanes strikes, and retention ponds near airports are one of the most attractive spots for both immigrant and domestic wildlife USDA (2017). Since the Trigg Lake, water surface area covers around 46 acres and is located approx. 1.5 miles from four main runways, which make the lake a perfect shelter for birds to build their nests and eventually strike departing and/or landing aircraft. Based on a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advisory circular, no retention pond should be constructed within five miles of an airport nor should it have standing storm runoff for …

Narcissus Online: An Investigation Of Narcissism And Self-Concept Clarity In Relation To Online Dating Behaviors, Maryam Tajmirriyahi

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Nemours studies over the years have provided extensive knowledge about the association between narcissism and romantic relationship initiation. With the increased interest in using online dating sites for finding sexual/romantic partners, it is important to examine the behavior of narcissistic individuals in online dating context. The current study systematically examined how grandiose and vulnerable narcissism (as measures of an inflated self-view), in conjunction with the level of self-concept clarity (as an additional measure of a fragile self-view) can influence a number of online dating behaviors (e.g., photographic self-presentation, inauthentic self-presentation, assertive self-presentation, self-disclosure, verbal behavior, derogatory behavior toward other daters …

Transportation Barriers For Substance Abuse And Mental Health Outpatient Treatment Programs: A Scoping Review, Joseph David Harwerth

Social Work Theses - Archive

Purpose: The purpose of this manuscript is to help identify transportation barriers and facilitators that impact treatment initiation and continuation for clients with Substance Use Disorders (SUD) and/or mental health needs seeking outpatient services. The author also documented how these barriers were operationalized and measured while seeking to understand which populations have been most impacted by transportation barriers. Methods: The author conducted a scoping review and documented all of the relevant academic literature regarding transportation barriers and facilitators for individuals seeking outpatient treatment with SUDs and/or mental health concerns. Results: The author identified 28 studies. Some marginalized groups, such as …

Message From The Interim Vice President For Research, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.