Digital Commons Network^™

Between The Calm Lake Waters, Adrian Martinez

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Triangular Interaction Between Dietary Polyphenols, Gut Microbiota, And Metabolic Syndrome, Emily Bayliss

Senior Honors Theses

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a growing global health concern characterized by peripheral insulin resistance as well as impaired insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells. Emerging evidence suggests that the gut microbiome, specifically gut dysbiosis, an imbalance in the gut microbiome, is a critical modulator of the pathophysiology of T2DM. Dietary polyphenols, a diverse group of bioactive compounds that are abundant in plant-based foods, have recently gained attention for their potential to attenuate metabolic disorders through their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as well as through modulating the composition and activity of gut microbes, thereby attenuating dysbiosis. However, the diabetic state …

T Cell Senescence And Nociplastic Pain: A Proposed Etiological Mechanism, Kayla S. Riggleman

Senior Honors Theses

Nociplastic pain is a newly identified chronic pain phenotype characterized by widespread hyperalgesia and allodynia. Its etiological mechanisms are currently unknown, making medical intervention elusive. The proposed pathophysiological model connects immunosenescence with a degradation of the blood-brain barrier as a result of peripheral inflammation. Neuronal hyperexcitability and glial cell activation result, leading to nociplastic pain. It is currently thought that central sensitization is the key mechanistic driver of nociplastic pain, so this literature review seeks to expound on that. Based on this framework, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy and stem cell treatments are proposed therapeutic methodologies to be explored. …

Investigating The Mechanisms By Which Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis Contributes To The Autoimmune Response In Multiple Sclerosis, Abigail Houtrouw

Honors Theses

This literature review explores the multifaceted relationship between gut microbiome (GM) dysbiosis and multiple sclerosis (MS), highlighting key themes that advance understanding of disease pathogenesis and therapeutic potential for treatments targeting the gut. The review underscores the immune system dysregulation in MS, emphasizing the roles of T cells, B cells, and microglia in neuroinflammation and demyelination. Historically, MS pathogenesis was thought to be driven mainly by T-cell dysregulation, but current research highlights the additional roles of B-cells and microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Additionally, this literature review identifies GM alterations and dysbiosis as critical …

Global, Regional, And National Burden Of Cardiovascular Diseases And Risk Factors In 204 Countries And Territories, 1990-2023, Global Burden Of Cardiovascular Diseases And Risks 2023 Collaborators, Benjamin A. Stark, Nicole K. Decleene, Emily C. Desai, Johnathan M. Hsu, Catherine O. Johnson, Laura Lara-Castor, Kate E. Legrand, Prof Bhoomadevi A, Mohammad Amin Aalipour, Hasan Aalruz, Bedru J. Abafita, Ukachukwu O. Abaraogu, Mohammad Abavisani, Nasir Abbas, Madineh Abbasi, Mohammadreza Abbasian, Hedayat Abbastabar, Abdallah H.A. Abd Al Magied, Samar Abd Elhafeez, Prof Ahmed Abdelalim, Omar M. Abdelfattah, Prof Reda Abdel-Hameed, Mahmoud Abdelnabi, Prof Wael M Abdel-Rahman, Parsa Abdi, Wakgari Mosisa Abdisa, Daba Abdissa, Arman Abdous, Mujahid Abdullah

Peninsula Medical School

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality and are among the foremost causes of disability globally. CVD burden has continued to increase in most countries since 1990, with trends driven by changing exposures to harmful risk factors, population growth, and population aging. Objectives: We report estimates of global, national, and subnational CVD burden, including 18 subdiseases and 12 associated modifiable risk factors. We analyzed change in CVD burden from 1990 to 2023 and identified drivers of change including population growth, population aging, and risk factor exposure. Methods: The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 study, a multinational …

Christmas Calories And Hallmark Movies, Mark Volkers

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Christmas is a great time to indulge in a few sweets, while also enjoying hearty meals that give us strength for the new year to come."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­balancing seasonal comforts with faithful living from In All Things, an online hub that offers insight into maintaining and faithful and orthodox Reformed Christian worldview while fearlessly engaging in every aspect of contemporary life – until all is made new.

Christmas Calories and Hallmark Movies

Inhibition Of Clostridioides Difficile-Specific Dna Adenine Methyltransferase Cama By Analogs Of S‑Adenosyl‑L‑Methionine, Jujun Zhou, Youchao Deng, Dan Yu, Taraneh Hajian, Masoud Vedadi, Xing Zhang, Robert M Blumenthal, Rong Huang, Xiaodong Cheng

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Epigenetically targeted therapies, especially those inhibiting S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM)-dependent methylations of DNA, mRNA, and histones, have advanced rapidly in cancer treatment. However, these therapies remain underexplored for antibiotic development, despite the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. Here, we screened a focused library of SAM analogs against the DNA adenine methyltransferase CamA specific to the enteric pathogen Clostridioides difficile. At the same time, we examined six other adenine methyltransferases, including two bacterial DNA methyltransferases and four human RNA methyltransferases having distinct RNA substrates. Compound 113 selectively inhibited CamA (IC50 = 0.15 μM). In addition, compound 67 inhibited Caulobacter crescentus CcrM …

The Prospector, December 2, 2025, Utep Student Publications

The Prospector

No abstract provided.

Hif-2-Dependent Regulation Of Pthrp And Paraneoplastic Hypercalcemia In Aggressive Clear-Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Arijit Mal, Bingqing Xie, Zane Gray, Charlotte Small, Susmita G Ramanand, Yunpeng Gao, Vanina Toffessi Tcheuyap, Sashi Debnath, Alana Christie, Jeffrey Miyata, Brooklyn Jackson, Hua Zhong, Boning Gao, Jay Lohrey, Naim M Maalouf, Sangeetha M Reddy, John D Minna, Ivan Pedrosa, Xiankai Sun, Ram S Mani, Payal Kapur, James Brugarolas

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients with hypercalcemia (HC) have worse outcomes. HC often involves PTHrP, and the role of HIF-2 is incompletely understood. Leveraging RCC tumorgraft (TG) models of HC, which were characterized by tumor cell autonomous inflamatory/immune signatures, we show that HIF-2 inhibition with PT2399 frequently normalized calcium, downregulated circulating PTHrP and reduced HIF-2 binding to the PTHLH (PTHrP) promoter. Likely contributing to the selective induction of PTHrP in a subset of HIF-2-dependent tumors, the PTHLH locus was generally more accessible in TG(HC). However, PTHLH chromatin accessibility was grossly unaffected by PT2399, unlike elsewhere (including EPO locus in a …

Line Transect Surveys And Initial Estimates Of Abundance For Sea Turtles In Biscayne National Park, Florida., Kathryn C. Price

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtle are two species of marine megafauna that have suffered abundance declines due to increased anthropogenic pressures. Assessing the distribution and abundance of sea turtles is essential for conserving and managing these imperiled species; however, assessing sea turtle populations poses difficulties due to the sea turtles’ highly migratory nature. Distance sampling surveys are extensively used to study populations of wide-ranging species. In this study, vessel-based line transect survey data collected throughout 2024 were used to estimate overall and seasonal sea turtle abundances and distribution throughout Biscayne National Park, …

Single Compost Application Benefits For Organic Dryland Wheat Production, Shikha Sharma, Matt Yost, Earl Creech, Jennifer R. Reeve, Astrid R. Jacobson, Idowu Ademola Atoloye

All Current Publications

This research highlights the long-term value of compost in dryland wheat systems, where water scarcity and declining soil fertility limit productivity. A single, high-rate compost application (22 tons per acre) can improve soil moisture content, organic carbon content, aggregate stability, and microbial activity. All these benefits contributed to higher and more stable wheat yields, even more than two decades after application. These changes help to make the compost-treated wheat more resilient during dry years. While composting incurs a high upfront cost, its long-term benefits can significantly reduce the need for repeated fertilizer or soil amendments, offering cost and labor savings …

Netherton Syndrome: A Systematic Review Of The Challenges Of Diagnosis And Treatment, Maximus S. Reese, Ryan Nguyen, Noor Chughtai, Philip J. Haynos, Salma Alkhatib, Shantanu Amin, Ethan Speer, Jared Nichols

Student Publications

Netherton syndrome is an autosomal recessive genodermatosis caused by biallelic mutations in the SPINK5 gene, a gene that codes for lymphoepithelial Kazal-type-related inhibitor 1 (LEKT1) protein. This disorder is characterized by erythroderma, ichthyosis, hair shaft abnormalities, and immune dysregulation. While there is increasing research and recognition of Netherton syndrome, much remains unknown, with limited knowledge of the history, manifestations, and responses to therapies. The purpose of this study was to review case reports of Netherton’s to draw conclusions from patient demographics, symptoms, treatment, and outcomes. A systematic review of 30 case reports and clinical studies on Netherton syndrome was conducted, …

Readability Analysis Of Aaos And Assh Shoulder And Elbow Patient Education Online Content: A 9-Year Follow-Up Study, Connor Parry, Teresa Veselack, Matthew Doscher, Bryan G. Beutel

Student Publications

Given the progressive spread of medical misinformation, access to understandable educational content from trusted sources has become increasingly more crucial for patients. Online patient education materials, particularly from specialty organizations, have been criticized for being too complex for the average reader. It is advised that this information be at or below the 6^th-grade reading level. This study is a 9-year follow-up to an analysis conducted in 2013 which evaluated the overall readability of educational articles from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) websites related to shoulder and elbow …

Using Gnotobiotic Mice To Decipher Effects Of Gut Microbiome Repair In Undernourished Children On Tuft And Goblet Cell Function, Yi Wang, Hao-Wei Chang, Jiye Cheng, Daniel M Webber, Hannah M Lynn, Matthew C Hibberd, Clara Kao, Ishita Mostafa, Tahmeed Ahmed, Michael J Barratt, Jeffrey I Gordon

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Studies have implicated perturbations in the postnatal development of the gut microbiome as a contributing factor to childhood undernutrition. Compared to a standard ready-to-use supplementary food, a microbiome-directed complementary food (MDCF-2) designed to repair these perturbations produced superior improvements in ponderal and linear growth in clinical trials of Bangladeshi children with moderate acute malnutrition. Here, "reverse translation" experiments are performed where intact fecal microbiomes collected from trial participants before and at the end of treatment are introduced into female gnotobiotic mice just after delivery of their pups. Pups received diets designed to resemble those consumed by children in the trials …

Sex, The Body, And Learning Gender: Demons In The World Of The Five Gods, Erin E. Mcbrien

Mythopoeic Society Seminar Proceedings

“Sex, the Body, and Learning Gender” analyzes the relationship between the physical body, sexual orientation, and gender as characterized within Lois McMaster Bujold’s World of the Five Gods series, with a particular emphasis on her Penric and Desdemona novellas. Using the framework of Bussey and Bandura’s social learning theory, and a close reading of Bujold’s text, this paper explores how the demonic characters within this series are an example of gender as a learned concept rather than a biological imperative. This is further developed by examining how the demonic characters both imprint on and contrast against the more societally-bound sorcerers …

Unclos: Developments In Regulations On Deep-Sea Mining In International Waters, Logan Berg

Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

Systematic Classification Of Recent Benthic Foraminifera In Socotra Island And Hadhramout Coastline And Their Environmental Significance, Wafa’A M. Al-Qadassi, Mohammed A. Al-Wosabi, Enas A. Ahmed

Sultan Qaboos University Journal For Science

This study explores the ecological significance of benthic foraminifera in the subtropical marine ecosystems of Socotra Island and the Hadhramout coastline, located in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. A total of 216 species from 91 genera were identified in 32 surface sand samples collected during 2017 and 2018. The study examines how environmental factors including salinity, temperature, and substrate type affect the distribution of foraminifera. The results reveal that the assemblages and species diversity are distinct in each studied region, indicating a notable adaptability of foraminifera to specific environments. This work highlights the potential of benthic foraminifera as bioindicators …

Mineralogical, Chemical And Physical Properties Of Zeolite Minerals In The Maryah Area, Dhamar, Yemen, Amer M. Al-Sabri, Salah A. Al-Khirbash, Nabil M. Al-Areeq

Sultan Qaboos University Journal For Science

Natural zeolite minerals are a group of hydrated aluminosilicates known for their unique properties, including ion exchange, adsorption, and catalytic capabilities. This paper aims to delineate the mineralogical, chemical, and physical properties of natural zeolite minerals in the Maryah area, Dhamar, Yemen and highlight their significance in various applications such as agriculture, environment, and industry. The petrographic study indicates that the zeolitization processes occurred due to volcanic glass alteration. Based on the XRD pattern, it was found that the zeolite minerals are clinoptilolite and hollandite, which represent most of the mineral content, and they are among the common commercial types …

Enhancing Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite Performance Through Silane Coupling Agents, Muhammad Umair, Ayesha Shahbaz, Amna Siddique, Khubab Shaker, Zulfiqar Ahmad Rehan

Sultan Qaboos University Journal For Science

The utilization of natural fibers as reinforcement in composite materials is becoming increasingly significant due to their renewable nature and capacity to biodegrade, making them a viable alternative to glass fibers. The present study aims to evaluate and compare the impact of coupling agents made of silane on the characteristics of composites derived from jute and glass fibers. To improve the adhesion between the fiber-matrix interface, a silane coupling agent was applied to the jute and glass woven reinforcements. The present study aimed to explore the effects of varying silane concentrations (1%, 2%, and 3%) on the mechanical properties, specifically …

Antioxidant Status And Lipid Profile Of Experimental Rats Fed Animal Fat And Costus Afer Plant (Ker Gawl) Part Diets, Folake Lucy Oyetayo, Bukola Oluwagbemiga, Damilola Abosede Ojo

Sultan Qaboos University Journal For Science

Costus afer is an ethnomedicinal plant used in Africa for the management of hyperglycemia. Influences of Costus afer plant parts on key indicators linked to hyperlipidemia and antioxidant enzyme status were determined in this study. HPLC analysis displayed quercetin (67.84 μg/g) as the most dominant phenolic in the leaf. Seven rats were placed on commercial diet as control while forty-two rats placed on beef fat (tallow)/Animal fat diet (AFD) for two-weeks were randomly assigned into six dietary groups (2–7) of seven rats each viz; Group 1 normal diet, Group 2 animal fat diet (AFD), while Groups 3–7 pre-fed AFD rats …

Bard Observer Vol. 24, No. 3 (December 2025), Bard College

Bard Observer, 2020 - 2029

No abstract provided.

Aged 539 Graduate Internship Report - Mt. Whitney High School, Tule Marie Cardoza

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This project reviewed a high school agricultural education program with an emphasis on agricultural mechanics. Program strengths and needs were identified through curriculum and resource evaluation. Based on the findings, a budget was developed to support equipment, materials, and instructional improvements for the ag mechanics program.

Aged 539 Graduate Internship Report - Monache High School, Karli Hampton

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

The goal of this project was to create a clear and organized Introduction to Agricultural Mechanics curriculum that gives students a strong starting point within the Monache High School agricultural mechanics pathway. The curriculum now provides students with consistent expectations related to safety, basic tool use, and appropriate behavior in a shop setting that directly supports the structure and expectations of the Monache Agricultural Mechanics Program.

Applicability Of Syntropic Agriculture To A Semi-Arid Continental Climate: Alentejo To New Mexico, Arielle Nathan, Joana Dionisio Msc, João Serra, Joseph Lanning, Cátia Magro Dr.

Journal of Critical Global Issues

Conventional industrial agriculture has detrimental effects on the environment including pollution and overconsumption of water, soil degradation, and biodiversity reduction. An environmentally sustainable future of food production requires alternative methods that limit negative environmental consequences. Syntropic Agriculture (SA) is a promising farming alternative especially for arid systems at risk of desertification. New Mexico, USA, is a semi-arid continental climate in a prolonged period of drought and predicted to experience worsening agricultural conditions including desertification, wildfire intensification, and exacerbated water scarcity. The Alentejo region of Portugal has a Mediterranean climate with similar agricultural challenges. The agroecological transition project, Terra Sintrópica, located …

Teachers’ Perspectives On Text Selection In A Time Of Book Bans And Censorship, Natalie Sue Svrcek, Kathleen Colantonio-Yurko, Henry "Cody" Miller

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The last 4 years of headlines describing the various book bans and curricular gag orders happening in the United States serve as an important context for P–12 teachers’ daily work. This article describes the findings from a qualitative survey that sought to understand what influences P–12 teachers’ text selection for teaching and for inclusion in their classroom library in the aforementioned context. Teachers reported stakeholders who held decision-making power as well as which stakeholders were influential in their text selection. Three overarching themes emerged from teachers’ most influential factors in their text selection: social and communal influences, literary content and …

Universal Classroom Design, Michelle Dodson Landry

Women’s Leadership

This research seeks to bridge the gap between K–12 inclusion practices and the realities of higher education by exploring how universal design, institutional support, and educators’ belief systems can create more inclusive environments and support students to have higher grades and more intrinsic mastery of the subject matter. It is not enough to mandate inclusion; we must actively build systems that support all learners, regardless of whether their disability is visible, diagnosed, or self-identified. This study looked at the efficacy of universal classroom design in raising the median grade in a course. The median grade in this course has historically …

Aged 539 Graduate Internship Report - Bellevue Senior Elementary School, Aimee M. Snell

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This paper assesses and reflects on how Bellevue Senior Elementary School's single teacher agriculture elective class is growing and how well it aligns with the California Department of Education (CDE) standards of a quality agriculture program at this time. The development of a POA for an after school Ag Discovery Club modeled after the FFA Organization is also included in this document.

Aged 539 Graduate Internship Report – Kerman High School, Anne Dykstra

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This project reviewed the agricultural education program at Kerman High School. The report highlights both program strengths and areas requiring further development, including student retention, pathways, and facility improvements. Based on the findings, the research identified additional course offerings and curriculum updates to enable the program to improve in the coming years.

Aged 539 Graduate Internship Report – San Marcos High School, Stephanie Navarrete

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This project report includes documentation required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The supporting documents include information to prove that San Marcos High School is meeting the requirements. This document also provides an overview of San Marcos High School agriculture program.

Aged 539 Graduate Internship Report- El Capitan High School, David Reyes

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This graduate internship portfolio demonstrates the development and implementation of a comprehensive agricultural education program at El Capitan High School. It includes evidence of meeting California Agriculture Education standards through classroom instruction, SAE supervision, and FFA leadership activities. The document showcases key program components such as course outlines, advisory committee materials, program plans, recruitment efforts, budget processes, and professional development. A major focus of the internship was creating structured curriculum resources including pacing guides for the introductory agriculture course to strengthen instructional continuity and student engagement. Through program organization, collaboration, and leadership development, this internship highlights meaningful progress in advancing …