Digital Commons Network^™

Calculating Life And Death In A Time Of Covid, Larry Hirschhorn, Phd

School of Continuing and Professional Studies Coronavirus Papers

The current pandemic makes us feel helpless. We can respond to its predation pragmatically but its silent march through the population promotes dread. Our helplessness undermines our belief in our culture as the source of our self-esteem and felt significance. One response to our experience of helplessness is the omnipotent stance, the idea that we can master the virus, stop it in its tracks, command one another to comply with injunctions and wreak a path of destruction by devastating the economy. Omnipotence promotes magical thinking. In the service of defeating death, we ignore actual suffering; deaths of despair and deaths …

Book Review - Mushrooms Of The Georgia Piedmont & Southern Appalachians, Laurie Aycock

Georgia Library Quarterly

No abstract provided.

Modeling The Evolution Of Differences In Variability Between Sexes, Theodore P. Hill

Research Scholars in Residence

An elementary mathematical theory based on a “selectivity-variability” principle is proposed to address a question raised by Charles Darwin, namely, how one sex of a sexually dimorphic species might tend to evolve with greater variability than the other sex. Two mathematical models of the principle are presented: a discrete-time one-step probabilistic model of the short-term behavior of the subpopulations of a given sex, with an example using normally distributed perceived fitness values; and a continuous-time deterministic coupled ODE model for the long-term asymptotic behavior of the expected sizes of the subpopulations, with an example using exponentially distributed fitness levels.

Phenotypic And Genotypic Studies In The Peach [Prunus Persica (L.) Batsch] And Muscadine Grape (Vitis Rotundifolia Michx.), Jennifer Anne Lewter

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Peach: Peaches [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] are routinely chilled to increase shelf-life. Exposure to temperatures of 5° C for two weeks can induce chilling injury (CI) symptoms, including flesh mealiness (or wooliness) and a lack of juiciness. Phenotypic data were collected on seven biparental F1 peach populations maintained at the University of Arkansas Fruit Research Station. A genome wide association study (GWAS) was performed using TASSEL 5 which identified four quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with expressible juice, four QTLs for mealiness, five QTLs for soluble solids, and three QTLs for fruit weight. Exploiting these genetic markers could help breeders …

Relationship Between University Student Characteristics And Water Conservation Behaviors, Matthew A. Wise

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Water over-consumption is a critical issue due to it being a mismanaged, and virtually finite, natural resource. In order to convey this information to the public and promote change, it is important to understand the public’s current attitude towards the topic in order to develop more targeted teaching approaches. The purpose of this study was to determine college-age students’ perceptions about water resource usage, their personal levels of active engagement in water conservation, and if any differences existed between agriculture students and non-agriculture students. This study utilized an online quantitative survey, guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior, which was …

New Flesh Cinema: Japanese Cyberpunk-Body Horror And Cinema As Catharsis In The Age Of Technology, Sarah Henry

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides a critical analysis of a specific group of films that combine the subgenres of cyberpunk and body horror which I call New Flesh Cinema. Films of this subgenre counter fears and anxieties of technological advancements by re-imagining the rise of technology and its societal effects as a transitional process through the illustration of literal and visceral depictions of the necessary alterations people will have to undergo in order to transition successfully into the new world. To contradict apocalyptic fears of advancing technology, these films offer a vision of a “New Flesh.” I argue the films share three …

Sugammadex Versus Neostigmine In Reducing Postoperative Adverse Effects In The Pediatric Population, Robert Vieto Jr.

Nurse Anesthesia MSNA Student Capstones

Neostigmine and sugammadex are two medications used to reverse the neuromuscular blockade caused by nondepolarizing aminosteroidal neuromuscular blocking agents. Research has shown an association between the use of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, such as neostigmine, and residual neuromuscular blockade in pediatric patients. Sugammadex has been shown to reduce residual neuromuscular blockade in adults without adverse effects, but minimal research has been performed on the effects of sugammadex in the pediatric population. Therefore, the objective of the present study is to compare sugammadex and neostigmine to determine if using sugammadex instead of neostigmine reduces postoperative adverse effects in the pediatric population. A systematic, …

Reducing Anesthesia Workstation Contamination, Taryn Giese

Nurse Anesthesia MSNA Student Capstones

Healthcare-associated infections are a source of morbidity and mortality in the United States and have been shown to be more preventable than current incidence. Anesthesia providers may be a source of and vector for some of these infections. Nurse anesthetists provide direct individual care for numerous patients daily, managing airways and invasive devices that contaminate hands with secretions which then may be transferred to the anesthesia workstation. Due to its complexity, the anesthesia machine is difficult to thoroughly clean and may become a reservoir for contaminants.

The purpose of this paper will be to examine new interventions being explored to …

Validation Of The Assessment Of Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge As A Self-Assessment With K-12 Teachers In A Title 1 School District, Jami Michel Moore

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher quality has become a topic of national discussion due to the United States’ lagging behind other countries’ success on both international and national assessments. Validation of the Assessment of Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge (ATPCK) as a self-assessment with K-12 teachers in a Title 1 school district is the purpose of this research. Assessing teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) growth as a result of professional development is a challenge. Utilizing confirmatory factor analysis allowed the researcher to determine the validity and reliability of the ATPCK as a self-assessment measure of teachers’ PCK. The research results will be utilized to support …

A Modified Sir Model Equivalent To A Generalized Logistic Model, With Standard Logistic Approximations, David E Clark, Jordan S Peck, Gavin Welch

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2021

No abstract provided.

Nsu Abraham S. Fischler College Of Education And School Of Criminal Justice (Fce&Scj) Graduate Catalog And Student Handbook 2020–2021, Nova Southeastern University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive

No abstract provided.

Detection Of Types Of Hpv Among Hiv-Infected And Hiv-Uninfected Kenyan Women Undergoing Cryotherapy Or Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure, Elkanah Omenge, Jordan P. Emont, Aaron Ermel, Tao Liu, Victor Omodi, Yan Tong, Peter Itsura, Philip Tonui, Titus Maina, John M. Ong’Echa

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Objective: To assess the baseline types of HPV infection among HIV-positive and HIV-negative women in western Kenya undergoing cryotherapy or loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted of baseline HPV characteristics of women undergoing visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) and cryotherapy or LEEP. After a positive VIA in HIV-positive and HIV-negative women, data on demographics, CD4 count, and use of antiretroviral therapy and a cervical swab were collected. HPV typing was performed using the Roche Linear Array.

Results: Of 175 participants, 86 (49.1%) were HIV-positive and had a higher prevalence …

Light And Temperature Mediate Algal Simulation Of Heterotrophic Activity On Decomposing Leaf Litter, Cody A. Pope, Halvor M. Halvorson, Robert H. Findlay, Steven N. Francoeur, Kevin A. Kuehn

Faculty Publications

1. Recent evidence suggests that periphytic algae stimulate plant litter heterotrophs (fungi and bacteria) in the presence of light, but few studies have tested whether this stimulation varies across gradients of light, which may covary with temperature.
2. We exposed field‐conditioned Typha domingensis litter to fully‐crossed, short‐term gradients of temperature (15, 20, 25, and 30°C) and light (0, 25, 53, 123, and 388 µmol quanta m⁻² s⁻¹) and measured responses of litter‐associated algal, fungal, and bacterial production rates and β‐glucosidase, β‐xylosidase, and phenol oxidase enzyme activities in the laboratory.
3. Increased light stimulated algal production rates, from immeasurable production under …

Justice For All? An In-Depth Look At Sexual Assault Kit Testing In The Carolinas, Jessalynn C. King

Senior Theses

Within the last few decades, technological advancements and an improved understanding of biological materials have led to an increase in evidence that can be submitted for forensic testing in criminal justice investigations. In a sexual assault investigation, a sexual assault kit (SAK) is often collected and contains the evidence found on the victim’s or suspect’s person. While the true total is unknown, it is estimated that several hundred thousand untested SAKs remain in the custody of law enforcement and forensic crime laboratories across the United States. Whether these SAKs were neglected due to law enforcement bias, the prioritization of other …

Microgravity, Bone Homeostasis, And Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1, John Kelly Smith

ETSU Faculty Works

Astronauts at are risk of losing 1.0-1.5% of their bone mass for every month they spend in space despite their adherence to high impact exercise training programs and diets high in nutrients, potassium, calcium, and vitamin D, all designed to preserve the skeletal system. This article reviews the basics of bone formation and resorption and details how exposure to microgravity or simulated microgravity affects the structure and function of osteoblasts, osteocytes, osteoclasts, and their mesenchymal and hematologic stem cell precursors. It details the critical roles that insulin-like growth factor-1 and its receptor insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (GFR1) play in maintaining …

Tenure And Promotion Announcement, 2020, University Of Mississippi. Provost

Tenure and Promotion Announcements

No abstract provided.

Electronic Resources Updates - 2020 Q2, Sean Kennedy, Frank Bove, Gregg Harris

Electronic Resources Quarterly Updates

No abstract provided.

Shock Processes In Water: Multi-Scale Comparison And Experimental Results, Longhao Huang

Dissertations (1934 -)

Water as the most common fluid on earth has extraordinary properties. The understanding of the dynamic response of water is important to planetary physics, biology and medicine. Inspired by the relationship between shockwave thicknesses and the intensity of property changes between pre-shock and post-shock states in gas medium, it is interesting to study the response of a liquid medium within shock process, such as liquid argon or water, from numerical and experimental methods, especially from different scales of simulations (continuum and molecular dynamics).Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations of Hugoniot hydrostatic compression and shockwave propagation processes are performed via Large-Scale Atomic/Molecular Massively …

Physical Activity To Help Students Perform Better In The Classroom, David Rubis

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review evaluates how physical activity can improve student academic performance. Articles from the last decade provide strong evidence students, given access to physical activity, show improved academic performance. Physical activity improves the brain's functioning and different kinds of physical activity impact cognitive performance. Researchers acknowledged a strong correlation between physical activity and the development of overall wellness and academic confidence. Research also shows students with learning and cognitive disabilities benefit academically and behaviorally from physical activity. Physical activity is an essential element of the development of children and adolescents.

The Write Stuff - Summer 2020 (Vol. 17, No. 3), Research Medical Library

Write Stuff 2020

• Boost your chances of publication by following journals’ instructions to authors
• EndNote, Mendeley, Zotero: which citation management software is best?
• Building your data management plan
• Search for funding opportunities with Pivot
• Expanding use of digital object identifiers in scientific publishing

The Behavioral And Neural Effects Of Audiovisual Affective Processing, Chuanji Gao

Theses and Dissertations

In everyday life, we receive affective information from a multisensory environment. What we see and what we hear jointly influence how we feel, think and act. Outstanding questions still remain about the essential behavioral and neural mechanism underlying how we combine visual and auditory affective signals. In this dissertation, I report a series of behavioral, EEG and fMRI experiments addressing this question. I found behaviorally there are congruency, visual dominance, and negativity dominance effects. Using ERPs, I showed that these behavioral effects can map onto different time course in audiovisual affective processing. Time-frequency analyses of EEG data showed that there …

Algorithmic Robot Design: Label Maps, Procrustean Graphs, And The Boundary Of Non-Destructiveness, Shervin Ghasemlou

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is focused on the problem of algorithmic robot design. The process of designing a robot or a team of robots that can reliably accomplish a task in an environment requires several key elements. How the problem is formulated can play a big role in the design process. The ability of the model to correctly reflect the environment, the events, and different pieces of the problem is crucial. Another key element is the ability of the model to show the relationship between different designs of a single system. These two elements can enable design algorithms to navigate through the …

Estimating Gene Expression From Dna Methylation And Copy Number Variation: A Deep Learning Regression Model For Multi-Omics Integration, Dibyendu Bikash Seal, Vivek Das, Saptarsi Goswami, Rajat K. De

Journal Articles

Gene expression analysis plays a significant role for providing molecular insights in cancer. Various genetic and epigenetic factors (being dealt under multi-omics) affect gene expression giving rise to cancer phenotypes. A recent growth in understanding of multi-omics seems to provide a resource for integration in interdisciplinary biology since they altogether can draw the comprehensive picture of an organism's developmental and disease biology in cancers. Such large scale multi-omics data can be obtained from public consortium like The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and several other platforms. Integrating these multi-omics data from varied platforms is still challenging due to high noise and …

Multinational Bibliography On Acculturation (1808-2020), With Url Links To Abstracts Or Full-Text, Joaquim Castro, Floyd W. Rudmin

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

Acculturation is an ancient topic of scholarship, with ever more interest and importance as migration increases on a global scale. The pace of scholarship has accelerated in the past few decades, with the result that earlier scholarship tends to be lost and recent scholarship is often unfound. The following bibliography is intended to help remedy these kinds of problems. This 2020 revision of Rudmin’s 2011 bibliography has almost 8,300 references, including much of the acculturation literature written in Portuguese, French, and Spanish.

Evaluating The Effects Of Fasting Conditions In Combination With Temozolomide For The Treatment Of Glioblastoma Multiforme, Joseph Duffy

All NMU Master's Theses

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive and lethal form of adult brain cancer. The standard of care for GBM is maximal surgical resection followed by adjuvant treatment with the chemotherapeutic agent temozolomide (TMZ) and radiotherapy. O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is a DNA repair protein involved in TMZ resistance. Known as the Warburg effect, cancer cells will preferentially oxidize glucose to lactate in glycolysis. This less effective pathway of energy production means cancer cells must uptake significantly greater amounts of glucose to sustain physiological needs. One method that directly targets the bioavailability of glucose is fasting. Among other adaptations, fasting lowers …

Tennessee Promise Evaluation, Tennessee. Comptroller Of The Treasury.

Office of Research and Education Accountability

No abstract provided.

2020 Report On The Status Of Emergency Medical Services For Children, Tennessee. Department Of Health.

EMS and BLHCF Annual Report on Pediatric Emergency Care

No abstract provided.

Genetic Risks, Adolescent Health And Schooling Attainment, Vikesh Amin, Jere R. Behrman, Jason M. Fletcher, Carlos A. Flores, Alfonso Flores-Lagunes, Hans-Peter Kohler

Center for Policy Research

We provide new evidence on the effect of adolescent health behaviors/outcomes (obesity, depression, smoking, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)) on schooling attainment using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. We take two different approaches to deal with omitted variable bias and reverse causality. Our first approach attends to the issue of reverse causality by using health polygenic scores (PGSs) as proxies for actual adolescent health. Second, we estimate the effect of adolescent health using sibling fixed-effects models that control for unmeasured genetic and family factors shared by siblings. We use the PGSs as additional controls in …

Medicine And Media: The Ranitidine Debate., Jennifer A. Wagner, Jennifer Colombo

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Ranitidine has been the topic of recent media reports. Current findings, confirmed by the US Food and Drug Administration, indicate that some ranitidine products contain a substance that may be carcinogenic. Providers and patients require additional information on the risks of continuing therapy vs. the benefits of the medication. This article comments on what is currently known about the evolving situation of elevated N-nitrosodimethylamine levels in ranitidine and the limits of the existing information to assess best practices.

Bortezomib With Standard Chemotherapy For Children With Acute Myeloid Leukemia Does Not Improve Treatment Outcomes: A Report From The Children's Oncology Group., Richard Aplenc, Soheil Meshinchi, Lillian Sung, Todd Alonzo, John Choi, Brian Fisher, Robert Gerbing, Betsy Hirsch, Terzah Horton, Samir Kahwash, John Levine, Michael Loken, Lisa Brodersen, Jessica Pollard, Susana Raimondi, Edward Anders Kolb, A S. Gamis

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

New therapeutic strategies are needed for pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) to reduce disease recurrence and treatment-related morbidity. The Children's Oncology Group Phase III AAML1031 trial tested whether the addition of bortezomib to standard chemotherapy improves survival in pediatric patients with newly diagnosed AML. AAML1031 randomized patients younger than 30 years of age with de novo AML to standard treatment with or without bortezomib. All patients received the identical chemotherapy backbone with either four intensive chemotherapy courses or three courses followed by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for high-risk patients. For those randomized to the intervention arm, bortezomib 1.3 mg/m2 …