Digital Commons Network^™

Winning The Fight Taiwan Cannot Afford To Lose, Drew Thompson

Strategic Forums

Taiwan’s defense approach has long relied on purchases of U.S. equipment and attempts to emulate U.S. doctrine. The U.S. military, however, has focused on projecting power to fight smaller adversaries around the world, while Taiwan faces the prospect of defending its homeland from China’s increasingly capable People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The United States is deeply committed to defending Taiwan, particularly as it becomes increasingly clear that Taiwan’s military needs to adapt to the rising threat posed by the PLA and the risk that Xi Jinping might seek to use force to compel unification. China has long had the ability to …

Optimizing Thermal Block Length During Infrared Neural Inhibition To Minimize Temperature Thresholds, Junqi Zhuo, Matthew T. Mcpheeters, Micael W. Jenkins, Hillel J. Chiel, Michael W. Jenkins

Faculty Scholarship

Objective. Infrared neural inhibition (INI) is a method of blocking the generation or propagation of neural action potentials through laser heating with wavelengths strongly absorbed by water. Recent work has identified that the distance heated along axons, the block length (BL), modulates the temperature needed for inhibition; however, this relationship has not been characterized. This study explores how BL during INI can be optimized towards minimizing its temperature threshold. Approach. To understand the relationship between BL and the temperature required for INI, excised nerves from Aplysia californica were laser-heated over different lengths of axon during electrical stimulation of compound action …

A Comparison Of Calcium Aggregation And Ultracentrifugation Methods For The Preparation Of Rat Brain Microsomes For Drug Metabolism Studies, Barent N. Dubois, Farideh Amirrad, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Preparation of brain microsomes by the calcium chloride aggregation method has been suggested as an alternative to the ultracentrifugation method. However, the effects of the calcium chloride concentration on the quality of the microsomal fractions are not known. Brain microsomes were prepared from the adult rat brains using the high-speed ultracentrifugation and low-speed calcium chloride (10–100 mM) aggregation methods (n = 5–6 per group). The microsomal protein yield (spectrometry), the cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) activity (spectrometry), and the monooxygenase activities (UPLC-MS/MS) of CYP2D and CYP2E1 were determined in the obtained fractions. Increasing the concentrations of calcium chloride progressively increased …

Trade-Offs Between Reducing Complex Terminology And Producing Accurate Interpretations From Environmental Dna: Comment On “Environmental Dna: What's Behind The Term?” By Pawlowski Et Al., (2020), Naiara Rodriguez‐Ezpeleta, Olivier Morissette, Colin W. Bean, Shivakumara Manu, Pritam Banerjee, Anaïs Lacoursière-Roussel, Kingsly C. Beng, S. Elizabeth Alter, Fabian Roger, Luke E. Holman, Kathryn A. Stewart, Michael T. Monaghan, Quentin Mauvisseau, Luca Mirimin, Owen S. Wangensteen, Caterina M. Antognazza, Sarah J. Helyar, Hugo De Boer, Marie-Eve Monchamp, Reindert Nijland, Cathryn L. Abbott, Hideyuki Doi, Matthew A. Barnes, Matthieu Leray, Pascal I. Hablützel, Kristy Deiner

Biology, Agriculture and Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

In a recent paper, “Environmental DNA: What's behind the term? Clarifying the terminology and recommendations for its future use in biomonitoring,” Pawlowski et al. argue that the term eDNA should be used to refer to the pool of DNA isolated from environmental samples, as opposed to only extra-organismal DNA from macro-organisms. We agree with this view. However, we are concerned that their proposed two-level terminology specifying sampling environment and targeted taxa is overly simplistic and might hinder rather than improve clear communication about environmental DNA and its use in biomonitoring. This terminology is based on categories that are often difficult …

Free-Ranging And Feral Cats, Alex Dutcher, Kyle Pias, Grant Sizemore, Stephen M. Vantassel

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

Domestic cats (Felis catus) are a common household pet in the United States, with an estimated 25.4% of households owning cats (American Veterinary Medical Association 2018). While an increasing number of cat owners keep their pet cats exclusively indoors, a portion of society maintains that domestic cats are entitled to a free-ranging lifestyle and may even consider unowned domestic cats to be wildlife. Although wildlife managers recognize the beliefs of many concerned stakeholders, including advocates who use strong emotional appeals on behalf of cats, it remains that free-ranging and feral domestic cats are an invasive species spread by humans (Lowe …

V.1 Fall 2021, Center For Arts & Language, Students Of Risd, Risd Archives

All Student Newspapers

v.1 is a publishing platform for the ongoing work, ideas, discussions, debates, and aspirations of students at the Rhode Island School of Design. The Fall 2021 issue is formatted as a zine and contains notes from students displayed on their phones and otherwise, along with student creative writing.

The “Sweet Spot” In The Middle: Why Do Mid-Scale Farms Adopt Diversification Practices At Higher Rates?, Kenzo Emiliano Esquivel, Liz Carlisle, Alison Ke, Elissa M. Olimpi, Patrick Baur, Joanna Ory, Hannah Waterhouse, Alastair Iles, Daniel S. Karp, Claire Kremen, Timothy M. Bowles

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

In the past few decades, farmers and researchers have firmly established that biologically diversified farming systems improve ecosystem services both on and off the farm, producing economic benefits for farmers and ecological benefits for surrounding landscapes. However, adoption of these practices has been slow, requiring a more nuanced examination of both barriers and opportunities to improve adoption rates. While previous research has demonstrated that both individual and structural factors shape farmers' decisions about whether to adopt diversification practices, this study aims to understand the interaction of these individual and structural factors, and how they relate to farm scale. Based on …

Pushing The First Domino: Freeing The Whales In Canada, Luc Paul Bourgeois

LLM Theses

In 2019, the Canadian Parliament adopted Bill S-203, titled the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act [Whales Act], to phase-out the captivity of cetaceans – that is, whales, dolphins, and porpoises – mainly for entertainment purposes. This new law reflected scientific knowledge and signaled a shift in public attitudes relating to cetacean captivity. Undeniably, this piece of legislation raises many legal and normative questions. Drawing on the capabilities approach, espoused by Martha C. Nussbaum, this paper will explore the nature and impact of the Whales Act in the Canadian political and legal landscape, as well as the newly …

The Household Of God: Building Communities Of Shalom, Jodi Gatlin

Doctor of Ministry

This paper explores the problem of anxiety, loneliness, and division within the United States. Research shows that while anxiety, loneliness, and division are on the rise, church participation is on the decline. In light of this reality, this paper asks the question, “How can the church be a community so that lonely and anxious people can be seen, known, and belong?”

From Genesis through Revelation, Scripture witnesses to God’s presence in creation, uniting with humanity to expand God’s heaven and earth temple into the rest of creation. Within God’s temple, God’s people are called to love God first, then self …

Mckee Minute October 2021, Southern Adventist University

McKee Minute – McKee Library This Month

The October 2021 McKee Minute features information on the library's topical research guides. Recommendations are included for financial literacy books and streaming films on chemistry. Academic Video Online is reviewed.

Iris Magazine: New Beginnings, Iris Magazine Staff

Iris Magazine

VISUAL ART

Collection, Torianna Robleto

“Alpha”, Al Tejera

Collection, Jenna Murray

“The Swing”, Noel Guidry

CREATIVE ENTRIES

“Dragonfly Wings”, Jess Marinaro

“Feed”, Al Tejera

“Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Words I Forgot to Define Before You Left”, Jenna Murray

“No Grace in Beauty”, Julissa Valdez

“Ozmanthus and the Wolf”, Charlie Kenny

Collection, Isaac Schiller

“this city”, Hannah Fuller

“to be the unlucky mediator between celestial bodies”, Sarah Sharples “

Transcendent”, Grayson Dailey

Untitled, Madelyn Rice and Kayla Eyler

“when I wonder if I will be misgendered at my funeral”, Kat Johnson

ARTICLES

“Accepting Differences: Music Taste and Gender”, Grayson Dailey

Ipulse: October 2021, Lynn University

Student Newspapers

Issues:

• October 2021 [Fall Week 3]: They're Back and Ready to Win; A Hidden Gem in Boca Raton; Transitioning to Fall on Campus; It's Star Trek Day!' Are Smaller iPhones the Next Big Thing; Growing Up Immersed in Culture; The Biggest Week in Fashion; The Perks of a Multifaceted Student; Welcoming Chloe McCoy
• October 2021 [Fall Week 4]: Carlos Avendaño is the Conductor of His Own Path; A Hidden Gem in Boca Raton; Calling All Açai Bowl Fanatics; Dune is Coming; Is Amazon Taking Its Technology to Concerts?; Writing Her Way to Success; Celebrities Care About Sustainability; The NFL's Most …

Tuaikaepau: “Slow-But-Sure” – A Sung And Danced Poetry Of Tragedy, Pā‘Utu-‘O-Vava‘U-Lahi, Adriana Māhanga Lear, Sione Lavenita Vaka, Maui-Tāvā-He-Akó, Tēvita O. KaʻIli, Hūfanga-He-Ako-Moe-Lotu, ‘Ōkusitino Māhina

Pacific Studies

We critically examine Tuaikaepau “Slow-but-sure” as a sung and danced poetry of tragedy by Queen Sālote, in which she deals with her subject matter of artistic and literary creativity as a text in the broader context of history. Poetry and tragedy are respectively concerned with the mediation of ‘uhinga human meanings, and anga‘i-tangata sociality and anga‘i-manu animality, resulting in fakamā shame. Both poetry and tragedy are conducted in history, treated in Tonga (and Moana Oceania) in plural, temporal–spatial, collectivistic, holistic, and circular ways, as opposed to their treatment in singular, techno–teleological, individualistic, atomistic, and linear modes in the West. History …

Vaka, Fale, Moe Kava: Boat, House, And Kava – Mana Structures, Mana Spaces, Tavakefai‘Ana, Sēmisi Fetokai Potauaine, Bruce Sione To‘A Moa, Sione Lavenita Vaka, Hūfanga-He-Ako-Moe-Lotu, ‘Ōkusitino Māhina

Pacific Studies

Our collective aim in this essay is to critically examine the fakafelavai intersection, or fakahoko connection and fakamāvae separation, of the vaka boat, fale house, and kava in terms of both art work and art use. The vaka boat and fale house are associated with tufunga the material arts of tufunga fo‘uvaka boat-building and tufunga langafale house-building, and kava with faiva the performance art of faiva inukava kava-drinking; all bearing immense material–physical, psychological–emotional, and social–cultural significance. All three are variously associated with the ceremonial as tapu structures and places possessing mana power and ivi energy of great potupotutatau harmony and …

Faiva Lova‘A‘Alo: Performance Art Of Rowing, Pā‘Utu-‘O-Vava‘U-Lahi, Adriana Māhanga Lear, Maui-Tāvā-He-Akó, Tēvita O. Ka‘Ili, Hūfanga-He-Ako-Moe-Lotu, ‘Ōkusitino Māhina

Pacific Studies

As authors, we critique the performance art of faiva lova‘a‘alo rowing, which lies in proximity to the performance arts of faiva lovavaka boat-racing, faiva kakau swimming, faiva uku diving, and faiva fānifo surfing, specifically, and faiva faifolau voyaging, faiva toutaivaka navigation, and faiva toutaiika deep-sea fishing and shallow-sea fishing, generally. The latter two, viz., deep-sea fishing and shallow-sea fishing, are known as faiva toutailoloto and faiva toutaimamaha, respectively. All the faiva faifolau, faiva toutaiika, faiva toutailoloto, and faiva toutaimamaha belong in the ha‘a toutai professional class of long-distance navigators and both deep-sea and shallow-sea fishermen. The performance art of rowing, …

Fogelman Focus Fall 2021

Fogelman Focus

No abstract provided.

Pharmacology Graduate Student Striving For Excellence, Patrick Smith

University of Mississippi News

Salahuddin Mohammed seeks to inspire future students through his work

Developing Culturally Responsive Curriculum For High School Hmong And Karen Ela Students, Alexandra Bolduan

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research consistently finds that for minority students, it is important that they see themselves reflected in the classroom curriculum; educators must celebrate and incorporate the unique perspectives and backgrounds that minority students bring to class rather than focusing solely on any perceived deficits (Gay, 2018; Hammond, 2014; Ladson-Billings, 2001, 2014, 2018; Muhammad & Mosley, 2021). Additionally, those who come from “Asian” families tend to be lumped together whenever demographic information is collected or used to inform policy. As a result, there are a lot of curriculum guides for Asian students that do not focus on Hmong or even Karen students, …

How Can Incorporating An Animal Based Curriculum Into An Elementary Classroom Help Promote Social/ Emotional Development?, Stephanie Stickney

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was, how does incorporating an animal based curriculum into an elementary classroom help promote social/ emotional development? This project describes a teacher’s journey in implementing an animal based curriculum in the hopes of promoting social/ emotional development. The purpose of this project is to examine the effect that having animals into a classroom environment can have on students in regards to their social/ emotional development. This project describes the challenges, struggles, and opposing views on having animals in a classroom as well as the successes and highlights from an animal based classroom.

Songs And Salamanders: Investigating The Relationship Between Music And Environmental Education, Walker Nyenhuis

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Environmental education and creative arts such as music have complemented each other for many years. This capstone project investigates the relationship between the two disciplines by asking the question: How can environmental educators use music to increase students’ understanding of the natural world? Focusing on the professional development of environmental educators and other informal educators is important because these individuals will have many opportunities to promote connection between students and the natural world throughout their careers. Musicians and songwriters such as the Banana Slug String Band and Joe Reilly provide invaluable examples of musical experiences that both inform and entertain …

Sustainable Agriculture Curriculum For 9th-12th Graders, Michaela Gallup

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

According to the research conducted by Ziska, L. H. climate change and the agricultural industry’s fates are tightly tied. As the effects of climate change continue to worsen, food production will become more challenging. Inorder to help address these issues, this curriculum will introduce student to the causes of climate change, how climate change and agriculture impact each other, evaluate agricultural technologies that could help diminish the effects of climate change, and finally have students propose solutions to agricultural and climate related issues in their communities. The pedagogical practices used in this curriculum is a combination of traditional teaching styles, …

Systems Thinking Teaching Strategies Using The Un Sustainable Development Goals To Help Best Prepare Students To Be Future Ready, Elizabeth Hickey

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The United Nations has outlined seventeen sustainable development goals that high school students will have to tackle to have a sustainable future. Schools must take meaningful action in teaching their students systems thinking strategies to best prepare them to be empathic, self-aware, innovative, resilient communicators that are equipped to be sustainable global citizens. This capstone project takes ninth grade students through a student-choice inquiry project to tackle the challenges of how their school’s sustainable initiatives can become more sustainable in order to answer the question, How can I best integrate the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals into my Understanding By …

Best Practices In Science Education And Next Generation Science Standards: A Review Of Systems Thinking, Inquiry-Based Learning And Culturally Sustainable Practices, Kyle Koyle

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Public School science educators are given the task to teach students dynamic, interpretable material based on grade level as well as national and state standards. Science is at the forefront of many jobs and future economic stability and also encompasses a wide range of disciplinary topics. Having educators use the best resources in curriculum development and teaching methodology is crucial to successfully empowering future scientific research and understanding. The Whole Ecosystems in Balance (WEB), A Natural Resource Curriculum, originally created in 1995, was used to support science teaching efforts in Eastern Oregon. In order to continue its relevance, the curriculum …

Muslim Parents’ Expectations In The Public High School Education System, Tamer Hamid

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this capstone project is, what are the expectations of some Muslim parents of high-school-age students. These expectations include prayer, Ramadan, observation of Islamic holidays, school schedule, school meals, school curriculum, gender separation in physical education classes, and teacher insensitivity. In a humble effort to set my fellow educators up for success and expand their knowledge base, a professional development plan is designed as a source that would mainly include high school administrators, teachers, staff members, community members, and anyone invested in the welfare and success of a school with any number of high school Muslim …

Differentiating The Integration Of The Four Skills In Multi-Level Adult Esl Writing Classes, Yasmine Meziou

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project addresses the following research question: How can open-ended activities that integrate the four language skills support differentiation in multi-level (low-intermediate to advanced-level) adult general ESL writing classes? In literature grounding this project, several researchers have dealt with the importance of integrating different language skills in lessons and the role of differentiated instruction in meeting the needs of multi-level students. They also studied the benefits of using different open-ended activities from communicative to project-based activities. However, concrete examples on the integration of the four language skills and differentiating activities to accommodate low-intermediate to advanced-level adult students in general …

Tprs In Esl Programs: A Storytelling Approach, Karl Schaumann

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project is an effort to incorporate TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) into a middle-school sheltered ESL curriculum. TPRS is a promising methodology that has been used in foreign language acquisition classes for decades, but has not yet had a significant impact on ESL education in the United States. The accompanying paper examines the process of adapting this methodology to best serve the needs of English learners, which are distinct from foreign-language learners in critical ways. Relevant topics in the literature review include an overview of ESL in the United States today, the principles of language acquisition, …

Differentiation And Online Learning, Emily Nelson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question investigated in this project was, how can digital teachers utilize differentiation strategies to best meet the needs of their learners in an online environment? It describes the process of creating a standards based literacy unit which utilizes online resources. This project builds on the work of Tomlinson’s approach to differentiation in a traditional in person classroom setting and the community of inquiry (COI) model of online learning. The unit is differentiated according to student academic level, method of content delivery (synchronous or asynchronous), and student sharing. The document shares how the project was created to meet the …

Framework For Implementing Metacognitive Reflection Tools To Facilitate Student Learning, Elise Thompson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Educators of all disciplines are finding themselves providing endless engaging content and working long hours to give feedback, yet they are still witnessing their students struggle to master content objectives. Students need to be empowered and provided the tools to take ownership of the learning process. Through intentional metacognitive reflection, the interrogation and reconstruction of learning, teachers will find increased retention, comprehension, critical thinking, knowledge transfer, accountability, and motivation in their students. This professional development framework is intended to improve high school student mastery through metacognitive reflection and to provide tools for teachers of all disciplines to set students up …

Treatment-Free Survival After Discontinuation Of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors In Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Alice Tzeng, Tony H. Tzeng, Moshe C. Ornstein

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

While immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) can lead to sustained responses in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), the optimal duration of therapy remains unknown. We aimed to examine treatment-free survival (TFS) in objective responders who discontinued ICI and to explore factors that may impact objective response rate (ORR) and TFS. MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for prospective studies reporting individual outcomes after ICI discontinuation in patients with mRCC. Pooled ORR and TFS were estimated using random-effects meta-analyses, and associations between ICI regimen type or treatment line and ORR or TFS were evaluated. Sixteen cohorts comprising 1833 patients treated …

Obesity Modulates The Gut Microbiome In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Fokhrul Hossain, Samarpan Majumder, Justin David, Bruce A. Bunnell, Lucio Miele

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive, molecularly heterogeneous sub-type of breast cancer. Obesity is associated with increased incidence and worse prognosis in TNBC through various potential mechanisms. Recent evidence suggests that the gut microbiome plays a central role in the progression of cancer, and that imbalances or dysbiosis in the population of commensal microbiota can lead to inflammation and contribute to tumor progression. Obesity is characterized by low-grade inflammation, and gut dysbiosis is associated with obesity, chronic inflam-mation, and failure of cancer immunotherapy. However, the debate on what constitutes a “healthy” gut microbiome is ongoing, and the connection among …