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2024 December 5 - From My Notepads Newsletter, Office Of The President, East Tennessee State University, Brian Noland

From My Notepads: A Newsletter from President Brian Noland

No abstract provided.

Potential Of Ecklonia Maxima As A Feed Supplement In Aquafeed: A Review, Tlou Kevin Ngoepe, Moses Okpeku, Esau Matthews Mbokane, Molatelo Junior Madibana, Sahya Maulu, Selaelo Jaqueline Mphalo, Ronewa Lieborn Nemakhavhani, Sithembile Zenith Ndlela

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

This review examines the potential of Ecklonia maxima, a brown seaweed, as a sustainable feed supplement in aquaculture. With the industry facing pressure to adopt environmentally friendly practices, E. maxima offers promise due to its bioactive compounds that promote growth and health in aquatic organisms. Studies have shown that dietary supplementation with E. maxima improves fish growth rates, feed conversion efficiency, and nutrient retention. The seaweed’s bioactive compounds, including phlorotannins and fucoidans, enhance digestibility, modulate gut health, and stimulate immune responses. This review assesses the impact of E. maxima supplementation on fish growth performance and feed utilization, considering factors like …

Differential Relationship Between Meditation Methods And Psychotic-Like And Mystical Experiences, T. Palmer, K. Kadri, E. Fakra, J. Scholl, E. Fouragnan

School of Psychology

Much work has investigated beneficial effects of mindfulness-based meditation methods, but less work has investigated potential risks and differences across meditation methods. We addressed this in a large pre-registered online survey including 613 mediators where we correlated participants’ experience with fifty meditation techniques to psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) and mystical experiences. We found a positive correlation for both PLEs and mystical experiences with techniques aiming at reducing phenomenological content (‘null-directed’, NDM) or classified as non-dual or less embodied. In contrast, methods aiming at achieving an enhanced cognitive state (CDM), also described as ‘attentional’ or strongly embodied, showed negative correlations with PLEs. …

Differential Relationship Between Meditation Methods And Psychotic-Like And Mystical Experiences, Timothy Palmer, Kenza Kadri, Eric Fakra, Jacqueline Scholl, Elsa Fouragnan

School of Psychology

Much work has investigated beneficial effects of mindfulness-based meditation methods, but less work has investigated potential risks and differences across meditation methods. We addressed this in a large pre-registered online survey including 613 mediators where we correlated participants' experience with fifty meditation techniques to psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) and mystical experiences. We found a positive correlation for both PLEs and mystical experiences with techniques aiming at reducing phenomenological content ('null-directed', NDM) or classified as non-dual or less embodied. In contrast, methods aiming at achieving an enhanced cognitive state (CDM), also described as 'attentional' or strongly embodied, showed negative correlations with PLEs. …

Bridging The Gap: Examining The Discrepancies In Communication Skills Between University Education And Employer Expectations, Valerie Chan

Honors Theses

Effective communication is a critical skill in the workplace, yet a persistent gap exists between the communication abilities of university graduates and the expectations of employers. This study explores the alignment between the communication skills taught in the Western Essential Studies (WES) general education curriculum at Western Michigan University (WMU) and the communication needs identified by employers. By examining four communication types—oral, written, interpersonal, and digital—this research investigates the similarities and differences in how faculty and employers define and emphasize communication skills.

Findings reveal a misalignment between the skills emphasized in university curricula and those prioritized in the workplace. Faculty …

Natural Medicine Use In Costa Rica, Elizabeth Krol

Honors Theses

This study explores the role of natural medicine in Costa Rican culture, while focusing on its historical, cultural, and clinical significance. With a literature review, ethnobotanical research, and a study abroad experience, this paper highlights the integration of natural, herbal medicine into modern healthcare. Costa Rica’s rich biodiversity, with its varied microclimates and abundant medicinal plants, forms a strong foundation for traditional herbal medicine. Indigenous groups such as the BriBri and Cabécar contributed significantly to this legacy, which has evolved through interactions with European and Afro-Caribbean populations.

Research emphasizes the cultural importance of herbal medicine within the “Pura Vida” lifestyle, …

Ices Roadmap For Marine Recreational Fisheries (Mrf), International Council For The Exploration Of The Sea (Ices), Karina L. Ryan

Fisheries Research Articles

Purpose of the roadmap

The overarching goal of this roadmap is to guide the development of robust marine recreational fisheries (MRF) assessments through data and methodological improvements, in line with current and future management needs. To address the requirements of the policy and legislative instruments in relation to MRF and to plan future steps in ICES, there is need to further improve and operationalize the required MRF dataflows and assessment procedures. Better integration of MRF into advice is in line with ICES vision and mission alongside its advisory framework and principles. This will assist not only managers but also the …

The Cowl - V. 88 N. 9 - December 5, 2024

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 88 No. 9 - December 5, 2024. 16 pages.

Optimal Unilateral Carbon Policy, Samuel Kortum, David A. Weisbach

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Climate policy by a coalition of countries can shift activities—extraction, production, and consumption—to regions outside the coalition. We build a stylized general-equilibrium model of trade and carbon externalities to derive a coalition’s optimal Pareto-improving policy in such an environment. It can be implemented through: (i) a tax on fossil-fuel extraction at a rate equal to the global marginal harm from carbon emissions, (ii) a tax on imports of energy and goods, and a rebate of the tax on exports of energy but not goods, all at a lower rate per unit of carbon than the extraction tax rate, and (iii) …

Pretexts For War And The Preinvasion Crisis In Ukraine, Ron Gurantz

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

©2024 Ron Gurantz

The US strategy in the run-up to the invasion of Ukraine appeared to undermine Russian efforts to justify the war. While studies of international crises typically focus on the goals of deterrence and escalation management, recent events in Ukraine show that counterjustification is another important objective. Russia used covert activities and deception to try and create a pretext for its invasion, and the United States aggressively countered these efforts. This monograph presents an exhaustive study of the US military, diplomatic, and informational strategy in the run-up to the invasion of Ukraine and derives lessons about counterjustification that …

The Rise Of Refundable Tax Credits: Implications For The Canada Disability Benefit, Wayne Simpson

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

Bill C-22, while vague, sets its sights on poverty reduction and financial security for persons with disabilities by establishing a Canada Disability Benefit that will be delivered as a refundable tax credit along the lines of the Guaranteed Income Supplement and the Canada Child Benefit. This article reviews the evolution of tax credits in North America from income exemptions to non-refundable tax credits to the rise of refundable tax credits in the modern tax system. It offers lessons from existing refundable credits and corresponding discussions around a guaranteed basic income to inform the design of a Canada Disability Benefit that …

Is The Canada Disability Benefits Program Consistent With The Social Model Of Disablement? The Perils And Promises Of Equality Rights Through Income Support Programs, Ravi Malhotra

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

The social model of disablement stands for the proposition that it is structural barriers that impede the lives of people with disabilities. Disabled people should be included in all spheres of life, including employment, through the removal and eradication of barriers. At first glance, the expansion of disability benefits appears to contradict the goal of inclusion of people with disabilities in employment. In this article, I argue that the passage of the Canada Disability Benefit Act is fully consonant with the social model of disability. Using the work of disability rights scholar Marta Russell and the philosopher Cornelius Castoriadis, as …

Stitching The Canada Disability Benefit Into The Social Security System: Expectations, Patchworks, And Goals, Michael J. Prince

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

New public policies stir old expectations and stimulate new expectations among people. For the planned Canada Disability Benefit (CDB), what is possible? What type of policy is at stake for women with disabilities? The CDB symbolizes an official acceptance by the federal government of a national public responsibility to address known risks of low income and poverty among hundreds of thousands of persons with disabilities. In policy content terms, the CDB is redistributive and regulatory. As redistribution, it promises to be a large-scale allocation of public revenues to a broad category of individuals disproportionately living in poverty in Canada. As …

Education Policy Committee Agenda December 05, 2024, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes
• Subcommittee Reports
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 4:00pm

Esg Systems And Financial Reporting, Madison Layton

Honors Theses

This thesis presents an informational overview of ESG systems and associated financial reporting requirements. This writing focuses on two main types of ESG systems, carbon taxes and emission trading systems, also known as cap-and-trade programs. Both carbon taxes and emissions trading systems are market-based approaches to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon taxes offer price certainty as governments set a tax rate to incorporate the negative environmental effect of producing a good or service into the cost of that good or service. Emissions trading systems provide reduction certainty as a government or other entity will set a cap on total emissions …

Ai-Enabled Wearable Cameras For Assisting Dietary Assessment In African Populations, Frank P-W Lo, Jianing Qiu, Modou L Jobarteh, Yingnan Sun, Zeyu Wang, Shuo Jiang, Tom Baranowski, Alex K Anderson, Megan A Mccrory, Edward Sazonov, Wenyan Jia, Mingui Sun, Matilda Steiner-Asiedu, Gary Frost, Benny Lo

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

We have developed a population-level method for dietary assessment using low-cost wearable cameras. Our approach, EgoDiet, employs an egocentric vision-based pipeline to learn portion sizes, addressing the shortcomings of traditional self-reported dietary methods. To evaluate the functionality of this method, field studies were conducted in London (Study A) and Ghana (Study B) among populations of Ghanaian and Kenyan origin. In Study A, EgoDiet's estimations were contrasted with dietitians' assessments, revealing a performance with a Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 31.9% for portion size estimation, compared to 40.1% for estimates made by dietitians. We further evaluated our approach in Study …

Empowering Small Businesses With Legal Tools, Lilly Pishvaian ’25

NYLS Community News

No abstract provided.

Reconquer And Divide: Comparative Standard-Setting Strategies Among Producer Organizations, Sebastian Billows, Elizabeth Carter, Marc-Olivier Déplaude, Loïc Mazenc, Geneviève Nguyen, François Purseigle, Annie Royer, Allison Loconto

Faculty Publications

Food standards, which are used to signal adherence to sustainability goals or a specific origin, have deep political implications. Standards crafted by retailers, processors, or third-party actors such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) often disempower farmers. Moreover, due to the liberalization and globalization of many food value chains, producer organizations (POs) lost some of their legal privileges and market protections. This paper analyzes how POs in the Global North sought to regain their control over food markets by establishing their own standards. These strategies and their consequences are considered across three dimensions: the internal life of the PO, the relevant market …

Reconquer And Divide: Comparative Standard-Setting Strategies Among Producer Organizations, Sebastian Billows, Elizabeth Carter, Marc-Olivier Déplaude, Loïc Mazenc, Geneviève Nguyen, François Purseigle, Annie Royer, Allison Loconto

Faculty Publications

Food standards, which are used to signal adherence to sustainability goals or a specific origin, have deep political implications. Standards crafted by retailers, processors, or third-party actors such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) often disempower farmers. Moreover, due to the liberalization and globalization of many food value chains, producer organizations (POs) lost some of their legal privileges and market protections. This paper analyzes how POs in the Global North sought to regain their control over food markets by establishing their own standards. These strategies and their consequences are considered across three dimensions: the internal life of the PO, the relevant market …

The Raye Montague Digital Collection, Paola Cavallari

Theses and Dissertations

The Raye Montague Digital Collection consists of 735 items that have been digitized and catalogued to tell the story of Raye Montague, the United States Navy hidden figure. The Collection addresses the need to remedy decades of historical invisibility Raye Montague was subjected to because of gender and racial discrimination despite her fundamental contributions to U.S. history. This thesis details how the Collection inserts Raye Montague within a broader historical context that uncovers the role Black women had as federal employees in the U.S. military during and after World War II. It also explains how, in designing the Collection, I …

Valve Train Design And Material Testing, Luis Luna

Publications and Research

In automotive engineering, CAD software like SolidWorks enables engineers to design and simulate mechanical components efficiently, reducing the need for extensive prototyping. This project examines the rocker arm's performance and durability within a valve train system. Components like pushrods, camshafts, and rocker arms control air intake and exhaust timing. Due to its high-impact motion and exposure to elevated temperatures, the rocker arm endures considerable wear. This study uses SolidWorks and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to analyze the rocker arm's stress, deformation, and wear potential during camshaft movement. Material testing and motion analysis results provide insights into improving the durability of …

Fostering The Forum: Examining The Progress And Challenges In Cultivating A Free Speech Campus At Western Michigan University, Kalloli Bhatt

Honors Theses

The First Amendment’s breadth has narrowed on college and university campuses. Students, once staunch defenders of free speech, have become the censors themselves. In fact, there have been so many incidents of speaker disinvitations and scholars under scrutiny that the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, otherwise known as FIRE, has amassed years’ worth of data documenting these occurrences. This phenomenon has been so widespread for so long that scholars have been sounding the warning bells since 1987 (Bloom, 1987). While it may seem as if these problems occur at bigger universities, events that have violated First Amendment rights of …

Singer, William, Joseph Kobeck Ii

Bronx Jewish History Project

William Singer was born in 1949 in a neighborhood known as Far Rockaway, Queens. When Mr. Singer was five years old, his parents moved to the Bronx, and he began living at 214 East 163rd Street. An area that Mr. Singer remembers is about 95% Jewish. An important element of his parents' decision to move into the Bronx was being closer to his grandparents, who lived at 1155 Grand Concourse. While his family's story is quite interesting, during his early childhood, he attended Public School 35, located across the street from what used to be St. Anne'sAnne's Elementary School. He …

If You Teach A Bot To Read: Using Machine Learning To Read The Paris Census, Jacob Leavitt

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Digitizing 20th-century French census records offers a valuable resource for understanding demographic shifts during significant historical events such as the Thirty Years Crisis and the Industrial Revolution. These records provide insights into the migration patterns of Jewish populations during WWII, revealing how the war impacted Jewish communities and broader population movements. Additionally, they help researchers analyze the transformation of Paris’s neighborhoods over time, examining development and decline. To digitize these records with deep learning models, researchers face the challenge of developing a dataset that allows machine reading of handwritten French census entries. Traditionally, this would require extensive manual labeling of …

Cultural Barriers And Communication: South Asian Experiences In Health Care Settings, Sabahat Moughal

Publications and Research

For U.S. immigrants, communication is a complex aspect of integration into American society, and when it involves health care, communication can become particularly challenging and stressful. This is especially true for South Asian immigrants and their health care providers, who face language, cultural, and ethnic barriers. This study addresses the health communication challenges facing this immigrant community by gathering narratives from South Asian patients and health care professionals through in-depth, open-ended interviews, conducted via Zoom or in-person and voice-recorded. The interviews aim to assess communication styles (verbal and non-verbal), methods (such as symbolic practices and culturally specific terms), and regional …

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. …

Perceptions Of Clinicians Towards Offenders Who Utilize The Good Lives Model For Sex Offender Treatment, Janel Nicole Harper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Understanding how clinicians perceive offenders who utilize the strength-based good lives model (GLM) in treatment may help facilitate more acceptance among clinicians to incorporate strength-based alternatives as well as provide better therapeutic outcomes in treatment. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to examine the perceptions of clinicians who utilize the GLM for sex offender treatment. Grounded theory was utilized to formulate a theory regarding clinician perceptions towards offenders and its social change implications. The sample comprised of 11 clinical health professionals from mental health agencies who currently work or have worked with sex offenders within the past …

Kenyon Collegian - December 5, 2024

The Kenyon Collegian

No abstract provided.

Integrative Multi-Omics Analysis Uncovers Tumor-Immune-Gut Axis Influencing Immunotherapy Outcomes In Ovarian Cancer, Spencer R Rosario, Mark D Long, Shanmuga Chilakapati, Eduardo Cortes Gomez, Sebastiano Battaglia, Prashant K Singh, Jianmin Wang, Katy Wang, Kristopher Attwood, Suzanne M Hess, A J Robert Mcgray, Kunle Odunsi, Brahm H Segal, Gyorgy Paragh, Song Liu, Jennifer A Wargo, Emese Zsiros

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Recurrent ovarian cancer patients, especially those resistant to platinum, lack effective curative treatments. To address this, we conducted a phase 2 clinical trial (NCT02853318) combining pembrolizumab with bevacizumab, to increase T cell infiltration into the tumor, and oral cyclophosphamide, to reduce the number of regulatory T cells. The trial accrued 40 heavily pretreated recurrent ovarian cancer patients. The primary endpoint, progression free survival, was extended to a median of 10.2 months. The secondary endpoints demonstrated an objective response rate of 47.5%, and disease control in 30% of patients for over a year while maintaining a good quality of life. We …