Digital Commons Network^™

Marielle Calanza Honors Portfolio, Marielle Calanza

Honors Capstone Portfolios

Marielle Calanza's Honors Porfolio captured in December 2024.

The Next Big Thing: What's Coming Next In Youth Ministry

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

No abstract provided.

The Protective Effect Of Astaxanthin On Scopolamine - Induced Alzheimer’S Model In Mice, Rania Magadmi, Sara Nassibi, Fatemah Kamel, Aziza R. Al-Rafiah, Duaa Bakhshwin, Maha Jamal, Mohammed Alsieni, Abdulhadi S. Burzangi, M. A. F Zaher, Mohammed Bendary

Neurosciences

Objectives: To investigate the fundamental mechanisms of the neuroprotective impact of Astaxanthin (AST) in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) induced by scopolamine. Methods: This research constituted an in vivo animal study encompassing 36 adult male mice, divided into 6 groups: Control, 100 mg/kg AST, 2 mg/kg scopolamine (AD group), 100 mg/kg AST+2 mg/kg scopolamine, 3 mg/kg galantamine+2 mg/kg scopolamine, and 100 mg/kg AST+3 mg/kg galantamine+2 mg/kg scopolamine. After 14 days, the mice’s short-term memory, hippocampus tissue, oxidative and inflammatory markers were evaluated. Results: The AST demonstrated a beneficial influence on short-term memory and a reduction in acetylcholinesterase activity …

Leveraging Multivariate Analysis And Adjusted Mutual Information To Improve Stroke Prediction And Interpretability, Moutasem S. Aboonq, Saeed A. Alqahtani

Neurosciences

Objectives: To develop a machine learning model to accurately predict stroke risk based on demographic and clinical data. It also sought to identify the most significant stroke risk factors and determine the optimal machine learning algorithm for stroke prediction. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data on 438,693 adults from the 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Features encompassed demographics and clinical factors. Descriptive analysis profiled the dataset. Logistic regression quantified risk relationships. Adjusted mutual information evaluated feature importance. Multiple machine learning models were built and evaluated on metrics like accuracy, AUC ROC, and F1 score. Results: Key factors significantly associated …

Who Can You Count On? Banking While Female: Money, Community, And Self-Help, Leena Haider

Gaines Fellow Senior Theses

This ethnohistorical study explores how women’s creation and participation in financial systems allow them to find the economic prosperity and build community ties which they are entitled to. Because when facts or figures may not appeal to everyone, stories can. This paper is divided into four sections: In the first section, "Contextual Background," I delve into the historical and anthropological context of ROSCAs, exploring their origins, cultural significance, and economic functions across diverse societies in the Global South, before focusing on the diasporic usage of ROSCAs among immigrant communities. The second section, "Portraits of Women from Oral Histories," presents written …

Early Life Exposure To Deltamethrin Impairs Synaptic Function By Altering The Brain-Derived Extracellular Vesicle Proteome, Leandra Koff, Jessica Di Re, Subhash Chand, Yosef Avchalumov, Nghi M. Nguyen, Timothy J. Baumgartner, Aditya K. Singh, Nana A. Goode, Mate Marosi, Lance M. Hallberg, Bill T. Ameredes, Thomas A. Green, Sowmya V. Yelamanchili, Gurudutt Pendyala, Fernanda Laezza

Journal Articles: Anesthesiology

Pyrethroid pesticides have been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While behavioral effects of pyrethroid exposure have been previously reported, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we hypothesized that exposure to deltamethrin (DM), a widely used pyrethroid pesticide known for its neurotoxicity during early developmental stages, induces brain dysfunction through alterations in brain-derived extracellular vesicle (BDEV) signaling. Using a well-established rodent model of early life DM exposure within the recommended no observable effect level, we isolated BDEVs from postnatal 30-day-old vehicle-exposed (control) and DM-exposed mice using a differential sucrose density gradient. Following …

After Beaver: Reviving A Unified Test For Section 24 Charter Exclusion, Chris Rudnicki

The Supreme Court Law Review: Osgoode’s Annual Constitutional Cases Conference

Exclusion under section 24(2) of the Charter is an important part of every criminal judge’s remedial toolkit. But in Beaver, the Supreme Court significantly constrained access to section 24(2) by endorsing the “fresh start” doctrine. Evidence will not be “obtained in a manner” that infringed the Charter — and thus will be put beyond the remedial reach of section 24(2) — where police conduct following a breach “severs” its temporal, contextual or causal connection to the evidence sought to be excluded. In my view, this doctrine will deprive worthy claimants of proportionate remedies. In this paper, I explore whether claimants …

Impact Of Blue Wavelength Light From Mobile Devices On Sleep And Quality Of Life In Belmont University Undergraduates, Amanda A. Parente, Christian Williams, Frecia Gonzalez

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Introduction: Previous studies have documented an association of excessive blue wavelength light exposure with negative health consequences including reduced sleep time, lower sleep quality, and emotional symptoms. The increased use and ubiquity of mobile blue wavelength light-emitting devices raises the possibility of prevalent negative effects on sleep and quality of life, particularly among college-aged individuals where use of these devices is especially frequent.

Methods: In 2024, cross-sectional, internet survey-based study designed to examine the relationship between self-reported exposure to mobile devices and measures of sleepiness and quality of life. Eligible participants were undergraduate students at Belmont University, aged 18+ years …

Narrow But Deep: The Mcculloch Principle, Collective-Action Theory, And Section Three Enforcement, Neil S. Siegel

Constitutional Commentary, Vol. 37 and later (2023–present)

In Trump v. Anderson, 144 S. Ct. 662 (2024), the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Colorado Supreme Court erred in excluding former President Donald J. Trump from the Republican Party’s primary ballot in the state. The Court reasoned that the Constitution makes Congress, not the states, solely responsible for enforcing Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment. Scholars of Section 3 have persuasively argued that Section 3 is self-executing, so the Court’s rationale lacks a sound basis in the original or contemporary meaning of the text of the Civil War Amendments, the original intent of their drafters, …

The Right To Fail, Alexander Boni-Saenz

Articles

In 2013, the Department of Justice entered into a consent decree with the state of New York concerning the lives of 4,000 people with mental illness who had been segregated into group homes in the state. These group homes were overcrowded and dangerous, and New York agreed to move all but the most severely mentally ill people into supportive housing, if they desired it. This outcome was seen as vindicating the dignity of risk, a foundational value of disability rights scholarship and politics. This principle holds that it is normatively desirable for individuals to be able to make their own …

From Bushels To Barrels: A Descriptive Analysis Of The U.S. Whiskey Industry, Ryan Murphy

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

This thesis provides a comprehensive analysis of the U.S. whiskey industry, emphasizing distilleries' geographic distribution, operational characteristics, and the agricultural landscapes surrounding them. Particular attention is given to the feasibility of U.S. distilleries locally sourcing grains used in production. Grain demand ranges were estimated for the 1,485 distilleries analyzed within this study. Using cropland and yield data from the USDA, local grain availability was approximated for comparison. Results indicate that a distillery's local sourcing feasibility is significantly impacted by its production capacity and geographic location.

Additionally, this research documents the development of an interactive web application designed to evaluate the …

Local Content And Placemaking In Small And Medium-Sized Towns (Smsts) : A Tale Of Two Cities In South Korea, Dongsuk Huh

Journal of Urban Culture Research

This study aims to explore the process of sustainable placemaking in small and medium-sized towns utilizing local cultural resources and examine the characteristics of their local content. A qualitative analysis is conducted on two cases, namely, Gongju and Buyeo in South Korea, which are experiencing depopulation and regional shrinkage. These two cases emphasise the local content and placeness that can be subjectively experienced in small towns and villages instead of focusing on the creation of large-scale landmarks and iconic artefacts. By highlighting connectivity and unified storytelling amongst various places in their neighborhoods, these cases were able to stimulate the cultural …

Media Art Community Festival Based On Local Culture In Indonesia : An Ethno-Pedagogy Perspective, Jeong Ok Jeon, Juju Masunah, Tri Karyono

Journal of Urban Culture Research

This study reviews the Indonesian government-led Festival Komunitas Seni Media (FKSM) or Media Art Community Festival in English from an ethno-pedagogical perspective to uncover its strategies for enhancing local cultural values. Using descriptive and historical approaches, data were collected through literature studies, participatory observation, document studies, and personal reflection, and analyzed thematically. The findings are: First, FKSM provides artists with opportunities to learn about the local host city’s culture as their creative inspiration (value of locality). Second, FKSM facilitates knowledge sharing between curators and local management for future festivals (value of continuity). Third, FKSM promotes inclusiveness by selecting host cities …

"And I / Am The Arrow": The Narrative, Personae Construction, And Language Ideology Of Confessional Poets' Identity Performance, Madison Fuchs

Theses and Dissertations--Linguistics

This thesis argues for consideration of linguistic features in service of raising the postmodern confessionalist poet identity as an utterance and an act of loyalty to performance. The embodiment of the confessionalist identity, attributed to the features used to adhere to the confessional mode, is realized through the invention of confessional personae. These confessional personae merge the responsibilities of the speaker and the narrator to convey a pseudo-autobiographical utterance to a designated audience. In this thesis, I analyze a sequence of poems that either possess taboo subjects or utilize linguistic functions, like indexicality and audience design, that mark its mode. …

Synthesis Of Cu-Cy Nanoparticles For Treating Pfas In Water, Ligang Wang

Physics Theses - Archive

This work aims to address the cumulative harm caused by perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water to human health and the ecological environment around the world. Reducing or removing PFAS pollution is an urgent need. Cu-Cy nanoparticles are photosensitizers, which were developed for photodynamic therapy of cancer in the first place. In this work, we use Cu-Cy for the catalytic degradation of PFAS. Synthesis of Cu-Cy nanoparticles in deionized water at 90 degrees Celsius is a low-cost and efficient method. We demonstrated the detailed process of synthesizing Cu-Cy nanoparticles. Under ultraviolet illumination, the synthesized Cu-Cy nanoparticles turned yellow as …

When Brain Meets Artificial Intelligence, Lu Zhang

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

When we review the history of development of artificial intelligence (AI), we will find that brain science plays a pivotal role in fostering breakthroughs in AI, such as artificial neural networks (ANNs). Today, AI has made remarkable strides, particularly with the emergence of large language models (LLMs), surpassing expectations and achieving human-level performance in certain tasks. Nonetheless, an insurmountable gap remains between AI and human intelligence. It is urgent to establish a bridge between brain science and AI, promoting their mutual enhancement and collaborations. This involve establishing connections from brain science to AI (brain-inspired AI), and reversely, from AI to …

The Influence Of Intracellular Photosymbiosis On The Evolution And Function Of Cnidarian Immunity, Madison A. Emery

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Intracellular photosymbiosis with Symbiodiniaceae is facilitated by cnidarian immunity as it is required for symbiont recognition and is subsequently suppressed to maintain stable intracellular symbiosis. To date, it is unclear how the cnidarian-Symbiodiniaceae symbiosis influences immune gene repertoires, immune gene expression, and disease pathology across its independent evolutions. To address these knowledge gaps, my dissertation approaches studying the cnidarian-Symbiodiniaceae symbiosis through a comparative lens to determine how it shapes immune gene evolution and immune responses in divergent symbiotic cnidarian species. In chapter two I survey eight non-symbiotic and seven symbiotic cnidarians proteomes for four families of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) …

The Morphological Evolution Of The Inner Ear In Lacertoidea (Squamata), Cristian Hernandez

Biology Dissertations - Archive

The popularization of high-resolution computed tomography(HRCT) has produced a revolution in the field of comparative anatomy. This technology allows us to reach a level of morphological detail in our observations that has never been possible previously. Now we can perform digital dissections isolating structures of interest such as individual bones, soft tissue organs, and even generate 3D models of body cavities (endocasts) such as the braincase and inner ear. Encompassed with the progress of the HRCT, 3D geometric morphometrics have emerged as a common tool to address morphological questions in a statistical context that outperforms the traditional 2D geometric morphometrics. …

New Methods In Electrical Source Imaging Based On Eeg And Post-Mortem Pathology Data, Julio Cesar Enciso Alva

Mathematics Dissertations - Archive

A central task for Neuroscience is to determine the location of electrical activity of neural origin inside the brain. Electrical signals can be recorded at a high resolution in time but low resolution in space, thus making it difficult to locate their source unambiguously. Electrical Source Imaging (ESI) is a particular framework for neural electrical source location; it is possible by modeling any additional information we may have about the electrical sources. For instance, minimal-norm estimators assume that the most plausible estimation is that with a lower norm. However, these estimators possess a low resolution in space.

In this work, …

Gaps And Overlaps In Conversation: Analyses Of Differentiating Factors, David W. Edwards

Linguistics & TESOL Dissertations - Archive

Human social behavior relies on communication, and much of that communication occurs in conversation. A crucial feature of conversation is turn-taking, the (usually) orderly pattern of listening and speaking that humans employ in conversation. In analyzing details of actual conversations, Sacks, Schegloff & Jefferson (1974) launched the field of Conversation Analysis by outlining a set of observations of turn-taking behavior and by proposing a list of rules to explain that behavior. They noted that the vast majority of transitions from one speaker to another happen with very little gap or overlap (Sacks, Schegloff & Jefferson 1974: 700–701). More recently, researchers …

The Brussels Effect And The Extraterritoriality Of Delaware Corporate Law, William J. Moon

Faculty Scholarship

This essay explores possible shareholder claims in the United States that may arise  if and when member states of the European Union implement the proposed Directive  on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence. As a doctrinal matter, legal compliance  obligations for corporations incorporated in Delaware extend beyond the borders of  the United States. Under Delaware law, shareholders can bring viable fiduciary suits  against directors and officers when corporations violate applicable “positive law.”  This jurisprudence, principally aimed at ascertaining whether directors and officers  betrayed shareholders by engaging in or facilitating lawbreaking, is not limited to  complying with American law. As Delaware corporations expand …

The Relationship Between Offshore Wind Farms And Marine Wildlife In Rhode Island, Hanna Lloyd, Ashley Caputo, Brendan Foley, Catherine Chadwick, Savannah Szamborski

ENV 334 Environmental Justice

Despite political and environmental controversy, research has shown that not only do offshore wind farms have minimal impact on birds, whales, and benthic organisms, but they can actually be beneficial to marine ecosystems. However, many Rhode Island and Massachusetts citizens are concerned that the construction of the Revolution wind farm will decrease the biodiversity of marine ecosystems. Current research refutes these claims on the negative impacts of offshore wind farms, stating that their construction benefits benthic communities, has little to no impact on the health of whales, and only temporarily impacts migrating bird species. New and innovative technology has found …

Malate Dehydrogenase In Parasitic Protozoans: Roles In Metabolism And Potential Therapeutic Applications, Amy L. Springer, Swati Agrawal, Eric P. Chang

Biological Sciences Research

The role of malate dehydrogenase (MDH) in the metabolism of various medically significant protozoan parasites is reviewed. MDH is an NADH-dependent oxidoreductase that catalyzes interconversion between oxaloacetate and malate, provides metabolic intermediates for both catabolic and anabolic pathways, and can contribute to NAD+/NADH balance in multiple cellular compartments. MDH is present in nearly all organisms; isoforms of MDH from apicomplexans (Plasmodium falciparum, Toxoplasma gondii, Cryptosporidium spp.), trypanosomatids (Trypanosoma brucei, T. cruzi) and anaerobic protozoans (Trichomonas vaginalis, Giardia duodenalis) are presented here. Many parasitic species have complex life cycles and depend on the environment …

2024-2025 Nsu Student Handbook, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Student Handbooks

No abstract provided.

2024–2025 Student Handbook, Nova Southeastern University

College of Optometry Student Handbooks

No abstract provided.

Detangling The Microbial Web: Characterizing The Soil Microbiome Of Fl Habitats To Discern Functional And Spatial Community Patterns, Halle Belden

Theses & ETDs

In the age of climate change, understanding the soil microbiome has crucial implications to food security, carbon management, and pollutant sequestration and degradation. The relationship between structure, function, and composition of microbial communities is in the early phases of being understood. In this experiment, 16S rDNA sequencing was used to characterize the microbiome of the soil with the goal of understanding if soil microbiome composition is driven by function, and therefore dependent on local ecological needs, or driven by location. Samples were taken from six distinct habitats of Triangle Ranch in Myakka City, FL. The data showed patterns of microbiome …

Do Dogs Really Watch Tv? An Investigation Into A Dog’S Preferences For Depictions Of Real Humans, Dogs And Other Animals Versus Cartoon Depictions Of Humans, Dogs And Other Animals, Eliza Ledbetter

Theses & ETDs

Enrichment has become a major focus in the animal community in recent years. Not only is this true for animals in a zoo environment, it is also true for household animals like dogs. Exploring ways to enrich a dog’s life when they are left alone could potentially improve their wellbeing. This paper investigates a dog’s preferences for (1) cartoon depictions of humans, dogs and other species; (2) video representations of real humans, dogs and other species; and (3) cartoon dogs versus real humans, dog, and other species. Two screens depicting pairs of video clips were presented to the dog while …

The Forgotten Occupation In Stroke Rehabilitation: Use Of Keyform Mapping To Address Sleep Disturbance & Student Research Therapist Experience, Erin Elenz

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Purpose: The purpose of this MUSC Occupational Therapy (OT) Doctoral Capstone project was to elucidate the concept of post-stroke sleep disturbance by 1) gathering quantitative data from stroke patients using a sleep disturbance questionnaire, 2) conducting qualitative interviews to understand stroke patients' subjective experiences of sleep disturbance, and 3) utilizing Rasch item response theory analysis to develop a person-item map, i.e., a “keyform”, that visualizes the interplay between a patient's sleep disturbance severity-level and specific sleep disturbance symptoms that the patient demonstrates.

Background: Sleep disturbances (SD) affect over 50% of stroke survivors, negatively impacting recovery and increasing risk of mortality …

Fxr Agonism With Bile Acid Mimetic Reduces Pre-Clinical Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Burden, Sydney Joseph, Samson Eugin Simon, Margaret S. Bohm, Minjeong Kim, Madeline E. Pye, Boston W. Simmons, Dillon G. Graves, Stacey M. Thomas-Gooch, Ubaid A. Tanveer, Jeremiah R. Holt, Suriyan Ponnusamy, Laura M. Sipe, Et Al.

Biological Sciences Research

Bariatric surgery is associated with improved outcomes for several cancers, including breast cancer (BC), although the mechanisms mediating this protection are unknown. We hypothesized that elevated bile acid pools detected after bariatric surgery may be factors that contribute to improved BC outcomes. Patients with greater expression of the bile acid receptor FXR displayed improved survival in specific aggressive BC subtypes. FXR is a nuclear hormone receptor activated by primary bile acids. Therefore, we posited that activating FXR using an established FDA-approved agonist would induce anticancer effects. Using in vivo and in vitro approaches, we determined the anti-tumor potential of bile …

Improving Performance Of Local Chatbot With Caching, John Jenq

School of Computing Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Chatbots and the technology behind them are widely used in many places and in various ways. Retrieval Augmented Generation AI framework has gained its popularity by its linking of large language model with private dataset. It enables one to run AI locally and privately with the most updated information and knowledge. In this report, we aim to improve the local private chatbot response time by using a cache. From our experimental results, the majority of time spent during the query process is in the generation of the response. The response time can be significantly improved when there is a hit …