Digital Commons Network^™

The Back Page: The Personal Touch Makes The Difference, Riley Schaff D.D.S.

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Dr. Riley Schaff discusses the importance of personal connection in engaging new dentists with organized dentistry. Drawing from his own experience of being personally invited to chair a New Dentist Study Club, he emphasizes that direct, personal outreach is more effective than digital communication in encouraging participation among early-career dentists.

The article highlights ongoing efforts at the state level to increase engagement, including enhanced presence at local events and networking programs. However, Schaff argues that grassroots efforts at the local component level are crucial for significant change in membership rates. He concludes that personal engagement from existing members is essential …

What You Must Know: Retention And Destruction Of Dental Records And Your Most-Asked Questions About Dental Records, Daniel Schulte Jd

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

An overview of the basic information about dental records, including retention and destruction, that you and your staff should be aware of, provided by MDA Legal Counsel Dan Schulte, J.D. Plus, for your reference, answers to the questions Michigan dental offices are asking about dental record retention, access, release, and destruction.

Dental records are vital for patient care, legal compliance, and professional practice management. Michigan law mandates retaining dental records for a minimum of 10 years, ensuring their confidentiality, accessibility, and integrity. Destruction of records less than 10 years old requires patient notification and authorization, while those over 10 years …

Enhancing The Utility Of Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles (Uavs) With Model-Based Systems Engineering (Mbse) And Modular Open Systems Approach (Mosa), Aimee Barraza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles (UAVs) have emerged as versatile tools with significant implications across various industries, particularly in defense. The technological advancements in UAVs have revolutionized military operations, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. However, there exist challenges such as environmental factors affecting sensor and flight performance, limited battery life restricting flight durations, and payload capacity constraints impeding task efficiency.This paper delves into the importance of UAVs in different industries, specifically focusing on their pivotal role in the Department of Defense. It emphasizes the necessity of technological upgrades to overcome current challenges and proposes the adoption of a Modular and Open System Approach …

Optimization And Purification Of Magnesium Borides Fabricated By Combustion Synthesis And By High-Temperature Sintering, Miguel Joaquin Camarena

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Hydrogen as a fuel provides several benefits over the use of fossil fuels; however, one challenge in utilizing hydrogen as an energy carrier revolves around its storage. Achieving sufficient volumetric hydrogen density in a storage solution will facilitate hydrogenâ??s adoption for use in both stationary and mobile applications. Solid-state hydrogen storage provides a promising pathway to solving this problem. However, the hydrogenation of these materials is characterized by slow kinetics and extreme thermodynamic conditions. Magnesium borohydride (Mg(BH4)2) is a promising material in hydrogen storage due to its reversible properties and a theoretical hydrogen capacity of 14.9 wt.%. To synthesize this …

Functionalized Carbon Quantum Dots: A Promising Nanomaterial For Investigating Their Potential In Neurodegenerative Disease Treatment, Sherin M. El Morsy

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's Disease (PD), Alzheimer's Disease (AD), and Huntington's Disease (HD) remain incurable, despite extensive research into therapeutic development. In the United States of America, the annual cost of PD and AD in terms of patient care and lost productivity is approximately $200 billion. Consequently, there is a critical and unaddressed need for the development of innovative drugs and drug delivery systems that can decelerate, stop, or ideally reverse neurodegenerative diseases. The dissertation presented here focuses on devising strategies to target PD through multiple mechanisms, including the inhibition of protein aggregation and the reduction of oxidative stress. …

Critical Analysis Of Archival Data: The Alvarado V. Episd Case, Mauro Alfredo Hinojosa

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This research analyses the Alvarado vs. El Paso Independent School District legal files, housed at the Sonnichsen Special Collections Department, The University of Texas at El Paso Library. This dissertation explored the following questions: Research question 1 (RQ1): What are the political and social-cultural contexts of the Alvarado case based on the Archives?; and Research Question 2 (RQ2): impact on school education, to include themes in policy and leadership. A qualitative research approach framed through Latino Critical Race Theory exposes how the U.S. education system has historically reinforced White perspectives and marginalized Latino groups, specifically focusing on Mexican-American students in …

A Blue Hydrogen Framework For Regional Energy Resiliency, Safwan Shafquat

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

High-pressure gasification is gaining attention as an emerging solution for sustainable energy production due to its potential to achieve higher efficiencies, improved syngas quality and smaller equipment footprints. High operating pressures and temperatures can increase the synergistic reactivity of biomass and organic materials, consequently enabling higher in situ tar reformation and ultimately reducing the number of gas treatment requirements. Additionally, higher operating pressures result in a more concentrated CO2 stream and reduce the amount of post-gasification compression requirements in the carbon capture and storage (CCS) unit, improving overall system efficiency. Plus, pressurized CO2 streams from the gasifier also provides routes …

Blood And Ink: Revenge In Contemporary Fiction, Shadia Sobers

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

They say that revenge is a dish best served cold and that it is sweet, but what about the flavors in between? It is sweet at times, with a hint of saltiness following close behind as you pucker your lips and swish your tongue around. Soon after, a sour taste comes out of nowhere before a tang of umami hits you at the end. The flavor varies from person to person, just as if seeking revenge in and of itself is morally correct.

We’ve seen revenge in countless forms of media: books, movies, and plays. Each takes a slightly different …

Understanding The Factors Associated With The Targeting Of Prison Gangs By Specialized Gang Units (Sgus) In The United States, Bruno Aldair Zapata

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Specialized gang units (SGUs) are prominent in police departments in the United States with their sole purpose to respond to gang activity across the country. SGUs vary in the types of gangs they target, resources available, officer composition, and the types of enforcement activities they use. SGUs have encountered various controversies such as exaggerating the gang problem in the media, for distorted intelligence in their gang databases, and for racial stereotyping and harassment among Hispanics in particular. Research regarding SGUs is limited in general, but even fewer studies exist on the targeting efforts of prison gangs by SGUs. Prison gang …

A Year From Now: A Behind-The-Scenes Documentary, Calvin Henson Jr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will explore A Year from Now: A Behind-the-Scenes Documentary, which I shot, directed, and edited. It will explore the 19-day production process of the 2019 SFA summer feature film, A Year from Now, shedding light on the experiences of both the cast and crew throughout production. Additionally, it will examine my role as the behind-the-scenes documentarian from being assigned the position, through gathering the footage and conducting the interviews, and developing the finished product.

Analysis Of Microbiome In Various Human Medical Conditions Using Next-Generation Sequencing Of The 16s Rrna Gene, Pallavi Sharma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies of human microbiomics, spanning diverse anatomical sites, offer a unique perspective into the complex microbial communities within the body. Influenced by age, gender, and disease, it mirrors broader microbial ecosystems. This study specifically delves into the ocular and gastrointestinal tract microbiome, comparing its composition in 43 healthy and diseased patients using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We identified a rich microbial landscape, identifying over 338 bacterial taxa. Notably, Acinetobacter, Cutibacterium, Acidovorax and Herbaspirillum were prevalent in the ocular samples and Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium, and Anaerostipes were mostly prevalent in gut samples. Moreover, dry eye disease conditions were characterized by …

East Texas Master Gardener Characteristics, Volunteer Choices, And Willingness To Answer Questions From The Public, Damon Gregory Grant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

East Texas Master Gardener volunteers were asked to participate in an exploratory Qualtrics survey during the fall of 2023. This study examined the demographic characteristics, volunteer engagement choices, and challenges of Master Gardener volunteers in Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service District 5, focusing on whether current training adequately prepares volunteers for public-facing roles. Findings showed that volunteers were primarily older, retired, well-educated, white females, favoring hands-on activities like garden demonstrations and fundraising over Help Desk question answering roles due to perceived inadequacies in knowledge. Over 80% indicated that mentorship and advanced training could improve their confidence in public interactions. Recommendations …

Towards Robust And Fair Vision Learning In Open-World Environments, Thanh-Dat Truong

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The rapid increase of large-scale data and high-performance computational hardware has promoted the development of data-driven machine vision approaches. Advanced deep learning approaches have achieved remarkable performance in various vision problems and are closing the capability gap between artificial intelligence (AI) and humans. However, towards the ultimate goal of AI, which replicates human ability in visual perception tasks, the machine vision learning methods still need to address several ill-posed challenges. First, while the current vision learning methods often rely on large-scale annotated data, the data annotation process is a costly and time-consuming process. Second, the unfaired predictions produced by vision …

2024 Committee Mid-Year Reports

NASIG Newsletter

No abstract provided.

December 2024 Full Issue, Faye O'Reilly

NASIG Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Mula Kapihan Tungong Birtuwal Na Lunan: Ang Tradisyong Oral At Ang Pag-Unlad Ng Spoken Word Poetry Sa Pilipinas, Joanah Pauline L. Macatangay

Katipunan

Hindi na bago ang spoken word poetry bilang isang pagtatanghal at teksto sa kasaysayan ng sining at panitikan. Kung tutuosin, masasabing nagbabago lamang ang pamamaraan ng pagkilatis sa isang akda o sining sa daloy ng panahon. Sa ganitong pagtingin, marahil pinagyayaman ng spoken word poetry ang tradisyong oral sa Pilipinas sa patuloy na pagaangkop nito sa kahingiang pangkasalukuyan. Kaya naman, sa tulong ng panunuring papel na ito, sinikap na maitala ang naging pag-unlad at danas na pinagdaanan ng spoken word poetry sa kontemporanyo. Kaugnay nito, ipinakita rin kung papaano umagapay ang spoken word poetry sa nagbabagong konteksto at kondisyong panlipunan. …

Impluwesiya At Inspirasyong Dulot Ng The Xavier Stage Sa Lipunan Sa Pamamagitan Ng Sining-Pagtatanghal, Hobart V. Savior

Katipunan

Binabakas at sinusuri ng artikulong ito ang kasaysayan at patuloy na gampanin ng The Xavier Stage (TXS), ang repertoryong kompanyang panteatro ng Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan. Itinatag noong 2010, pinagsasama nito ang malikhaing produksiyon, kultural na paghubog, at panlipunang pakikilahok sa pamamagitan ng mga pangunahing programa nito: Bantawan (edukasyonal na teatro), Teatro Talakayan (pagsasanay panteatro), Bulig (panlipunang abot-tulong), Paglimbag (serbisyong pang-ekstensiyon), at Lab Prod (laboratoryo ng produksiyon). Pinagtitibay ng mga ito ang praktika ng kompanya sa teatro, at nagbibigay-ambag sa edukasyon, pamumuno, at pag-unlad pantao at panlipunan. Gumagamit ang TXS ng realismo bilang pangunahing anyo habang nag-eeksperimento sa …

Ang Iba’T Ibang Anyo Ng Buwan: Paggunita Sa Kasaysayan Ng Dulang Mula Sa Buwan Batay Sa Ebolusyon Ng Panghuling Eksena At Salita, Pat Valera

Katipunan

Ang dulang Mula sa Buwan ay makailang ulit nang ipinalabas sa loob ng labinlimang taon nitong kasaysayan. Simula pa noong 2010, nagkaroon na ng tatlong mahahalagang pagbabago ang teksto ng dula. Sa papel na to, inilalahad ng manunulat, na siya ring mandudula, ang mga nangyaring pagbabago partikular na sa panghuling eksena at salita ng dula. Sa pag-alala sa pinagdaanan ng dula, makikita kung papaanong, dahil sa danas ng mandudula at sa nagbabagong panahon at lipunan, humantong ang dula sa kasalukuyan nitong bersiyon.

Tungo Sa Labi Ng Mga Punong Binuwal Sa Gubat (O Ilang Pagbabakas Sa Praktika Ng Pananangguni Sa Kuradurya), Ryan Cezar Alcarde

Katipunan

Babakasin ng sanaysay na ito ang mga markang naiwan ng mga eksibisyong Fieldnotes (2018), Variations of the Field (2019), at Sympathy for the Mahogany (2024). Sinusuyod ko ang kanilang mga labi bilang tangka sa pagsusulat ng isang kasaysayang pang-eksibisyon sa punto ng pagsasapubliko ng sining. Sa paggalugad sa praktika ng pananangguni (citational practices) ng tatlong eksibisyon, nais kong palitawin ang isang politika sa kuradurya na sumusubok kumawala sa namamayani o nakapangyayaring sistema ng pag-alam, kumokontra sa lohika ng merkado sa mundo ng sining, at sumusubok hawain ang landas tungo sa isang mapagkalinga’t mapagpalayang kurasyon.

“And There Was Light”: Karahasan Ng Pagliliwanag Sa Advanced Screeningng Some Nights I Feel Like Walking (2025), Alec Joshua Paradeza

Katipunan

No abstract provided.

Roger Williams University 2024 President's Report: A Message From President Miaoulis, Roger Williams University

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

Miscarriages Of Justice In Immigration Detention, Louis Century, Kent Roach

UBC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Scoring Campus Sexual Violence Policies Across Canada: A Comparative Policy And Criminal Approach, Caitlin Salvino

UBC Law Review

No abstract provided.

So, I Guess We’Re Going With Vacuous Political Bromide: A Commentary On Gitxaala V British Columbia (Chief Gold Commissioner), 2023 Bcsc 1680, Jeffrey Warnock

UBC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Influence Of Native And Invasive Grasses On The Behavior Of Aedes Aegypti In South Texas, Emily Medelez

Theses and Dissertations

Invasive grasses in South Texas can have widespread negative effects, displacing native species, reducing biodiversity, and posing risks to public health. These grasses may flourish in moist, shaded environments, which not only support their growth but also creates habitats favorable for mosquito activity. This can increase the population and alter the behavior of mosquitoes, potentially raising the risk of disease transmission. In this thesis, I look at the behavior of mosquito species Aedes aegypti, primary vector of the yellow fever virus. I analyzed the influence of oviposition, flight and resting behaviors. I tested the relative attraction of Aedes mosquitoes …

Relationship Between Host Genomics And Microbiomics In Beef Cattle, Andrew D. Lakamp

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

As sequencing technology becomes more affordable and throughput increases, microbiome information is becoming more readily available. For beef cattle selection, microbial information has a variety of uses including being a target for genetic prediction or used as a means to explicitly describe additional phenotypic variability in other traits.

Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), commonly known as pinkeye, is a disease that infects the ocular surface and surrounding tissue which is an animal health and producer economic concern. Vaccinations have shown to have variable effectiveness, while limited genetics studies have suggested that direct genetic selection for resistance would be slow. Therefore, an …

Grant Writing: The Essentials, Jayme Renfro

Faculty Book Gallery

Welcome to the exciting and impactful world of grant writing! Whether you are a student embarking on a career in nonprofit management, a budding researcher eager to secure funding for your projects, or a professional looking to hone your grant writing skills, this textbook is designed to guide you through every step of the grant writing process. Grant writing is not just about securing funds; it's about crafting a story, building relationships, and making a tangible impact on communities and fields of study. This book aims to equip you with the knowledge, skills, and insights needed to excel in this …

Virtual Control: A Comparison Of Methods For Hand-Tracking Implementation, Nathan Roberts

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This thesis examines the design philosophy of modern virtual reality applications that utilize hand-tracking as a primary form of user input. The analysis presented hopes to provide ideas for future implementations of this technology so that more immersive experiences are developed. This analysis starts with the discussion of a modern example of successful hand-tracking implementation, then comparing that implementation to a recent senior design project. This comparison is primarily based on each experience’s ability to create interactivity and immediacy. Interactivity is the degree to which the user can quickly and reliably make changes to their virtual environment, while immediacy is …

Nebraska Department Of Transportation Strategic Audit, Chloe Hoover

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) is a state government agency that is responsible for the planning, development, design, construction, maintenance, and administration of the state highway system. Two strategic analyses are completed about NDOT: a PESTEL analysis and Porter’s Five Forces analysis. Both of these analyses showed that since NDOT is a state agency, it impacts foundational aspects of its strategy. NDOT’s strategy is influenced by its financial strategy, policies or political influence, and public importance. NDOT competes with other companies in its workforce and employees and/or applicants leaving NDOT for other companies. This report details NDOT’s strategy, competitive …

Talimogene Laherparepvec (T-Vec) And Emerging Intralesional Immunotherapies For Metastatic Melanoma: A Review, Peter Mcgranaghan

All Publications

Purpose of review: As the incidence of cutaneous melanoma continues to rise worldwide, its heterogeneous presentation proves challenging for managing and preventing relapse.

Recent findings: While surgery remains a mainstay in staging and treatment of locoregional metastatic melanoma, intralesional therapies have emerged as a new tool to treat unresectable in-transit and nodal metastases and reduce the risk of relapse through immunomodulatory mechanisms. In this review, we will provide an overview of intralesional therapies for melanoma with a particular focus on talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) and its future uses. We then discuss the landscape of current and emerging intralesional therapies.