Digital Commons Network^™

Lead Sources Detected In Manila's Air After The Phase-Out Of Leaded Gasoline, Grace Betito, Paola Angela Bañaga, Maria Obiminda L. Cambaliza, Melliza Templonuevo Cruz, James Bernard Simpas, Mengli Chen, Jariya Kayee, Armin Sorooshian, Rachel A. Braun, Alexander B. Macdonald

Ateneo Atmospheric Physics Laboratory

Abstract

The global phase-out of leaded gasoline marked a major milestone in pollution control, yet modern uses of lead (Pb) continue to pose significant health risks, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In the Philippines, significant data gaps still exist despite increasing exposure. This study presents to the best of our knowledge, the first Pb isotopic fingerprinting of atmospheric aerosols in Metro Manila, Philippines, covering fine (0.56–1 μm) and coarse (5.6–10 μm) fractions, collected in 2018–2019. Results show that local sources, mainly industrial activities (45–62 %) and fossil fuel combustion (30–45 %), are now the dominant contributors to airborne Pb, …

The Prospector, December 2, 2025, Utep Student Publications

The Prospector

No abstract provided.

Correlates Of Depressive Symptom Severity Among Adults With Epilepsy Participating In An Epilepsy Self-Management Clinical Trial, Rachel Branning, Michael Liu, David Silva, Jessica Black, Jacqueline Krehel-Montgomery, Nicole Fiorelli, Richard Barigye, Clara Adeniyi, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Background People living with epilepsy (PWE) experience higher rates of depression compared with the general population. Depression in PWE is associated with increased seizure burden and reduced quality of life. We aimed to examine clinical and demographic correlates of depression severity using the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire in PWE experiencing negative health events in the past 6 months. Aims (a) To assess how depressive severity correlated with seizure frequency; To examine how outcomes such as quality of life are influenced by depressive severity; To investigate how demographic factors affect depressive severity. Method Depressive severity was defined as a score of …

Quality Improvement Project: Trauma-Informed Care For Nurse Faculty, Nicke R. Wilson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Recent research in nursing education highlights trauma-informed care, noting that nurse faculty often understand the concept but lack formal training to apply it consistently. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project aimed to address this gap by developing an evidence-based Trauma-Informed Care training module to help faculty acquire the skills needed for psychologically safe and inclusive learning environments. This initiative aligned with the priorities of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Trauma-informed care is especially important in high-stress fields like nursing, where trauma can impact the performance, engagement, and well-being of both students and faculty. The project, conducted at …

Quality Improvement Project: Enhancing Nursing Documentation Of Patients’ Chief Complaints And Anatomical Site Markings In Radiographic Imaging Requests, Clara Odili

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Incomplete or inaccurate radiographic imaging requests remain a persistent barrier to diagnostic accuracy and patient safety in urgent care settings. The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) initiative was to enhance nursing documentation of patients’ chief complaints and anatomical site markings through an evidence-based educational intervention targeting nurse-trained X-ray technicians. Guided by Benner’s Novice-to-Expert framework and principles of evidence-based practice, this project employed a pre- and post-intervention design over a two-week implementation period. Data was collected using structured knowledge and competency assessments. Post-intervention findings demonstrated substantial improvements in documentation accuracy, with mean knowledge scores increasing by approximately 30% and self-reported …

Improving Lung Cancer Screening Rates Through Low-Dose Computed Tomography, Pauline Adhoch

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Tobacco use is the leading cause of lung cancer and one of the most preventable causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that 1.25 billion people smoke, resulting in significant social, economic, and health burdens. Despite this, opportunities to screen and refer eligible patients for lung cancer screening are often missed in primary care, contrary to the recommendations of the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). This quality improvement (QI) project educated clinical staff about the USPSTF guidelines for lung cancer screening to increase referral rates. Lewin’s Change Model guided behavior change, and the Iowa …

Factors Influencing Immediate Post-Angiographic Occlusion Outcomes In Intracranial Aneurysms Treated With The Woven Endobridge Device: A Multi-Center Analysis And Predictive Model From The Worldwideweb Consortium, Muhammed Amir Essibayi, Mohamed Sobhi Jabal, Hasan Jamil, Hamza Adel Salim, Basel Musmar, Nimer Adeeb, Mahmoud Dibas, Nicole M. Cancelliere, Jose Danilo Bengzon Diestro, Oktay Algin, Sherief Ghozy, Sovann V. Lay, Adrien Guenego, Leonardo Renieri, Joseph Carnevale, Guillaume Saliou, Panagiotis Mastorakos, Kareem El Naamani, Arbaz A. Momin, Eimad Shotar, Markus Möhlenbruch, Michael Kral, Charlotte Chung, Mohamed M. Salem, Ivan Lylyk, Paul M. Foreman, Hamza Shaikh, Vedran Župančić, Muhammad U. Hafeez, Joshua Catapano, Muhammad Waqas, Muhammed Said Besler, Yasin Celal Gunes, James D. Rabinov, Julian Maingard, Clemens M. Schirmer, Mariangela Piano, Anna L. Kühn, Caterina Michelozzi, Robert M. Starke, Ameer Hassan, Mark Ogilvie, Anh Nguyen, Jesse Jones, Waleed Brinjikji, Marie T. Nawka, Marios Psychogios, Christian Ulfert, Bryan Pukenas, Jan-Karl Burkhardt, Thien Huynh, Juan Carlos Martinez-Gutierrez, Sunil A. Sheth, Diana Slawski, Rabih Tawk, Benjamin Pulli, Boris Lubicz, Pietro Panni, Ajit S. Puri, Guglielmo Pero, Eytan Raz, Christoph J. Griessenauer, Hamed Asadi, Adnan Siddiqui, Elad I. Levy, Deepak Khatri, Neil Haranhalli, Andrew F. Ducruet, Felipe C. Albuquerque, Robert W. Regenhardt, Christopher J. Stapleton, Peter Kan, Vladimir Kalousek, Pedro Lylyk, Srikanth Boddu, Jared Knopman, Stavropoula I. Tjoumakaris, Hugo H. Cuellar-Saenz, Pascal M. Jabbour, Frédéric Clarençon, Nicola Limbucci, Vitor Mendes Pereira, Aman B. Patel, David J Altschul, Adam A. Dmytriw, Worldwideweb Consortium Collaborators

Jefferson Hospital Staff Papers and Presentations

The Woven EndoBridge (WEB) device treats wide-necked bifurcation aneurysms, but occlusion rates vary. This study aims to identify factors associated with immediate WEB device occlusion. Data from patients treated with WEB devices across 36 sites were analyzed. Machine learning algorithms and ordinal regression models were developed to predict immediate incomplete occlusion for ruptured and unruptured aneurysms. The study included 1565 patients, with 436 ruptured and 1129 unruptured aneurysms. Immediate complete occlusion was achieved in 38.3% of ruptured and 32.8% of unruptured aneurysms. For ruptured aneurysms, the CatBoost classifier achieved an AUROC of 0.69. Key predictors of incomplete occlusion included pretreatment …

Exploring The Socioeconomic Determinants Of Abortion: Evidence From Pennsylvania, Guido Giuntini, Allyssa A. Wadsworth, Michael A. Malcolm

Pennsylvania Economic Review

Economic factors play a key role in determining fertility and the number of abortions performed. Using detailed county-level data from Pennsylvania, we used fixed-effects analysis to examine how changes in these economic factors are related to the number of abortions. Our most robust estimate suggests that each percentage point increase in the poverty rate is associated with approximately 5 additional abortions per 1000 live births, but that increases in college education rates are associated with a decline in abortions. We also offer some preliminary evidence on the effects of partisanship, religiosity and proximity to an abortion clinic.

Ai Companions And The Lessons Of Family Law, Clare Huntington

Minnesota Law Review Vols. 106:2 onward (2021-present)

Virtual friends and lovers powered by artificial intelligence are rapidly moving to the center of our emotional and social lives. Millions of people turn to AI companions every day for conversation, romance, sexual intimacy, therapy, and education. AI companionship holds promise, potentially reducing loneliness, supporting people without access to mental health treatment, helping students learn, and offering a judgment-free space for sensitive conversations. But AI companionship also raises significant concerns. The technology’s addictiveness may exacerbate loneliness and can undermine human relationships. Therapy bots may prove more harmful than helpful. AI companions can be emotionally abusive. And their access to the …

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly: A Comparative Constitutional Analysis Of Whistleblowing Speech, The Government's Managerial Domain, And The Imperatives Of Democratic Self-Government, Ronald J. Krotoszynski Jr.

Minnesota Law Review Vols. 106:2 onward (2021-present)

Since issuing its 1968 landmark decision in Pickering, which first recognized that the First Amendment protects government employees’ speech about matters of public concern, the U.S. Supreme Court has proceeded to whittle away First Amendment protections for government employees. The Justices have done so by adopting a series of categorical exclusions to Pickering that all strongly favor the government as an employer and manager. These subsequent decisions have created a jurisprudential obstacle course that government employees must successfully run in order to invoke the Free Speech Clause at all. The current U.S. approach is plainly bad. However, it could …

Securitizing The University, Maryam Jamshidi

Minnesota Law Review Vols. 106:2 onward (2021-present)

Since October 7, 2023, public and private actors have doubled down on efforts to securitize the American university. In large part, these initiatives aim to quash a vocal pro-Palestine movement that has become highly visible across U.S. campuses since October 7th. In targeting this group, these efforts have variously treated the university as an “object” of national security, namely, as a potential site of national security risk, while simultaneously encouraging or pressuring universities to “participate” in national security, namely, by actively and, in many cases, voluntarily furthering U.S. national security objectives. The university’s status as object of and participant in …

Floods, Public Budgets And Fiscal Resilience: Evidence From Italian Municipalities, Alessandro Bellocchi, Chiara Lodi, Giovanni Marin, Giuseppe Travaglini, Matteo Zavalloni

Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei Working Papers

We examine the impact of extreme hydrogeological events on local governments’ fiscal responses in Italy between 2016 and 2022, with a focus on how local public finances contribute to disaster resilience. Leveraging the staggered timing of disaster declarations and employing a difference-in-differences framework, we estimate dynamic treatment effects on revenue and expenditure of municipal governments. Our findings indicate that local governments of affected municipalities significantly increase total and capital expenditures in the aftermath of disasters, particularly in functions related to emergency management, environmental protection and economic development. These spending increases are primarily financed through capital revenues and transfers from higher …

Dairy And Food Science Student Newsletter, December 2, 2025, Department Of Dairy And Food Science

Dairy and Food Science Student Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Quality Improvement Project: Nursing Faculty Mental Health Literacy Assessment And Evaluation, Elesha Roberts

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Mental illness is a major healthcare concern affecting young adults enrolled in college. College students enrolled in nursing programs in particular face intense academic pressure due to the demands and rigor of the program. Students commonly report symptoms associated with depression, anxiety, and suicide. Nursing faculty often do not feel comfortable approaching students about these concerns and other related mental health issues. Many faculty members lack the knowledge and skill to identify mental health issues and provide resources to support students in need. Faculty should be mental health literate and aware of campus resources. The purpose of this quality improvement …

The Effect Of Diet-Derived Thiaminase On Survival, Growth, And Liver Transketolase Activity In Two Strains Of Lake Trout (Salvelinus Namaycush), Christian A. Therrien, Peter M. Baker, Shawn R. Garner, Patricia C. Wolfe, Sarah Matesic, Katie A. Edwards, Chris C. Wilson, Heidi K. Swanson, Bryan D. Neff

Pharmacy Faculty Scholarship

The consumption of invasive, high-thiaminase prey fishes can cause thiamine deficiency, which has been hypothesized to be a major barrier for lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) restoration in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Here, we compared the effects of diet-derived thiaminase on survival and performance-related traits between two strains of lake trout that differ in historical exposure to thiaminase. Juvenile lake trout from the Seneca Lake (higher historical exposure to thiaminase) and Slate Islands (lower historical exposure) strains were reared in a common garden environment and received either an experimental diet containing bacterial derived-thiaminase or a control diet. Six months after the …

Beyond Judicial Dialogue: Reference To Domestic Law By The Inter–American Court Of Human Rights, Soledad Bertelsen

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

The recent freeze of U.S. funding to the Inter–American Commission on Human Rights serves as a reminder of how fragile the Inter–American System of Human Rights truly is. The effectiveness of the Inter–American institutions largely depends on their legitimacy in the eyes of the member states. This article argues how the legitimacy of the Inter–American Court can be enhanced by the language used in its judgments. The paper focuses on how references to domestic law in the case–law of the Inter–American Court can persuade states to comply with its decisions. Citations transcend the much–discussed judicial dialogue since they also reference …

Magic Mushrooms As Medicine: What The United States Can Learn From Jamaica’S Unregulated Psilocybin Industry As Fda Approval Nears, Kyle Spohn

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

In 1970, Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act and swiftly placed psilocybin (the active chemical in “magic mushrooms”) under Schedule I—the strictest level of regulation withheld for substances with “no currently accepted medical use.” While the United States has maintained this rigid framework, Jamaica has taken the opposite approach. Psilocybin was never listed under Jamaica’s Dangerous Drugs Act, and remains unregulated. In recent decades, research has shown that psilocybin, when administered in controlled settings, can effectively treat depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric conditions. In response, the Jamaican government has not only preserved psilocybin’s legality but has encouraged research and industry …

Liturgia Queer Para Afrontar La Situación De Forma Activa: Oraciones Judías Para Tratamientos Y Pruebas Médicas Lgbtiq+, Elazar Ben-Lulu Dr

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

In recent years, medicine has moved toward greater inclusivity of the LGBTIQ+ community, ushering in an era focused on health needs linked to diverse identities. This qualitative study analyzes six contemporary Jewish prayers that address LGBTIQ+ concerns, such as support for medical care and treatments related to sexual and gender identities, including hiv/aids. Often written by LGBTIQ+ rabbis, these liturgies introduce new conceptions of body, gender, sexuality, and divinity. They express reverence for creation, trust in medicine, and respect for the body’s capacity for transformation, articulating queer Jewish liturgy as active coping.

December 2025 Faculty Senate Packet, University Of Nebraska At Kearney Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Packets

No abstract provided.

¡El Cielo Es Una Habitación Llena De Mujeres Gordas Riendo!, Lisa Isherwood

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

This article examines a pervasive yet often overlooked form of abuse against women: the lifelong regulation of bodily size and shape. While acknowledging the horrific rise in domestic physical violence during the United Kingdom’s lockdown, the focus shifts to the normalized pressures of patriarchal control that women internalize from an early age. Such control disguises itself as concern or benefit, yet inflicts profound personal and spiritual harm. Approaching the issue from a Western perspective, the article argues that, within an incarnational faith, the disciplined body becomes the very site of resistance where transformative divine power is located in human experience.

Longitudinal Pharmacokinetic And Safety Studies Of An Antibody-Erythropoietin Fusion Protein For Alzheimer's Disease, Rudy Chang, Devaraj Venkatapura Chandrashekar, G. Chuli Roules, Nataraj Jagadeesan, Emi Iwasaki, Adenike Oyegbesan, Hayk Davtyan, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Erythropoietin (EPO) shows promise for Alzheimer's disease (AD) but has poor brain penetration, necessitating high doses that cause hematopoietic side effects. To improve brain delivery, EPO was fused to a transferrin receptor monoclonal antibody (TfRMAb), and this study evaluated the pharmacokinetics (PK), safety, and efficacy of repeated TfRMAb-EPO dosing in mice to further its preclinical development. C57BL/6J male mice (10 weeks old, n = 4–5/dose) received subcutaneous (SQ) low (1 mg/kg), mid (3 and 6 mg/kg), or high (20 mg/kg) TfRMAb-EPO doses for 4 weeks. The 1 mg/kg dose showed no adverse effects and resulted in sustained brain and plasma …

Genomic Surveillance Uncovers Regional Variation In Hcv Transmission Networks In Rural United States, Damien C. Tully, David J. Bean, Jacklyn Sarette, Thang Long Ngo, Karen A. Power, Daniel Brook, Hannah Cooper, Judith Feinberg, Peter D. Friedmann, Karli R. Hochstatter, Jennifer R. Havens, Shanna Babalonis, Christopher Hurt, Wiley Jenkins, P. Todd Korthuis, William Miller, Mai T. Pho, Gordon Smith, Thomas J. Stopka, Judith I. Tsui, L. Sarah Mixson, Ryan P. Westergaard, April M. Young, Todd M. Allen

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a public health concern in the United States, particularly in rural communities where the opioid epidemic accelerates transmission among people who use drugs (PWUD). Despite this growing burden, the genetic features and transmission dynamics of HCV in these settings are poorly understood. We analyze 692 HCV antibody-positive specimens collected from rural communities in ten U.S. states using amplicon-based deep sequencing and the Global Hepatitis Outbreak and Surveillance Technology (GHOST) platform to reconstruct transmission networks. Among sequenced individuals, 29.5% are linked within clusters. Cluster structure varies by region from sparse networks in Ohio to dense clusters …

Redefining Resistance: Las Madres De La Plaza De Mayo, Echoes Of Trauma And Memory In Argentina, Elizabeth J. Kaye

Honors Theses

Argentina's "Dirty War" (1976–1983) stands as one of the darkest and most painful periods in the nation’s history. During these years, the military dictatorship, known as the "Proceso de Reorganización Nacional," implemented a systematic campaign of state terrorism, targeting suspected political protesters, activists, intellectuals, and ordinary citizens. Widespread kidnappings, illegal detentions, and forced disappearances became routine, with an estimated 30,000 people vanishing without a trace. Families were left in despair, searching for answers that the government refused to provide. In response, a group of determined mothers, known as “Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo”, formed a powerful movement demanding …

State Of California Cannabis Reporting, University Of Mississippi – National Center For Cannabis Research And Education

California

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. …

Resolution On Response To Campus Threats, Jeff Stowell

Faculty Senate Resolutions

This resolution is the work of multiple faculty on Faculty Senate and at large, and is a response to perceived gaps in campus safety protocols.

Constitutional Law On Abortion In Latin America And The Caribbean: A Regional Consensus Towards An International Custom Or A Peremptory Norm Of Jus Cogens?, Ligia Castaldi

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

The Inter–American Court of Human Rights recently declared the existence of a jus cogens right to a healthy environment: could it lawfully reach the same conclusion regarding a right to abortion? This paper examines constitutional law and constitutional jurisprudence on abortion in Latin American and Caribbean countries to determine whether a regional consensus exists on abortion rights in the region. The paper looks at landmark abortion decisions favoring abortion rights in Colombia and Mexico, as well as broad abortion decriminalization through statutory reform in Argentina, Uruguay, Haiti and Cuba. The paper also looks at prenatal right to life protections in …

December 2, 2025 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Reducing Storage-Related Bias In Reproductive Vitamin D Research: Towards A Stable And Reliable Biomarker Of Ovarian Vitamin D Status, Evelin E Lara-Molina, Jason M. Franasiak, Almudena Devesa-Peiro, Marina López-Nogueroles, Alberto Vázquez, David Amorós, Agustín Ballesteros, Antonio Pellicer, Patricia Sebastian-Leon, Patricia Diaz-Gimeno

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

Background/Objectives: One of the main reasons for discrepancies in the role of vitamin D in ART could be the measurement of the conventional biomarker 25(OH)D₃. It is known that this value is affected by multiple factors, such as tissue origin, assay variability, classification criteria, and potential storage-related degradation. In this study, we investigate 24,25(OH)₂D₃ as a new biomarker to improve vitamin D assessment in women’s reproductive health, particularly regarding oocyte development. Methods: A prospective cohort study including 35 oocyte donors undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation, who were recruited between October and November 2017, was conducted. Vitamin …