Digital Commons Network^™

Polarization And The Algorithmic Undertow: Integral And Critical Realist Perspectives, Bruce Alderman

Journal of Conscious Evolution

The recent election in the United States has underscored, in dramatic fashion, the depth and intensity of polarization that has taken hold, not only in America but across the globe. While political division is not new, the character and scope of today’s polarization suggest deeper, complex dynamics that resist simple explanation. At the Institute of Applied Metatheory—and in the Blue Sky Leaders program, a new trans-disciplinary leadership certificate program at CIIS—we explore how these dynamics may become clearer through multiple metatheoretical lenses. This paper brings together insights from Integral Theory (IT) and Critical Realism (CR) to examine the underlying generative …

The Grizzly, December 5, 2024, Kate Horan, Zach Cosme, Ashley Adam, Renee Washart, Emily Veasey, Sidney Belleroche, Hadley Whitman, Adam Denn

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

The Case of the Missing Lower Wismer Doors • Seen the Zine? • SAAC's Annual Holiday Food Drive • Representation Exploration: Capstone Excerpt • Campus Squirrels Pack Up for the Holidays • The Yap With Emily Veasey: #WomenInMaleFields • PSA: Students' Healthy Holidays • Field Hockey Concludes Spectacular Season • Women's Basketball Blasts Out to Hot Start!

Ranking Places Ole Miss Among Top 15 Universities For Veterans, Clara Turnage

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – Military Times has again ranked the University of Mississippi among the best universities in the nation for veterans.

Increased Spatial Coupling Of Integrin And Collagen Iv In The Immunoresistant Clear-Cell Renal-Cell Carcinoma Tumor Microenvironment., Alex C. Soupir, Mitchell T. Hayes, Taylor C. Peak, Oscar Ospina, Nicholas H. Chakiryan, Anders E. Berglund, Paul A. Stewart, Jonathan Nguyen, Carlos Moran Segura, Natasha L. Francis, Paola M Ramos Echevarria, Jad Chahoud, Roger Li, Kenneth Y. Tsai, Jodi A. Balasi, Yamila Caraballo Peres, Jasreman Dhillon, Lindsey A. Martinez, Warren E. Gloria, Nathan Schurman, Sean Kim, Mark Gregory, James Mulé, Brooke L. Fridley, Brandon J. Manley

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Immunotherapy has improved survival for patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), but resistance to therapy develops in most patients. We use cellular-resolution spatial transcriptomics in patients with immunotherapy naïve and exposed primary ccRCC tumors to better understand immunotherapy resistance.

RESULTS: Spatial molecular imaging of tumor and adjacent stroma samples from 21 tumors suggests that viable tumors following immunotherapy harbor more stromal CD8 + T cells and neutrophils than immunotherapy naïve tumors. YES1 is significantly upregulated in immunotherapy exposed tumor cells. Spatial GSEA shows that the epithelial-mesenchymal transition pathway is spatially enriched and the associated ligand-receptor transcript …

Optimizing Indoor Environment Quality, Anjum B. Ahmmed, Christopher Gabriel Lopez, Jennifer Garcia, Marti Tapia, Nick Antoine, Alexander Aptekar

Publications and Research

This research investigates an integrative approach to health in building design by focusing on material selection and its impact on indoor environmental quality (IEQ). Specifically, the study examines clay plaster through sensory evaluation methods to compare its effectiveness with conventional finishes in filtering out unpleasant odors from chemicals commonly used in indoor spaces. Key parameters such as material texture, and visual satisfaction will also be assessed. Randomly selected participants from across campus will evaluate the odor of clay plaster and paint applied to the laser-cut composite boards, reporting on each finish's ability to mask the burnt smell of charred edges …

Cop29: Moving Forward?, Kathleen Rowan, Andrew N. Rowan

WellBeing News

COP29 was labelled the “Finance COP” but many countries were disappointed by the final funding support agreement.

Animals In Conflict – Part Ii: Animal Protection Organizations; Conflict And Disaster Response Work, Janice Cox, Jackson Zee

WellBeing News

Animals were commonly overlooked in disaster responses in the 20th century but that is changing in the 21st.

Cop29 Selected Dynamics Andcontext In Baku, Azerbaijan, Andrew N. Rowan

WellBeing News

UN’s climate change conferences have grown dramatically since the first COP in Berlin but still struggle to achieve sustainable greenhouse gas emission targets.

Vieta’S Formula, The Fabius Function And The Partition Function, Ahmed Sebbar

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We use an idea of Pólya and Szegö to give a common basis to Vieta’s formula, Fabius function and the partition function. Moreover our construction leads also to a function considered by Hallström, Bowen and Macintyre, which has, as a particular value, the Kepler-Bouwkamp constant, and to a function considered by Zondadari, that vanishes only at prime numbers.

Advent Reflection, Amanda Mason

CTS Student Publications and Creative Works

As the season changes and Thanksgiving concludes, we find ourselves amid final assignments and exam preparations. We are now transitioning into the Advent season.
I challenge you in this busy season to find some quiet time to call your own and make it a priority to find more intimacy in your walk with the Lord as you also celebrate our saviour who was born. So that we each could have a relationship with God like David had where we too can call upon the Lord as ours, as mine, as yours with confidence and conviction like we read in the …

Beamed: A Bench For Automated Measurements Of Electrical Discharges - A New Standard For Paschen Curves, Jared Nelson

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The initiation of electrical discharges, particularly glow discharges, plays a significant role in industry and environmental science, affecting systems such as electronics, power grids, and atmospheric phenomena. Despite extensive studies and applications of Paschen's law, current methodologies for experimental Paschen tests in direct current (DC) conditions lack standardized practices. This thesis presents the development and validation of a DC-based standard for electrical discharge initiation, using the BEnch for Automated Measurements of Electrical Discharges (BeAMED). BeAMED is designed to standardize the experimental process by automating electrical discharges' initiation and data acquisition. The autonomous nature of the system provides insights into the …

Heat Transfer In Tightly Packed Cylinder Arrays, Martin Kovachev

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Cylindrical arrays with a cross flow are commonly used for heat transfer augmentation within an internal channel. In most applications, the cylinders have a spacing of over 2 diameters (2D) between their center points in both the lateral and downstream directions. One option for battery thermal management in hybrid/electric aviation is to use cylindrical batteries packed in arrays with an applied cross flow. In the context of aviation, it is important to maximize space and weight savings. Tightly packing these cylinder arrays with a spacing of under 2D in both directions would save on both of these yet have not …

A Low-Complexity Algorithm For Trajectory Generation In The Three-Body Problem, Brian P. Baker-Mcevilly

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The Cislunar realm holds intrinsic value for scientific, commercial, and military applications as numerous entities have begun to invest resources into the expansion and utilization of the region. As the Cislunar region continues to grow, there is an escalating need for efficient methods of trajectory generation in this multi-body dynamical system for computationally limited systems. Thus, a low-complexity classical algorithm is proposed to achieve accurate orbital trajectories in the three-body problem. The proposed algorithm solves a polynomial interpolation problem, formulated using state measurements, through the unique decomposition of a dense system into sparse matrices. Several relevant Cislunar trajectories are simulated …

Bigger Than The Whole Sky: Taylor Swift's Impact On American Culture, Politics, And Economics, Mary Moody

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Traditionally feminine interests are often dismissed as trivial, while male-dominated pursuits are widely accepted. However, "feminine" interests shape culture, politics, and the economy in profound ways. Focusing on Taylor Swift and the Eras Tour, my research examines how one woman—and her brand—significantly influence the United States across multiple spheres, challenging the perception of what constitutes impactful culture.

Amazed: Teaching Architectural Design Styles With A Board Game, Monisha Sooklall

Publications and Research

Future architects can better solve problems or develop their design styles when they study the designs of prominent and influential architects. My board game Amazed educates players about four architects' architectural design styles. These four chosen architects are part of an extensive list of architectural pioneers. These architects were selected based on their designs that push the boundaries with curves, designs with curves in different ways, designs that capture the relationship between light and material, and designs that use glass and steel in modernist architecture. The architects whose designs were examined for this board game are Ludwig Mies van der …

'T-W-O': External Challenges And Coping Strategies Of Chinese Social Work Service Organisations During The Epidemic, Bin Xu, Bowen Mcbeath, Haobo Xi

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

During the peak years of COVID-19, Chinese social work service organisations actively participated in the preventing and controlling of the pandemic. These organisations also faced external challenges that reflected changing public health policies, contractual and fiscal changes, and immense service needs. This paper describes the specific external challenges that a purposive sample of 11 Beijing-based social work service organisations experienced because of the pandemic, as well as the strategies they used to address them. We find that project and fiscal precarity were the greatest external risks faced by social service organisations. In order to mitigate these concerns, the organisations actively …

A Case Of Dallisgrass Staggers In Oklahoma, Stephen T. Lee Phd, Giselle Cino Ozuna D.V.M., Ph.D., Diplomate Acvp, Adriana Villasenor Dvm, Daniel Cook Phd

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

Dallisgrass is a warm-season, perennial forage found in pastures across the southeastern United States. Seed heads of dallisgrass are susceptible to ergot infection resulting in production of several tremorgenic indole-diterpene alkaloids such as paspalinine, paspalitrem A, and paspalitrem B. Herein, we report a clinical case of “dallisgrass staggers” in Oklahoma beef cows resulting in 31% morbidity and 5% mortality. Clinical signs were first observed within 36 hours of exposure to a new pasture, and included shaking, whole body tremors, staggering, swaying and wobbling when walking, falling down, and hyperexcitability. Tremorgenic indole diterpene alkaloids were detected from ergotized seed heads …

Targeting The Cholesterol Storage Enzyme Acat1/Soat1 In Brain Cells And Mouse Model: A Novel Approach To Address Aging And Apoe4-Related Neuroinflammation, Thao Nguyen Phuong Huynh Krumeich

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that significantly impacts nearly 7 million people in the United States. AD is characterized by the deposition of amyloid beta (Ab) plaque, tau neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), lipids granules, and neuroinflammation. Age and apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) are the two biggest risk factors for AD. Recent AD therapeutic development has mostly benefited the patient population with milder symptoms while causing serious side effects in APOE4 carriers, leaving the most impacted patients’ group - aged APOE4 carriers with no treatment option. With the increasing aging population, there is an urgent need for a …

Nasa Microgreen Cultivation In Space Utilizing Pegda Hydrogels, Thomas Alarcon Ali, Zohaib Gabriel Khan, Ariel Marroquin, Samuel Martinez, Fabiha Samiha, Emily Yong

Publications and Research

During long-term space expeditions, it is crucial that astronauts receive the nutrients they need to maintain their overall health. While the current space diet of palatable foods is commendable and constantly evolving, nutritional content and food quality degrades over long durations. Microgreens are excellent candidates for space cultivation because they are nutrient-dense, young plants that are are densely grown and harvested when leaves are just emerging. However, antigravity, microgreen fragility, degradation speed, contamination, and limited water resources are substantial barriers to doing so. This study aims to address these challenges by cultivating microgreens inside a hydrogel, a soilless medium, to …

Bifurcation And Multiplicity Results For Elliptic Problems With Subcritical Nonlinearity On The Boundary, S. Bandyopadhyay, M. Chhetri, B. B. Delgado, Nsoki Mavinga, R. Pardo

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Works

We consider an elliptic problem with nonlinear boundary condition involving nonlinearity with superlinear and subcritical growth at infinity and a bifurcation parameter as a factor. We use re-scaling method, degree theory and continuation theorem to prove that there exists a connected branch of positive solutions bifurcating from infinity when the parameter goes to zero. Moreover, if the nonlinearity satisfies additional conditions near zero, we establish a global bifurcation result, and discuss the number of positive solution(s) with respect to the parameter using bifurcation theory and degree theory.

How Misogyny In Gaming Affects Black Women/Poc, Niccarri Allen

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This research query explores the gaming industry and how its misogynistic issues affect the Black community in its forums. Research has shown that there has been a suppressed issue of prejudice against women of color in many gaming spaces in the last 20 years. Video games, created for healing and interactive spaces for communities seemingly have normalized its harming nature to minority groups. My research will look into aspects of how gender bias and racism mix into the gaming industry and cause distress among its players. I will research how misrepresentation in the character personas in video games lead to …

Faculty Senate Roster 2024-2025, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Documents

A list distributed by Faculty Senate of members of the governance body and affiliated committees.

Finish Strong, Rebels! End Of Semester Message From Chancellor Boyce, Glenn Boyce

University of Mississippi News

Finals week is approaching as we wrap up a wonderful semester together. This fall, you’ve grown personally and academically, made great friends, and created memories that will last a lifetime. Now it’s time to put everything you’ve learned into practice as you take your finals. Here are three tips for success:

Canadians With Disabilities: Income Security And Tax Policy, Hengameh Saberi, Jinyan Li

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

Various barriers such as reduced work-related capabilities, scarce employment opportunities, and a resulting low level of motivation or incentives have historically led to a compounded level of financial insecurity among the disabled population. In response, the current symposium presents a scholarly examination of a significant federal legislative movement toward financial security and poverty reduction among the disabled population of working age—the enactment of the Canada Disability Benefit Act (CDBA). Here we contextualize the CDBA and briefly introduce the proceeding symposium contributions.

Compounding Barriers To Access: A Study Of Tax Policies And Practices That Exclude Women With Disabilities In Poverty, Cynthia Minh

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

A single parent on social assistance who cannot afford the medical interventions they require does not make enough money to offset their medical costs through taxes. A woman who experiences chronic symptoms of fibromyalgia and struggles to get diagnosed in their adulthood feels dependent on a doctor who is unsupportive of their disability benefit applications for chronic pain medication. A person who experiences paranoia is unable to access the tax information needed to apply for rental assistance programs because they forgot to complete a step when filing for a name and gender change. These are stories from individuals who have …

Black Box Music Series (December 5-6, 8), Lindenwood University

Student Music Performance Programs

Event program for the Black Box Music Series (December 5-6, 8), Lindenwood University.

Preservation To Publisher: Flipping Textbooks Open Using The Und Scholarly Commons, Zeineb Yousif

Librarian Posters and Presentations

In 2017, the Chester Fritz Library launched our institutional repository, the UND Scholarly Commons. Our first publication was an open access edition of The History of North Dakota, a widely used state history book that we purchased the rights to publish digitally. After receiving scans of the print book from the publisher, we created PDF, EPUB, and MOBI versions of the book and disseminated it widely across OER indexing platforms.

We drew on this experience in 2023, when we partnered with North Dakota’s Department of Public Instruction to release digital editions of a series of textbooks about the culture and …

Factors Of Police Decision-Making Of Veterans In Crisis, Paul N. Guzman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 9/11, the need for veteran crisis intervention has increased. Police agencies often respond to veterans in crisis by deploying officers who have completed Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training, and many of the officers are prior military. However, little research has focused specifically on the factors influencing police officers’ decision-making when responding to veterans in crisis. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the association and predictability between event type, veteran behavior, police officer military experience, police officer CIT, and the disposition of veterans as measured by arrest, referral for mental health services, and the use of force. …

Hidden In A Handbag, Emmaline Landes

Honors Theses

The Hidden in a Handbag exhibition is comprised of a series of three medium size paintings using a heightened color palette. The painting style used for the artwork draws on elements of Photorealism as pioneered by Aubrey Flack. My work focuses on the personal act of revealing the contents of a woman’s spilled purse. By requesting that friends and family share the spilled contents of their purses without alteration, as well as the contents of my own purse, I capture a raw and private glimpse into these women’s daily lives. These paintings are rendered in larger-than-life detail, so that these …

Honorable Mention Research Paper: The Impact Of External Factors On Urban Youth Behaviors, Erin Simmons

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This study examines how community, family, and educational dynamics impact behavioral and academic outcomes for students in urban communities, focusing on Black and Latinx youth. Through qualitative research involving interviews and observations, the study explores how factors like family instability, economic challenges, and community violence influence students’ behaviors and motivations in school. Findings reveal that unresolved trauma and external stresses manifest in the behavior and emotions of students within the classroom, affecting both student engagement and achievement. The research offers insights for educators, counselors/ therapists, social workers, families and policymakers to develop supportive interventions that address students’ unique experiences.