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Program: 2025 Featured Lecture, "Abandonment And Freedom A Philosopher Looks At The Religious Life", Zena Hitz

Frank Pack Distinguished Christian Scholar Lecture Program

Program for the Twentieth Annual Frank Pack Distinguished Christian Scholar Lecture Program with the featured lecturer Zena Hitz, tutor in the great books program at St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland.

Resonances Of Universalism In Tolkien's Legendarium, Nick Polk

Journal of Tolkien Research

Presented at the inaugural Holy Moot, a survey of a collection of passages from Tolkien's writings that demonstrate having the resonances of patristic universalism is conducted. It is then argued that all Tolkien’s writings be investigated separately in their context, comparing the location of each item under investigation with one another, and explore their connections without syncretizing them into a monolithic construct. To do this, it is argued that a hermeneutical theory rooted in the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead is necessary. Concluding is a connecting of Whitehead's understanding of the expression of language with Tolkien’s own understanding of expression …

Pain Education And Preparation Across Health Care Professions: A Scoping Review, Rodiel Kirby L. Baloy

Journal of Innovation in Health Sciences Education

Introduction: There is an ongoing evolution in the understanding of pain biology and its underlying mechanisms. Healthcare professionals’ education and preparation must adapt to continue to provide effective management for individuals experiencing pain. A review of current studies in pain education and preparation across healthcare professions was performed. This scoping review provided theories and will be part of a larger study assessing pain preparation in physical therapy.

Methods: A scoping review of articles discussing pain education and preparation of healthcare professions, including dentistry (2), medicine (8), nursing (7), occupational safety and health (1), occupational and physical therapy (2), and …

Knowledge And Attitude Towards Genetics And Genetic Testing Among Late Adolescents And Adults In Indonesia, Asyirah Mujahidah Fillah, Muh Akram, Clarissa Evangelina Hartono, Annette D'Arqom, Zakiyatul Faizah, Danti Nur Indiastuti, Nurina Hasanatuludhhiyah, Mhd Zamal Nasution, Junaidah Yusof

Journal of Health Research

Background: Despite the potential benefits, genetic testing has a negative stigma in Indonesia, leading to relatively low utilization. Without adequate knowledge, the incidence of genetic disorders could rise. Thus, a clear understanding of knowledge and attitudes towards genetics and testing among late adolescents and adults is crucial.

Method: A web-based questionnaire was administered between May and October 2022. Respondents (n= 467), composed of late adolescents (n= 332) and adults (n= 135), were recruited through social media and email. General genetic knowledge, perceptions about personal knowledge of genetic testing applications and its social implications, and the attitude toward genetic …

Ya-Hok-Sing: Bioactive Substance Components, In Vitro Toxicity, And A Case Series, Khareeyoh Asae, Oratai Neamsuvan, Nantiya Joycharat

Journal of Health Research

Background: Ya-Hok-Sing is a traditional Thai polyherbal medicine used by Singhanakhon healers, Thailand. This study aimed to provide scientific evidence supporting the traditional use of Ya-Hok-Sing as an anti-fever remedy.

Methods: The chemical fingerprinting and in vitro toxicity of Ya-Hok-Sing were investigated using the Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole time-of-flight-Mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS) method and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The clinical efficacy of Ya-Hok-Sing for fever relief was examined using a case series of five patients following treatment from a traditional Thai healer.

Results: The mass-spectrometry-total ion chromatogram (MS‑TIC) for Ya-Hok-Sing revealed the presence of thirty-six compounds, including twenty-one phenolics and fifteen organic acids. …

The Supporting Role Of Physical Exercise In The Prevention And Treatment Of Neurodegenerative And Mental Diseases, Celestyna Grzywniak

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

The aim of the article is to draw attention to the possibility of using physical exercises in treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, dementia as well as mental disorders, particularly depression. This article emphasizes the significance of physical exercise in stimulating the nervous system, including the glial cells, as well as their role in the production of proteins called myokines and myostatins belonging to cytokines. It briefly characterizes the most common neurotrophins in the human body including the BDNF and their role in stabilizing and treating neurodegenerative and mental diseases. It presents the secretory functions of skeletal …

Neuropeptide-Dependent Spike Time Precision And Plasticity In Circadian Output Neurons, Bryan Chong, Vipin Kumar, Dieu Linh Nguyen, Makenzie A. Hopkins, Faith S. Ferry, Lucia K. Spera, Elizabeth M. Paul, Anelise N. Hutson, Masashi Tabuchi

Faculty Scholarship

Circadian rhythms influence various physiological and behavioral processes such as sleep–wake cycles, hormone secretion, and metabolism. In Drosophila, an important set of circadian output neurons is called pars intercerebralis (PI) neurons, which receive input from specific clock neurons called DN1. These DN1 neurons can further be subdivided into functionally and anatomically distinctive anterior (DN1a) and posterior (DN1p) clusters. The neuropeptide diuretic hormones 31 (Dh31) and 44 (Dh44) are the insect neuropeptides known to activate PI neurons to control activity rhythms. However, the neurophysiological basis of how Dh31 and Dh44 affect circadian clock neural coding mechanisms underlying sleep in Drosophila is …

Feature Manifold Transformer For Detection Of Differential Item Functioning: Visual Detection Of Categorical Feature Nonconformity Through Attention-Based Analysis, Derrick A. Cox, Tanvi Banerjee, William L. Romine

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Methods for interpreting complex feature interactions in educational assessment data remain a critical challenge, with traditional statistical approaches often creating barriers to accessibility and interpretability. We introduce the Feature Manifold Transformer (FMT), a novel machine learning approach that leverages dimensionality reduction, representation learning, and transformer architectures to visualize and interpret feature relationships in categorical data. Using the Concept Inventory of Natural Selection (CINS) and Concept Assessment of Natural Selection (CANS) datasets as testbeds, we demonstrate the FMT’s ability to capture subtle relationships between student demographics and response patterns. Our methodology enables both global and local pattern analysis, providing interpretable visualizations …

Understanding Hereditary Breast And Ovarian Cancer Syndrome In Black/African American Women: Implications For Equitable Outcomes And Interventions, Alexandria E. Fletcher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black/African American women face significant health disparities in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome (HBOC) due to systemic barriers to genetic counseling and testing, leading to poorer survival outcomes. Guided by the Social Determinants of Health (SDH) framework and Intersectionality Theory, this quantitative descriptive study examined disparities in access to genetic services, socioeconomic barriers, and healthcare biases. Data from the 2023 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) included 1,357 Black/African American and White women aged 25–65 with a family history of HBOC. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) dataset analyzed 15,684 Black/African American and 105,547 White women with breast cancer, …

Community College Science Faculty’S Perceptions On Fidelity Of Implementation Of A Strategic Plan, Allison Santillo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The administration at a Mid-Atlantic regional community college in the United States created a strategic plan to increase students’ critical thinking and metacognition skills by focusing on improving students’ problem-solving skills with problem-based learning. However, the problem in this study was that the faculty’s fidelity of implementation (FOI) a strategic plan to implement metacognition instruction at a community college in the Mid-Atlantic U. S. region had not been effectively monitored. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate the FOI of metacognitive instruction to a strategic plan as perceived by the community college’s science faculty. Century et al.’s …

Predicting Freshwater Spring Distribution Using Maxent Modeling: A Case Study In Groundwater Management Area 9 (Gma-9), Texas, Zayed Mallick

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Freshwater springs are one of the most vital groundwater sources and they have been a reliable water source for mining, irrigation, drinking, and farming, particularly in hot and arid regions like Groundwater Management Area-9 (GMA-9), Texas. However, excessive groundwater extraction, climate change, and environmental degradation have created tremendous stress on the sustainability of freshwater springs and as a result, they might not be able to meet the future water demand. This study uses the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model to predict the distribution of springs in GMA-9 and to identify the key topographic and climatic factors influencing their occurrence. This study …

Differences In Plasma Metabolome Between Non-Hispanic White And Non-Hispanic Black Women, Ghazaleh Pourali, Liang Li, Myung Sik Jeon, Jingqin Luo, Chongliang Luo, Adetunji T Toriola

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: To understand potential racial differences in disease susceptibility and develop targeted prevention strategies, it is essential to establish biological differences between racial groups in healthy individuals. However, knowledge about how race impacts metabolites is limited. We therefore performed a cross-sectional study using comprehensive metabolomics analysis to investigate racial differences in metabolites among 506 non-Hispanic White (NHW) women and 163 non-Hispanic Black (NHB) women.

METHODS: We performed untargeted plasma metabolomic profiling using Metabolon's platform (Durham, NC®) and identified 1074 metabolites in 9 super-pathways. We used multivariable linear regression models, adjusted for confounders, to identify associations between race and metabolites. We …

Using Edna To Supplement Population Genetic Analyses For Cryptic Marine Species: Identifying Population Boundaries For Alaska Harbour Porpoises, Kim M. Parsons, Samuel A. May, Zachary Gold, Marilyn Dahlheim, Christine Gabriele, Janice Straley, John R. Moran, Kimberly Goetz, Alexandre N. Zerbini, Linda Park, Phillip A. Morin

Faculty, Staff, and Students

Isolation by distance and biogeographical boundaries define patterns of population genetic structure for harbour porpoise along the Pacific coast from California to British Columbia. Until recently, inadequate sample sizes in many regions constrained efforts to characterise population genetic structure throughout the coastal waters of Alaska. Here, tissue samples from beachcast strandings and fisheries bycatch were supplemented with targeted environmental DNA (eDNA) samples in key regions of Alaska coastal and inland waters. Using a geographically explicit, hierarchical approach, we examined the genetic structure of Alaska harbour porpoises, using both mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence data and multilocus SNP genotypes. Despite a lack …

Seasonality And Hydroclimatic Variability Shape The Functional And Taxonomic Diversity Of Nearshore Fish Communities In Glacierized Estuaries Of Alaska, Lauren Sutton, Brian P. Ulaski, Nina C. Lundstrom, Emily J. Whitney, Jason Fellman, Anne H. Beaudreau, Jordan Jenckes, Scott S. Gabara, Brenda Konar

Faculty, Staff, and Students

Nearshore fish communities in glacierized estuaries contend with environmental changes brought on by seasons and a shifting climate, which include alterations in freshwater runoff and environmental conditions shaped by the interplay of warming temperatures and receding glaciers. Spatial and temporal changes in environmental parameters can directly impact fish behavior and community structure, thereby affecting the dynamics of the entire ecosystem. Taxonomic diversity is commonly used to measure changes in communities, and while it offers important insights into community structure, considering the functional roles of organisms is necessary for understanding community dynamics through expressed traits and trophic interactions. Here, we evaluate …

Complications And Formation Of Sinus Tracts Due To Presence Of Lead From Foreign Bodies Insoft Tissue: A Case Report, Peter J. Godoy, Marshall G. Solomon

Posters

A cornerstone of lower extremity limb salvage is to avoid development of wound complicationsinvolved in soft tissue infections .

Predicting probability of sinus tract development due to presence of lead in soft tissues from foreign bodies. Inthis particular case a bulletfragment from a previous gunshot wound was noted to be the catalyst disrupting multiple biologic processes and impairing the function of soft tissues to heal. Predicting a level of contamination in this particular case leadbelieved to cause oxidative stress and inflammation and prompt excisional removal canavoid sinus tract formations and complications.

This study presents a unique case that demonstratesbeneficial patient …

The Effects Of Social Learning On Second Language Acquisition And Memory: An Fnirs Study, Siena Christensen

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis addresses the question of what effect social learning has on successful second language acquisition behaviorally and neurologically. Participants were taught novel L2 words in a social learning condition and a non-social translation condition. They were then tested with a social testing condition and a non-social translation condition right after learning and at a later date, either 1 week, 4 weeks, or 2 months after learning. Brain activity was measured by comparing oxygenated hemoglobin levels with an fNIRS device. A significant positive effect of sociality was found for response accuracy, as words learned in the social condition performed better …

More Choosy For Minor Foods: Diet, Seasonality And Food Selection In Sympatric Frugivorous And Folivorous Lemurs, Mitchell Irwin, Vololonirina Rahalinarivo, Bruno Ramorasata, Jean-Luc Raharison, Jean-Freddy Ranaivoarisoa, Chloé Gherardi, Jessica Rothman

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Despite traditional dietary categories common in primatology (folivore, frugivore, insectivore), most primates use one or more food types beyond their primary one. Among lemurs, folivores tend to have a complicated, long gastrointestinal tract with an enlarged cecum, shearing teeth, and microbiome adaptations to foliage, while frugivores have simple teeth and guts and fast gut passage. Yet frugivores often eat some leaves, and folivores eat some fruit, and little is known about the selection rules they follow within each food type. We quantified diet and food chemistry for two sympatric rainforest lemurs: a cathemeral frugivore (brown lemur, Eulemur fulvus) and a …

Functional Characterization Of Cryopreserved Plasmodium Yoelii Sporozoites In Vitro, Victoria I. Mills

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Malaria is a major global health burden, contributing to morbidity and mortality across various continents. Due to challenges in malaria research and its advancements, developing novel interventions and further understanding host-parasite interactions is required for future studies. Plasmodium vivax is a human malaria species that is difficult to maintain in laboratory settings, posing obstacles in research. Cryopreservation offers a reliable method to provide a consistent supply of sporozoites for reproducible studies. Plasmodium yoelii is a rodent malaria model commonly used in studies due to its genetic similarity to human malaria species. Utilizing cryopreserved P. yoelii sporozoites potentially extends their usability …

Synthesis, Characterization And Delamination Studies Of Metallic Thin Films Prepared Using Sputtering And Ebeam Evaporation Methods, Anoop Joseph

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In many mechanical applications, including the manufacturing, automotive, and cutting tool sectors, metallic thin film coatings are crucial due to their tribological and protective properties. This research focuses on the development of metallic thin films of Aluminum (Al), Chromium (Cr) and Titanium (Ti) using deposition techniques like Sputtering and Electron Beam Evaporation. Metallic thin films were fabricated, with variations in thickness for each material, allowing for an in-depth study of the effects of Sputtering and Ebeam Evaporation deposition method on film characteristics. The thickness of these metallic thin films were evaluated using High-Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy (HRSEM) and Profilometer while …

Genetic Counseling Student Anxiety, Self-Efficacy, And Study Strategy Use For The Genetic Counseling Board Certification Exam., Teagan E. Nunnery

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With a 76% pass rate for the 2024 American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) certification exam, it's crucial to evaluate the study strategies used by candidates and their alignment with evidence-based practices. This study surveyed 84 genetic counseling students and graduates from 35 U.S. and Canadian training programs, focusing on demographic data, study strategy usage, anxiety, and self-efficacy. Study strategies were categorized into one of three groups: 1) active strategies, which promote recall and understanding, 2) passive strategies, and 3) hybrid, for strategies that involve both active and passive engagement as well as three metacognitive strategies: regulating learning, monitoring learning, …

2025.03.13 - Finance, Buildings And Grounds Committee Meeting Minutes, Northeastern Illinois University Board Of Trustees

Board of Trustees - 2025

Meeting materials for the NEIU Board Trustees

Determining The Influence Of Habitat Complexity On Fish Diversity And Abundance In Hawaiian Coral Reefs, Gabrielle Reece Demarco

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Since AUVs maintain heightened levels of identification, advanced system complexity coverage, low taxonomic selectivity, while maintaining large sample sizes and exceptional navigational accuracies, AUVs could be beneficial in certain circumstances. However, since UVC’s tend to have higher biomass identification accuracies and AUVs lack of agility and reactivity increase unidentifiable fish (While increasing biomass coverage), its costs may not justify the means. However, with advances in camera and drone technologies, it may be possible to heighten the identification abilities of AUVs, thus offering a low-interruption solution to fish surveying

Montana Kaimin, March 13, 2025, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Adverse Childhood Experiences In Early Adolescence And Adult Interpersonal Relationships Violence, Jenalee M. Dawson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive social issue that affects individuals and communities, often rooted in early life experiences such as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Understanding the link between ACEs and IPV is crucial for developing effective prevention and intervention strategies. This quantitative research explored the potential link between ACEs encountered during early adolescence and the subsequent occurrence of IPV in adult domestic relationships, building upon the foundational work of Felitti et al. Using a quantitative survey design, 30 participants aged 18 and older who had experienced at least one ACE were recruited via social media and surveyed. Bandura's …

Racialization Of Urban Black Middle School Students From The Perspective Of Middle School Teachers: A Phenomenological Study In Central And Southeast Michigan, Bryan L. Spencer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Walden University College of Education and Human Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Bryan L. Spencer has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Michael Langlais, Committee Chairperson, Psychology Faculty Dr. Matthew Hertenstein, Committee Member, Psychology Faculty Chief Academic Officer and Provost Sue Subocz, Ph.D. Walden University 2025   Racialization of Urban Black Middle School Students from the Perspective of Middle School Teachers: A Phenomenological Study in Central and Southeast Michigan by Bryan L. Spencer MPhil, Walden …

Deep Learning Models Based On Pretreatment Mri And Clinicopathological Data To Predict Responses To Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Zhan Xu, Zijian Zhou, Jong Bum Son, Haonan Feng, Beatriz E Adrada, Tanya W Moseley, Rosalind P Candelaria, Mary S Guirguis, Miral M Patel, Gary J Whitman, Jessica W T Leung, Huong T C Le-Petross, Rania M Mohamed, Bikash Panthi, Deanna L Lane, Huiqin Chen, Peng Wei, Debu Tripathy, Jennifer K Litton, Vicente Valero, Lei Huo, Kelly K Hunt, Anil Korkut, Alastair Thompson, Wei Yang, Clinton Yam, Gaiane M Rauch, Jingfei Ma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To develop deep learning models for predicting the pathologic complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAST) in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) based on pretreatment multiparametric breast MRI and clinicopathological data.

Methods: The prospective institutional review board-approved study [NCT02276443] included 282 patients with stage I-III TNBC who had multiparametric breast MRI at baseline and underwent NAST and surgery during 2016-2021. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and clinicopathological data were used for the model development and internal testing. Data from the I-SPY 2 trial (2010-2016) were used for external testing. Four variables with a …

Revealing The Nature Of The Second Branch Point In The Catalytic Mechanism Of The Fe(Ii)/2og-Dependent Ethylene Forming Enzyme, Simahudeen Bathir Jaber Sathik Rifayee, Midhun George Thomas, Christo Z, Christov

Michigan Tech Publications

Ethylene-forming enzyme (EFE) has economic importance due to its ability to catalyze the formation of ethylene and 3-hydroxypropionate (3HP). Understanding the catalytic mechanism of EFE is essential for optimizing the biological production of these important industrial chemicals. In this study, we implemented molecular dynamics (MD) and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) to elucidate the pathways leading to ethylene and 3HP formation. Our results suggest that ethylene formation occurs from the propion-3-yl radical intermediate rather than the (2-carboxyethyl)carbonato-Fe(ii) (EFIV) intermediate, which conclusively acts as a precursor for 3HP formation. The results also explain the role of the hydrophobic environment surrounding the 2OG …

Msbzip55 Regulates Salinity Tolerance By Modulating Melatonin Biosynthesis In Alfalfa, Tingting Wang, Jiaqi Yang, Jiamin Cao, Qi Zhang, Huayue Liu, Peng Li, Yizhi Huang, Wenwu Qian, Xiaojing Bi, Hui Wang, Yunwei Zhang

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Current - Volume 35 Issue 10, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

A Scoping Review Of Sleep Disturbances In Children And Adolescents With Abdominal Pain Disorders., Hunter J. Friesen, Neha Singh, Jennifer Verrill Schurman, Amanda D. Deacy, Craig A. Friesen, Jennifer Colombo

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE/PURPOSE/AIM: Sleep disturbances have been implicated as contributors to chronic pain. We undertook this review to assess the current literature regarding sleep disturbances in youth with chronic abdominal pain. We assessed studies evaluating prevalence, pathophysiology, and/or outcomes to identify gaps in knowledge and to determine whether there is an evidential basis for sleep interventions in this population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Utilizing Google Scholar, Pub Med, SCOPUS, and Embase, we searched using the terms "sleep disturbances" AND ("abdominal pain"/exp OR "abdominal pain") AND ([adolescent]/lim OR [school]/lim). Articles were included if they contained data regarding sleep disturbance prevalence, pathophysiology, or relationships to …