Digital Commons Network^™

Perceptions Of The Skills Gap In Career And Technical Education In An Urban School District, Kyna Monic Eberhardt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A gap in career and technical education (CTE) skills can negatively influence outcomes for students who plan to enter the workforce or college following high school graduation. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of principals, counselors, teachers, and business leaders from different industries, about the skills gap among CTE students and their preparation for the workforce or college. Kathuria’s organizational alignment theory grounded this study. For this case study design, semistructured interviews were conducted with nine participants purposively selected from each stakeholder group: principals, counselors, teachers, and business leaders from different industries. All participants …

The Lived Experiences Of Black College Students And Counseling Based Upon Social Media Influences, Shamanda Burston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite social media's use as a tool for social influence and increase in mental health disclosures within Black communities, limited literature describes how Black college students, specifically, are utilizing social media related to mental health. This qualitative study includes a description of the influence of social media on the perception of counseling services for Black college students. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) through the lens of Kelman's social influence theory, the influence of social media on Black college students' perception of counseling services was explored. Currently enrolled Black or African American college or university students within the United States, over …

Weaving Our Kuwentos (Stories) Toward Ginhawa (Aliveness): Pilipinx American Social Work Motherscholars Enacting Praxes Of Survival And Thrivance In The Academy, Joanna C. La Torre, Lalaine Sevillano, Lisa Reyes Mason, Alma M. Ouanesisouk Trinidad, Cora De Leon

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Five Pilipina American (PA) social work MotherScholars, from a doctoral student to an interim dean, used kuwentuhan (Pilipinx methodology) to amplify their survivance and thrivance despite attempted exclusion, reduction, and distortion as Pilipinos by coloniality/modernity. Grounded in decolonial feminism (the view that oppressions such as sexism and racism co-constitute coloniality and that unsettling oppressions disrupts hegemony) and Pinayism (an integrated framework revaluing the labor, intellect, and nurturance of mothering through a cultural lens), the authors work coalitionally across their PA diversity to re-center ginhawa (aliveness or sense of ease and wellness). Together, they embarked on an iterative self-study process of …

“I Have One More Hour Of Power And Many Miles Of Communication To Go”: Lessons Learned From Community Research Interrupted By Climate Crises, Antonia R.G. Alvarez, Sherry Manning, Teresa Dosdos Ruelas

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Ang Pagtanom og Binhi Project is a University–Community partnership and community-based participatory research project exploring the health benefits of food sovereignty practices in the Philippines. In late 2021, in the midst of data collection, Super Typhoon Odette made landfall in the Philippines causing massive environmental and structural devastation. In the aftermath of the storm, community partners in the Philippines and members of the research team in the United States shared photos, texts, and updates. These messages included descriptions of structural and environmental damage caused by the storm and stories of mutual aid efforts and actions taken by individuals and …

Explainable Artifacts For Synthetic Western Blot Source Attribution, João Phillipe Cardenuto, Sara Mandelli, Daniel Moreira, Paolo Bestagini, Edward J. Delp, Anderson Rocha

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Recent advancements in artificial intelligence have enabled generative models to produce synthetic scientific images that are indistinguishable from pristine ones, posing a challenge even for expert scientists habituated to working with such content. When exploited by organizations known as paper mills, which systematically generate fraudulent articles, these technologies can significantly contribute to the spread of misinformation about ungrounded science, potentially undermining trust in scientific research. While previous studies have explored black-box solutions, such as Convolutional Neural Networks, for identifying synthetic content, only some have addressed the challenge of generalizing across different models and providing insight into the artifacts in synthetic …

Localization Of Synthetic Manipulations In Western Blot Images, Anmol Manjunath, Viola Negroni, Sara Mandelli, Daniel Moreira, Paolo Bestagini

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Recent breakthroughs in deep learning and generative systems have significantly fostered the creation of synthetic media, as well as the local alteration of real content via the insertion of highly realistic synthetic manipulations. Local image manipulation, in particular, poses serious challenges to the integrity of digital content and societal trust. This problem is not only confined to multimedia data, but also extends to biological images included in scientific publications, like images depicting Western blots. In this work, we address the task of localizing synthetic manipulations in Western blot images. To discriminate between pristine and synthetic pixels of an analyzed image, …

Redo Minimally Invasive Right Atrial Mass Removal After Surgical Atrial Septal Defect Closure, Chirag Doshi, Pratyaksha Rana, Vidur Bansal, Megha M Sheth, Dinesh Patel

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Atrial septal defects are among the most prevalent congenital anomalies necessitating surgical intervention. Thrombus formation is a recognized complication that is typically characterized by an embolic event following patch-based repair. However, thromboembolic complications following primary repair of atrial septal defects are exceedingly uncommon.

Minimally invasive surgery is a suitable alternative to redo sternotomy. We present a 46-year-old man who was diagnosed with a right atrial mass eight years following the patch repair of an atrial septal defect and underwent a successful minimally invasive redo surgery.

Zilebesiran And Hypertension: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Mohamed Lemine, Saif Almuzainy, Rayan Aljubeh, Ahmad Alilo

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Abstract: Objectives: Zilebesiran is an investigational RNA interference therapeutic designed to lower blood pressure by targeting the hepatic production of angiotensinogen, the most upstream precursor of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system. This approach aims to offer long-lasting blood pressure control with potentially fewer doses compared to traditional antihypertensive medications. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the antihypertensive efficacy of zilebesiran in patients with hypertension. Methods: We conducted a search across PubMed, Cochrane Library, Ovid, EBSCO, up until July 2024. The eligible studies included randomized controlled trials that examined Zilebesiran versus placebo in hypertensive patients. These studies …

Antifungal Effects Of Cinnamon And Clove Essential Oils On Oral Candida Albicans: In Vitro Comparative Study, Ghada Bouslama, Haifa Boudegga, Nour Sayda Ben Messaoud, Lamia Ouala, Souha Ben Youssef

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background: Candida albicans is a common fungal pathogen responsible for oral infections, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Essential oils, derived from plants such as cinnamon and cloves, have been reported to have antifungal properties. This study aimed to compare the antifungal activity of cinnamon and cloves essential oils against oral C. albicans while determining the minimum fungicidal concentration for each extract. Materials and Methods: In this comparative in vitro study, four different volumes (0.25 μL, 0.5 μL, 1 μL, and 2 μL) of cinnamon and cloves essential oils were tested for their antifungal activity against C. albicans isolated …

Risk Factors Associated With Systemic Reactions In Allergen Immunotherapy: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Prayuth Poowaruttanawiwit, Teerawat Nitichaikulvattana, Chanida Chantim, Kanyakorn Potikit, Supitchada Songkram

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background: Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is a well-established and effective intervention for managing allergic conditions. However, systemic reactions (SRs) pose a significant clinical concern. This meta-analysis seeks to synthesize existing research to identify and evaluate the risk factors associated with SRs in AIT. Materials and Methods: A systematic search was performed across multiple databases to identify studies focusing on SR risk factors in AIT. Study heterogeneity was quantified using I² statistics, and pooled odds ratios (ORs) were calculated with a random-effect model. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots. Results: The build-up phase of subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) emerged …

Molecular Docking, Molecular Dynamics Simulation, And In Vitro Evaluation Of Hydroxythioxanthone Derivatives As Antimalarial Agents, Faris Hermawan, Jumina Jumina, Teni Ernawati, Puji Budi Setia Asih, Ismail Ekoprayitno Rozi, Elisabeth Farah Novita Coutrier, Din Syafruddin

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background: In 2022, there were 247 million malaria cases spread across 84 malaria-endemic countries. One of the biggest obstacles to controlling malaria is the disease due to drug resistance. Objectives: In this study, we evaluated the antimalarial activity of hydroxythioxanthone derivatives based on the molecular docking study, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation outcome with in vitro antimalarial evaluation. Materials and Methods: The molecular docking and MD were performed to assess the inhibition activity of hydroxythioxanthone derivatives toward Plasmodium falciparum dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (PfDHODH). Afterward, those compounds were evaluated the antimalarial activity against P. falciparum 3D7. Results: The docking result showed …

Assessing Dietary Supplement Misinformation On Popular Thai E-Marketplaces: A Cross-Sectional Content Analysis, Chawalin Inthong, Sanguan Lerkiatbundit, Sakorn Mekruksavanich, Piya Hanvoravongchai

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background: The use of dietary supplements (DS) has risen over the past decade, supported by the growth of e-marketplace (EM) platforms as a primary source of product information and purchases. However, these platforms have experienced a surge in health and nutritional misinformation, leading to negative health effects. Objectives: This study explored the characteristics and estimated the prevalence of misinformation on web pages selling DSs on popular Thai EM platforms. Materials and Methods: The prevalence of misinformation was assessed based on Thai regulatory criteria by analyzing DS web pages from two popular Thai EM platforms. In December 2022, 332 …

Degradation Of Cyanobacteria And Microalgae Using Ultraviolet Radiation At 222 Nm And Its Application In The Bleaching Of Lampenflora On Cave Rock Surfaces, Keisuke Naito, Shuji Watanabe, Masuo Komukai, Takehiro Kazama, Masayuki Itoh, Masahiro Kawasaki

International Journal of Speleology

Cyanobacterial and microalgae blooms negatively affect ecological environments. One of the emerging problems of these blooms occurs in calcareous caves, where visible lighting systems in tourist caves induce the formation of photosynthetic biofilms known as lampenflora on rock surfaces. In this study, we evaluated the inactivation effect of ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation at 222 nm (rare gas halide lamp) and 254 nm (mercury lamp) on cyanobacteria and microalgae in a laboratory and on lampenflora in Ryusenshindo Cave in Japan. Based on the laboratory experiments, irradiation at 222-nm was more effective than that at 254-nm for degrading plants. The photosensitivity of …

Bioshock And Bioshock 2: A Case Study Of Tragic Posthumans, Madison Knight

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

Video games offer unique perspectives when analyzing the social structures built into the world of a text; choice becomes a major factor in the central action of video games as players take control of the story’s main protagonists. Two video games that fixate on this idea of choice and its intersection with the posthuman are Ken Levine’s BioShock (2007) and its direct successor, Jordan Thomas’s BioShock 2 (2010). The games each feature posthuman protagonists. Posthumans themselves are often prejudiced and portrayed to be “other,” and while BioShock equally asserts posthumans as “others,” these games show a different side to the …

Volume 11, Issue 3, Critical Currents And Pedagogical Shifts In Popular Culture And Pedagogy, Journal Dialogue

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

Volume 11, Issue 3 of Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy: On Confronting Identity and Global Challenges through Popular Culture and Pedagogy.

Read More Comics: Developing Student Analysis Skills And Engagement Through The Use Of Comic Books In General Education Courses, Keri Crist-Wagner

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

Undergraduate student participation in general education classes constitutes a point of struggle for many educators. Using both critical constructivism and counter storytelling as theoretical frameworks, this multi-method phenomenological case study explored the experiences of undergraduate honors students in a semester-long general education literature class. The purpose of this study was to 1) explore how comics can be used as a pedagogical tool in higher education classrooms, 2) assess the ways in which students interacted with comics, and 3) investigate what role comics played in engagement and development of critical thinking and analysis skills. Primary data collection involved document review of …

Escaping The Pedagogical Cabin In The Woods, Tony Kemerly, Davis Ritenour

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

The American educational system, because of its seemingly innocuous yet ubiquitous nature, has become, to borrow a term from Roland Barthes, naturalized. By being naturalized, it has become a system that has somehow slipped beneath the radar of the American populace and operates on an autopilot of sorts that allows it to employ practices that don’t necessarily have the best interests of its constituents at heart. Murray Rothbard (1979) argued that compulsory schooling is not guided by altruism, but rather a desire to coerce the population into a mold that is desired by those possessing power in society. This need …

Building Transferable Skills In An Interdisciplinary Science And Science Fiction Capstone Course, John D. Carrell, Robert G. Weiner, Alexandria Prather

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

College graduates are entering an ever-competitive workforce. Interdisciplinary course experiences are critical for developing analytical abilities and learning and these courses can provide valuable skills that will aid students beyond the classroom. These transferable skills include communication, teamwork, analytical and critical thinking, and creativity. To provide a unique learning experience and, through it, the development of transferable skills, the Honors College at Texas Tech University created an upper-level Capstone course titled “Superheroes, Super Villains, AI, Time Travel, and Film in Science and Popular Culture.” The class is an interdisciplinary look at science and science fiction taught by an engineering faculty …

Seeing The Strange: Science Fiction, Critical Pedagogy, And Future Teachers, Jeremy Delamarter

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

Critical pedagogy, which is the branch of critical theory devoted to uncovering hidden power differentials in educational settings, is too often taught in abstract terms, and future educators fail to understand its relevance to praxis in their future classrooms. As a genre, science fiction is particularly adept at helping students consider the power structures and dynamics occasioned by scientific advances. Even more specifically, science-fiction is a powerful tool for teaching future educators the fundamentals of critical pedagogy. This article provides a philosophical exploration of why science fiction is such a useful tool for teaching critical pedagogy and uses the specific …

Fandoms, Postfandoms In The Convergence Of Digital Media: A Case Study Of Youth Cultures From Two Afro-Boricua Musical Genres, Mariely Rivera-Hernández

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

The purpose of this work is to analyze the relation between media convergence and a series of habitual activities of youth groups belonging to fandoms. We have established two pedagogical objectives: on the one hand, to analyze the link between media convergence and the participatory culture of fandoms and postfandoms and, on the other, to learn about the cultural consumption of youth cultures in social media and digital platforms. The activity generated in digital communities by several sectors related to the Afro-Boricua musical genres of bomba and plena have led us to the work of cultural ambassadors who circulate and …

Editorial For Critical Currents And Pedagogical Shifts In Popular Culture And Pedagogy, Barbara Perez

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

Transformative Subjects: Discussions Of Nahualismo In Mylan Nguyễn’S Visual Art And Gloria Anzaldúa’S Writings, Sara Ishii-Bear

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

Mylan Nguyễn is a Dallas-based artist of Mexican and Vietnamese descent, who uses her multimedia practice, inclusive of ceramics, risograph printing, and illustration, to create whimsical worlds that are infused with symbolism and characterized by transformation. Inspired by the concepts of Nahualismo, a Nahuatl cultural practice that involves human to animal shapeshifting, Nguyễn’s works are populated by shape-shifting humans, animals, and nature. Drawing on a Nahualismo perspective that emphasizes healing and interconnectivity, Nguyễn’s understanding of the concept aligns with Gloria Anzaldúa’s discussion of nagualismo. Coupling Nahualismo and creativity, both Nguyễn and Anzaldúa invite audiences to bridge the divide between humans …

Leaps And Bounds In Popular Culture And Pedagogy Dialogue: A Note From The Editor In Chief And Associate Editor, Anna Cohenmiller, Karina Vado

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

Relationship Between Parathyroid Hormone Level And Parathyroid Gland Size And Numbers In Renal Hyperparathyroidism, Thanattha Intrarak, Netsiri Damrongpisutikul, Tunchanok Paprad

Chulalongkorn Medical Journal

Background: Serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) is the gold standard for the diagnosis of renal hyperparathyroidism. Persistent hyperparathyroidism in chronic kidney disease patients results in hyperplasia of the parathyroid glands. Therefore, parathyroid gland size may be an alternative marker to assess the severity of hyperparathyroidism.

Objective: The aim of our study is to investigate the relationship between serum PTH levels and the size and number of parathyroid glands in patients with renal hyperparathyroidism.

Methods: We retrospectively identified patients with renal hyperparathyroidism who underwent focused ultrasound of the parathyroid glands at our institution between August 1st, 2010, and June 30th, 2019. The …

Platelet-To-White Blood Cell Ratio (Pwr) : A Novel Prognostic Biomarker For Spontaneous Reperfusion After Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention., Gökhan Alıcı, Tayfur Erdoğdu, Arafat Yıldırım, Özge Özcan Abacıoğlu, Ömer Genç, Ceyhun Yücel, Örsan Deniz Urgun, Abdullah Yıldırım, Şerafettin Demir

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Background: Spontaneous reperfusion (SR) occurring before primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) can offer additional clinical benefits to patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The Platelet-to-White Blood Cell Ratio (PWR) has been recognized as a prognostic indicator in various diseases. We aimed to explore the relationship between PWR and SR in patients with STEMI undergoing PPCI.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis involving 995 patients diagnosed with STEMI who underwent PPCI in a single-center setting. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and angiographic data were extracted from the hospital database, and PWR was calculated by dividing serum platelet levels by white blood cell …

A Saudi Heart Association Position Statement On Cardiovascular Diseases And Diabetes Mellitus, Waleed Alhabeeb, Abdelfatah Elasfar, Abdulhalim Kinsara, Ahmed Aljizeeri, Ibrahim Jelaidan, Kamal Alghalayini, Mohammed F. Alkheraiji., Mousa Akbar, Sameh Lawand, Sarah M. Alyousif, Saud Alsifri, Taher Hassan

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes mellitus are prominent public health concerns in Saudi Arabia owing to their increasingly high prevalence and burden. Based on this, the Saudi Heart Association (SHA) set out to develop an official position statement on CVD and diabetes mellitus, with a focus on the prevention and management of these conditions and relevant special populations in the context of Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A multidisciplinary panel of experts met under the auspices of the SHA in a series of meetings to review and discuss available evidence on the prevention and management of comorbid CVD and diabetes mellitus. …

Assessment Of Coronary Collaterals Among Patients With St-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention And Its Impact On In-Hospital And 30-Day Mortality: A Prospective Observational Study, Zafar Iqbal, Muhammad Naeem Mengal, Tariq Ashraf, Bashir Ahmed Salongi, Rajesh Kumar, Khalid Iqbal Bhatti, Bilal Ahmed, Abdul Samad Achakzai, Tahir Saghir

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the distribution of coronary collaterals (CC) as per the Rentrop Collateral Score (RCS) among patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and its impact on in-hospital and 30-day mortality after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: In this study, a selected sample of consecutive STEMI patients was assessed for the development of CC as per the RCS classification. An RCS grade of 2 or 3 was taken as the presence of CC with either partial or complete filling of the infarct-related artery (IRA). Patients were followed during the hospital stay and up to 30 …

Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - December 26, 2024, Lindsay Hughes

Watercooler Newsletter

This is the Thursday, December 26, 2024 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine's newsletter -- Watercooler.

Contents include: 

• Medical students and staff highlight peer powered academic support program at national conference
• Medical student presents radiology research at international conference
• Sternberg inducted as president of the Medical Society of Mobile County
• Internal medicine journal club revamped for better learning experience

Translation Of Thai Rice Dishes’ Names Into Chinese From A Lexical Semantics Perspective: A Case Study Of Chapter 2 In The Recipe Book Mae Krua Hua Pa, Yao Zumin, Siriwan Likhidcharoentham, Kanokporn Numtong

Journal of Letters

This paper aims to investigate various translation challenges and methodologies inherent in the translation of Thai rice dish names into Chinese from a lexical semantics perspective, focusing on Chapter 2 of the recipe book Mae Krua Hua Pa as a case study. The researcher translated 44 Thai rice dish names into Chinese, dividing them into rice dishes and desserts. The research findings indicate two main principles: 1. The dish names whose lexical surface structure directly reflects the cooking method and main ingredients can be translated literally. 2. The food names whose meanings may be unclear can be divided into four …

Expressing Opinions With Verbal Irony On The Illegal Acts In The Case Of Flares And Football Cheering:, Siravast Kavilanan

Journal of Letters

Verbal irony is a statement with an opposite meaning. This research aimed to study the characteristics and functions of verbal irony used to express opinions on the illegal acts in the case of flares and football cheering based on the pragmatics approach. Data was collected from June 25, 2023, to December 31, 2023. The analysis results revealed that the Facebook users used six types of verbal irony, namely contradictory adjacent expressions, echoic irony, irrational expressions, overly exaggerated expressions, inappropriate language, and comparison. These types of verbal irony were used to express sarcasm, tease, instruct, and criticize. It is the function …