Digital Commons Network^™

Scotus's Summer Of 2022: Obfuscation Of And Disdain For Rationality And The Traditional Personal Liberties Framework, Roy G. Spece Jr.

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Aging And The Screen: Toxic Commodification Of The Female Body In The Substance (2024), Damlasu Uyug Sengun, Tuncer Mert Aydın, Zeynep Ozdamar Ertekin

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

Representations of the aging female body have increased in media, but their presence is still shaped by social norms and market-driven ideals. On the contrary, The Substance (2024), an absurd, postmodern body horror, provides us a provocative critique of contemporary society’s obsession with youth and beauty and the way our culture defines and commodifies aging, especially in relation to women’s bodies and identities. Our review of The Substance incorporates consumer culture theory with Julia Kristeva’s concept of the abject (1982), Laura Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze (1975), and Barbara Creed’s notion of the monstrous-feminine, (1993) to explore the toxic …

Navigating The Open-Loops: Actor Dynamics And Bottlenecks In The Transition Towards Circular Household Waste Supply Chains, Burcin Ozdamar, Aysu Göçer

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

Household waste supply chains (HWSCs) in developing countries often suffer from fragmented actor structures, weak coordination, and informal practices that limit their overall performance and circularity potential. Existing studies tend to focus on isolated aspects such as waste types, technologies, or individual actors, without systematically examining the broader network and interdependencies shaping HWSC outcomes. Addressing this gap, this study investigates the key components (e.g. actors and waste processes) and bottleneck points that hinder the structure and functioning of current HWSCs to transform into circular systems. Drawing on industrial network theory, the research analyzes how actor relationships and system configurations influence …

Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome And Hypertension: A Case-Control Study, Ayat Salim Khaleel, Abeer Gheaid Yousif Al-Fatlawi, Wasan Ghazi Aboud Al-Safee

Al-Ameed Journal for Medical Research and Health Sciences

Background: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder affecting reproductive-aged women. It has been associated with metabolic disturbances that may increase the risk of hypertension. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the association between PCOS and hypertension, with a particular focus on anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) as a potential biomarker. Methods: A case-control involving women aged 15-45 years (mean of age 28.666±6.837) years, divided into two groups n=45 (mean of age 31.689 ± 6.842) used as controls and n=45 patients (mean of age 24.644 ± 5.390), The serum LH, FSH, insulin, prolactin, and testosterone were measured …

A Unique Metastatic Spread Of Lung Adenocarcinoma To The Stomach: A Case Report And Literature Review., Aniqa Faraz, Ammad Naeem, Hafiz Muhammad Aslam

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths and commonly spreads to the brain, bones, liver, and adrenal glands. Gastric metastases from lung cancer are uncommon and can occur in melanoma, breast cancer, and lung cancer. Most patients show no symptoms at presentation; however, metastasis from lung cancer portends a poor prognosis. This case report highlights a rare instance of lung cancer metastasizing to the stomach in a 60-year-old female that was detected incidentally on a PET scan. The scan showed two new stomach masses with increased FDG uptake and contrast enhancement. The patient had chemoimmunotherapy after receiving palliative …

Mmp-7 Expression And Rs11225307 Polymorphism In Breast Cancer And Fibroadenoma: A Molecular Study In Basrah, Iraq, Heba Jassam, Wijdan Nazar Ibraheim, Mazin Hawwaz Abdulridha, Rafid Adil Abood, Karam B. Nanjem

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

Breast cancer (BC) progression relies heavily on extracellular matrix degradation, mediated in part by matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7). While overexpression of MMP-7 has been implicated in multiple cancers, data from Middle Eastern populations remain limited.

This study examined MMP-7 gene expression and polymorphism patterns, with emphasis on rs11225307, in breast cancer versus benign fibroadenoma (FA) tissues among women in Basrah, Iraq. Thirty-seven BC and twenty-three FA patients were enrolled. MMP-7 mRNA expression was quantified using qRT-PCR and normalized to β-actin, while polymorphisms were analyzed through Sanger sequencing of eight SNPs and allele-specific PCR for rs11225307. Statistical significance was set at …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Highly Stable Fisetin Encapsulated In Lecithin-Chitosan-Savie Nanoparticles, Hart Monyatovsky, Travis Anderson, Jay Nadeau

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Senolytic drugs, of the class of polyphenolic flavonoids, have attracted attention for a wide variety of medical applications for which they may be delivered topically, orally, and/or intravenously. However, due to their hydrophobicity and sensitivity to light and oxygen, they have been proven difficult to package and deliver. Here we report a synthesis method for encapsulated fisetin using lecithin-chitosan ionic gelation with a recently reported surfactant that is an alternative to polyethylene glycol (PEG)-containing compounds. Called “Savie” for a contraction of its components, sarcosine-Vitamin E, this surfactant allows for production of sub-100 nm nanoparticles that are bench stable for at …

Population Structure Analysis Of Four Basal Higher-Attines Using Bioinformatic Approaches, Gabriel Mcdanield

Biology Theses

Metapopulations within the family Formicidae are unique among other animals due to the large colonies they build, and the mating strategies required to fertilize a specialized reproductive caste that will often produce young for the life of the colony. One group of ants, the fungus-gardeners (tribe Attini). The population structure of North American non-leafcutting, fungus-gardening ants has been understudied, especially in the southwest of the United States. Additionally, not much is known about their dispersal biology, so the dynamics of dispersal of these species and how they affect population structure is likewise not well known. To shed light on the …

Treatment Intensification Of Digester Dewatering Sidestreams Via Pilot- And Demonstration-Scale Revolving Algal Biofilms At Municipal Water Resource Recovery Facilities, Audrey E. Kocher, Hunter W. Schroer, Christopher A. Marks, Craig L. Just

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

As water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) pursue decarbonization, the treatment of concentrated side streams from anaerobic digestion offers a critical opportunity to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. This study evaluated the intensification potential of revolving algal biofilms (RAB) for side stream nutrient removal via partial nitrification at pilot- and demonstration-scales. RAB systems were deployed at municipal WRRFs in Boulder and Iowa City, treating real dewatering side streams across a range of ammonium (NH4⁺–N) surface area loading rates (SALR) reaching up to 196 g N m^–2d^–2. The results demonstrated that RAB systems can …

Warmer Temperatures Increase Egg Laying And Egg Hatching Frequency In The Invasive Freshwater Snail Physa Gyrina From Pennsylvania, Usa, Peter Fong, Morgan Nieman

Biology Faculty Publications

Climate change continues to impact populations of organisms and to affect physiological adaptations to their environments. Freshwater snails have been so impacted globally, not only by climate change, but by the concomitant exposure to environmental pollutants like human antidepressants released from wastewater treatment plants. To test the effect of climate change and antidepressants, we exposed the freshwater snail, Physa gyrina to three temperatures (12 °C, 20 °C, and 25 °C) and to a concentration of the antidepressant fluoxetine, known to modulate snail behavior, and measured time to egg laying and egg hatching. Snails exposed to 20 °C and 25 °C …

Southeastern Librarian 73(3) Fall 2025 (Full Issue), John H. Barnett

The Southeastern Librarian

Complete issue of The Southeastern Librarian Volume 73 Number 3

Thirty-Day Hospital Readmissions For Medicare Patients In Urban And Rural Counties Of North Carolina And Wisconsin Based On Gender And Race, Narda J. Rogers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Thirty-day hospital readmissions continue to be an increasing problem for healthcare administrators due to quality and costs. This study was conducted to examine whether gender and race were related to 30-day readmissions in urban and rural counties of North Carolina and Wisconsin. Research questions included the dependent variable of 30-day acute hospital readmissions and the independent variables of race (Black and White) and gender (male and female). The framework was Donabedian’s quality of care model consisting of three components: structure, process, and outcomes. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services secondary data were gathered in 2022 from 595,294 patients in …

Repetitive Head Impacts: Definitional Challenges, Clinical Implications, And Research Directions, Amanda Rabinowitz, Allie Tracey, Yevgeniya Sergeyenko

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Faculty Papers

Purpose of Review: Repetitive head impacts (RHI)—repeated head trauma that may or may not result in clinically identified injury—are a growing public health concern due to links with neurodegenerative disease and long-term dysfunction. This review aimed to synthesize current knowledge of RHI and evaluate methodological challenges that limit conclusions about its clinical consequences. Recent Findings: Emerging studies highlight associations between RHI and cognitive, emotional, and functional outcomes across vulnerable populations including athletes, military personnel, and survivors of intimate partner violence. However, definitional ambiguity, difficulties in measuring exposure, and population-specific confounds continue to hinder progress. Clinical approaches emphasize individualized assessment and …

Source Apportionment And Potential Health Risks Of Trace Metals In A Contaminated Urban River In New York/New Jersey Harbor System, Md Shahnul Islam, Sana Mirza, Huan Feng, Tapos Kumar Chakraborty, Yu Qian, Shinjae Yoo

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The Lower Passaic River (LPR), located within the New York/New Jersey Harbor Estuarine System, has experienced long-term industrial activities, resulting in elevated concentrations of trace metals in sediment and water. This study aims to assess the bioaccumulation behavior, potential human health risks, and sources of copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) in the LPR. Trace metal concentrations were measured in water, sediment, and seven edible aquatic species. Data were analyzed using statistical approaches, and evaluated by bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) and human health risk assessments based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) guidelines. Results showed that Hg exhibited the highest …

Dog Snapper (Lutjanus Jocu) Neurocranium, Camila Avila Escobar, David W. Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Cv: Laura Olson (Radiography), Laura Olson

Health Sciences Department Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Georgia Southern Marketing Plan, Charles R. Herman

Honors College Theses

The Georgia Southern Botanic Garden Marketing plan details what the future marketing of the garden looks like. The plan shows the potential of the garden as a space for relaxation and education as well as a one-of-a-kind event space. Using this as the platform the goal of the plan is to show that the community and greater Statesboro area using social media and reaching out through events. Through an overhaul of the marketing of the garden it would allow it to expand its current markets and increase its contributed and earned revenue.

The Inner Workings Of The Flipped Classroom, Kimberly Y. Resendiz

Honors Theses

This paper will be exploring what a flipped classroom is; specifically how teachers use the flipped classroom. First, it is important to note that the flipped classroom is a relatively new method that has popped up as early as the early 2000s. In general, this method allows for teachers to switch the environments in which learning the concepts and doing an activity are switched. The purpose of this paper is to explore the implementation of the four pillars of the flipped classroom, as well as the benefits and challenges STEM teachers face when using flipped classrooms. I have collected data …

2025 November 14 - Academic, Research And Student Success Committee, Board Of Trustees, East Tennessee State University

Board of Trustees Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

The Diamond, November 14, 2025, Dordt University

Dordt Diamond

• Front Page: Feenstra Launches Iowa State Governor Campaign at Dordt University; NC/DC - Battle of the Bands Returns to Campus; Women in Ministry - Winding Journeys
• News: Goodbye Grille, Hello Defender Coffee Co.; Campus Ministries Hosts Student Testimony Night; Sudan Civil War Affects Millions
• Feature: Dr. Visscher's NASA-Funded Research; Delight at Dordt - A New Women's Ministry Group for College Students; Life Diagnosed with Type One Diabetes; A Story in the Struggle - Dr. Schaap's New Book; Sioux Center Songwriters Club Creatively Collaborate; The Dish on Dordt Designs; Life on Jacob's Ladder
• Arts & Entertainment: Art …

Mechanism Of Anticancer Action Of Bifidobacterium: Insights From Gut Microbiota, Hoang Do, Esther Asiamah, Mayanijesu Olorife, Arathi Pillai, Sakshi Patel, Ponniah Selvakumar, Sidhartha D Ray, Ashakumary Lakshmikuttyamma

College of Pharmacy Faculty Papers

Bifidobacterium has captured major attention recently because of its health benefits and extensive research highlighting its potential in cancer treatment and prevention. Evidence suggests that bifidobacterium can actively fight against various types of cancer, including those of the colon, lungs, breast, and stomach. Research indicates that several species of bifidobacterium can potentiate the action of chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation therapy in battling tumors, and reducing their adverse effects. Bifidobacteria shows its multipronged effect by modulating various immunomodulatory and inflammatory signaling pathways, potentially leading to the suppression of tumor growth. Moreover, different species of bifidobacteria are known to regulate signaling molecules …

Childhood Events And Counseling Experiences Of Chinese And Korean American Transracial Adoptees, Mele Kramer, Lee Stadtlander

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

From the 1950s through 2024, transracial adoptions—particularly of Korean and Chinese children—have been increasingly prevalent in Western societies. While these adoptions provided children with opportunities to grow up in loving and supportive families, they also introduced unique challenges related to identity, cultural integration, and self-esteem. This basic qualitative study aimed to explore the lived experiences of Chinese and Korean transracial adoptees (TRAs) within their adoptive families, in their interactions with counseling, and their perceptions of the effectiveness of counseling interventions. The study was grounded in Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT) and the Openness to Communication framework to examine the experiences of 19 …

Strategies To Provide Organizational Support To Neurodivergent Employees On Work Teams, Keila Yaremis Molina González

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective strategies for supporting neurodivergent employees can lead to decreased productivity, talent loss, and stifled innovation, ultimately harming a company's operational efficiency. Industry training managers who struggle to improve productivity, retention, and innovation may find their businesses facing instability as a result. . Grounded in attribution theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry research project was to identify and explore effective strategies used by industry training managers to support neurodivergent employees to increase productivity, talent retention, and innovation. The participants were nine industry training managers who had implemented supportive strategies. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, public websites, and …

Embodiment, Relationships, And Sexuality: An Ethical Analysis Of Extended Reality Technologies, Erick Jose Ramirez, Laura Clark, Sydney Campbell, Julian Dreiman, Dorian Clay, Raghav Gupta, Shelby Jennett

Philosophy

Communication technologies change the way we relate to each other and ourselves. In this essay we analyze the effects that extended reality (XR) technologies are likely to have on conceptions of the self, romantic relationships, and other associated concepts like sexual orientation. While these technologies are in their infancy, key psychological and philosophical concepts are already being explored. We begin by defining extended reality and the family of technologies that make it possible. We pay special attention to the way these immersive technologies ground the experiences of presence which can become virtually real. These experiences provide a useful framework for …

In-Silico Assessment Of Aortic Valve Function And Mechanics Under Hypertension, Jason A. Shar, Philippe Sucosky

Faculty Articles

Introduction: Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is the most common heart valve disorder. While hypertension is a major risk factor, the mechanisms by which elevated blood pressure contributes to calcification are largely unknown. Given the established sensitivity of aortic valve (AV) tissue to mechanical cues, hypertension may subject AV leaflets to a stress state conducive to CAVD. To address this hypothesis, the objective of this study was to compare AV function and mechanics under normotensive (NTN, 120/ 80 mmHg), pre-hypertensive (preHTN, 125/80 mmHg) and hypertensive (HTN, 130/90 mmHg) conditions using fluid-structure interaction modeling.

Methods: AV flow and leaflet dynamics were …

“For Haitian Culture, Being Older [Is] A Blessing”: Perceptions Of Aging, Elderhood, And Dementia In A Haitian Born Sample, Melissa K. Eustache

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates how first-generation Haitian immigrants in the United States understand and interpret dementia within the intersecting contexts of culture, migration, and biomedicine. While dementia is constructed as a pathological “loss of self” and a public health epidemic, in American biomedical and popular discourse, this study examines how Haitian-born individuals—socialized within a non-Western cultural and spiritual framework—make sense of cognitive decline and impairment in ways that diverge from Western biomedical narratives. Guided by theoretical orientations from medical anthropology, including Mark Nichter’s idioms of distress, Margaret Lock’s local biologies, and neuroanthropology, this research explores how cultural models of illness, aging, …

First-Line Met Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Versus Immunotherapy ± Chemotherapy For Patients With Met Exon 14 Skipping Mutant Metastatic Nsclc, Federica Pecci, Hui Li, Alessandro Di Federico, Jia Wu, Hong Chen, Eleonora Gariazzo, Francesco Mantuano, Edoardo Garbo, Mihaela Aldea, Valentina Santo, Don Gibbons, Hai Tran, Francesco Paoloni, Guilherme Rossato De Almeida, Giulio Metro, Andrea De Giglio, Francesco Gelsomino, Xinan Wang, Marcello Tiseo, Julia Rotow, Andrea Ardizzoni, J Jack Lee, Mark M Awad, Alfredo Addeo, Lingzhi Hong, Marcelo V Negrao, Pasi A Jänne, John V Heymach, Jianjun Zhang, Biagio Ricciuti, Xiuning Le

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: First-line treatment options for MET exon 14 skipping-mutant metastatic non-small cell lung cancer vary because of differences in drug approvals and clinical experience. This study investigates factors influencing outcomes with first-line MET tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) versus immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) ± chemotherapy.

Experimental design: Clinicopathologic data were collected from patients with metastatic MET exon 14 skipping-mutant non-small cell lung cancer treated with first-line MET TKI or ICI ± chemotherapy at five centers. Primary endpoints were real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS) and overall survival (OS) to first-line MET TKI versus ICI ± chemotherapy. Subgroup analyses by clinical and tumor characteristics …

Mapping Intellectual Property Abuses In The Pharmaceutical Field, S. Sean Tu, Ana Santos Rutschman

Faculty Publications

This Viewpoint details intellectual property abuses in the pharmaceutical industry involving patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets.

Effect Of Freezing And Freeze-Thaw Cycles On Equine Serum Insulin Concentration: A Pilot Study, Molly Wallace, Shea Porr, Lydia O'Sullivan

Honors College Theses

Insulin dysregulation is a key component of Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS), and is often a predisposing factor to conditions such as laminitis and hepatic lipidosis. Diagnosis of EMS is most often reached through a combination of glucose and insulin measurements in equine serum. Achieving an accurate result of insulin concentration is vital for diagnosis, making proper sample handling essential. The aim of this project was to evaluate the effect of repetitive freeze-thaw cycles on equine serum insulin concentrations. Serum was collected from 10 university-owned horses and split into four treatment groups: Unfrozen, Once Frozen, Twice Frozen, and Thrice Frozen. Unfrozen …

Vitamin D Is Glucoprotective In Aging Males But Not Females, Olivia Z B Ginnard, Maria Morales, Ji Youn Youn, Yong Xu, Stephanie R Sisley

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Vitamin D supplementation is linked to many beneficial health outcomes in the geriatric population, such as decreased mortality, epigenetic aging, and fracture risk. Conversely, type 2 diabetes is strongly linked to vitamin D deficiency in older adults. However, there is a discrepancy between clinical trials in adults on the efficacy of vitamin D treatment in prediabetes and diabetes. In addition, human data indicates there may be sexual dimorphism in the effect of vitamin D deficiency on dysglycemia that is more pronounced in men. These incongruities may be due to our limited understanding of the underlying mechanisms of vitamin D in …