Digital Commons Network^™

My Beautiful Scars: Writing For Recovery, Amanda Vineyard

Theses and Dissertations

My Beautiful Scars is a memoir written by AL Vineyard. Ms. Vineyard is a recovering methamphetamine and opioid user. She has a painful past and following an injury, fell deep into the world of drugs. Her substance use disorder progressed quickly. After the injury, she was prescribed opioid painkillers. The euphoria provided by the opioids numbed the pain that Vineyard experienced in her life. It became her. Over the years, Vineyard graduated to snorting and then, to shooting up her painkillers. A series of events led Vineyard to quit opioids and start shooting methamphetamine, which took her into a world …

A Review Of Literature Regarding Use Of Bloom’S Taxonomy Of Educational Objectives In The Context Of Writing Education, James Herrod

Theses and Dissertations

Under theory of composition instruction or literacy instruction has Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives developed into a tool for lesson scaffolding? How are learning taxonomies, with a sharper focus on Bloom’s Taxonomy, being used? An adjacent question: How has Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives influenced the development of tools like “Marzano’s Higher-Order Thinking Questions” or “Webb’s Depth of Knowledge”? Here, the line of research questioning may be understood through a Fabergé egg analogy. This analogy can explain individual, relational, and macro structures that work toward literacy and synthesis. Like a Faberge egg, each level of writing and literacy instruction should …

“The Dead Cold Light Of Tomorrow”: Historical Grief In Literature In The Aftermath Of Influenza, Caitlin Liana Robertson

Theses and Dissertations

During the Influenza Pandemic of 1918, commonly referred to as The Spanish Flu, somewhere between 20 and 100 million lives were lost globally, but this tragedy has faded from history in many Western cultures. World War I, while far less deadly, has been memorialized far more frequently and has been overshadowing the devastation of the pandemic since its inception. The grief that survivors experienced–for loved ones and for themselves–was not given an external outlet and as a result there are few contemporary historical sources to turn to when looking for evidence of that grief. In the absence of more traditional …

Phylogenomics Of The Tribe Leonureae Reveals A New Genus: Paraleonurus (Lamiaceae, Lamioideae), Mei-Lin Qian, Ya-Ping Chen, Tuncay Di̇rmenci̇, Yue Zhao, Guo-Xiong Hu, Fei Zhao, Ferhat Celep, Bo Li, Chunlei Xiang

Turkish Journal of Botany

With approximately 80 species across six genera (Leonurus, Lagopsis, Panzerina, Lagochilus, Chaiturus, and Loxocalyx), the tribe Leonureae represents one of the most morphologically diverse tribes within the subfamily Lamioideae of Lamiaceae. Previous studies indicated that Leonurus and Lagopsis are not monophyletic, and relationships among and within these genera remain unclear due to limited sampling and DNA markers. In this study, we present the most comprehensive phylogenomic analyses of Leonureae based on complete plastome sequences and 127 nuclear loci retrieved from next-generation sequencing data. Our results provide strong evidence for the monophyly of Leonureae, which can be further divided into six …

Brain Endothelial Permeability, Transport, And Flow Assessed Over 10 Orders Of Magnitude Using The In Situ Brain Perfusion Technique, Quentin R. Smith, Haritha Mandula, Jagan Mohan R. Parepally, Jun Oki, Fancy Thomas, Helen R. Thorsheim, Abraham J. Al‑Ahmad, Thomas J. Abbruscato, Per Ask, David S. Hage, Peter J. Robinson

David Hage Publications

Background Cerebral blood flow normally places a limit on the magnitude of brain vascular permeability (P) that can be measured in vivo. At normal cerebral blood flow, this limit falls at the lower end of lipophilicity for most FDAapproved CNS drugs. In this study, we report on two methods that can be used to overcome this limitation and measure brain vascular permeability values that are up to ~1000 times higher using the in situ brain perfusion technique.

Methods Rat brain was perfused with physiological saline at increased flow rate and in the presence of various concentrations of plasma protein, serum …

Artificial Intelligence-Based Methodologies For Early Diagnostic Precision And Personalized Therapeutic Strategies In Neuro-Ophthalmic And Neurodegenerative Pathologies, Rahul Kumar, Ethan Waisberg, Joshua Ong, Phani Paladugu, Dylan Amiri, Jeremy Saintyl, Jahnavi Yelamanchi, Robert Nahouraii, Ram Jagadeesan, Alireza Tavakkoli

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

Advancements in neuroimaging, particularly diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques and molecular imaging with positron emission tomography (PET), have significantly enhanced the early detection of biomarkers in neurodegenerative and neuro-ophthalmic disorders. These include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease. This review highlights the transformative role of advanced diffusion MRI techniques-Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging and Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging-in identifying subtle microstructural changes in the brain and visual pathways that precede clinical symptoms. When integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, these techniques achieve unprecedented diagnostic precision, facilitating early detection of neurodegeneration and …

Small- And Medium-Sized Enterprises Strategies For Sustainability And Profitability Beyond 5 Years, Bawi Ming

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Up to 80% of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) fail within the first 5 years due to factors like financial mismanagement, market challenges, and insufficient long-term planning. To prevent these failures, organizational leaders must adopt effective sustainability strategies, as SME closures lead to job losses, economic instability, and lost innovation opportunities. Grounded in the resource-based view and general systems theories, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to explore successful strategies that SME leaders in Maryland used to sustain their businesses beyond their initial 5 years. Data were collected from six SME leaders using semistructured interviews and reviews …

Advancements In Qtl Mapping And Gwas Application In Plant Improvement, Muhammad Tanveer Altaf, Muhammed Tatar, Amjad Ali, Waqas Liaqat, Parnaz Mortazvi, Ceyhun Kayihan, Fati̇h Ölmez, Muhammad Azhar Nadeem, Jazib Javed, Jin-Ying Gou, Meng-Lu Wang, Ummad Ud Din Umar, Hayri̇ye Yildiz Daşgan, Cemal Kurt, Mehtap Yildiz, Sheikh Mansoor, Abdelfattah A. Dababat, Nafiz Çeli̇ktaş, Faheem Shehzad Baloch

Turkish Journal of Botany

Molecular markers play a crucial role in modern plant breeding by enabling the precise identification of genetic loci associated with important agronomic traits. This article focuses on the advancements in Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) mapping and Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS), which are pivotal in identifying and dissecting complex traits such as stress tolerance, yield improvement, and nutrient efficiency. Through QTL mapping, significant genetic regions linked to desired traits are identified, while GWAS leverages larger populations for higher resolution in genetic association studies. The integration of next-generation sequencing, CRISPR, and transcriptomics technologies has revolutionized the precision and efficiency of these methods, …

Identification Of Genes Associated With Zinc And Copper Concentrations In Walnut (Juglans Regia L.) By Gwas Analysis, Berfi̇n Nazlican Kaman, Bülent Yağmur, Erdal Orman, Muhammed Bahatti̇n Tanyolaç, Duygu Ateş

Turkish Journal of Botany

154 walnut genotypes from various geographic regions were analyzed in the study. Micronutrient concentrations of zinc (Zn) ranged from 1.61 to 8.98 mg/100 g, and the concentrations of copper (Cu) varied between 0.12 and 0.38 mg/100 g. 16,473 SNPs were generated using Diversity Array Technology (DArT) for genome-wide association (GWAS) studies. The Mixed Linear Model (MLM) utilizing the Q + K model revealed seven associated markers for the element Zn in 2021 and four in 2022. The MLM (Q + K) model indicated two associated markers for the element Cu in 2021 and three in 2022. The markers found in …

An Investigation Of Raciolinguistic Ideologies In Japanese Rap Battles, Morgan Reynolds

Linguistics

This thesis interrogates what are normally implicit linguistic ideologies surrounding who is a legitimate speaker of Japanese and how it implicates a relationship between ethnicity, nationality, culture, and language. Using a corpus of recorded rap battles from YouTube in which one of the rappers is known to be of non-Japanese or partially non-Japanese heritage, discourse analysis demonstrates how race, foreignness and otherness are made relevant in disses of opponents’ rap skill. The history and characteristics of Japanese rap are outlined with an eye toward how the conventions of the musical genre reflect preoccupations with creating a distinctly Japanese form of …

Meaning As Process And Product: Hybridizing Metamodern Hylosemiotics With Postmodern And Contemporary American Poetry, Zeke Shomler

English

This thesis expands on Jason Storm’s theory of metamodern hylosemiotics by addressing contemporary American poetic strategies and their relationship to modernism and postmodernism, especially through Cole Swenson and David St. John’s definition of the “American hybrid.” In modifying Storm’s theoretical system, I offer a hybridized semiotics that locates meaning both in the information or “content” inferred through the act of reading and the related processes of interacting with the text. Through readings of poetry by John Ashbery, Terrance Hayes, Clark Coolidge, and William Stafford, I show that hybridizing semiotics is not only necessary for the consistency and viability of metamodern …

Effects Of Deliberate Practice On Psychomotor Skill Retention In Nursing Students, Annette Oberhaus

School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Psychomotor skills are considered a foundational block for nursing education, yet the approach to teaching these skills varies from program to program.

The goal of this quality improvement project is evaluation of the effects of a systematic change in the method of instructing nursing students in psychomotor skills. The hypothesis is that the use of Deliberate Practice for instruction will promote long-term skill proficiency and retention.

Cultivation Protocols For The Red Seaweeds, Devaleraea Mollis And Palmaria Hecatensis From Alaska, Muriel Dittrich

Marine Biology

Species diversification is crucial for the long-term viability, competitiveness, and sustainability of the seaweed farming industry in the United States. This study investigated the effects of temperature (4, 8 and 12 °C), photoperiod (8L:16D, 12L:12D and 16L:8D), and irradiance (20, 40, 100 ± 10 μmol photons m-2 s-1) on the specific growth rate (SGR) of Devaleraea mollis and Palmaria hecatensis from Alaska. Outputs were used to adjust indoor cultivation protocols for D. mollis and develop the first protocols for Palmaria hecatensis. This study also explored the use of two relatively low-cost commercial nutrient products (F/2 and Jack's Special 25-5-15) as …

Stitch Incoming: Lindke V. Freed’S Impact On Social-Media-Blocking Litigation, Clare R. Norins, Mark L. Bailey

Washington and Lee Law Review Online

Since at least 2016, social-media-blocking litigation against government officials who censor their online critics has been an evolving battleground for First Amendment rights of free speech and petition. In 2024, the United States Supreme Court issued its first substantive opinion on social media blocking, holding that government officials’ social media activity, even on a personal account, constitutes state action triggering constitutional scrutiny if (1) the official possessed actual authority to speak on the State’s behalf, and (2) purported to exercise that authority when she spoke on social media.

In this Article, we explain the Court’s novel two-part test for determining …

Review Of Heritages Of Change: Curatorial Activism And First-Year Writing [Revised Edition], Kymberly O. Morquecho

Open Educational Resources - Reviews

No abstract provided.

Navigating Displacement: Jewish-Brazilian Identity In Lasar Segall's Encontro, Kendall Evonne Da Silva

Theses and Dissertations

Jewish-Lithuanian artist Lasar Segall's 1924 painting Encontro has historically been interpreted as representing Segall's integration and assimilation into Brazilian society. This reading, however, generally overlooks Segall's experience as an Eastern European Jew living in Brazil during the early twentieth century. In this thesis, I examine the influence of Segall's ethnic background on his art and investigate how Segall appropriates pardo identity in Encontro, not unproblematically, in an effort to convey feelings of alienation and exclusion. Along with looking at his visual art, my analysis incorporates my translations of Segall's essays on Jewishness, which shed light on his relationship to Judaism …

Programs Agenda 12-17-24, Angela Brock

Programs Committee (PC)

No abstract provided.

Mechanical Properties Of Geopolymer‑Stabilized Recycled Aggregates From Construction Solid Wastes, Yuan Kaixin, He Yongjian, Zhang Laijun, Li Hai, Xu Gewei

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

In order to solve the problem of a sharp increase in construction solid wastes and insufficient utilization rate，this paper took slag-fly ash-based geopolymer as an inorganic binder，replaced natural gravels with recycled aggregates from construction solid wastes，and set urban road base layer as the target scene to study the mechanical properties of geopolymer-stabilized recycled aggregates at different contents.The results show that with the increase in geopolymer content，the maximum dry density of the mixture increases.The optimum moisture content increases.The unconfined compressive strength of the mixture increases with the increase in geopolymer content and curing age and decreases with the increase in recycled …

Determination Of Manufacturing Parameters Of Large Section Of Continuous Steel Box Beam With Variable Section In Shenzhen‑Zhongshan Passage, Dong Chuangwen, Chen Long, Li Chuanxi

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Accurate calculation of manufacturing parameters is the key to the efficient，high-precision，and rapid installation of large sections of continuous steel box beam bridges.Taking the steel box beam with the variable section in Shenzhen-Zhongshan Passage as the background，this paper first established a finite element model of the beam element in the whole construction process to obtain the pre-camper.Secondly，the average neutral axis position was calculated based on the height of the neutral axis of each beam section.Then，according to the deformation characteristic that the beam length remained unchanged at the mean neutral axis，the pre-camber was superimposed at the mean neutral axis to get the …

Factors Influencing The Oral Health Behaviours Of Autistic Children And Young People: A Qualitative Study, Jo Erwin, Sarah Neill, Tara Vassallo, Isaac Vassallo, Rob Witton, Martha Paisi

Peninsula Dental School

Background: Poor oral health (OH) in childhood can cause pain, affect quality of life and significantly impact adult OH. Autistic children and young people (CYP) experience inequalities in OH and are at higher risk of cavities and gum disease than neurotypical CYP. Objective: To provide evidence and insights into the factors affecting the OH behaviours of ACYP from the perspective of ACYP, their parents/carers and Dental Health Professionals (DHPs). Method: Semi-structured online or face-to-face interviews were conducted with CYP, parents/carers and DHPs in Southwest England. Results: Nineteen ACYP (aged 5–18 years old), 20 parents/carers and 16 DHPs were interviewed. The …

Report Of The Parliamentary Commission Of Inquiry: Federal Authorities' Management Of The Credit Suisse Crisis, Swiss Parliament

Documents

No abstract provided.

An Exploratory Study Of Academic Self-Efficacy In High School Education Completion Among A Group Of Former Juvenile Offenders, Deneil D. Christian, Joshua L. Adams

Journal of Criminal Justice and Law

A primary goal of the United States (U.S.) juvenile criminal justice system is to foster an environment where a juvenile offender can complete a high school education or equivalent. Extant literature has explored persistence in obtaining a high school credential. However, little is known about the role of self-efficacy in such attainment, and research is further scant that involves the geographic region of Pennsylvania, U.S. This study aimed to explore how former juvenile offenders perceived their academic self-efficacy while pursuing their education in a juvenile correctional facility in Pennsylvania. This study was guided by the following research question: How do …

Corporate Social Responsibility Strategies For Retaining Skilled Talent To Enhance Competitive Advantage, Linwood Corneilus Cottner Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Aviation business leaders often lack effective corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies to retain highly skilled employees, a crucial factor in gaining a competitive advantage. To maintain this advantage, aviation leaders must consistently recognize employee retention as a critical challenge and a key element in sustaining long-term success. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore the corporate social responsibility strategies aviation business leaders use to retain highly skilled employees to enhance their competitive advantage. The participants were three aviation business leaders from the Midwest United States who successfully implemented corporate social responsibility strategies …

Unveiling Soil Microbial Communities And Resistomes In Northern Alaska National Wildlife Refuges, Bevyn Amber Cover

Biological Sciences

Microbial communities residing in pristine high-latitude soils play a critical role in ecosystem function, but also harbor potential threats such as acting as reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes. Current knowledge about these microbial communities and the resistance genes they carry presents limits to the ability to predict how these ecosystems will respond to climate change. This knowledge gap is particularly concerning in light of the potential public health threat posed by antimicrobial resistance harbored within these communities as antibiotic-resistant human infections continue to increase. This study investigated the microbial communities and details the antimicrobial resistance gene reservoirs in previously …

Effects Of Juvenile Mass On Reproduction And Calf Survival In A Low-Density Moose Population, Sara R. Henslee

Biological Sciences

Moose (Alces alces) are a valuable big game species in Alaska and serve as a critical food source for residents. Near Nome, Alaska, the local moose population has remained at low densities for decades, and there is strong public interest in investigating the cause behind the population's failure to increase in abundance. Compared to other moose populations in Alaska, the population of moose near Nome does not appear to be nutritionally limited or close to carrying capacity. I sought to explore how juvenile mass, a widely used metric to assess moose nutritional status in Alaska, influences reproductive output and subsequent …

Ucc Minutes 12-17-24, Angela Brock

UCC Agendas/Minutes

No abstract provided.

How Do Anxiety, Stress, Impulsiveness, And Sleep Quality Affect Memory, Hodavia Tshiya Kaseya

Online Theses and Dissertations

Memory is a critical cognitive function that enables individuals to retain, recall, and apply knowledge across various contexts. Different memory systems, including working memory and long-term memory, collaborate to process and store information. Factors such as stress, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and impulsiveness can impact memory encoding and retrieval, especially in college students, whose academic success depends heavily on memory performance. This study examined the relationship between these everyday factors and memory performance by analyzing brain activity during memory encoding using Electroencephalography (EEG) and the Difference due to memory (DM) event-related potential (ERP) effect, to understand how stress, sleep, anxiety, and …

Bat Activity Across Urban Forest Plantings In Lexington, Kentucky, Grayson Marie Collier

Online Theses and Dissertations

Urbanization has led to major forest loss and negatively impacts ecosystem services. Urban reforestation efforts, such as Reforest the Bluegrass (RTB) in the Lexington-Fayette metropolitan area of Kentucky, have been implemented to address these negative effects, and to create habitat for forest-dependent wildlife such as bats. My research focused on assessing differences in bat activity across a 20-year chronosequence of RTB sites. Acoustic detectors were deployed across 10 different-aged plantings at 60 randomly-defined detector locations. Each planting was surveyed across 8 sampling periods from May – August 2023. Each recording session spanned ca. 7 consecutive nights, yielding a total of …

An Intervention For Youth Impacted By Parental Incarceration: A Mentoring Program Effectiveness From The Caregiver’S Perspective, Sunni Sarah Iris Ann Walters

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the effectiveness of the Amachi mentoring program in supporting children impacted by familial incarceration from the caregivers perspective. Using a qualitative approach, we conducted two focus groups with three participants in each to assess the program's impact across four key areas: behavior, emotions, school performance, and social interactions. We hypothesized that Amachi would have a positive impact on the children they serve. The findings indicate that caregivers perceive the program as beneficial, suggesting potential improvements in various aspects of the children’s lives. These results highlight the potential of the Amachi program to support the development and resilience …

Spatial And Temporal Variability Of Carbohydrate Compositions In Cultivated Alaria Marginata, Nereocystis Luekteana, And Saccharina Latissima, Cameron Jardell

Marine Biology

Carbohydrates derived from Laminariales (kelp), including polysaccharides and sugar alcohols, present significant market opportunities for nascent mariculture industries. These carbohydrates can enhance crop biomass value through extractive processing, with applications in medicine, manufacturing, health supplements, and bio-plastics. The relative abundance and composition of carbohydrates in kelp can vary depending on species, life history, tissue type, season, and environmental conditions. In Alaska, mariculture of kelp focuses on three species: Alaria marginata, Nereocystis luetkeana, and Saccharina latissima. This study assessed the relative abundance of carbohydrates (glucan, mannitol, alginate, and fucoidan) in these species, as well as the sulfate content of fucoidan and …