Digital Commons Network^™

The Efficacy Of Treatment Of Symptoms Of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome And Associated Health Risks Using Insulin Sensitizers: A Meta-Analysis, Isabella J. Wong

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is common among women of reproductive age (ages 15-49), and it can put patients at higher risk for diseases such as type II diabetes or coronary heart disease. While the mechanisms behind PCOS are poorly understood, it is diagnosed using two characteristics: hyperandrogenism and anovulation. Once diagnosed, many patients are also tested for insulin resistance (IR). While IR is thought of as a symptom of PCOS, this study will examine the effects of treatment of IR to manage symptoms of PCOS rather than treatment of hyperandrogenism. This meta-analysis used data from studies previously published by searching …

Diet Change Over Time In The Ais Community Of Cape Canaveral, Florida, Allyson Shenkman

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Diet change over time is assessed for a Malabar II period (900 C.E. to 1565 C.E.) Ais indigenous community in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at the Penny Plot site (8BR158). To this end, 7,760 faunal fragments were examined, with 1,876 identified at the species, genus, or family level. Through identification and analysis of faunal remains, it can be concluded that, while the amounts of overall remains left behind as a whole increased, there were no significant changes in the types of fauna utilized or patterns of consumption. This suggests that the indigenous people who occupied this site managed their resources very …

Propaganda, Criticism, And War: A Study Of Regime Criticism By Propagandists In War, Jack C. Seay

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This paper investigates when propagandists criticize their country's war effort, examining instances where propagandists openly criticize the regimes they are expected to support during an armed conflict. This is a unique and relatively unexplored angle on propaganda, differing from widespread research on the range of effects that propaganda has on a target population, the reasons behind using propaganda on a target population, and the methods propagandists use to raise support for a political authority. Understanding when propagandists criticize their country's war effort can mitigate their influence by helping audiences identify when and how propagandists use criticism to their advantage. The …

Clark Magazine, Winter 2023, Clark University

Clark Magazine

The Winter 2023 edition of Clark Magazine. Clark Magazine is a twice-yearly publication primarily geared towards Clark University Alumni.

The cover story is 'Ahead of the game: Fueled by the liberal arts, the Becker School of Design & Technology is reimagining our digital path'.

A Review On Biogenic Silver Nanoparticles As Efficient And Effective Antidiabetic Agents, Maryam Wahab, Srinivas Janaswamy

Dairy Science and Food Science Faculty Publications: 2022 to Present

The frontiers of nanomedicine are consistently being challenged by the gradually expanding knowledge of the properties of nanoparticles. Toward this end, biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles utilizing natural compounds in plants as reducing and capping agents grabbed considerable attention, in lieu of synthetic hazardous physical and chemical techniques. Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has proven safe and effective in treating type 2 diabetes mellitus. Currently, biogenic silver nanoparticles have gained importance as safe and efficient antiglycation agents. Therapeutic strategies by employing nanomedicines from natural sources have been initiated to end the limitations of currently available medications for the treatment …

Construal Of Situational Risk And Outcomes—Exploring The Use Of Weather Radar Displays With Residents Of The Tampa Bay Region, Michelle E. Saunders, Kevin D. Ash, Jennifer M. Collins, Rebecca E. Morss

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

A radar display is a tool that depicts meteorological data over space and time; therefore, an individual must think spatially and temporally in addition to drawing on their own meteorological knowledge and past weather experiences. We aimed to understand how the construal of situational risks and outcomes influences the perceived usefulness of a radar display and to explore how radar users interpret distance, time, and meteorological attributes using hypothetical scenarios in the Tampa Bay area (Florida). Ultimately, we wanted to understand how and why individuals use weather radar and to discover what makes it a useful tool. To do this, …

17th Century Colonial Witchcraft: Before Salem, Andréa Diane Davis

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Within this thesis, I examine several historians who discussed the social, historical and political, and religious contexts of witchcraft accusations in 17th Century colonies, particularly in New England. Additionally, I take as my case study an examination of the Elizabeth Garlick case in 1657. Elizabeth Garlick lived in the Long Island town of what is today East Hampton. However, from the town’s beginning in 1649 until 1664, the half of Long Island settled by the English was considered part of the Connecticut Colony and submitted to all the laws and appurtenances thereof. Several historians have commented that despite its geographic …

Prospects For Professional Art And Stem Collaborations To Create Steam Programs And Projects, Darius K. Hines

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Would STEAM project and program resources be better utilized through collaboration between STEM and Arts professionals or from creating STEAM from within the Arts and STEM disciplines organically? Four hundred nineteen STEM and Arts professionals from academia and industry were surveyed for their thoughts and opinions regarding STEAM, creating a unique data set. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the inferential methods T-test, Chi-Squared and Multivariate Regression. Respondents reported a very small number of STEM (11%) and Arts (18.9%) professionals they know studied both STEM and Arts perform both equally in their careers. The majority of the STEM …

Black Feminist Poiesis: Locating “The Uses Of The Erotic” Within Black Domesticity, Kiandra S. Jimenez

CGU Theses & Dissertations

What does being human mean for women who were artists denied the ability to live life on their own standards? What did it mean to live a creative life when your body was captured and held within a system that surveilled and penalized you for things like writing, reading, or the idea of creating was impossible? In Alice Walker’s “In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens,” she asks us to consider what it meant to be a Black woman artist when you are considered “the mule of the world,” and are stuck toiling away—as a launderer, a maid, a cook, a …

Burning Bright Or Burning Out: A Qualitative Investigation Of Leader Vitality And Accompanying Practitioner Article, Jamie Shapiro

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Leaders of organizations have incessant demands placed on them, including cultivating teams, building culture, and increasing the bottom line, in addition to caring for followers’ wellbeing and thriving. Numerous resources are required to meet these continuous demands, and vitality is one of the most valuable. Through interviewing 20 of the most influential and pressured leaders of Fortune 1000 companies, this qualitative study answers three important questions: what drains vitality, what fosters it, and how do leaders most effectively utilize vitality for followers? The results shed light on psychological mechanisms that drain leaders’ vitality, including emotional labor, self-control, loss of job …

Voices Of Endo: Cultural Factors Influencing Delayed Diagnosis Of Endometriosis, Arline Karen Votruba

CGU Theses & Dissertations

An estimated one in ten people born with internal reproductive anatomy, meaning the vagina, cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries, live with endometriosis, which is about 200 million people worldwide. Endometriosis is a disease in which the growth of endometrial-like tissue grows around the reproductive organs, rectum, bladder, or throughout the body in places it does not belong. Endometriosis often leads to devastating effects such as painful, prolonged menstruation, nausea and bowel issues, pain that radiates down the legs, and it is a leading cause of fertility challenges. Endometriosis is diagnosed through laparoscopic surgery, in which a surgeon inserts a …

What Is A “Helpmate”? Using Comparative Semitic Linguistics To Propose New Translations For Ezer Kenegdo, Rebekah Call

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation argues that a comparative Semitic analysis of ezer kenegdo (KJV: “help meet”) in Genesis 2:18, 20 can provide new semantic ranges that enrich the reading of gender roles in Genesis 1-3. The usage of ezer kenegdo in Genesis 2:18, 20 has defied satisfactory interpretation, even though this passage has played an important role in the conversation surrounding gender roles in the Bible, in other religious discourse, and even aspects of culture influenced by elements of Jewish and Christian worldviews. The struggle with this phrase is twofold: the first difficulty lies in the association of ezer “help” with subordinate …

Saftey Of Covid-19 Vaccines In Real World Studies, Khawla Amar Mohamed Gammudi

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Background: The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been present since its outbreak in 2019. Despite global efforts to fully halt its spread, new strains are emerging daily. Various efforts have been undertaken to slow down the infection's spread by implementing different restrictive measures and policies, such as lockdowns, social distancing, and mask-wearing. However, the most effective approach to controlling this disease is through vaccinations (Chen, 2021). Substantial efforts have been dedicated to encouraging people in the United States to receive COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses. As of December 7, 2022, approximately 68.5% of the world's …

Recent Advances In Research And Management Of Human Monkeypox Virus: An Emerging Global Health Threat, Parveen Kumar, Benu Chaudhary, Nishant Yadav, Sushma Devi, Ashutosh Pareek, Sujatha Alla, Fnu Kajal, Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia, Vijay Kumar Chattu, Madan Mohan Gupta

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

In 2003, the United States saw an epidemic of monkeypox that was later traced back to rodents of West Africa infected with the monkeypox virus (MPXV). Disease in the United States seemed less severe than the smallpox-like disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In this study, researchers analyzed data from Central Africa: two distinct MPXV clades were confirmed by sequencing the genomes of MPXV isolates from Western Africa, the United States, and Central Africa. By comparing open reading frames across MPXV clades, scientists can infer which virus proteins might account for the observed variation in pathogenicity in …

Outside The Coffee Belt: A Study On The Suitability And Sustainability Of Coffee Plants In California Due To Climate Change Using Gis, Vanessa Arias Casillas

CGU Theses & Dissertations

California has a unique climate that is suitable for growing a variety of agricultural crops. As stated by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, California’s agricultural abundance includes more than 400 commodities, and of these, over a third of the vegetables and three-quarters of the fruits and nuts consumed in the United States are grown in California. Mark Gaskell, Ph.D., a California Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor, recently began an experiment to grow coffee plants; he believed that due to changing climatic conditions, California farmers could start to grow coffee plants in their fields. Several farmers also agreed to experiment …

Female Pleasure And Theories Of Desire In Narrative Structure: Evolution, Futurity, And Species Survival In The Post-Human And Science Fiction Imaginary, Laura L. S. Bauer

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explores the complex relationship between an expanded narratological theory of narrative desire, inseparable in its relation to evolution and biological reproduction, and the future survival of humanity imagined across the narrative structures of three 21st-century works of dystopian science fiction. By examining the genre's potential to address species survival specifically through female forms of desire identified as narrative recurrence, prolonged duration, and emotional resolution, this study concurrently develops a metatextual methodology that cultivates the overlooked liminal space of quiescence. This analytical framework emphasizes narrative structure over theme-based analysis to unlock the radical imagination present in the texts …

Dobbs, Right-Wing Revisionism, And Public Outrage: Rodrigo's Late-Night Chronicle, Richard Delgado, Jean Stefancic

American University Law Review

When we next see Rodrigo, he has been brought into town by Giannina’s women’s rights group. The Supreme Court had just decided Dobbs and revoked a constitutional right that had existed for fifty years prior. Giannina’s organization is meeting to discuss possible responses to the Dobbs decision. While he is in town, Rodrigo decides to seek out the professor, hoping to reconnect and pick his brain on this seismic shift in the legal landscape.

When Congress Passes The Buck: How Russia’S Invasion Of Ukraine Exposed Flaws In Granting The President Sanctioning Powers, Artem M. Joukov, Samantha M. Caspar

Seattle University Law Review

The United States (U.S.) Constitution provides few limitations on endowing the Executive Branch with powers to govern foreign trade, which was initially granted to the Legislature. In a world where global trade dominates, the power over foreign trade can be more important than the power over domestic matters. Leaving unrestrained trade authority to the Executive Branch may cause hazards for Americans and foreigners alike. Russia’s war in Ukraine demonstrates the flaws in permitting the Executive Branch to unilaterally sanction foreign states. This Article demonstrates how reactive Executive Branch policies infringed on the welfare and safety of American citizens and foreigners …

Pedaling Backwards: Examining The King County Board Of Health’S Choice To Repeal Its Bicycle Helmet Law, Schuyler M. Peters

Seattle University Law Review

In Part I, this Comment will explain the Helmet Law itself and the timeline that ultimately led to its repeal. Part II will focus on the positive impact of the Helmet Law, the dangers associated with the repeal, why the repeal should not have occurred in the manner it did, and what societal costs stem from the BOH’s decision. Part III will address the actions that must be taken to revoke this repeal and the reasons behind these alternative pathways, including an Equity Impact Review study specifically on the consequences of repeal, a collaborative outreach program to bring helmets to …

Risk Factors And Outcomes Of Acute Kidney Injury Among Covid-19 Patients At A Tertiary Hospital In Kenya, Susan Cheruiyot

Master of Medicine in Family Medicine

Background: Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infection caused by the SARS-Cov-2 virus, was declared a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Three years later, 350,000 Kenyans had gotten the infection, with approximately 5,700 reported related deaths. Despite emerging research on the new virus, studies from the African continent on the impact of COVID-19 on the kidneys have been few. Early studies suggest that up to 75% of patients with COVID-19 have a derangement in their kidney function as evidenced by new onset proteinuria and hematuria. That said, the prevalence of acute kidney injury has varied greatly across populations, …

Growth Opportunities In American And British Terrorism Research, Sophia Moskalenko, Joshua D. Freilich, Steven Chermak, Jeff Gruenewald, Clark Mccauley

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

This paper identifies what we see as opportunities to improve data collection, analysis, and interpretation of findings in American and British terrorism research. We suggest seven directions that we see as promising. These include: 1) interview methods and reporting, 2) source reporting in database studies, prioritizing available court records, 3) more comparison groups, including non-offender activists for the same cause and non-political offenders, 4) comparison of cases with and without confidential informants, 5) extremist ideas and extremist violence studied as separate problems, 6) more attention to grievances, avoiding controversies over defining ideology and narrative, and 7) more attention to emotions …

The Problem Of Charitable Trust Enforcement: Addressing The Insufficiencies Of The Attorney General System And Proposing New Law Reform, Morgan Wahler

Law Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Reframing The Dei Case, Veronica Root Martinez

Faculty Scholarship

Corporate firms have long expressed their support for the idea that their organizations should become more demographically diverse while creating a culture that is inclusive of all members of the firm. These firms have traditionally, however, not been successful at improving demographic diversity and true inclusion within the upper echelons of their organizations. The status quo seemed unlikely to move, but expectations for corporate firms were upended after the #MeToo Movement of 2017 and 2018, which was followed by corporate support of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement in 2020. These two social movements, while distinct in many ways, forced firms to rethink …

Antimicrobial Resistance: Public Health Review Of Policy, Education, And Treatment [Senior Thesis], Elizabeth Mari '23, Leah M. Seebald (Thesis Advisor)

Chemistry Faculty Scholarship

This thesis is broken into two sections. Part 1 is public health focused, utilizing a literature review(part 1a) and a population based survey(part 1b). Part 2 looks at the synthesis of natural product, (R)-Dysidazirine.

Une Fee Curieuse: Persinette De Charlotte-Rose De Caumont La Force, Jolene Vos-Camy

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

: The fairy of Charlotte-Rose de Caumont La Force’s fairy tale Persinette (Rapunzel) is a complex and ambiguous figure that does not fit into a simple binary of victims and aggressors. I argue that La Force’s adaptation of the fairy tale of the girl in the tower gives the fairy prominent status as one of the main characters instead of being relegated to the usual secondary role. Of the different versions of this fairy tale, La Force’s is the only one with a powerful multidimensional female figure in the fairy role where she is in fact the most dynamic and …

Tuberculosis In Lemurs And A Fossa At National Zoo, Madagascar, 2022, Marni Lafleur, Et Al.

Anthropology: Faculty Scholarship

We diagnosed Mycobacterium tuberculosis in captive lemurs and a fossa in Antananarivo, Madagascar. We noted clinical signs in the animals and found characteristic lesions during necropsy. The source of infection remains unknown. Our results illustrate the potential for reverse zoonotic infections and intraspecies transmission of tuberculosis in captive wildlife.

Bibliography Of Scholarship From 2023, University Of San Diego

Annual Bibliography of USD Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Pregnancy And Lactation On Muscle-Tendon Morphology, Nicole Danos, Marjorie Patrick, Jacob Barretto, Francesca Bilotta, Megan Lee

Biology: Faculty Scholarship

Pregnancy and lactation hormones have been shown to mediate anatomical changes to the musculoskeletal system that generates animal movement. In this study, we characterize changes in the medial gastrocnemius muscle, its tendon and aponeuroses that are likely to have an effect on whole animal movement and energy expenditure, using the rat model system, Rattus norvegicus. We quantified muscle architecture (mass, cross-sectional area, and pennation angle), muscle fiber type and diameter, and Young's modulus of stiffness for the medial gastrocnemius aponeuroses as well as its contribution to Achilles tendon in three groups of three-month-old female rats: virgin, primiparous pregnant, and primiparous …

Mutational Analysis Of Mechanosensitive Ion Channels In The Carnivorous Venus Flytrap Plant, Carl Procko, Wen Mai Wong, Janki Patel, Seyed Ali Reza Mousavi, Tsegaye Dabi, Marc Duque, Lisa Baird, Sreekanth H. Chalasani, Joanne Chory

Biology: Faculty Scholarship

How the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) evolved the remarkable ability to sense, capture, and digest animal prey for nutrients has long puzzled the scientific community.1 Recent genome and transcriptome sequencing studies have provided clues to the genes thought to play a role in these tasks.2,3,4,5 However, proving a causal link between these and any aspect of the plant’s hunting behavior has been challenging due to the genetic intractability of this non-model organism. Here, we use CRISPR-Cas9 methods to generate targeted modifications in the Venus flytrap genome. The plant detects prey …

Building Consensus Around The Assessment And Interpretation Of Symbiodiniaceae Diversity, Cawa Tran, Et Al.

Biology: Faculty Scholarship

Within microeukaryotes, genetic variation and functional variation sometimes accumulate more quickly than morphological differences. To understand the evolutionary history and ecology of such lineages, it is key to examine diversity at multiple levels of organization. In the dinoflagellate family Symbiodiniaceae, which can form endosymbioses with cnidarians (e.g., corals, octocorals, sea anemones, jellyfish), other marine invertebrates (e.g., sponges, molluscs, flatworms), and protists (e.g., foraminifera), molecular data have been used extensively over the past three decades to describe phenotypes and to make evolutionary and ecological inferences. Despite advances in Symbiodiniaceae genomics, a lack of consensus among researchers with respect to interpreting genetic …