Digital Commons Network^™

Facilitated Forest Restoration Using Pioneer Seed Dispersers In Madagascar: The Example Of Microcebus Spp., Joerg U. Ganzhorn, Jean-Basile Andriambeloson, Sylvia Atsalis, Lis M. Behrendt, Marina B. Blanco, An Bollen, Stephanie M. Carriere, Lounes Chikhi, Melanie Dammhahn, Giuseppe Donati, Timothy M. Eppley, Multiple Additional Authors

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The concept of “facilitated restoration” aims at native biodiversity reinstatement with the help of animal seed dispersers attracted by fruiting trees. Yet, large-crowned trees will have to develop in the early stages of restoration; therefore, seed dispersal provided by small generalist mammals and birds that use rapidly growing herbs, shrubs, and small trees at early stages of forest succession would accelerate biodiversity restoration. Due to the elusive lifestyle of these small animals, it is unclear what species can contribute to the early stages of this process. Using the primate genus Microcebus (adult body mass about 60 g) as an example, …

Integrated Child Nutrition, Parenting, And Health Intervention In Rural Liberia: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study, Sejla Isanovic, Musa Sanoe, Shelbie Wooten, Edward A. Frongillo Ph.D., Aisha K. Yousafzai, Christine E. Blake Ph.D., Rd, Mufaro Kanyangarara Ph.D., Melanie Swan, Nicole Rodger, Miriam Murray, Leila M. Larson Ph.D., Mph

Faculty Publications

In Liberia, children are exposed to multiple forms of adversity which can negatively impact their health and development. Research is needed to examine the feasibility and benefits of integrated interventions that can be incorporated into existing health delivery programs to simultaneously address low responsive stimulation, undernutrition, and infection. This study assessed the feasibility of an integrated intervention promoting psychosocial stimulation and improved child feeding by the provision of eggs and fish. The integrated intervention was incorporated into an existing government health program. Thirty female caregiver-child dyads were randomly selected from two rural communities in Liberia. Participants received fortnightly group parenting …

Biosense: An Automated Sensing Node For Organismal And Environmental Biology, Andrea Contina, Eric Abelson, Brendan Allison, Brian Stokes, Kenedy F. Sanchez, Henry M. Hernandez, Anna M. Kepple, Quynhmai Tran, Isabella Kazen

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Automated remote sensing has revolutionized the fields of wildlife ecology and environmental science. Yet, a cost-effective and flexible approach for large scale monitoring has not been fully developed, resulting in a limited collection of high-resolution data. Here, we describe BioSense, a low-cost and fully programmable automated sensing platform for applications in bioacoustics and environmental studies. Our design offers customization and flexibility to address a broad array of research goals and field conditions. Each BioSense is programmed through an integrated Raspberry Pi computer board and designed to collect and analyze avian vocalizations while simultaneously collecting temperature, humidity, and soil moisture data. …

Indisposed To Write: Teaching A Visceral Poetics, Miriam L. Atkin

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

This essay begins from the premise that acts of thinking and writing are shaped immanently by corporeal need. Accordingly, my aim is to sketch a vision of composition pedagogy that acknowledges the moves and modulations of the thinking body. The route I take to get there explores four works of critical prose that mobilize form and content toward a radical re-orientation of body-in-space and body-in-writing. These texts—by Eleni Stecopoulos, Robert Kocik, William James, and Eli Clare—are to varying degrees experimental, demonstrating a manner of textual difficulty that signals the visceral difficulty implied in any act of writing. What follows is …

Mapping James Moffett: Formative Assessment And Common Core Standards For The Contemporary Language Arts Classroom, Jonathan M. Marine, Ruth Nathan

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

In this article, we argue for an expanded conception of language assess-ment based on the principles of James Moffett and centered on outfitting teachers with useful information with which to guide their practice and optimize student learning. Importantly, we begin the article by demonstrating that Moffett’s interest in assessing language growth occurs much earlier than previously thought. Then, we sketch a composite view of Moffett’s evolving views on assessment as drawn from works across the span of his career while also investigating the many thinkers who influenced his ideas in order to situate them in the historical and educational con-text …

Effect Of Integrated Crop–Livestock Systems On Soil Properties And Microbial Diversity In Soybean Production, Namita Sinha, Brett R. Rushing, Aniruddha Acharya, Shankar Gaapathi Shanmugam

Faculty Publications - Biological Sciences

Integrated crop and livestock systems (ICLSs) have been considered an important management-based decision to improve soil health by carbon sequestration. A two-year study (2019–2021) at CPBES in Newton, MS, was conducted to evaluate the effect of an ICLS on soil microbial diversity in the southeastern region of the USA, representing agroclimatic conditions that are warm and humid. Amplicons targeting bacterial 16S rRNA genes and fungal ITS2 regions were sequenced. Taxonomic assignment and characterization of microbial diversity were performed using QIIME2®. Soil fungal diversity pattern showed significant difference (alpha diversity, p = 0.031 in 2020 and beta diversity, p = 0.037 …

Citizens’ Perceptions Of Wetlands Before And During The Restoration Of A Local Wetland, Delaney Ringgold

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study investigates the impact of a wetland restoration project on homeowners' perceptions and knowledge of wetlands in a residential area in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The research employs a pre- and during-restoration survey methodology to assess shifts in public perception and awareness of wetland environments. As part of the restoration project, native vegetation was reintroduced, and non-native species were removed, with the goals of ecological enhancement and improving the visual appeal of the wetland area. Surveys, consisting of Likert-scale questions and open-ended responses, were administered to homeowners before and during the restoration process to capture changes in demographic factors, wetland knowledge, …

Analyzing Food Sources And Food Insecurity Of Kichwa Farming Families In The Ecuadorian Amazon, Reina Watanabe

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

While the right to food is internationally recognized and the United Nations established the sustainable development goal to end hunger and achieve food security by 2030, many households remain without consistent access to food in 2024. In Latin America, approximately 4 in 10 households were reported as food insecure in 2020 with higher rates in rural and indigenous communities. Rural areas, which have great overlap with indigenous communities in Ecuador, experience disproportionately high levels of poverty and food insecurity compared to urban areas. The most populous indigenous nationality in the Ecuadorian Amazon and the participants of this study are the …

How Detrimental Is Transunion V. Ramirez, Really? Understanding The Impact On Environmental Law, Lauren Young

Washington Law Review

In 2021, the United States Supreme Court issued a controversial opinion with the potential to constrict the standing doctrine. TransUnion v. Ramirez appeared to alter standing’s “concrete harm” requirement, which would significantly restrict plaintiffs’ ability to invoke the jurisdiction of federal district courts. Building off its 2016 case, Spokeo v. Robins, the Court declared that intangible harms are only concrete when “plaintiffs have identified a close historical or common-law analog[] for their asserted injury.” The “common-law analog[]” required a “close relationship to harms traditionally recognized as providing a basis for lawsuits in American courts.” The Court mandated this requirement …

Algorithms, Images, And Authorship: Creating Copyright Criteria In The Age Of Ai-Assisted Imagery, Whitney Ellis

University of the Pacific Law Review

No abstract provided.

Characteristics And Potential Sources Of Single-Use Plastics Debris In Two Aquatic Systems In New Haven, Connecticut, Ohene Boakye Adomako

Master's Theses

Plastic debris remains a major problem in aquatic ecosystems. This study provides an assessment of the proportion, potential sources, and geographic origin of plastics and other solid waste debris (PSWD) in both freshwater and marine systems in New Haven City, Connecticut. Data was collected through four (4) cleanup events within the Long Wharf Park (LWP) and West River Memorial Park (WRMP), working with community scientists in the New Haven area (CT) in May, September, and October, 2024. A total gross weight of 417 lb of PSWD was collected in approximately 1.4 km (0.9 mile) altogether in LWP and WRMP. The …

Daca's Major Questions Exception, Matthew Calabrese

Hofstra Law Review

The Supreme Court has extracted a new role as the gatekeeper of administrative action under the major questions doctrine. Underlying the doctrine is an understanding that agencies cannot act to address policy issues implicating questions of great political and economic significance unless specifically authorized by Congress. However, DACA presents a different question that should be exempted from the major questions doctrine. This is because DACA relies on two levels of executive authority: statutory—under the Immigration and Nationality Act and the Homeland Security Act—and constitutional—under the Take Care Clause. Because, as this Article explains, the two authorities cannot be disentangled, courts …

All Bark, No Bite: How The Lone Star "Junk-Science Writ" Could Reinvigorate Federal Habeas Review, Robert Harry Saylor Iii

Hofstra Law Review

No abstract provided.

Religious Affiliation And Alcohol Use Amongst The College Population At The University Of Northern Colorado, Cassandra H. A. Higgins

Undergraduate Honors Theses

A rampant problem growing globally is the issue of substance use disorders, especially that of alcohol abuse. As the problem of alcohol abuse spreads, finding tactics to mitigate this issue or discover what aspects are causing this issue is important to decrease the threat of a further problem developing. Prior research on different religious groups has shown that people who identify as highly devout in their religion are often less likely to exhibit signs of alcohol abuse. This study examined students at the University of Northern Colorado with the goal of comparing their levels of religious affiliation with their levels …

Ravel In The Post-Tonal World: An Analysis Of Select Songs From The Collection Histoires Naturelles, Ames E. Tonnesen

Undergraduate Honors Theses

When Ravel composed Histoires Naturelles, the musical world was in a climate of change. As composers began to transition away from tonality, chords and chord progressions lost importance as other ways to maintain a hierarchy of pitches were explored. While the functional grammar of standard tonality never disappeared per se, these traditional tonal components (chords, key areas, etc.) adopted different roles. It was in this environment that Ravel composed music. However, even though he had every ability to abandon the rules altogether, he used the past as a foundation rather than an edict that must be maintained out of …

The Inclusion Of Behavioral Healthcare Providers In Primary Care Settings: A Phenomenological Study, Janette A. Hernandez

Dissertations

With the shift toward integrated care, Behavior Healthcare Providers (BHPs) play a crucial role in improving patient outcomes and accessibility to mental health services. However, challenges such as time constraints, role ambiguity, and limited understanding of BHP contributions persist. This qualitative phenomenological study explores the experiences of BHPs in integrated primary care settings. Using semi-structured interviews with eight BHPs, the study examines their roles, challenges, and contributions within healthcare teams. Findings indicate that BHPs enhance collaboration with medical staff and facilitate timely mental health interventions. Yet, barriers such as inconsistent role recognition and workflow inefficiencies hinder full integration. This study …

Literature Review: Parkinson's Disease And Non-Motor Symptoms, With A Focus On Constipation And Potential Therapeutics, Daria Smirnova

ALL - Honors Theses

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that tends to affect elderly individuals and is most commonly associated with the emergence of motor symptoms such as tremors, stiffness, and bradykinesia. However, non-motor symptoms (NMS), such as gastrointestinal (GI) issues, namely constipation, are also prevalent, and deeply affect the lives of individuals suffering with the disease. Among these, constipation stands out as one of the most common and frustrating problems for patients, typically arising from a variety of interrelated factors including disruptions in the autonomic nervous system (ANS), diminished dopamine activity, gut microbiota imbalances, inflammation, and side effects from PD …

Use Of Equine H3n8 Hemagglutinin As A Broadly Protective Influenza Vaccine Immunogen, David Verhoeven, Brett A. Sponseller, James E. Crowe, Sandhya Bangaru, Richard J. Webby, Brian M. Lee

Chemistry

Development of an efficacious universal influenza vaccines remains a long-sought goal. Current vaccines have shortfalls such as mid/low efficacy and needing yearly strain revisions to account for viral drift/shift. Horses undergo bi-annual vaccines for the H3N8 equine influenza virus, and surveillance of sera from vaccinees demonstrated very broad reactivity and neutralization to many influenza strains. Subsequently, vaccinating mice using the equine A/Kentucky/1/1991 strain or recombinant hemagglutinin (HA) induced similar broadly reactive and neutralizing antibodies to seasonal and high pathogenicity avian influenza strains. Challenge of vaccinated mice protected from lethal virus challenges across H1N1 and H3N2 strains. This protection correlated with …

Christmas Day - 25 December 2024, Errol Lobo

Pastoral Liturgy

No abstract provided.

Species Loneliness, Howard Schaap

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Improving Primary Care Providers Awareness, Knowledge, Attitude, And Intention To Change Practice About Uncontrolled Obstructive Sleep Apnea And Its Effect On Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease, Formerly Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Prognosis, Olivia Amoakowaa-Senya

Doctoral Scholarly Projects & Capstones

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), now known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is the leading cause of chronic liver disease in the world. The mechanisms involved in its development and progression continue to be a mystery that scientists are trying to unravel. However, many research studies found a correlation between uncontrolled obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and worsening of NAFLD. Chronic intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation in OSA increase sympathetic activity and promote oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory cytokine production, and metabolic dysregulation, which increases the risk of various diseases, including NAFLD/MASLD progression. Early assessment and screening for OSA in patients …

Gc-Ms Analysis And Evaluation Of Antioxidant, Anticancer, Cytotoxicity, And Hypoglycemic Properties Of The Libyan Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract On Alloxan-Induced Diabetes In Mice, Osama Abdel-Hafeez Mohammed Al-Bedak, Ahlam Rashed, Seham T.M. Oskandali, Nouri Kushlaf, Amal Eishebani, Samira A. Alacrouk, Fadia T.M. Oshkandale, Manal Eisheli, Zahur R. Almesai, Ameerah Shaeroun, Steven L. Stephenson, Fuad Ameen

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Libyan Moringa oleifera leaves were extracted using methanol, and the bioactive components' antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer characteristics were assessed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS). Moringa oleifera exhibited antioxidant activity, with an IC50 of 11.53 µg/mL. Wi38 cell line's viability decreased with increasing M. oleifera extract concentration, while its cytotoxicity increased with an IC50 of 393.41±7.77 μg/mL. Alloxan-induced diabetes model in Swiss albino mice was implemented. Three different doses (100, 200, or 300 mg/kg of mice body weight) of M. oleifera’s extract were evaluated for their effects on blood sugar concentration and the histology of the pancreatic islets. …

The Cognitive-Enhancing Properties Of The Aqueous Extract From The Fruits Of Terminalia Bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb., Poovizhi Bharathi Rajaduraivelpandian, Shamitha Rai, Rashmi Raghava Rao, Trishna Sudarshan

Open Access archive

Dementia is a progressive deterioration in cognitive abilities that hinders one’s capacity to function independently. The present dementia treatment includes galantamine, rivastigmine, donepezil,and memantine. However, they trigger many cardiovascular complications including syncopal episodes and myocardial infarction. Herbal medications are noted for their efficacy and absence of adverse pharmacological consequences. Hence the quest for herb-based medicines is happening. ‘Terminalia bellirica fruit pulp’ alleviates an array of illnesses. The ‘aqueous extract of Terminalia bellirica fruit pulp’ (AETBFP) was examined for cognitive-enhancing effects on rodents. Hebbs William and Elevated Plus Maze models were utilized to test the cognitive-enhancing properties of the fruit pulp. …

Arima-Genetic Algorithm Approach For Forecasting Milk Production In India, Pramit Pandit, Bishvajit Bakshi, Moumita Paul, B. S. Pooja

Open Access archive

Background: Dairying in India has witnessed a radical transformation from a largely unorganised activity into a thriving organised industry. However, there are only a limited number of earlier attempts that specifically evaluated the milk production pattern of India. Moreover, most of these earlier studies are quite dated and have employed autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models, which suffer from the problem of local optima. To overcome this lacuna, we have utilised a genetic algorithm (GA) in the ARIMA framework. Its suitability to forecast the annual milk production in India has also been assessed comparatively with respect to the traditional ARIMA …

Examining Nursing Students' Awareness Of Various Medical Errors During Clinical Internships To Enhance Patient Safety: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study, Ola Mousa, Basma Salameh, Asmaa Saber Ghaly, Md Gulzarull Hasan

Open Access archive

Background Patient safety is a global concern within health facilities, primarily attributed to medical errors, constituting a significant global public health issue. Patients experiencing medication errors face serious problems, with increasing mortality rates and escalating hospital costs. Aim The study aims to examine nursing students' awareness of various medical errors during their clinical internships at Al- Ahsa, identifying types of errors to enhance patient safety. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 160 nursing students during their internship at King Faisal University, Al Ahasa, Saudi Arabia.A total of 131 participants completed a self-administered questionnaire based on a medical error scale …

A Day In The Badlands: A 52 Million-Year-Old Safari Adventure, Devra Hock-Reid, Judy Diamond, Jenn Paul

Zea E-Books Collection

with Amy Chew, Christopher Gilbert, Ross Secord, and Stephen Chester

Illustrations by Jenn Paul • Book design by Aaron Sutherlen

About the Badlands Fossils -- This story tells about the fossils of ancient animals found in the Wind River and Bighorn basins of Wyoming. Wyoming’s rich fossil record tell us about amazing animals from millions of years ago. About 66 million years ago, an asteroid slammed into the Earth, causing devastating changes that led to the extinction of dinosaurs. As the planet began to recover, it was much warmer than today, allowing palm trees and other tropical plants to grow …

Learning To Read Like An Eighteenth-Century Lawyer: The Historical Critique Of Originalism Revisited, Saul Cornell

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

Historians have been among the fiercest critics of originalism. Among the many virtues of Jack Balkin’s book, Memory and Authority, is the deft way he analyzes and dismantles these efforts to insulate originalism from historical critique. In a short essay, it would be impossible to fully acknowledge the sophistication of Balkin’s analysis. Instead, I would like to build on his impressive achievement by pointing out additional problems with the originalist response to historical critique.

This abstract has been taken from the author's opening paragraph.

Reproductive Injustice, Feminist Resistance, And The Uses Of History In Constitutional Interpretation, Serena Mayeri

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

Part I examines the erasure of constitutional memory about reproductive injustice and feminist mobilizations and the benefits of recovering these histories. Part II explores how cases involving women’s subordination provide particularly effective illustrations of the anti-democratic, even absurd, results the current supermajority’s approach to history-and-tradition is designed to produce. Part III concludes with a brief discussion of some sites for the expansion of constitutional memory about reproductive control and freedom.

This abstract has been taken from the author's introduction.

Freedom And Families: Reconstruction Republicans And The Question Of Women's Reproductive Autonomy, Kate Masur

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

This Essay proceeds in three Parts. In the first, I illuminate how congressional Republicans discussed women, gender, and families in the context of policymaking associated with abolishing slavery. Many Republicans worried that enslaved people’s family relationships had been damaged by the imposition of slavery and sought to impose on freedpeople what they saw as normative family values, including by encouraging heterosexual marriage and by insisting on patriarchal gender roles within families. Second, I show that Republicans were at pains to demonstrate that when they talked about equality, they meant race but not gender. Finally, I reflect on the limits of …

The Successes Of Rotuman Women In The Modern World, Alan Howard, Makereta Mua

Pacific Studies

Inspired by Ester Boserup’s 1970 thesis regarding the role of indigenous economies in promoting the success of women in the modern economies, this article explores aspects of Rotuman culture that have led to the considerable success of Rotuman women in various contemporary occupations. Our analysis is based on multiple sources implicating the socialization of women that promote a self-confidence conducive to accomplishments. This article also includes reflections by seventeen interviewees on the sources of their success